Bettie M. Griffith

Bettie Margene Willis Griffith was born on December 8, 1932, to Winfield and Bernice Willis in Hutchinson, Kansas. She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, Anita Willis Pulliam (Pete) and Shirley Willis Aco (Richard), and a brother, Russell Willis (Shirley). Bettie’s greatest earthly treasure was her family. Her legacy of grace, kindness and grit will live on through her husband, Claude Earl (Tom), two daughters, Claudia Griffith and Linda Ferrell (David) as well as seven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Bettie, a woman of deep faith, infectious laughter, and a heart that knew no bounds, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on March 21, 2026.

Bettie’s life was defined by a beautiful, enduring love story. While dating, Tom introduced her to the joy of a personal relationship with her Savior and as her love for Christ deepened, her love for Tom grew. On November 8, 1951, she married the love of her life, Claude Earl “Tom” Griffith. Their life together began on the farm in Iuka, Kansas, where they built their early foundations. When Tom answered the call of God on his life to ministry, Bettie didn’t hesitate; she embraced his call as her own, embarking on a journey of service that would span decades and touch countless lives. As she recounts in “The Farmer Takes a Wife,” she gazed out the window at the windmill on the farm during the farm sale, grieving the loss of a world she loved as she committed to a new world and ended her life with the windmill outside her window reminding her of the many ways her life has been enriched throughout these years.

A committed member of the Free Methodist Church, Bettie was a devoted partner in ministry and a tireless worker in children’s ministry. To many, she was simply "Grandma Bettie." For years, she directed summer junior youth camps, combining her love for Christ with a natural sense of fun to mentor generations of children.

Bettie’s sense of humor was legendary. Friends often participated in jokes and laughter that she initiated. Her "mischievous adventures" at Conference Women’s retreats became the stuff of family and church lore—a reminder that a life of faith and self-sacrifice should also be a life of immense joy, "Her life was a living testimony of the joy found in serving others and the strength found in a life dedicated to God.”

The family will receive friends from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM, Thursday, March 26, 2026, at Stockham Family Funeral Home. A celebration of Bettie’s vibrant life will be held at 10:00 AM, on Friday, March 27, at McPherson Free Methodist Church. Interment will follow at 2:30 PM, Friday, at Iuka Cemetery, Iuka, Kansas.

In honor of her lifelong passion for nurturing the faith of young people, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Children’s Ministries of the Free Methodist Church in McPherson in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.