Bettye Louise Mckinzie Shipp

Bettye Louise McKinzie Shipp, age 94, went to be with her Lord on Thursday, October 28, 2021 from her home in Abilene, Texas. Bettye was born to parents John and Edith McKinzie on September 28, 1927. Bettye graduated from Abilene High School and also attended Abilene Christian schools and college. She was married to Owen Twayne “Skipper” Shipp, Jr. on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945.

They loved the Lord and life together passionately, serving others, sharing Jesus, opening their home, encouraging and participating in church and community, and being lights wherever they were for 57 blessed years. She was a Texas lady who during her married life resided in Dallas, Denton, Fort Worth, Irving, Lubbock, Odessa, Richardson, Seminole, and lastly retirement in Abilene in her home built by her grandfather in 1927. Bettye and Skipper also lived in California, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Nairobi, Kenya. They, together, followed the call of God to go anywhere as designated to serve as He willed and raised their children to do so as well.

They were in dinner clubs with their friends in almost every city and developed deep, meaningful relationships. They quickly became a part of a church and took on leadership roles in congregations. They also participated in civic groups everywhere.

As a young girl she was a rodeo barrel racer and in Tri Delta sorority. She was a member of Lucky 13 Delta Theta Club at Abilene Christian. She participated with Highland youth group and was involved in theater and chorus.

Bettye loved and lived God’s word. She was faithful from childhood to her last breath to the Lord. She was baptized at age 14 at Abilene Christian Sewell Auditorium. Her first date with Skipper was “going to church”. They served as an eldership team at South MacArthur Church of Christ in Irving for many years. She led women’s groups, retreats, classes, and Bible studies. Bettye served on community and church boards and committees, went on mission trips, and was innovative and progressive in her thinking. Her insight was fresh, candid, relevant, and deeply connected to the Spirit; her wisdom was life-impacting and abiding.

She was an advocate for women. She was founding member with her dear friend Helen Young for LCU Women Associates and Pepperdine University Women Associates. She served as President of Women for ACU. Bettye was a member of Abilene Women’s Club, Garden Club, and Grace Museum. She was a founding member of Diamond Dames for ACU Girls Softball and a sponsor for Delta Theta ACU girls Club. She met and had yearly sleepovers with her DT sisters from the 1940s until she became the last of the group to live. She loved Abilene Christian University where more than 80 of her relatives attended. McKinzie Dorm at ACU was named after her grandfather.

She was employed as the first Sears and Roebuck woman sales associate for big appliances in the 1960s, worked for Leonard Brothers in the 1970s, was an accomplished realtor for Ebby Halliday Realtors in the 1980s, and ended employment as head cashier for Downtown Neiman Marcus in the 1990s.

Bettye loved and was loved by many. She had the gift of hospitality, could throw together a meal or festivity in a minute’s notice, and could decorate amazingly. She could also burn toast like no other and usually did. Grandma Bet constantly taught table manners to the grandchildren and great-grands. She demanded etiquette, required opening doors for others, shoes at the table, and did not use paper goods even when food was purchased to serve. She loved people, kindness, dishes, shopping, singing, worship, and anything that glorified God. She was committed to family which included non-related people that she quickly designated as family. She opened her home to Bible studies for international women on Fridays as they learned English and God’s grace. Bettye expected perfection but replaced it with mercy, acceptance, and forgiveness when reality set in. She spoke her mind in confidence, sometimes even in abruptness, ruffling feathers at times.

Bettye was classy and beautiful both physically and spiritually. She was strong, compassionate, resourceful, smart, giving, fearless, and fun. She was zestful for life and prayed to live until age 99. She had no faltering moments of her passion and devotion to Jesus Christ. She remained sharp in mind, wit, and faith to her last moment.

Bettye is survived by one daughter, Martha and son-in-law Terry Groves, two sons-in-law, Kent Thomas and John Rosser, and one daughter-in-law, Wanda Shipp, and her brother and sister-in-law, Dixon and Mickey McKinzie. Bettye has an incredible 16 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild. Of course, she added spouses of the grands, totaling 12 additional grandchildren ”extras”.

She was preceded in death by her husband, O.T. “Skipper” Shipp, Jr.; three daughters, Sandy Thomas, Sara Rosser, and Paula Shipp; two sons, O.T. “Buddy” Shipp, III and Stephen Shipp; grandson, Cameron McGee, her parents, her sister Jean Mead, her brother John C. McKinzie, and a host of family and “best friends”, all of whom she greatly appreciated and has now joined eternally. She is now on her Best Team.

The family and friends of Bettye Shipp will celebrate and tribute at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, at University Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas, where she began and ended her church membership of decades.

Graveside follows at Texas State Veterans Cemetery at 2:00 p.m.

Family Visitation is Monday, November 1 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Shipp Home, 689 E.N. 18 ^th , Abilene.

Arrangements are being handled by Piersall Funeral Directors.

Contributions can be made to the McKinzie Endowment Fund, PO Box 94505, Lubbock, Texas 79415.