Bettye Blackwood

Bettye Lou (Pulliam) Blackwood passed away from this life and into her Heavenly home on November 26, 2021.

She was born on July 18, 1942, in Jackson, MI, to Gilmore "Dottie" Pulliam and Madeline Howard Pulliam. She was raised in and claimed Owensboro, KY, as home. In 1959, she married Joe Blackwood at the age of 17. After marrying they moved to Odessa, TX, in 1962, and began their life together there.

Her first job was working in the full-service cafe at Medical Center Hospital at the age of 20. While there, she was offered the position to be head of housekeeping. With no college education and only a GED, she got the job. She performed her daily tasks and duties associated with that job for 22 1/2 years, having about 80 employees underneath her to manage at all times. In her mid-40s, she took her full retirement benefits from Medical Center and happily retired, becoming one of the youngest people to ever get and receive full retirement from the hospital.

She was retired for one full week before being contacted to manage the Hilton Hotel, which later became the MCM Eleganté Hotel. She worked there for 12 years before retiring—at least from secular jobs that is. Anyone that knew her knew she was totally devoted to her God and her church. In 2010 she took over as head of the nursery at Mission Dorado Baptist Church. She faithfully worked there every Sunday, Wednesday, and special event until her brief illness.

She absolutely loved to travel whenever she got the chance. She and her fellow coworkers from MCH would go on cruises and road trips whenever and wherever they pleased as time allowed. One of her and Joe’s favorite places to go was Las Vegas. They would go a couple of times a year up until his death in 2001. Joe would say, “Come on Bettye, I’ve got the truck and ice chest packed.” Not knowing where they were going, like the good and faithful wife she was, she got in the truck and away they went. After Joe passed, she would get a wild hair and go spend a few days in Robert Lee to see her friends Melba and George.

In her later years, she spent her free time playing with her dogs, cats, and whatever other indigent animals she adopted into the family. She loved her weekly TV shows that included “Bull”, “The Good Doctor”, “Chicago Fire”, “Chicago Med”, and “Chicago PD.” She also enjoyed getting on Facebook and keeping up with all of her friends that had moved away.

Her home was a safe place for many people. Everyone knew they could go to her house at any time and have a heart-to-heart talk with Mrs. Bettye, Bettye Lou, or LuLu as she was known. Whatever you knew her by, you knew she was the real deal.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Gilmore "Dottie" Pulliam and Madeline Howard Pulliam, husband Joe Blackwood, sister Patsy McCormick, and brothers Leroy and Buzzy Pulliam.

She is survived by her niece Lisa McCormick and great nephew Jonathan of Utica, KY, niece Vicki Rose and husband Michael of Louisville, KY, sister-in-law Jane Pulliam of Hartford, IL, nieces Debbie and Vicky of Hartford, IL, and her adopted grandson Kenny Cowan. She and Joe never had any children of their own.

Visitation will be from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, Thursday, December 2, 2021, at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, December 3, 2021, at Mission Dorado Baptist Church with Pastor Jonathan Coleman officiating.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Mission Dorado Baptist Church or to the Odessa Humane Society.