Betty Vestine Hurley

Died: Jan. 19, 2013

MORRISTOWN -- Betty Vestine Courtney Hurley, 81, of Whitesburg, passed away Saturday at Laughlin Memorial Hospital in Greeneville.

She was born Nov. 29, 1931, the daughter of the late William Vestus "Beck" and Hazel Courtney Courtney of Greene and Hamblen counties.

She was raised on the Courtney family land grant of 1769 on the banks of Bent Creek in Hamblen County; this land grant given to American Revolutionary Soldier, Alexander Courtney.

A member of First Families of Tennessee, the Courtney Farm is one of the few Century Farms of Hamblen County. She was a descendant of the Courtney, Rader, Gillette, and Knight families, who were also given land grants in Greene County. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.).

She attended grade school at the old Holdway School of Silver City on Bent Creek and graduated with honors from Whitesburg High School. She enjoyed their annual class reunions.

She attended nursing school and was with the Old Hamblen Hall that later became Morristown-Hamblen Hospital. Before retiring she helped with the formation and worked for the first Physical Therapy Department at the hospital. She later retired from Morristown Health Systems with 32 years of service.

She was a member of Catherine Nenney Memorial Baptist Church of Whitesburg that her forefathers helped found.

She served for many years as president of the Baptist Women Evening Group of the W.M.U. during the 1970s and '80s and also served for more than 20 years as church custodian and a member of the Ladies Bible Sunday School Class. She loved reading and studying her Bible daily.

She is survived by her husband of 61 years: Louis Carroll "L.C." Hurley; daughter and son-in-law: Rebecca Carol "Becky" and the Rev. Richard Long of Mosheim; two grandsons: Phillip Hasbrook Long of Portland, Ore., and Christopher Scott Long and fiancée, Allie Southerland, of Greeneville; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Paul and Lucy "Toot" Brooks of Morristown, Marshall and Ollie Hurley of Sneedville, Dallas and Bernice Hurley of Port St. Lucie, Fla., and Cleo and Mary Hurley of Hampstead, N.H.; several nieces and nephews; special family members: Mark and Kaye Hurley (whom she loved as a son), Nell Hurley, Floyd Rednour, Ailene Early of Morristown, Vivian Hawkins and Louise Orrick of Russellville, Chris and Sandy Hurley Pizzini of Nashville, Leezella Roberts, Alex and Lora Williams, Deloris Hurley of Whitesburg, William and Savanna Roberts of Powell, Marsha Bicker of Longwood, Wash.; and special cousins: Johnny Courtney of Sweetwater, Connie Courtney, Bobby Courtney, and Truman Courtney of New Market, Joe Huntsman of Morristown, Rosa Lee Lane of Spring City, and Johnny Lane of Caldwell, Texas.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a daughter: Wilhelminia Lynette Hurley of Whitesburg; her stepmother: Katherine Lane Courtney of Russellville; sisters-in-law and their husbands: Mildred Hurley and Kyle Talley of Whitesburg, Wanda Hurley and Bill Parrott, and Frances Hurley; and a niece: Joan Hurley Robertson of Morristown.

The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. today at Mayes Family Services, downtown chapel.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the downtown funeral chapel with the Rev. Dr. Howard "Johnny" Shipley and the Rev. Dr. John Pinkston officiating. Interment will follow in the Catherine Nenney Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be nephews: Bobby Talley, Carroll Talley, Ronnie Brooks, Donnie Brooks, Walt Lefevers, Larry McGinnis, Otto Purkey, and Mark Hurley; and friends: William Roberts and Alex Williams.

In lieu of flowers, the family request that memorials be made to the Catherine Nenney Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Bobby Orick, 605 Silver City Road, Whitesburg, TN 37891, or to Brown Springs Baptist Church, 78 Brown Springs Lane, Mosheim, TN 37818.

The family expressed thanks to the Interim Health Care of East Tennessee, Heather Drinnon, Tina Dalton, Tom Taylor, and Rebecca Collins.

Honorary pallbearers will be the men of Catherine Nenney Memorial Baptist Church.