Betty Barber Elders

Hoosick Falls – Betty Barber Elders, age 86, passed away Wednesday, March 31, 2010, at the Community Hospice Inpatient Center in Vidalia, GA. She was born April 17, 1923, in Hoosick Falls, NY, to Harold and Kathryn Barber. Betty attended Troy Business College in Troy, NY, and Georgia Teacher’s College in Statesboro, GA.
In February of 1944, Betty enlisted in the Navy WAVES and served in the 6th Naval District Intelligence Office at both NAS, Jacksonville, FL, and Ft. Sumter, Charleston, SC.
After the war ended, she settled in Reidsville, GA, and worked many years for Nelson Sales Company. Betty then transferred to Ft. Stewart, where she retired in 1979 from the Comptroller’s Office. In 1969 she married Telford Elders. After the Elders both retired, they purchased a Winnebago Motor Home and joined the Winnebago International Traveler’s Club as Charter members. From then on their life was one of travel – all over North America – all of the United States, the Canadian Provinces and many Mexican states were visited. She was a Past Co-President of Georgia Winnie Rebels and the Bago Tribe. She organized the WIT Singer’s Club in Forest City, IA.
She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, joining in 1944, Past Matron of the Rising Star Chapter 384 (no longer in existence) and a present Emeritus member of Martha Washington #300 of Claxton, GA. In 1950, she joined the Reidsville United Methodist Church and its Chancel Choir. She was also a member of the Tommy Thomson Sunday school class and Wesleyan Service Guild. She was a Charter member of Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, a member of the VFW Auxiliary, a Pink Lady Volunteer at the Tattnall Community Hospital and a Red Cross Bloodmobile volunteer. She was also a member of NARFE, GSC Botanical Garden Society, Red Hat Society, Tattnall County Historic Preservation Inc. and was a Past President of the Reidsville Garden Club and a member of Team Reidsville.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Telford, and a son, Robert “Hal” Odum. She is survived by a daughter, D. Fleta Wood, a son, T. Edwin Elders, grandchildren, Brittany Juarez, Sophia Schmidt, Solita Hayes, Telford Wood, Thomas Elders and Teresa Elders-McCue, great-grandchildren, Haley, Kayla, Carlos, Stephen, Ashley, Regan, David, Layla, Esperanza, Rachel, Andrew, Katie and Alex, and one special niece, Dale Scott.
Memorial services will be conducted at 4 pm, Saturday, April 10, from the Reidsville United Methodist Church. Inurnment will follow in the Reidsville City Cemetery with honors rendered by the US Navy. The family will receive friends at the Church beginning at 3 pm.
Memorials may be given to the Reidsville United Methodist Church Food Pantry or the General Memorial Fund or Community Hospice Foundation or Humane Society or SPCA.
“Life may not be the party we hoped for, but as long as we are here, we might as well dance”
Bradley B. Anderson Funeral Home, Reidsville Chapel is serving the Elders family.