Betty Jo Rainbolt

Betty Jo (Holland) Rainbolt was born on June 3, 1930 to Robert Edward and Leona (McKinney) Holland in Shannon County,Missouri and passed away at her home in Eminence, Missouri on February 28, 2022 making her 91 years of age. Betty was united in marriage to Lloyd James Rainbolt on June 24, 1948 and to this union five children were born. Clifford Eugene, William Robert, Mary Kay, Karen Sue and Judith Ann. Betty was a faithful member of the West Eminence Christian Church for over 70 years and taught many Sunday school and vacation bible school classes and later loved to work in the kitchen to serve cookies and kool aid to all the little kids. She always enjoyed helping with preparing dinners and Christmas baskets for the shut-ins. However, as her health diminished and she lost her vision, she became homebound but was always in prayer for those on the prayer list. Mary Kay brought home the bulletins each Sunday and read them to her so she could stay up to date on all the news and those needing prayer. Betty, also affectionately known a Mom and Gran, thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors and she an her husband Lloyd, also affectionately know as Dad and Grandpa, loved to go fishing, especially for white bass each spring and would spend at least three weeks down at Tecumseh with several Shannon County folks. They would visit, fish, cook and try to beat each other to the Junction Hole each morning to get the best fishing spot. Betty and Lloyd also loved to dig roots as more of a hobby to get out of the house than anything else but when the price of ginseng was high it added extra fun to the hunt until she would get on a snake, then she was done for the day! After her husband passed, she spent a lot of time reading and quilting until her eyesight failed her. She loved her grandchildren dearly and her latest blessing was a great grandson, Mason Lloyd Bland, who visited regularly and insisted she play catch with balloons (she got pretty good at it too) and he would show her how to play games and she pretended along with him that she could see what he was doing. He loved her soft hands and would touch her fingers and say squishy squishy! Grandson Jase also kept her entertained these last couple of years and always asked Gran is she needed water from the fridge and he always made sure to open it before handing it to her. She would get tickled because he was always hungry and could eat like a horse and he would talk her leg off. Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Ed and Leona Holland; her husband, Lloyd Rainbolt; siblings, Art, Stella, Leland, Esther, Nathel and Wayne; son-in-law, Dan Stewart and a grandson, Brian Shelton. Betty is survived by her children, Clifford (Ruby) Rainbolt, Bob Rainbolt, Mary Kay Rainbolt, Karen Sue Stewart and Judy (Kenny) Bland; grandchildren, Amy (Roger) Shockley, Becky (Joe) Kleba, Donna (Jimmy) Blackwell, Sarah (Steven) Thacker, Joshua (Alicia) Bland, Katie Bland (Brent) and Jase; great-grands, Ethan, Joey, Sammi, Chris, Nichole, Makayla, Peyton, Shelby, Austin, Meagan and Mason; great-great grands, Cash, Jaylee, Lane, Sophie, AJ and Greyson. Betty will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her. Graveside funeral services were held at 1:00 PM, Friday, March 4, 2022 at the New Eminence Cemetery with Cole Younger and Pastor Allen Bates officiating. Services were under the care of Bradford Funeral Home and online condolences may be left at www.bradfordfuneral-home.net