Bettye Gwendolyn (Robinson) Gresham

Bettye Gwendolyn Robinson Gresham, 99, went home to be with the Lord on May 7, 2026. She is survived by her four children and their spouses: Brad Gresham and Gigi, Gigi Harbison and Russell, Kim Malcolm and Mark, and Lori Brandenburg and Pat. She was blessed with ten grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Born on October 1, 1926, Bettye grew up from about age six in Centerville, Texas. With her father as County Tax Assessor and Collector, her uncle as Superintendent of Centerville schools, her sister as her teacher for one year of elementary school, and her aunt as her home economics teacher, she made sure to stay out of trouble and get good grades! She graduated as Valedictorian of her senior class. Following graduation, she attended Sam Houston State Teachers College (now Sam Houston State University) where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a teaching certificate in 1948. That same year, she married her high school sweetheart, Harry Gresham.

Bettye and Harry lived in the Houston area for the first fourteen years of their marriage, St. Louis, Missouri for about eighteen months, then Dallas for the rest of their lives. They bought a house in Lake Highlands and lived in it for over 50 years. This was the home where they constantly entertained many friends of their four children, filling it with teenagers who enjoyed Bettye’s delicious food they were always welcomed to share, as well as the love and guidance that Bettye and Harry freely gave. Bettye was loved like a “second mom” by so many young people, and her selfless attitude in serving others was seen in many ways.

Throughout her adult life, Bettye enjoyed several different careers. In her early years of marriage, she was a schoolteacher, later when her children were growing up she worked as a bookkeeper at Retail Furniture Association, and when her youngest children were in high school she began a long career as a secretary for the Math and Science department at Richland College. As her grandchildren were born, she always took time off of her job to help her adult children with the newborns, and that was probably her favorite job of all!

Bettye’s love for the Lord and devotion to Him impacted numerous people and was evident in the way she lived. She and Harry were always active members of a church. They opened their home for Bible studies, growth groups, and impromptu youth gatherings throughout the years. In the early 1970s, there was a movement within the Methodist Church called “Lay Witness Missions.” Bettye and Harry gathered up their kids several different weekends, driving from Dallas to various cities in Oklahoma to participate in sharing Christ with others. All four of their children had friends who felt at home with Bettye and Harry and who gathered at their home regularly on the weekends to “hang out,” including them in their conversations. Bettye studied the Bible and prayed regularly, even praying for an entire year for Brad before he became a believer at age 17. She believed in the power of prayer, and she believed in honoring God with her thoughts, words, and actions. She is characterized by warmth, love, and sacrificial living; she would put down whatever she was doing to help her adult children and grandchildren or to serve in a ministry that needed her help.

In addition to her collection of ceramic roosters and chickens that delighted every grandchild, her children and grandchildren’s wonderful memories include countless delicious Sunday lunches complete with a pot roast that Bettye always put in the oven before attending Sunday School and church, as well as dinners with more than twenty family members partaking in homemade brisket, baked beans, potato casserole, and the incomparable pink salad! She was the ultimate hostess, always insisting on being the last to be served and the first to get up and start the dishes! Even though there’s no doubt it was exhausting, she was never happier than when her home was filled with family, even—and maybe especially—when there were ten grandchildren running through the house, slamming doors, making messes, and filling the home with laughter. She rocked all ten of them in the same rocking chair, humming quietly, holding them close, and loving them deeply.

Her children and grandchildren have been marked by her faithfulness, integrity, selflessness, and unconditional love. Bettye was a Christ-centered and exceptional mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She will be remembered as the noble woman spoken of in Proverbs 31:25-31.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

A funeral service to honor Bettye's remarkable life will be held 2 P.M., Monday, May 18, 2026, at Walters Funeral Home, Centerville, Texas.  Bettye will be laid to rest next to her beloved, Harry, in Centerville Cemetery following the service.  A time of visitation and fellowship will take place prior to the service at 1 P.M.

Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Walters Funeral Home, Centerville, Texas -- A Walters Family Funeral Home.