Bettye J. Busby

Bettye Jean (Sparks) Busby, of Paragould, Arkansas, was welcomed into Heaven by her loving husband, Ethan Busby on Sunday, June 17, 2018. She was born November 29, 1932, in Senath, Missouri, to the late Robert and Myrtie Johnson Sparks.

Bettye retired from the Greene County Library as the Coordinator of the S. S. Lipscomb Genealogy Room. She was one of the original founders of the Greene County Museum, serving as coordinator for many years. Bettye served as President of the Greene County Historical & Genealogical Society. She was a "Pink Lady" at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center, was selected as "Citizen of the Year" by Paragould Rotary Club and after years of research was accepted as a Daughter of the American Revolution and a member of the American Civil War Society. One of Bettye's greatest accomplishments was cleaning and organizing the records in the basement of the Old (1888) Greene County Courthouse.

Bettye was a member of the Center Hill Church of Christ, after attending 7th and Mueller Church of Christ for over 50 years.

Bettye will be forever missed by her children: Clarence Henry Overbay III (Sharon) of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Omer David Overbay (Paula) of Paragould, Arkansas, Lea Ann Stidham (Dan) of Paragould, Arkansas, Sandra Busby of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Brenda Barker (Keith) of Little Rock, Arkansas; 13 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband, Clarence Overbay, Jr., her husband of 53 years, Ethan Busby, son Randy Busby, brother Jerry Sparks, and sister Carolyn Elkins Hannah.

A celebration of Bettye's life will be held Wednesday, June 20th at 2:00 pm at Heath Funeral Home in Paragould, Arkansas with Chris Petty officiating. The family will receive visitors from noon until the time of the service at the funeral home.

Memorials in Bettye's memory may be made to the Children's Homes Inc. of Paragould (5515 Walcott Road) and the Greene County Senior Bees (121 N. 12th Street).