Betty Orr Yarbrough passed peacefully from this life on March 31, 2025.  

          She was born at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas on June 24, 1923, the oldest child of Mitchell Franklin and Nina Dawson Orr.  Her early life was spent on her father's grapefruit orchard in the Rio Grande valley near San Bonito, and it was here that she began her lifetime love of reading.   

          After high school, Betty attended what is now the University of Texas at Arlington, and it was here she met her husband of 54 years, John Dort Yarbrough.  The couple married on July 29th, 1944, and she followed him through his career as a naval aviator.  They raised four children, moved from coast to coast, plus spent time at military bases in Trinidad, Panama and Newfoundland, before retiring back to Texas.

         After settling in Fort Worth, Betty was finally able to complete her undergraduate degree in English, before obtaining her Master of Library Science from Texas Women’s University.  Her love of books and people led her to accept the position of Children’s Librarian and then Head Librarian for the City of Euless.  Under her 20 years of guidance, the Euless library flourished and expanded.

         Betty and John were active members of Polytechnic United Methodist Church, located on the campus of Texas Wesleyan University.  Several years after the death of her husband, Betty took the pastor's question, “where do you want to live for the rest of your life” to heart and moved to Nacogdoches in 2008 to be near two of her children. She wholeheartedly committed to First United Methodist Church in Nacogdoches, joined The Needlers sewing group, found a book club, served on the Board of the Friends of the Library, attended theatre productions and continued to travel.      

          In 2018, Betty decided to move to PineCrest Retirement Community, where she joined their book club and sewing group, plus developed a love of feeding birds and squirrels.  

          Betty and John had four children, Nancy Endres [husband John], Barbara McIver, John David [wife Rebecca], and Cay Dearden.

         She was blessed with seven grandchildren: Eric Payne (wife Trisha), Rachael Payne Nilsson (husband Per), Jesse Dearden, Prairie Endres-Parnell (husband Aaron), John Denton Yarbrough, Emelia Endres Kirk (husband Henry), and Julia Dearden Daugherty (husband Joe). 

          In addition, she has 10 great-grandchildren: Noah, Ellie and Nora Kirk, Liza and Duke Yarbrough, Mikayla and Allison Payne, Maddie Rasmussen, Eleanor and Orin Daugherty.

          She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her daughter Cay, her sister Carolyn Orr and brothers Bob  [Robert] Orr and Bill [William] Orr.

           A service and reception will be held at PineCrest Retirement Center on Thursday, April 17, with chapel at 1:30 p.m. and a reception following from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the auditorium.  

           An additional service in Fort Worth, with burial at Shannon Rose Hill Cemetery, will be held at a later date. 

           Memorial donations may be made to the Friends of the Nacogdoches Library, the library of your choice, or the Stephen Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Nacogdoches.