Betsy Ann Davis

A faithful Christian woman her whole life, which gave her great strength and comfort, Betsy Ann Davis loved nothing more in her life than God and her family. She grew up being close with her parents and brother, Lenard "Sonny" and she was delighted to become a mother to five wonderful children and one of life's biggest rewards for her was becoming a grandmother to 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. The 1930's is mostly associated with the Great American Depression and President Franklin D. Roosevelt pledged to use the power of our government to make Americans' lives better, but there were many things going on in the 30's like the end of prohibition, the discovery of Pluto, air mail service across the Atlantic Ocean began, and the invention of 3M's Scotch Tape were just a few things. Nothing was more exciting for Ben and Sarah Sue (O'Brien) Fergueson as they welcomed their baby girl, Betsy Ann Fergueson into the world on February 23, 1933 in Nashville, Tennessee. Besides being close to her parents and brother, she also spent a lot of quality time with her Mamie and Papa Fergueson. Betsy grew up with plenty of music and singing in their home. The family had a pi...[more]

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which both she and Sonny played. Her father was in a local band called the Moonlight Hawaiians and she even had the opportunity to sing on the radio with them when she was in high school. During her years at Hume Fogg High School in downtown Nashville, she participated in talent competitions and would always win for her singing. One of her favorite things she liked to do in her teens was getting together with her girlfriends, go roller skating, shopping to look at the sales and going to a snack shop and soda fountain shop in the west end of Nashville just like all the other 'Bobby-Socks' girls of her day to have a coke with peanuts in it. After graduating high school in 1951, she went on to attended beauty school. Betsy married, moved in 1964 to Plymouth, Michigan where she raised her five children, Sonja, Patricia, Donna, Tom, Bobbie. She would return back to Nashville and worked for Castner Knotts Department Store in Nashville. With the effects of Multiple Sclerosis, she was forced to retire in 1983. As she struggled with living with MS, Betsy moved in 2001 to where her daughter lived in South Whitley before moving to the Auburn area in 2009. While living in northern Indiana, she became a member of Grace Baptist Church of Auburn. In the early morning hour of Christmas, Betsy Ann Davis passed away at 12:50 a.m Monday, December 25, 2017 at Laurels of DeKalb. She leaves behind a loving family that includes her children, Sonja (Michel) Litalien, of Ohio, Donna (Dennis) Davis, of Michigan, Tom (Maxine) Davis, of Michigan and Bobbie (Steve) Eyers, of Indiana; grandchildren, Jocelyn Eckhout, Stacie Eckhout, Derreck (Nancy) Finnegan, Shawn (Leah) Finnigan, Brien (Ashley) Davis, Amber (Andy) Penney, Ariel (David) Klingbeil, Joe Davis, James Parker and Luke Kapell; and 12 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; daughter, Patricia Faye Davis; and brother, Leonard Ferguson. A private visitation was held at DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City, Indiana. A graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Friday, December 29, 2017 at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, Tennessee where Betsy will be laid to rest beside her mother. Her son-in-law, Pastor Steve Eyers will be officiating. A memorial service will also be held at the Laurels of DeKalb, where she had been a resident of. Memorial gifts may be given in her memory to Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send her family condolences.