My grandmother, Betty Crabtree, passed away last week at 91 years old. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, published writer, and a beloved columnist for the Beattyville Enterprise since 2010 that I would later become the publisher of and be her fellow writer and colleague.
She was a remarkable woman in every sense of the word. She taught us kindness, while also reminding us of the importance of forming our own opinions and standing firm in what we believe is right. She led by example, showing us that strength and compassion can walk hand in hand.
Above all, she instilled in us a deep faith, and the love of Christ that would carry us through life’s hardest moments and give us even more reason to rejoice in the good ones. She believed strongly in family values and lived with a genuine love and acceptance for all people.
She also made sure we understood where we came from in the foothills of Kentucky. She taught us to value our heritage and embrace our Appalachian roots, whether through a love of nature or the comfort of down-home cooking. I’ll never forget something she once told me concerning our cultural accent: “It is okay to have an accent as long as you use proper grammar. You want someone to understand you, don’t ya?”
After my grandfather passed away in 2007 from a genetic disorder that has affected others in our family, she turned her grief into purpose. She wrote a book titled The Unfolding, sharing her experience caring for him after his stroke. She later carried that same name into her newspaper column, continuing to tell stories and share scriptures that touched so many lives.
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