Bettye Lou Blackford Craft

Posted on November 12, 2026

Bettye Lou Blackford Craft, 91, formally of Naples and Evansville, Ind., passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, to be with her beloved husband, Bill.

Bettye was born in Booneville, Ind., on Aug. 29, 1935.

She started her life on a farm in Booneville. She loved being outside chasing cows and chickens.

She moved to Evansville and then to Madisonville, Ky., to live with her father and stepmother (Opal M. (Jones) Blackford) until she was in her late teens.

She moved back to Evansville and started working at Shanes Uniform Company. This was where she met and fell in love with Bill.

They began their lives together on Jan. 22, 1955. They moved to Naples in early 1970’s with their three children, Bill Jr., Beverly “Sassy and Bruce.

There Bettye worked at several different companies, including Naples Community Hospital and Deltona Corp (supporting the building up of Marco Island).

In late 1980’s Bettye and Bill moved to Perry, where they had two companies, Bill Craft Construction and B&B Sanitation (which is still operating today).

Bettye’s family was her number one priority in life. As long as her husband and children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren were safe, happy and healthy, she was content.

She was always the first to start cooking when anyone come into the house. If there was visiting going on, she was cooking and baking. She was well-known for her baking prowess at church socials. She was always willing to help anyone with needs.

Bettye is survived by: her children, William “Bill” Jr. and wife, Carol, Beverly “Sassy” Hopkins and husband, Ron, Bruce “Gator” and wife; Christina; her grandchildren, Justin (Jayma) Craft, Jennifer Truppa, Toni Hopkins and Lisa Hopkins; and her great-grandchildren, Kaleb Chavez, Kaylee and Kaden Craft.

Bettye was predeceased by: her husband of 51 years, William “Bill” Craft; her parents, Hattie Mae (Pfingston) Blackford (1939) and Gurley E Blackford (1981).

Gurley remarried in 1986, to Opal M. (Jones) Blackford.

Bettye was raised for most of her childhood by her beloved great-aunt and grea-uncle, Inez (Blackford) and Willard Woolsey, who passed in 2002 and 1970 respectively.

Bettye had two stepsisters, Imon Rose of Hopkinsville, Ky., and Nina Elzado Heilman of Bemidzi, Minn.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14, at noon at Joe P. Burns Funeral Home in Perry with Brother Jeff Tyson officiating. Interment will follow at Pineview Cemetery in Perry. The family will receive friends beginning one hour prior to the service, at 11 a.m.

Friends may sign the online guest book at joepburnsfuneralhomes.com.