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It is with deep sorrow that the Cranford family announces the death of Mrs. Betty Watford Cranford, 89. Mrs. Cranford entered into rest on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Born in Hartsville, SC, she was the daughter of the late Cebron and Gladys Windham Watford. The Directors of Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home are caring for the family. A graveside service to honor her life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, October 16, 2023, in Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. Ladell Humphries officiating. The family will receive friends from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home. In her younger years, she loved to travel and visit places she had only read about. She was also very social, enjoyed “loafing” in town, and spending time with her friends. Recently, she was very thankful for her friends and her time spent with them at The Legacy. While she enjoyed her friends, she valued her time with her family. Mama, as she was most affectionately known, loved hosting gatherings and cooking her memorable meals. Grandsons Russ and Brandon remember smelling the many aromas of what was being cooked. Russ fondly recalls Mama making her famous sweet potato bread just for him. "Mama knew I loved her sweet potato bread and she knew exactly how I liked it -crispy on the corners or almost burnt." Brandon’s favorite was making his way to her house on the morning of Thanksgiving while she cooked up a storm. "We always ate around one o'clock, but I couldn’t stand it. I would watch the Thanksgiving parade while she cooked. She would always give me a biscuit and a piece of fatback before anyone else.” Her granddaughter, Whitney, remembers that even though she loved family gatherings she also savored quality time alone with family members. Whitney says, “We would spend countless hours together watching our favorite show, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and playing cards. We would get into this banter where we would go back and forth quoting lines from the show. It usually ended in fits of laughter that were uncontrollable. She was the only person I could do this with, so the show has always been something special between us. As far as card playing, she loved Go Fish. That had become our Saturday routine - spending two hours playing endless rounds. Mama would talk some good smack talk to me too, and it was valid because she often won. I didn’t stand a chance.” Mama was always a woman of class according to her granddaughter, Jamie. “Growing up in grade school, Grandparents Day was always my favorite. Every year, I looked forward to bringing my Mama Betty with me. People always said we looked so much alike, so one year we even dressed the same. ‘Twins!’ People told us, and I would feel a swell of pride to be seen beside such a beautiful woman. Mama was a woman who took pride in her appearance. While some might call it vanity, she called it self-respect. That’s something I will always carry with me - take pride in yourself, just because.” Opinionated is just one word her son, Gene would say described her. “She would always speak her mind. If you asked her for her opinion, she would tell you whether you liked it or not. I guess it was a red-head thing.” She was a woman deeply rooted in her faith and love for the Lord. Her son Kim recalls some of the last words she ever said, which he will never forget. “She told Gene and me how much she loved us, and she spoke of the old hymn, ‘It Is Well With My Soul.’ She then repeated to us, ‘It is well with my soul. I’m ready.’ ” After the death of her husband David, she often spoke of longing to be reunited with him. Her family rejoices with her in this reunion. She is now in the presence of her Savior. They are in awe of the legacy she leaves behind and will carry it on into the future. Surviving are sons, Gene (Maxine) Cranford and Kim (Brenda) Cranford of Hartsville; grandchildren, Russ (Yvonne) Cranford, Brandon (Shannon) Cranford, Whitney Cranford, Jaimie Cranford; great-grandchildren, Marli Cranford, Mac Cranford, Triston Cranford and Gabe Cranford; several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, David Cranford; brother, Otis Watford; sisters, Louise Mims and Dorothy Ingram. Memorials may be made to North Hartsville Baptist Church, 1117 Patrick Hwy., Hartsville, SC 29550

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Mrs. Betty Watford Cranford

May 17, 1934 - October 14, 2023