Betty Walker didn’t know it yet, but her future husband was the cute boy she had been spotting at different hangouts in Brookhaven. The two of them ended up on a blind date, and they clicked. 

That was more than 63 years ago, and they have been married ever since. 

Betty Walker has lived in Lincoln County for all of her 83 years — she grew up in Bogue Chitto, and has lived in the New Sight area for nearly 60 years. Betty and her husband, Paul, have two children together, Terry Walker, 62, and Tammy Ezell, 50. 

When she isn’t spending time with her family, Betty stays busy with her hobbies.  She is active in New Sight Baptist Church, where she plays piano for the choir and is a member of the crocheting club. She also likes to knit — it’s different than crocheting — and she and Paul go camping in their spare time.

Betty also enjoys cooking, and her favorite dish is poppy seed chicken. Although she is a whiz in the kitchen, she has never opened a can of biscuits by herself — Paul has to pop them open for her.

Betty says she loves her family, and they have many traditions together. Her favorite is when the Walkers visit Paul’s sister for dinner on Christmas Eve. And she knows Christmas isn’t just about evergreens and gift-giving — she loves the Lord, and said she couldn’t live without her church and a few pages, every day, from the Bible.

Betty is a people person.  She loves meeting new people, and she is glad she is so outgoing.  She considers it to be her best trait. If she had a superpower, she would use it to help strangers, to help everyone. 

“I would wave my wand and all the bad stuff would leave the world,” she said.

Story by Gracie Byrne