Betty D. Garrett

Beloved mother, and Nana, Betty Donohue Garrett, was born on August 31, 1944, and took her final breath at 11:59 a.m. on December 9, 2024. She lived a long, full life and was deeply loved by many. 

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 14, 2024, in the chapel at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home in Waco, Texas. The family will greet visitors at the funeral home from 1:00 p.m. until the service begins. 

Betty was born in Waco, Texas, to Glenn and Flossie Donohue and grew up in West, Texas, with her three siblings. As a child, she was a spirited tomboy who refused to wear dresses, spent her days running barefoot through fields, and loved riding horses. Betty often described herself as a “wild child” and delighted in sharing stories from her youth. 

One of her favorites was about “stealing” her own horse from the pasture to spend the day at the pool. It’s easy to imagine little Betty, her swim gear in hand, tying up her horse outside the pool and her father, dressed in overalls, coming to retrieve both his daughter and her horse. 

Betty married her first husband, Kenneth Graham, soon after high school. Together, they had five children: Gregory, Karen, Jaci, and Russell. She was a devoted stay-at-home mother to her children. In 1983, she met David Garrett, and they married, later welcoming their daughter Amy into the family. 

Betty was more than a mother—she was a nurturer whose love language was baking and cooking. There isn’t a dessert in the world whose scent doesn’t remind her family of her. Her kitchen was filled with love, and every recipe she made was a gift to those she cared about. She had a knack for making everything special, like secretly adding extra chocolate chips to cookie dough because she knew they were someone’s favorite. 

She especially loved sharing her passion for baking with her granddaughter Emmy, spending countless days in the kitchen together before Emmy started school. Betty also dedicated time to her community, proudly serving as a member of the La Vega PTO, where she helped with pickles and popcorn for years. 

Betty had a heart full of joy for children and delighted in their presence and innocent humor. Even as dementia began to take its toll, her love for children remained constant. She was Nana to twelve cherished grandchildren: Cody, Lee, Alex, Landry, Cayden, Madeline, Rylan, Emmy, Russell, Maisie, Caleb, and Andrue. 

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Flossie Donohue; her brother, Darrell Donohue; her sister, Carolyn Dahl; her son, Gregory Graham; son, Keith Graham; her daughter, Jaci Graham; her husband, David Garrett; and her beloved dog, Ruby. 

She is survived by her daughter Karen Bright and her husband Scott, along with their children Cody and Lee; her son Lloyd “Russell” Graham and his wife Laura, and their children Russell and Maisie; her daughter Amy Garrett and her children Landry, Cayden, Madeline, Rylan, and Emmy; and her grandsons Alex, Caleb, and Andrue Graham. She is also survived by her older brother, Wendell Donohue, and her devoted dog, Bella. 

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Clementine Monda and her family for the exceptional care and kindness they provided to Betty in her final months. Your love and support brought joy and comfort to her life. 

We invite you to leave a message or memory in her "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WHBfamily.com. 

Betty in her final months. Your love and support brought joy and comfort to her life.

 We invite you to leave a message or memory in her "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WHBfamily.com.