A Beautiful and Remarkable Life: My Eulogy and Memorial To Vickie's Mother

Betty Huffhines Combs Greene Rowland, age 82, of Quanah, TX, died Tuesday March 1, 2011, in Wichita Falls Texas.
Betty was born May 30, 1928 in Jackson County, Oklahoma, daughter of the late Herbert and Edna (Johnson) Huffhines. She was a longtime resident of Quanah and a homemaker and farm wife and had worked in the community at Leader Department Store, Quanah Memorial Hospital, and the Hardeman County & District Clerk’s Office. She was a member of the Quanah Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by a sister Marie Ellison in 2001; Two Sons-In-Law, Richard Hamilton Clarkson, August 13, 1982; and Kenneth Melton August 21, 2009.
Betty is survived by her husband Eugene Rowland of Quanah TX; three daughters, Vickie White, Debra Faris, Jan Melton, all of Quanah; and one son Edward Combs of Quanah. One Sister, Mary Stepp of Bay City TX and one brother Tommy Huffhines of Quanah.
Betty was blessed with nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren; three step grandchildren and three step great grandchildren. A step grandson, Scott Beck died in 1995. Three step daughters, Linda Hollenbaugh of Quanah, Judith Ball of Terrell TX, and Vickie Nan Ball of Lubbock TX;

A Beautiful and Remarkable Life

As I have said earlier to my daughters and others, when I first came into Betty’s home and life as a guest of her daughter Vickie, I found two things to always be present…an open Bible and Betty’s radiant smile. Both have brought light to Vickie and I and all the family throughout our lives.
To speak of Betty, we must speak of an extraordinary lifetime of what seemed to be 3 different and contrasting lives telling one remarkable story.
First, in 1946 came a headlong leap into a life full of youthful dreams marrying RD Combs. Those years were full of excitement and wonder and moves to Oklahoma and Amarillo and El Paso and back to Quanah, but life wasn’t as sweet as it seemed at first look. And so it ended in September 29, 1958. But, she wrought out of that time four blessings of her life that were her great treasures and are treasures today, Vickie; Debra; Jan; and Edward.
Secondly, on May 2, 1959 she married Ross Greene which began a life of re-building dreams that had not yet been realized and establishing a home that had not yet been set on a proper foundation. It was a time when she could begin to breathe and begin to be a wife and mother and everyone came back together as a family. These were those “sunshine years” every family holds so dear, when the memories are so rich and so vivid…and we lived them together with her in the sunshine of her smile until Ross’s death on November 18, 1992.
And thirdly, on November 27, 1999 Betty found loving companionship with Eugene Rowland and they happily shared married life for 11 years and 4 months. Each of them was a faithful companion and caregiver to the other in difficult times, and they shared many happy times traveling and enjoying life while reflecting on the lives and activities and marveling at the accomplishments of their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.
I could go on and on and on and not recount all the wonderful events that we as family have experienced with Betty – and what fun we’ve had - but there just would not be enough time in one afternoon to recall the wonderful stories we all have to share from our life with her. And indeed, I have even heard friends say “Oh, I want to be a part of your family” because of Betty’s loving spirit for fun which drew people to her. Isn’t that a wonderful testimony to the life that she lived? Each of us will have the coming years to enjoy and share our fond remembrances. So in closing let me simply summarize in this way.
Knowing Betty for a lifetime and saying that her home always had an open Bible I’m sure it was often open to the verse 1 John 4:16 (ESV) and its phrase God is Love…for she showed the love of God in her life to everyone around her. "So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." Or perhaps it would have been opened to Gal 5:22 (ESV) for indeed she showed those fruits of the Spirit in her life from day to day of love and joy to everyone around her. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, "
And looking back across her life we see the reality of Jobs’ statement in Job 23:10 (ESV) as he speaks of God… "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."
And I appeal to each and every one of us: honor that beautiful smile and that beautiful spirit and that openness to Gods’ Word in our lives each day by showing Christ-likeness in how we live… worthy of the high calling of God.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV) "so now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."


Father we come to thee for comfort and strength, and to thank you for Betty who has been such a light in our lives. And Father we ask Thy blessing upon everyone who attended her in this time of her illness and passing whether a friend with a kind and encouraging word or a nurse or a physician with attention and care and treatment to help her and her family in this journey. To Thee be the honor and the glory.


In Jesus Name I Pray…