Betsy Miriam Holderfield, 66, of Fayetteville, AR greeted her Mama and Daddy with open arms on Sunday, November 3, 2024 after a short but strong battle against cancer. Betsy was born on October 23, 1958 in Pine Bluff, AR to Dale and Helen Holderfield. Growing up Betsy was very involved in church and even had perfect Sunday School attendance for 18 years-a designation that her Daddy made sure she obtained. She was Little Miss Cleveland County, Little Miss Pink Tomato, Miss Cleveland County and Miss Pink Tomato. She was a cheerleader, played forward on the basketball team and helped run the Herbine Grocery Store.
She graduated from Rison High School in 1977 and went on to attend college at University of Monticello where she was a proud Alpha Sig and majored in Mathematics. Post graduate she proceeded into various private and public sectors of service. She worked for IBM, GRID and Acxiom where she earned top sales awards that took her around the world. She returned to Public Education in the latter part of her career. She taught high school mathematics and retired from the Springdale Public School District in 2020.
To know Betsy was to know warmth. She spread sunshine and light into all of the lives she encountered. She loved her family deeply and unconditionally, she listened to stories intently, and she laughed as though eardrums do not exist. Betsy lived her life for the joy of relationships and all the blessings that came with them. Always on the go, she was constantly busy hanging out with her Tribe, visiting friends and family across the U.S. or watching sports at a local hang out. Her favorite passion was daughter, Amanda. There is no love like a mother and daughter, yet theirs was a special bond. It was evident in the way they were always together and truly enjoyed each other’s company. She was a classically trained pianist, rabid HOG fan, and lover of all potatoes.
Betsy was preceded in death by her parents, Dale and Helen Holderfield. She is survived by one daughter Amanda Reagan of Fayetteville, AR; one brother Scotty Holderfield (Debbie) of Herbine, AR; two nephews Zach Holderfield (Collin) of Fayetteville, AR and Mac Holderfield (Mindi) of Herbine, AR; two great-nieces Annagayle and Ever Holderfield; one great-nephew Gabe Holderfield; and too many friends, family and co-workers to list.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 from 5 pm-7 pm at Beard’s Funeral Chapel in Fayetteville, AR.
Services will begin Friday, November 8, 2024, 11:00 am at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, AR, followed by a celebration of life in the Parish Hall with a meal provided by family, friends and St. Spatula’s Guild. Following the celebration will be burial services at Fairview Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville, AR.
A service in Herbine, AR will be arranged at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made directly to St. Paul’s (www.stpaulsfay.org) or Willard Walker Hospice Home, 325 E Longview St, Fayetteville AR, 72703.
My condolences to the family. Her obituary was quite befitting…. Her village has lost a great one. I have lost a friend and classmate. Continued prayers
I had the pleasure of meeting her two years ago. She always had a beautiful smile and a laugh that was contagious.My prayers go out to her daughter and family.
God be with her.
Sending our condolences. What a privilege to have gotten to know Betsy. Always made you feel that she was so excited to be around you. She truly loved life especially her daughter Amanda. A sad loss for many.
Amanda and family,
I am so very sorry to learn of Betsy’s passing. I have known Betsy since our teenage years. We usually saw each other at our mutual friend, Skip’s house. She was always smiling, laughing and so much fun to be around. She will be missed by everyone that knew her. Please accept my deepest condolences. 🙏🏻
I had the pleasure of getting to know Betsy thru my sister Julie. She hosted a girls weekend in Heber Springs and some other good times together at Grand Lake and in Fayetteville! She was a wonderful hostess and an excellent gourmet cook! She will be greatly missed!
My prayers are with the family. Betsy and I have been friends since the first day of first grade. Even though we were separated by miles, the friendship continued through the years. I have lost a great friend, and the Rison High School Class of 1977 has lost another very special member. Love and prayers.
I had the privilege of being Betsy’s “Big Sis” in Alpha Sig sorority. She was everything that the obituary said & more. She surprised me with a scrapbook she had made of my senior year as a Cotton Blossom. She was always so kind and considerate to others. My condolences to her family. I know she will be missed so much.
Betsy was such a dear friend to so many. She never met a stranger. I was lucky enough to meet her in Heber Springs where her daughter, Amanda, and my son Charley became good friends. And of course she was Little Miss Pink Tomato! Heartfelt condolences to her family and all those who loved our Miss Betsy!!
Sweet lady but the “lover of all potatoes” seems a bit out of place
Amanda and family we were so saddened to hear of Betsy’s illness and passing. She was a wonderful human being, a heart the size of Texas, a personality bigger than life, and her love for her daughter and vice versa, a relationship to strive for. Please know our love and prayers are with you.
Hugs and prayers for Amanda, Scotty and their family. Betsy will be missed by all those that knew her. ❤️🙏
To all who knew her, Betsy was a welcoming heart, a smiling face, a warm heart, a friend who would always listen, and a lover of life. She was a very good friend to me and helped me learn how to teach math early in my educational career. The world is a little less vibrant now that she is gone. I will forever cherish her company and the memories we have shared.
Scotty and family, I am so very sorry for your loss. May memories give you comfort and your faith give you strength during this sad time. Prayers for all.
My condolences to all of Betsy’s family members and friends. I knew Betsy when she was a teenager. I remember her as someone full of life and always wearing a great big smile.
To Amanda and the Holderfield family, please accept our sincere condolences on the passing of Betsy Holderfield. May she find peace in the arms of Jesus, and you find consolation in knowing that she is at peace, and will suffer no more of this world’ pains and heartaches.
Love,
Sandra Jones
Rison High School Class of 1977
I am shocked and saddened to read about Betsy’s death. She was such a good conversationalist and always made me laugh. The obituary captured the essence of her personality! Amanda, Scotty and family, I’m sending love and hugs and holding you close in my heart.
I had the privilege of being Mrs Holderfield’s student for a couple of years, where she was an amazing instructor. I was also privileged to be hired by her to help run her firework tent where amazing memories were made. No matter the day, she never failed to have a smile on her face. I was also privileged that she had my back whenever I got suspended from school. She tried so hard for administration to let me off easily. I love Mrs Holderfield like if she was family. Thank you for years of memories and to Amanda, I will be sending all my hugs and prayers to you.
Betsy I will never not miss you and wonder what color of lipstick you are wearing each day… please help me also make the right color choice’s 😘 This is just one of the many things I know you enjoyed.
Vibrant colors, vibrant upbeat laughters and the vibrant people. I’m so glad to call myself one of those people that is honored to know you as a friend. And glad for the memories you were able to share throughout the years with all that knew you.
You are in my/our hearts always 💗
My condolences to Amanda and the family. She will be greatly missed.
With love,
Amanda Wood
You will be forever in our hearts. You were forever an amazing teacher for us, not only that but you guided us and supported us though every moment and we look up to you for that. Thank you for your patience, your dedication and your lessons you left us with.
Mrs. H was one of the few who helped me out when my mother passed from cancer 3 years ago. She was my first math teacher in the state of AR and she was considered my school mom. She had such a pure heart and always humble and happy to teach her students. She will be dearly missed
Mrs. Holderfield, you were always a great and kind human. I’ll always remember my first job was working at your fireworks stand! Thank you for being our math teacher! You’ve helped and impacted many students’ lives. You will be missed greatly!
I was one of the few students who got to have Mrs.Holderfield for just about every math course I took. She was never just a teacher to most if not all of her students, she was a friend, she was someone who cared, she was someone you could count on, she was someone who constantly uplifted others. She was such a bright light in this world to all those who got the privilege to know her. My world is dimmer without you in it.
Prayers and the biggest hug to Amanda & Family 🤍
Thank you for everything you did, everything you taught me, for always pushing me and believing in me. You are forever in my heart. Rest Easy, Mrs. Holderfield 🤍
My deepest condolences to you, Amanda, and your family. Betsy was such a kind soul. She always had a quip or anecdote that seemed to brighten my day. I loved teaching in the same school with you both. What a wonderful and fun relationship you both had with each other. She will hold a special place in my heart. Blessings and peace to you all.
Mrs. H was the best math teacher I ever had but still made sure it was our personal lives that took priority. She cared so much and was a bright light throughout my high school years, even when COVID hit senior year.
The family has all of my best wishes, thank you for sharing such a bright person with the rest of us ❤️
I met Betsy when I hired her as my sales rep for GRiD Systems in St Louis. Not only was she an outstanding in sales but she was an even better person. She had a great personality and was a key part of my team. I pray for Amanda and her family and look forward to having some good laughs with Betsy when I see her again
Mrs. Holderfield…man this one hurts.
I struggled a ton during school and was needing some sort of guidance. She was one of the few teachers that I have ever had who ACTUALLY believed that I could push through to the finish line and graduate. Whether it would be helping me out on some classwork I did not understand, or simply being that ear to listen when I needed it. She always made it a point to talk to me when it was needed, and that means more than I could ever put to words. Such an amazing human being that will be sincerely missed! My thoughts and prayers go out to the family! This one stings a bit!
Betsy was a great lady – always full of life, and a deep desire to live it gloriously. The world is a lesser place without her in it. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her, and were fortunate enough to have her in their lives…
We just found out of Betsy’s passing. We’re so sorry we weren’t at her funeral. We buried a family member in Indiana the same day. Our family met Betsy and Amanda’s Dad Michael at an after church luncheon at the Heber Springs First United Methodist Church. Amanda was entering 4th grade and so was our daughter. We became fast friends that day. It was soon after meeting we were at each other homes having dinner or going on the lake. We have so many happy memories of Amanda and Joleen tubing behind our boat. Betsy was always with us when she could be. They always be back there telling us to go faster and yawning because they were bored. Betsy would tell us to try to throw them off and so we did over and over and over. A lot of sleepovers were to come for several years. Betsy was the best story teller. I would experience laughter until I cried over and over again. We knew her Dad, brother and families. They were always so gracious to us. They would always make sure we would get a case of Bradley pink tomatoes that you couldn’t get in HS. Too many great memories. We loved her.
So sorry to hear of Betsy’s passing away. May she forever rest in the Master’s arms. Praying for her daughter and all her family. Classmate and friend of The Class of 1977, Rison AR. Debra (Smith) Frye-Owens
At junior high and high school, Susan Nowlin Green, Betsy , and Terrie Holderfield Oakes were my best friends. I have many happy memories of hanging by the concession stand, eating “lunch” ! Our 1977 class was a very special class to me and we have lost several members, but each member will always be in my heart. We All loved Betsy! She will be sorely missed by all of us but she will always be in our hearts and memories. My prayers are with her family and friends