Betty Weed Moring

Betty Jane Weed Moring

A Celebration of Life for Betty Jane Weed Moring will be held at 1 pm on January 6, 2024, at Christian Fellowship Independent Methodist Church in Meridian with Rev. Chester Whisonant, Dr. Frank Harmon, and Bro. Gary Briden officiating.  The family will receive friends from 11:45 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. at the church. Robert Barham Family Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements.

In the early hours of October 28, 2023, Betty Jane Weed Moring left her worn body at home and in University of Alabama attire walked into a new home for eternity.

Betty was born April 6, 1929, in Boligee, Alabama, as the sixth child and youngest daughter of Ora and Fate Weed. She attended Ariton, Alabama, Grammar School and graduated from Ariton High School in 1947. Betty attended the University of Alabama graduating with a BS in Education (Mathematics) in 1954, and her love for the University was a lifelong passion.

Teaching became her profession, but Betty always had a love of the space program and dreamed of being an astronaut. Initial teaching assignments included Newton, AL, Abbeville, AL, and Phenix City, AL.

Betty married Fred Thomas Moring in August 1955, at the Ariton United Methodist Church. They lived in Auburn, Alabama, while Fred finished his degree.

In 1958, the family, now with a daughter, moved to Meridian, Mississippi. Betty welcomed a son in 1960, and once her children were older resumed teaching middle school science, math, & computer classes at Jefferson Davis Academy and Newton County Academy. Later she worked at Highland Baptist Day Care. She impacted many lives and loved her students. To quote one former student, Mrs. Moring was "a multitalented, strong woman who inspired hundreds if not thousands of young people to become all they could be and achieve more than expected. She had a gift for creating light bulb moments as a teacher in the classroom and in life."

Betty had a joy of life and love of family and friends, praying for both daily. In true southern tradition, if someone visited, there was always something to eat - gallon jars of cookies, freezer full of pies and cakes and a bounty from the garden. At Thanksgiving, the large Weed family waited for "Bet Bet" to arrive with a car full of cakes. At Christmas, friends waited on her coconut cake & blueberry delight. During the summers, she and a group of friends would gather for lunch and an activity every week. They called themselves the "Tuesday Playgirls." There were always grins at the end of the day.

Retirement found Betty enjoying gardening along with sewing, cooking, baking, canning. Mornings would find her in her yard or garden then sitting on her beloved porch in the afternoons with her coffee and cat. In her 80's, she would walk several miles a day and take lone drives to Memphis to see her grandchildren and Texas to visit her daughter.

Betty was a member of the Christian Fellowship Independent Methodist Church. She lived the commitment of prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.

Betty is survived by her daughter, Jane Alicia Moring; son, Fred Thomas Moring, Jr. (Carrie); grandsons, William Thomas Moring and Matthew James Moring; sibling, William David Weed; sisters-in-law, Glenda White Weed, Anne Rushing Weed, Maria Rosalina Morales Weed, Sandra Hardin Weed; brother-in-law, Jack Cecil Whisonant; numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ora Lee Hutto and Joseph Lafayette Weed; siblings, Charlie Frank Weed, Sarah Helen Weed Blanton, George Robert Weed, Lady Ruth Weed Whisonant, Jean Lafayette Weed, John Hutto Weed, Larry Lee Weed, Joe Keith Weed; brother-in-law, Thaddeus Harrison Blanton; sisters-in-law, Andree Marie Francoise Lallemand Weed, Barbara Bell Thornburgh Weed, Rosalie Weed, Elizabeth Bernice Powell Weed, Ruth Ann Racely, Carol Ann Vrabel Weed; ex-husband, Fred Thomas Moring.

Thank you to Dr. Shawn Anderson, Dr. James Wallace, the staffs of Home Instead, Centerwell Home Health, Gentiva Hospice and sitters, Kayla Cox Morrison and Ceal Hampton Ellis for her care. Special thanks to Katherine Stokes for caring for Betty almost daily for the last 17 months of her life and bringing her fried okra for breakfast.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Anderson Cancer Benevolence Fund, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or a charity of your choice.

Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at robertbarhamffh.com.