Betty Lou Luckett, 1942–2023

Betty Lou Luckett went to be with the Lord on December 22, 2023. Betty was born October 9, 1942, to parents Avery William and Margie Roller Payne and raised on the family farm east of Roaring Springs, Texas, with her younger sisters Judy and Susan.

In her 81 years of life, she wore many hats: homemaker, farmer, rancher, reporter for the Matador Tribune, sheriff’s office clerk, and Motley County tax appraiser. As if that was not enough, her most treasured role was being a mother. Having married her high school sweetheart, Carter Luckett, on February 1, 1963, Betty and her husband celebrated 60 years of marriage this year. They made a home together in Matador, raising two children, Barbara Carlene and William Carter, and working tirelessly to build the family business. Always looking for an excuse to be outside, Betty loved to use her green thumb to grow her garden and nurture her fruit trees. Whether it was baked in a pie or made into a jam, no fruit was too bruised in her eyes to go wasted. For every bit of sweet that she was, Betty was that much feistier. She ran a tight ship at home and never missed an opportunity to tell things just like they were, always with a diet Dr Pepper in her hand.

Betty was preceded in death by her mother, her father, and her husband, Carter. She is survived by her siblings Judy Woosley of Roaring Springs and Susan Jameson of Northfield; daughter Carlene (C.B.) Sutton of Stephenville; son Bill (Kendra) Luckett of Matador; grandchildren Avery (Tommy) Freestone of Burleson, Andrea Sutton of Stephenville, Cade (Katelyn) Luckett of Idalou, Gavin Luckett of Matador, Gunnar (Maegan) Luckett of Matador, and Kara Luckett of Matador; and great-grandchildren Danny Howington, Rowan Freestone, Olivia Freestone, and Tillie Luckett.

Services were held on Friday December 29, 2023 at 2 p.m. at Matador Methodist Church under the direction of Zapata Funeral Home, with interment at East Mound Cemetery in Matador, Texas.