Betty Doris Herringshaw

Betty Lander Herringshaw lived her life like a well-loved hymn - graceful, steady, and full of faith. She was generous to all she met and patient enough to make saints look impulsive. Family and Christ were her north and south poles - everything else revolved in their orbit.
A proud Canadian, Betty met our dad at Christmas in 1952 when her brother, Bill Matthews - Dad's college roommate - brought him home for the holidays. By June, they were married. She secured a visa, packed her courage, and followed him to Norman, Oklahoma, where he finished his degree in petroleum engineering.
Then came the oil-patch years - Tioga, North Dakota, followed by Midland, Texas - the kind of places where tumbleweeds are neighbors and God fills in for the social calendar. Mary arrived in Texas while Mom was still unpacking boxes, and before long she was raising three children without family nearby, no babysitters, and sometimes not even neighbors. But as she often said, "God was always there," and you got the feeling He probably learned a few things from her about endurance.
We spent six golden years in tiny Newcastle, Wyoming - on a real ranch, the kind that kids dream of and parents survive. We had cows, horses, chickens, and rabbits, and we rode horses through ghost towns to visit neighbors who were sometimes more ghosts than neighbors. She loved it too and relished it in its freedom. We moved to Louisiana for better schools & position for Dad. Mom was then widowed in 1975 at 42 years of age.
Those years are remembered in her StoryCorps interview, where she speaks with warmth and laughter about a life well lived. You can still hear her voice there:
https://archive.storycorps.org/interviews/betty-herringshaw-linda-lander-becca-brubaker/
Mom raised three very different children - Jim, Linda, and Mary - so different that friends and relatives used to joke about it. A few weeks ago, when asked what characteristics we possibly had in common, she paused and said, "Well, you've all got your dad's quick sense of humor... and you're all hard workers. No true words have been spoken. Still, she didn't mention her own quiet humor, sharp wit, and tireless work ethic - gifts that live on in her children and grandchildren, James, Jessica, Josh, Megan, Caleb & Becca. She is also survived by her great grandchildren, Kiera, Mira, Jude, Ethan, Wyatt & Alena and newly blessed with great-great grandchildren, Lyla and Alexander.
Mom taught by example: kindness before judgment, prayer before panic. She often reminded us, "Until you've walked in their shoes..." and, in harder times, would whisper, "Be still, fear not, I am." In reference to God's persistent protection.
One of her favorite scriptures was Proverbs 3:5–6 -
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."
When asked recently, of all her moves, which home she loved most, she said, "A house is just a house, but it's what's in it that makes it a home." Now she is home - in the house of God - reunited, with her husband of forty years, John Herringshaw, who in every way matched her grace, faith, patience, and kindness. May we all strive for the same - to live with love, to give with faith, and to walk humbly in grace.
Her ashes will be scattered next to her husband's and son-in-law's in northern West Virginia during a private ceremony with family.
"Do small things with great love." - Mother Teresa
The Arthur H. Wright Funeral Home in Terra Alta, WV, is honored to provide compassionate and professional cremation services.
Condolences may be extended to the family online at www.arthurwrightfuneralhome.com.