Bette Mayfield

1928 - 2020

MAYFIELD, Bette How can one begin to capture the span of a lifetime in a few paragraphs? How do we translate the essence of a person, with all their complexities, into language we can really understand, considering the road traveled, the relationships encountered, and the impact of life experiences that helped shape and inform their influence in this world we share? All this is represented by a small, yet very significant dash-mark between two dates. From December 13, 1928-July12, 2020, our mother, Bette Jo Norman Mayfield walked a long and interesting journey. Her dash began in Elgin, Texas, the daughter of Charles and Katherine Norman. She had three siblings, Jeanne Norman Crawford, Charles Jr (Sonny) Norman, and David Norman, and her youngest years were during the Great Depression. She learned early what it was to be needy, as her mother moved herself and her 4 children to Austin when their father left the family. She had an insider's view of the importance of using every ounce of courage and ingenuity, coupled with unvarnished trust in the faithfulness of God, to survive in the midst of struggle. Bette graduated from Austin High School in 1947, just a week or so before she married the man whom she literally loved from first sight, Greydon Vaughn Mayfield. She decided that in order to have time with him, she would learn to hunt and fish, and she became adept at both! She even helped process the resultant meat that made its way to our family table, thankful for the provision, but even more for the opportunity to engage in the things that Vaughn loved to do. By the end of 1956, Bette and Vaughn had four children-- David, Debi, Maripat, and Sara, and life was good! She encouraged him as he served two tours of duty in the Marine Corps, and then during the many moves that were a part of his career in the restaurant business. Mom was also determined that our family would participate in a local church, undergirding her desire that we know from our youngest days that a relationship with Christ mattered more than anything else in life. She was a stay-at-home mom most of the time as we grew up, but was also involved in the larger community in a fairly visible experience as Mrs Dallas, and then Mrs Texas in 1960-61, in the days when being a homemaker was recognized as a high and valuable calling, and the prizes included a modeling class from a nationally recognized agency and a cupboard full of Tupperware! Dad cheered her on in a million ways, so proud of her accomplishments! When he gave her a sewing machine, she mastered the talent of sewing as she made most of our clothes, and nurtured the creative bent in all three of her daughters. Mom and Dad enjoyed twenty beautiful years of marriage before his own life journey ended the day before her 39th birthday. With her parenting years still in full swing, she took over the running of our family business, the Goodnight Motel on S. Congress. During those years, her community involvement took on a new dimension as she began filming TV ads for the Austin appliance dealer, Oscar Snowden. Their tag line was, "If you didn't buy it from the Big O, I KNOW you paid too much!", and a loose form of local celebrity grew out of that. We chuckled to hear the gentleman from the funeral home, as he wheeled her body out after her death, say, "Wasn't she the lady who did those Big O commercials for so long?" Yep. That was her. Her dash over the following 40+ years continued as she sold the motel and discovered that she had the makings of a fine photographer, which blossomed into a full-time, very successful career spanning over 30 years. She reveled in the privilege of capturing special occasions on film, and the new friendships they brought to her life. She never met a stranger, and was all in when it came to welcoming people into her acquaintance. There was almost always at least one extra Christmas stocking full of goodies (including her famous peanut brittle) ready for whoever might need a place to be for the holiday; an extra seat at the table ready for an unannounced friend; dinner often delivered to someone who needed cheering up... she taught us by example what hospitality looked like. Over the years, Bette brought her love of people and her expertise to many fine organizations: Women's Auxiliary of the Texas Restaurant Association, Women's Symphony League, Zonta Club, Make a Wish Foundation, Settlement Club, and Any Baby Can, to name a few. When Bannockburn Baptist Church began in 1973, she was among the charter members. In her later years, "Miss Bette" held a cherished spot among a group of fiercely competitive bunco players. (She almost always took home a prize!) She loved a pretty garden, and had a particularly green thumb when it came to orchids, which she frequently chose as gifts. She also loved anything loaded with glitz and glam, so much that her granddaughters referred to sparkly shoes as "Mimi Shoes". In time,her family grew to include our four spouses: Mary Mayfield, Mike Short, Jim Powers, and Bedford Holmes, and our children and their families--12 grandchildren plus spouses and (to date) 22 great-grands. Her final sweetheart George Rybak, made his way into all our hearts as well. Our mother was immensely proud of all of us, and was our greatest cheerleader, shamelessly bragging on us at every opportunity, telling anyone who might listen about the latest things we were involved in. Simply put, she lived large, and she loved large. Her life was shaped by so many things, including hardship and loss, but also by the great love and grace of her Heavenly Father, who knew and cherished her before she was even born. So on July 12, 2020, when her journey ended, she crossed the finish line in quiet peace, as she was literally prayed into eternity! And we, her children, "do not grieve as those who have no hope" (1 Thess. 4:13). "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things not seen are eternal." (2 Cor.4:16-18) We love you, Mom, and we'll see you soon! Save us a place at the table! We'd like to do a bit of bragging ourselves regarding the amazing compassion and excellent professional care given to our mother over the last months of her life. The staff and care-givers of Home Instead, Synergy and Encompass Home Health Providers, HomeWatch Caregivers, Lavender Springs Assisted Living and Magnolia Hospice were a beautiful extension of the hands and feet of Christ toward her, and we are so very grateful. We will have a private family burial service on July 25th, and will plan for a post-pandemic memorial gathering to celebrate her life as she deserves, with lots of friends in attendance. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either of these ministries that Bette's heart was tied to: TruCare Pregnancy Resource Center www.trucareclinic.com Bannockburn Church https://bannockburnchurch.com