Betty S. Wade

1929 - 2025

On Saturday, March 29, 2025, Mrs. Betty S. Wade went to her eternal rest. We lost our beloved mother and Nana but are grateful for the long life she lived and the joy that she brought our family.
There are so many stories about Betty that we'd like to tell and memories that we would like to relive as we celebrate her life. Please join us for storytelling and visitation from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M., Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at the funeral home.
The funeral service will happen the next day at 11:00 A.M., Thursday, April 3, 3025 at Mann-Mize Methodist Church where her brother, the Reverend Dr. John L. Snellgrove and the Reverend Sonny Mason, will conduct the service. The burial will be afterwards in Hillcrest Memorial Park.
Betty was born on May 28, 1929, in Augusta, GA to the late John L. and Ossie Mae Shuman Snellgrove (Big Mama). She lived in Augusta for her whole life and was lucky enough to marry the love of her life, the late L. Monroe Wade (Papa) in 1947 right after the war ended. Betty and Monroe lived the American dream, starting a family, buying a house, and collecting friends wherever they went. They were blessed with two daughters, Deborah Wade Fuller and Joyce Wade Loflin, making their home a place of love and commotion for many years.
Betty was deeply invested in her family and loyal beyond measure. She had a strong relationship with her siblings, Barbara Snellgrove Stanford and John L. "Jack" Snellgrove, and liked nothing more than spending time with them and their extended families. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter were important gatherings in the Augusta area with either the Snellgrove or Wade families.
Betty and Monroe had an active circle of friends. Monroe bought and fixed up Ford Model A cars, and they joined a local club called The Shade Tree As. On weekends they could be found at car shows, parades, or other local events. Those beautiful antique cars were featured at the weddings of all three of Betty's grandchildren!
When Betty and Monroe weren't showing off their antique cars, they were likely to be found square dancing with the Richmond Wheelers or off on a camping adventure with the Good Sams Camping Club. They spent many happy weekends together with friends, sipping coffee, swapping stories, and enjoying the fellowship of like-minded folks. Many of those camping trips involved time at the lake, and they were both accomplished on water skis.
Unlike many of her generation, Betty worked outside the home for much of her life. Most of that time-42 years!-was spent in service to the Richmond Country Sheriff where she served in a variety of administrative roles. She had more than a lifetime's worth of experience in that office which made her a valuable friend if you ever got a speeding ticket.
Betty's Christian faith was an incredibly important part of her life. Until her passing, she was as the longest surviving member of the original Mann Memorial Church, where she and Monroe married and where both of her children were baptized. Betty served her church faithfully for many years as a member of the Gleaner's Sunday School Class and the Wesley Guild. She was a staple of the local choir, singing both with Mann Memorial but also the Senior Choir at Trinity on the Hill. It will be hard for us to hear a Christian hymn without thinking of Nana.
Betty was deeply involved in the lives of her grandchildren and even her great-grandchildren. Zebulon Wade Fuller and his wife Carrie lived for many years in New York City, and Betty visited several times for big city thrills. After they moved to Colorado and had a son, Charles Monroe, Betty invested her time in getting to know Charlie both in Denver and also on trips back to Georgia.
Anna Fuller McBrayer and her husband Justin have lived all over the country but mostly in Colorado. No matter where they went, Betty came to visit, from camping in Montana to jet skiing in the Caribbean. She got to know both of Anna's children, Patrick McBrayer and Aeneas McBrayer, well as she was the only great-grandmother they ever knew.
Kayla Loflin Kincaid and her husband Jared live in North Augusta and were constant companions for Betty. She spent much of her time with Kayla and "J" and was tickled pink to meet their first son and her final great-grandson, Slade Kincaid just two years ago. Nana and Slade had a special relationship, and he is going to miss sitting on her lap!
Chance and Hydrick Funeral Directors, 2502 Richmond Hill Road, Augusta, Georgia 30906.
www.chanceandhydrick.com