Born 6-Feb-1941 NC BirthBook 27, page 1088

Betty remembers the difficult times of her childhood after her father became disabled.

Her mother, Bertha, suffered from TB perhaps as a result of the exhausting work in the shirt factories combined with the every present dust. The time that Bertha spent in sanatariums for treatment made it almost impossible to earn enough to support her husband and children. However, they always prevailed with their faith in christ.

Betty graduated from Pinnacle High School (1954-1958), in Pinnacle, NC. Betty served as secretary of the White Plains Baptist Church for more than 30 years.

Thomas and Betty's children are:
1. Jan Denise (18-Oct-1961 to 7-Aug-1968),
2. Joy Lynn (7-Sep-1966),
3. Van Alan (26-Feb-1972) and
4. Brandal Thomas (3-Mar-1978).

Jan began singing in church when only two years old. She sang in many churches in Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia and on the radio. Jan made three recordings before dying of leukemia - a tragic loss. She had a powerful voice for such a little girl. Teresa Winesett gave the Webmaster a CD with some of Jan singing at various times. There is a lot of background sounds from scratchy turntable, etc. Knowledgeable help to improve the quality would be appreciated.

Any information about the members of this family would be appreciated.