Betty Davis

Betty (Rudisill) Davis, died on Friday, September 6, 2024, surrounded by her daughters while in hospice at Seasons of Life in Woodruff.

Betty was born June 6, 1938, in Tampa, Florida. She was the only surviving child of James White Rudisill (1897-1948) and Edna Adele Lieberstein Frazier (1903-1979) having been preceded in death by her sisters, Shirley Mae Rudisill (1937-1937), Barbara Lea Rudisill (1943-1944) and her granddaughter Sule Surges (1989-2021). As a young girl, Betty enjoyed dancing, acrobatics, fishing, and dressing up the family cat as her baby doll. She had an artistic nature, strong sense of design, a love of beauty and a joyful spirit. In high school, she met James Christopher Hayes, and they were married when Betty was 16. Their first child Helen Adele Hayes (Mujal) was born shortly thereafter, followed by a move to Redlands, California, where Chris attended university. While living in California, the couple had two more children, Bonny Sue Hayes (Bodle) and Lynne Stephanie Hayes (Williams). Betty loved being a housewife, hostess, and Sunday school teacher. She taught her three girls and others how to knit, sew, cook, bake, and garden. More importantly, she taught them kindness, respect for others and encouraged their interests. Her impish smile and sense of humor endeared her to all she met and helped throughout her life. Betty worked outside the home in appliance sales, and interior design. She supplemented the household income by selling her crafts and floral designs at local art/craft fairs.

Betty’s generosity was seen by her willingness to move towards each of her girls when they needed her the most. She moved to San Jose, California, to be near her first grandchildren, in 1990. Later, she moved to Minnesota, to be closer to her youngest daughter and granddaughter in 1995, eventually settling in Sugar Camp in 2005. Many in the Rhinelander community will remember her for helping them find the right appliance while working at Menards until her retirement in 2015. Betty was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2003 where she served the community by sharing bible truths as a volunteer.

Her family and friends will miss her kind and generous spirit, her sense of humor and devotion to all those she loved and helped through life, as well as her elegant tea and dinner parties. Betty brought the beauty in the world to our attention and taught us how to find it, treasure it and add to it. May we continue to pass that appreciation on to others as she did.

A memorial service will be held on October 5, 2024, at 3 p.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses at 200 S. Chippewa Dr. Rhinelander, Wisconsin. All in the community are invited to attend. You may also join us via Zoom- Meeting ID: 821-5928-6606 Pass: 208617. Flowers can be sent to the Rhinelander Kingdom Hall. Memorial donations can be made to the following organizations: Worldwide Work of Jehovah's Witnesses: www.donatejw.org. Seasons of Life Hospice: www.HowardYoungFoundation.org. You may leave your private condolences for the Davis family at www.carlsonfh.com. The Carlson Funeral Home (715-369-1414) is serving the Davis family.