Betty Jean Carter Pruitt
Betty Jean Carter Pruitt, 87, of Martinsville, VA passed away on July 15, 2024, at Sovah Health of Martinsville & Henry County. She was born on August 8, 1936, in Pearly, NC to the late Joseph S. Carter, Sr. and Zula Kimball Carter. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Melvin Pruitt, Sr; brothers, William “Trimmy” Carter, Bobby Neal Carter, James Carter Kimball, and Joseph S. Carter, Jr.; foster brother, Joseph Chittum, Jr.; sisters, Emma “Em” Carter Hall and Margaret Carter “Dolly” Ingram; and one granddaughter, Kendra Waddell.
She was a member of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church where she was a Sunday school teacher. Betty worked at Henry County Public Schools for nineteen years as a school bus driver and worked at Finny Building Supplies for eight years.
Let me tell you something about this lady, she was absolutely NOT afraid to say what needed to be said. She wasn’t a sugar coater; if she hurt your feelings in the process, so be it. She called your bluff when necessary and didn’t mind telling you if you were wrong. BUT, she LOVED with her whole heart, and she made sure you were well-fed and happy when you left her home. She always wanted to know that you were ok and didn’t need anything and if you did, she expected you to tell her, so she could pray for you and/or help you if it was in her power to do so.
In the end, all she wanted to do was see/talk to her great-grandbabies and she was able to do just that. We facetimed the ones who were not able to be there in person. It was important to her to be able to tell them that she loved them so much and to ALWAYS put God first in their lives and that they will always be ok if they do that.
Betty was known by her grandchildren as Nanny and was called Big Nanny/Granny by her great-grandchildren.
Surviving are her daughters, Joanie P. Jones (Dale) and Rita Cobbler; son, Robert “Robbie” M. Pruitt, Jr. (Annie); sister, Mildred “Bill” Carter Robertson; grandchildren, Joshua Jones (Shell), Tiffany Jones (Zach), Justin Pruitt (Beth), April Cobbler, Brice Cobbler, and Wesley Waterhouse; great-grandchildren, Jacie Jones, Skylar Varney, Isabella Varney, Ace Young, Skylar Young, Brantley Young, Riley Pruitt, and Tara Pruitt; brother-in-law, Leon Ingram; numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
A special thanks to June Pruitt for the time she came and spent with Betty.
Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 19, 2024, at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, and other times at the home of Joanie Jones. Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 19, 2024, at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church with Pastor John Rigney and Dean White officiating. Burial will follow the service at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, 7174 Mountain Valley Rd, Axton, VA 24054 or to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105-3678.
Norris Funeral Services, Inc. and Crematory, Martinsville, VA is serving the Pruitt family.
