Betty Sallis Fiser

Betty May Sallis Fiser, 93, died peacefully Wednesday, March 30, 2016. Born in Clarksville, Ark. on March 12, 1923, to Lucy Yearwood Sallis and John Wallace Sallis, Betty was raised in Clarksville and Russellville, Ark., graduated from Russellville High School and attended the College of the Ozarks in Clarksville. She married James H. Fiser (Jamie) on July 6, 1943, while he was home on leave from the U.S. Navy. Betty's career mirrored Jamie's: she worked in a munitions factory in North Little Rock while he flew Navy bombers over the Pacific; she was a bank bookkeeper while he finished college and graduate school at the University of Arkansas; she began a private kindergarten while he taught high school agriculture in Booneville, Ark.; and she became manager of the home when their children came along and he began his career in manufacturing management and sales. As Jamie's work moved the family to Texas, Indiana, Michigan, and finally Memphis, Betty made sure that her home was welcoming and her community was served. She volunteered at church and school, led Scout troops, worked with the underserved, and graciously opened her home to family, neighbors and friends. She was a 65-year member of the P.E.O. sisterhood, serving as an officer in every chapter she joined. She was truly "a wife of noble character" whose "children arise and call her blessed." (Prov. 31), and she inspired many as she lived out the advice written on a splattered plaque that hung in every one of her kitchens "Bloom where you are planted." Above all, Betty and Jamie were a team, a wonderful example of a loving, fun, supportive, and commitment-focused marriage. Betty was predeceased by her parents, siblings, and Jamie, her husband of 72 years. She is survived by their son, James Michael Fiser of Ashland, Miss.; daughter B.J. Fiser Jones (Chip) of Roswell, Ga.; grandchildren Oliver Jones (Ashley) of Roswell; Andrew Jones of Edinburgh, Scotland (fiancée Margaret Rose Knox of Marietta, Ga.); and Maggie Jones of Roswell; great-grandsons Owen and Eli Jones of Roswell; her sister-in-law Marilyn Sallis of Nashville, Tenn.; and many beloved nieces and nephews. The family also wants to express their deep gratitude to Glenda "Gigi" Jamison for her 6 years of loving care and faithful service to Betty, who loved Gigi "like a daughter." A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 3, 2016 at Germantown United Methodist Church, 2331 S. Germantown Road, Germantown, TN 38138, with visitation at 1 p.m. and service at 2 p.m. A family burial will follow in Morrilton, Ark. on Saturday, June 4, 2016. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Germantown United Methodist Church, Elder Care ministry (address above) or the P.E.O. Foundation, 3700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa, 50312 or online at donations.peointernational.org, to provide educational scholarships for women.