Betty Clark, the face behind the dessert counter in the Oklahoma Christian University cafeteria, passed away on Saturday.
Clark, better known to the campus as Miss Betty, had to step away from her position this past year because of her deteriorating eyesight. She struggled with health conditions such as diabetes and mini-strokes.
After becoming a recognizable personality as a worker in McDonald’s drive-thru, Miss. Betty was invited by members of the Memorial Road Church of Christ to attend church on one Sunday. Oklahoma Christian students got to know her through church, and went to Neil Arter, dean of Student Life, in hopes of finding her a job on campus.
In 2010, Arter helped land Miss Betty a job in the university cafeteria at the dessert station.
“We didn’t really need Miss Betty to hand out desserts, we were doing it without her to start,” Arter said. “But then she started connecting to students and giving out advice and love, or even a hug.”
Sonya Young, administrative assistant to Arter, said she recalls what Miss Betty always vocalized to students at the dessert station.
“She had a rule that if you didn’t go to chapel, you didn’t get a cookie,” Young said. “She would tell the kids if they hadn’t gone to class they weren’t getting a dessert.”
Since her first year as an employee on campus, students volunteered to drive Miss Betty to and from work. The carpool service became known as “Driving Miss Betty.”
Oklahoma Christian alumnus, Shawn Sikes, drove Miss Betty starting his sophomore year and continued for a year after he graduated.
Sikes said he first noticed Miss Betty through her very loud, high-pitched voice that both teased and encouraged students daily in the cafeteria. He said he knew he wanted to get to know her better, so he volunteered to be one of her drivers.
“One of the biggest things I learned from her is when we first started, it seemed like we didn’t have anything in common,” Sikes said. “But as I got to spend enough time with her, I realized we did have things in common. It might be a cliché, but I realized outward differences aren’t that big of a deal.”
One of Sikes’ favorite moments with Miss Betty was when he took her to her very first Spring Sing production.
“As we were leaving her apartment complex, she was telling people she was going to see a show that her students were putting on for her,” Sikes said. “She believed that all night. I was very happy to let her think that everyone was putting it on for her and she had a blast.”
According to Young, Miss Betty had a way of making students and faculty members feel special.
“When my dad was really sick, I would tell Miss Betty because she would pray a lot,” said Young. “Before she got out of the car one day she said, ‘I’m gonna pray for your daddy.’ She grabbed my hand and prayed the sweetest prayer, which meant so much to me.”
Sikes said Miss Betty could bring smile to faces wherever she went.
“Her laughter was very infectious,” Sikes said. “Anyone who talked to her was always really happy to hear it.”
According to Arter, Miss Betty had a very challenging upbringing and background. Arter said he held many conversations with her about how her life had never been easy.
“It was really good for her soul the last several years of her life that she was involved with these students,” Arter said. “The fact that we needed her meant everything to her.”
Currently, the family is not going to have a formal memorial service for Miss Betty. Oklahoma Christian is planning an informal memorial service on March 4 at 8:15 p.m. in Scott Chapel.
“Assuming these last few years were her best years gives me a lot of peace,” Sikes said. “I was very blessed to be able to know a person as wonderful as Miss Betty.”
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