Betty Ann Jordan White of Cornelia, Georgia passed away on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2020, surrounded by family.
Betty was the daughter of the late Coleman Jefferson Jordan and Lucille Blackburn Jordan and sister to the late, Vivian Jordan Daniels. Her grandparents were the late James Ivy and Ella Jane Blackburn and Thomas and Mary Jordan, all of Banks County. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 65 years, Clinton M. White.
Born on the family homeplace in Banks County on Feb. 29, 1932, Betty spent her childhood in Greenville, SC, and Savannah, GA. After WWII, her family returned to Banks County where Betty attended Baldwin High School. Betty graduated from Baldwin High School in 1949. She always enjoyed “Forty-niner” reunions and events shared with her fellow classmates throughout the years.
In 1950, Betty married her high school sweetheart, Clinton White. During the Korean War, the newlyweds were stationed on Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi, where Betty worked on base. She loved the coastal life in Biloxi and living near the beach. After the Korean war, the Whites moved to Atlanta where Betty worked at the Centers for Disease Control. The White family later lived briefly in Centerville, Iowa, before moving back to Cornelia in 1963.
Betty had a long and varied career as a businesswoman and entrepreneur until she retired in 2009. She worked for the US Forest Service in Gainesville. She independently opened and operated a health food store on the square in Toccoa as well as coin laundry businesses and mini-storage facilities.
Beginning in the 1990’s, Betty enjoyed a thriving career as a real estate agent. Key to her success, Betty took a genuine interest in her clients. Whatever their stage of life, she enjoyed helping her clients find their home. Her clients clearly appreciated her expertise and enjoyed her friendship. Her name, shared with the actress, Betty White, was a great source of fun during her real estate career.
While Betty was professionally successful, she was also accomplished at home. Long before HGTV, she was designing and updating her home and helping her friends decorate their homes. She sourced antiques and home décor from all over north Georgia and Atlanta. She had a gift for arranging and combining furniture and art to best advantage. She also had tremendous skill in the kitchen and enjoyed experimenting with new dishes which often became family favorites. Most important to her, she was thrilled with the arrival of each grandchild and spoiled them all. Throughout her life, she gave her daughters amazing examples of how to be a successful wife and mother.
Betty was a member of Cornelia First Baptist Church and later, Level Grove Baptist Church. She was also a Gideon and enjoyed working on the Gideon mission.
Betty is remembered as a devoted wife, a wise and supportive mother, a generous and loving Mimi to her grandchildren, a loyal friend, and a successful businesswoman. She is survived by her daughters and sons in law, Teresa and Bob Walker of Flowery Branch; Jane and Joe Kitchens of Hollingsworth; four much loved grandchildren, Katie and Claire Kitchens and Clint and Jeff Walker; and her niece, Lynne Bowman Cox of Gainesville.
The family gratefully acknowledges all the care and support provided by Betty’s kind caregivers: Jan, Julianne, Brenda, the staff at Magnolia Hills, and the staff of Homestead Hospice.
A family graveside service is planned at Harmony Baptist Church in Baldwin, Georgia.
Instead of flowers, Betty would be pleased if you took a long, brisk walk. She encouraged healthy choices every day. The family suggests memorial donations to the Harmony Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 5223 Hwy 441 Bypass, Baldwin, GA, 30511.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Home & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia, 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.
