Bettye Jean Wilson-Cannon

Bettye Jean Wilson-Cannon was born August 4th, 1951, in Hollandale Mississippi to the union of Earl Wilson and Rutha Lee Grisby- Wilson. She was the 9th born of 18 children. Bettye met the love of her life Harry Travis Cannon, and they were married on Thanksgiving Day 1993.

They resided in Chicago, where Bettye was employed by the City of Chicago as a Secretary in a law office until her retirement. After the passing of her husband in 2022 Bettye moved to South Bend to be with her family. Her Niece’s Cynthia Witherspoon and Rutha Wilson, Great Niece’s Helesha (Esha) Thomas and Critnesha Witherspoon and her Great Nephew Jeffrey (Nicci) Thomas, where she resided until her passing on December 5, 2023.If you knew Bettye then you knew there was one name that she always spoke of…Esha, Esha, Esha! Esha is her great-niece but to Bettye she was more like a daughter she never had.

Esha spent many of her summers with Bettye in Chicago where they developed an unbreakable bond over the years. Bettye was very vocal and proud of Esha and in Bettye’s eyes she could do no wrong. Betty cherished the time they spent together and looked forward to going out to eat with Esha every Wednesday and ending the night at what she called “The House of Plenty” Esha was Bettye’s heart. Bettye had a big personality and was full of Sass! She had an eye for the expensive and loved the finer things including a man! Bettye had a saying for everything and if she was in the room, you knew there was going to be lots of laughter and a whole lot of mess talking….. HELLO! She will be remembered for her wit, charm and her sharp tongue. If she liked you, she liked you and if she didn’t you knew it! Bettye /Auntie Bettye will be greatly missed. Rest Easy until we meet again.

Bettye leaves to cherish her memory 2 brothers: Levell Wilson and Tommy Lee Wilson. 6 sisters: Diane Stewart, Angeline Frohmader, Loraine (Pablo) Moncada, Joyce Wilson, Gwendolyn (Keith) Montgomery and Jacqueline (Carolyn) Wilson. A special sister-in-law Netta Cannon, Honorary Nieces Tanisha Jones and Essie Johnson, Honorary Nephews Victor Hunt and Michael Dawning and a host of Aunties, Uncles, Nieces, Nephews and friends. Bettye was preceded in death by her father Earl (Butch) Wilson and her mother Rutha Lee (Yesta) Wilson. Husband Harry T Cannon. Brothers: Robert (Rabbit) Parker, Earl (Jr) Wilson, Charles (CW) Wilson, Robert (Manky) Wilson, Jimmy Lee Wilson and Charles (LiL) Wilson. Sisters: Helen J Jones, Patricia Jones, Bernice “Bonnie” Wilson

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