Elizabeth (Betty) Boyd Puckett Holland died peacefully on Oct. 15, 2018, in Indianola, at the age of 95. She was born on April 22, 1923 to Allan and Lucy Puckett in Columbus. She grew up in the midst of a large extended family, which forever imprinted her ideas of family life.
She began her education at Shorter College in Athens, Georgia. She then transferred to Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., where there was a medical school, reasoning that all the men, except medical students with deferments, were fighting in the war. She graduated with a degree in Early Education and taught first grade in Memphis, before marrying one of those medical students, Charles (C.K.) Holland, in 1950.
The newlyweds moved to McAlester, Okla. to start his medical practice at the newly formed McAlester Clinic, and by 1954 she had four children. They lived there until his retirement, when they moved back to her childhood home in Columbus.
Betty took great joy in playing piano, swimming, dancing, and travels to far-flung countries around the world with her husband. Above all, she was devoted to the Lord. She was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church. For decades she maintained a strict practice of prayer and reading the Bible. She prayed for every friend and relative in need. Her home was peppered with Post-Its reminding her who to pray for and why. She prayed over the phone with loved ones and with her grandchildren every time she saw them, even praying for their future spouses when they were still children. This rich, ceaseless prayer life blessed all who knew her and was the foundation of a life rooted in a love of Jesus.
She is survived by four children, Charlie Holland (Christy) of Edmund, Okla., Leigh Holland (Celia) of Indianola, Bob Holland (Julie) of Elkins, Ark. and Betsy Holland Clark (Jim) of Scottsdale, Ariz..; seventeen grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by husband Charles who died in 2008, two sisters and a brother. She leaves a legacy of the importance of prayer, spending time with loved ones, and taking the time to enjoy the small, everyday things that add beauty and joy to our lives.
The family wishes to thank son Leigh, his saintly wife Celia, and their nurses for the years of care they have lovingly given to our parents.
The family will receive friends Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018 from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral service at First Baptist Church in Indianola. Burial will follow in Indianola City Cemetery.
Burton Funeral Home of Indianola has been entrusted with arrangements.
Online condolences may be shared with the family by visiting www.burtonfuneralhome.net
