Mrs. Betty Cooper Etheridge's Obituary
Graveside Memorial Service for Mrs. Betty Cooper Etheridge, 93, of Alexander City, will be Monday, January 12, 2026 at 1:00 pm at Garden Hill Cemetery in Opelika, AL. Dr. Bill Etheridge and Rev. Will Etheridge will officiate.
Betty Cooper Etheridge brought beauty and love to every aspect of her life. She was born on January 27, 1932 in Auburn, Alabama and graduated from Lee County High School which was the precursor to Auburn High School. Two of her granddaughters attended school in the same buildings while growing up in Auburn. She loved Auburn and while in school began working at The Tiger Movie Theater. After she finished high school while working at the movie theater she met the love of her life, William Earl Etheridge. They were married on June 7, 1954 at the First Methodist Church of Opelika. For the 51 years they were married they loved each other dearly. He preceded her in death in 2006.
In those 51 years they had two sons and she enjoyed supporting their goals and loved them dearly, always so proud of them and everything they accomplished. Her husband, Earl, managed theaters for Martin Theaters and later Carmike Cinemas. Together they managed many theaters which culminated into 60 years of service in Movie Theaters. This enabled her to move from time to time, meeting and making many friends that she adored.
Sylacauga is where she lived most of her life. She loved being active in her community and was a member of Sylacauga First United Methodist Church where she was a member of United Methodist Women and the Alter Guild distributing flowers after services to the people in the hospital and nursing homes or people at home that needed some joy. She was a member of the Sylacauga Garden Club. She also enjoyed supporting the programs at The Sylacauga Library.
Betty was a true friend to so many and enjoyed hosting teas and socials. She loved the camaraderie with her friends. She considered her most important job being a loving wife and a wonderful mother to her boys. She loved her husband and her sons fiercely and thought her boys hung the moon. She instilled in them such self confidence and loved to brag about them both. She was a wonderful cook and loved making the best meals for her family. Her homemade chocolate and caramel cakes were legendary. All of her life she loved making things beautiful including her home, yard, and clothes.
Betty was the epitome of elegance and grace and a true Southern lady. She loved attending church every Sunday sitting on the third row. She was a wonderful Grandmother that loved to play cards and board games and would stay up late making up fun stories with them. She loved being with her grandsons and granddaughters. She taught them how to make her recipes in the kitchen and how to show the love of God in everything they do. They knew they were loved because of the all the joy and laughter in the time she spent with them. She adored her grandsons and after raising two sons it was like reliving their childhood which she loved. When the granddaughters came along she was so excited that she cried. She loved dressing her granddaughters in beautiful little dresses.
Two words that describe her most are love and beauty. Betty brought love and care to her husband and nurturing love and confidence to her sons and genuine fun, laughter, and love to all of her grandchildren. She was devoted to all of her family from her eight siblings that she loved dearly, to her own family and was an example of how to love deeply. Betty was a true Christian, Southern lady that lived a long and beautiful life. Betty always put her trust in the Lord and always celebrated the life of Jesus. She is now enjoying her beautiful reward in Heaven.
She is survived by her sons, RV. Dr. William Earl (Becki) Etheridge, Jr. of Jacksonville and Jeffrey (Shanon) Etheridge of Auburn; grandchildren, Rev. William Earl (Brittney) Etheridge, III, Wesley Eric (Catherine) Etheridge, Mary Elizabeth (Hayden) Getto, Katie Starlene Etheridge, and Gracie Elizabeth Etheridge; great-grandchildren, Emmalynn Elizabeth Etheridge, Tatum Elizabeth Getto, William Earl Etheridge, IV, and Isabelle Pillow; brother, David (Cheryl) Cooper; and sister-in-law, Nadine Cooper.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Claude P. Cooper and Georgia Belle Cooper; husband, William Earl Etheridge, Sr.; siblings, Ella Cooper, Claude Press Cooper, Jr., Jane Ella Hill, Charles R. Cooper, Jeanett Burdette, Larry George Cooper, and Glenda Ann Powers.
Radney Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Betty Cooper Etheridge.
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