Bettie Sue Forrest Dilley, 80, of Eden went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday, November 17, 2025 at her residence.

A funeral service will be held at 12:30 pm on Friday, Pleasant View Baptist Church, 232 W. Meadow Road, Eden, NC.  Interment will follow in Roselawn Memorial Gardens.  The family will receive friends from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm on Friday at the church.

Born into modest circumstances but rich in love within her family, Bettie hailed from Mt. Airy, a burg with roots in the fictional Mayberry and overseen by the equally fictional sheriff Andy Taylor.  Bettie was the youngest of three sisters – Alice Mike, the eldest, Peggy Walker, and then Bettie in 1945.  During her early childhood the family moved to Eden, where their father, Richard Forrest, was both a farmer and a Fieldcrest Mills employee.  At the same time their mother, Evelyn, proved herself a Proverbs 31:10-31 wife, mother, consoler, counselor, and above all, a godly woman in every respect and reverence.

In 1982 Bettie was invited north to New Jersey to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Alice and her husband, Bill Mike.  To round out to a quartet, Bill invited a brother in Christ, Dave Dilley, for the holiday meal but, having already accepted a Thanksgiving Day invitation, Dave excused himself.  The next day Dave answered a second phone call from Bill inviting him to Thanksgiving leftovers, which Dave gratefully accepted.  The four spent an enjoyable, relaxed evening that covered a number of random topics.

After the introduction to Bettie, Dave began writing love letters to her, which deepened their interest in each other.  During one visit to Eden Dave proposed to Bettie, and they were married in June 1983.  They spent their honeymoon at Green Turtle Cay in the Cayman Islands marveling over the crystal blue waters and nearly deserted beach front – a postcard perfect site, one for making memories and setting the trajectory of married life here on earth.

Upon returning to Eden, Bettie and her two children, Rhonda and Michael Berrier, packed up and moved to New Jersey.  Unequipped for the rigors of northeastern U.S. driving velocities and pressures, Bettie followed the rental truck in her Chevrolet Chevette arriving at Dave's equally modest home both exhausted and exasperated.  She was the proverbial basket case, and if looks could talk they'd say, "What in the world!" – the same four words she clearly spoke during her last days.

The family began attending Dave's and the Mikes' urban church (near Dave), a doctrinally strong church, where they grew in grace and mercy, each of the three giving testimony of prior salvation (Bettie when she was 10) through the sacrificial shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rhonda returned to Eden at summer's end to finish her high school studies at Morehead High.

In 1988 the three moved to the central part of New Jesey, a rural area, where they became members of a country church established after WWII, which employed an army surplus Quonset hut as a chapel and was shepherded by a pastor who had a vision for introducing Trenton-area children to abundant open spaces and the gospel message.  The boldly different experience brought a fresh wave of spiritual understanding, development, and character to the family, and they thrived on it.

By 1996 Michael had graduated from high school, worked for three years as an apprentice in the New Jersey carpenter's union, and then elected to return to Eden. He had met a girl, Sandy Guldenscuh, in high school, and in September 1992, the couple was married in New Jersey and then moved to Eden where they have lived since.  Their son, Brandon was born in 1997.

The sum of Bettie's life is this: She loved her Savior Jesus Christ first and foremost. He guided her life through the work of the Holy Spirit, the Bible, sermons, Sunday school classes, and providential circumstances. Daily Bible reading and prayer were fundamental to her. She loved her husband. She loved her family. She loved her Christian brethren. She spent a great deal of time engaged with The Auxiliary side of The Gideons International Association in distributing Testaments to unknowing wayfarers, strangers really, who weren't particularly interested in revealing their spiritual thirst. She did her best to slake it with the Word.

Her life was a testimony to the cause for Christ.  It showed.  She meant it.  It was hers.

Bettie is survived by her husband David Donald Dilley of Eden NC, her daughter Rhonda Hankins of Eden NC, her son Michael Berrier (Sandy) of Eden NC, her stepson Dan Dilley (Lorissa) of Mint Hill NC, and sister-in-law Barbara Dilley of Greenville SC.  She is also survived by her grandchildren Garrett Hankins, Sydney Prevette (Evan), Brandon Berrier (Kourtnie) and great grandchildren Elena Berrier, Chase Berrier, a baby boy on the way; and several nieces and nephews.

Bettie is predeceased by her parents Richard Forrest and Evelyn Wilkes; her sisters Alice Mike and Peggy Walker, and brother-in-law Harold E. Dilley Jr.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to The Gideons International Association, Eden Camp, PO Box 383 Eden NC 27289.