Mrs. Betty Hudson Russell

Funeral Services for Mrs. Betty Hudson Russell, 77, of Zavalla,TX formerly of Henderson,TX will be held Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home, with Rhonda Watson officiating. Interment will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Rusk, Texas, under the direction of Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home. Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 11, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home. Betty passed away peacefully at her home on August 7, 2026, in Zavalla, Texas. She was born July 12, 1949, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to Emmitt and Mollie (McClendon) Hudson. Shortly after her birth, her family moved to Rusk, Texas, where she was raised. Betty was a woman who loved people—and people loved her right back. She had a gift for making friends wherever she went and a special way of making people feel welcomed, valued, and loved. She wasn't simply someone you met; she was someone you remembered. For many years, Betty served the children of the Henderson and Lufkin Independent School Districts while working in their elementary school cafeterias. She loved those children, and they loved her. Her warm personality, playful spirit, and genuine affection for the kids made her much more than someone who served their meals. To many of them, she was a familiar and caring face who made their school days a little brighter. Betty also spent approximately 30 years working at Baskins, which became Boot Barn, serving customers in Henderson and Lufkin. Betty’s love for people, sense of style, and ability to know exactly what suited someone made her a natural at her job. She had a gift for making people look and feel their best. Betty had class, style, and an eye for knowing how to dress someone. She knew what looked good, but more importantly, she knew how to make people feel good about themselves. At Boot Barn, Betty became affectionately known as “ Betty Boop.” Close friends and coworkers also lovingly called her “my pretty little princess,” a fitting nickname for a woman whose playful, sassy personality could light up a room. She brought personality and laughter wherever she worked, and the relationships she built with her customers and coworkers meant far more to her than simply making a sale. That was Betty's gift: she made connections with people. Whether she was serving children in a school cafeteria, helping a customer find the perfect outfit, visiting with a friend, or simply going about her day, she had a way of making people feel like they mattered. Betty was a good friend, and she was loved by many. She collected friendships throughout her life, not because she tried to, but because of who she was. Her kindness, humor, confidence, sass, and genuine love for people drew others to her. She left a little piece of herself with the people she encountered, and those who knew her will remember not only what she did, but how she made them feel. Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Emmitt and Mollie Hudson; her husband, Jerry Claude Russell; her son, Kenneth Wayne Hughes; her brothers, Douglas “Dub” Hudson and Edward Hudson; and her sisters, Rozell Watson and Johnny V. Johnson. She is survived by her children, Chris “Red” Hughes and wife Stacy, Mandy Thompson, Jenny Green and husband Nick, and Steve Russell and wife Della; sisters Annie Mae McCalister of Rusk and Bobbie Nell Whitby of Sergeant; grandchildren McKenzie and McKayla Hughes, Cameron Hughes, Hudson and Elektra Hesse, Chevelle Thompson, Chassity Barnett, Jackie “Tinker” McCoy, and Alyssa Green; special friends Tori Reynolds, Molina Courtney, Kim Hornsby and Alvin & Anne Green of Henderson, TX. along with a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends. Betty's life was measured not only in years, but in the lives she touched. She loved people, and she made sure they knew they were loved in return. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, former coworkers, and the many children and customers who were fortunate enough to know her. Her memory will live on in the people who loved her, the stories they share, and the smiles she left behind. Pallbearers will be Steve Russell, Craig Hudson, Greg Green, James Sanchez, Cameron Hughes, and Cameron Grice. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.crawfordacrim.com.

Mrs. Betty Hudson Russell

July 12, 1949 - August 7, 2026