Betty June Boone Best

Betty June Boone Best, 83, of Maryville passed away Sunday, January 23, at Shannondale Nursing Home, Maryville. She was born November 9, 1938, in Happy Valley in Blount County, Tennessee.

Betty was preceded in death by loving, patient husband of 60 years, Herman E. Best, and her parents, precious, Christian mother, Dorothy Ann Boring Boone, and father, Paul Boone.

She leaves behind a loving family, which includes her daughters, Elaine (Glenn) Nief of Loudon, and their three precious daughters: Ellery, Corrine, and Raina; and Sarah (Steve) Campbell of Knoxville; her brothers, sisters and in-laws: Jerri and Joel Horton, Lynda Boone (widow of brother, Paul Gene Boone), Phyllis Boone, Roe and Sharon (Guge) Boone, Ronnie Boone and the late Donna Raulston Boone, Gail and Gene Garland, and sister-in-law, Calberta Self Best.
Betty has been blessed with multiple, loving and caring nieces and nephews.

She was a graduate of Lanier High School, Maryville College, and University of Tennessee.

She was Librarian at Lanier School, Rush Strong School, Everett High School, and William Blount High School. She also taught at Chilhowie View School and Walland School.

Betty loved Tennessee and Blount County history and was encouraged from her early youth by historian, Inez Burns. She is the author of the books: Happy Valley In Blount County, Tennessee: Friends and Family, and Miranda of the Mountains—A Smoky Mountain Diary.

Betty was active in area historical societies, especially Sam Houston’s historical School House, Blount Historical Society, and Smoky Mountain Historical Society. She was a frequent writer of historical stories for the Blount County and Smoky Mountain Journals.

Betty became a Christian at age 9 and was baptized in cold Abrams Creek. Most of her life was spent teaching and leading Bible classes, especially the Best/Wilhite/Garmeson Sunday School Class at Monte Vista Baptist Church. At MVBC, she was ordained as a Deacon, sang in the choir, and was able to go on mission trips, including South Dakota, where she taught Bible School to the children, with the MVBC team, and other times, helping rebuild churches in Chile and teaching conversational English in Albania.

Betty lived a very blessed life and considered all of these opportunities to be gifts from God.

A special thanks to devoted sisters, Jerri, Phyllis and Gail and the amazing nurses at Shannondale-Maryville.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Monte Vista Baptist Church Building Fund.

For the safety of our friends and family, a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.