Betty Jean Porter

Obituary Betty Jean Porter Betty Jean Hersey Porter, 79, was born April 14, 1940 to Pydia Hersey, Sr. and Clara Lee Moore Hersey, the second of (3) children. She was born in Eudora, Arkansas and was there about (8) months. She accepted Christ at an early age. She attended school in Arkansas and lived with her grandparents for a while. Her parents eventually divorced and both families moved to the Kansas City area. She attended school in Kansas City, Kansas. Her father remarried Anna E. Crockett and they had (1) son, her brother Dwight A. Hersey. Later her mother remarried Deacon George Newton, Sr. and she moved to Robbins, Illinois. They had (1) son also George Newton, Jr. (This made a total of 5 siblings). She loved all her brothers and sister very much. They all got along together, and she spent time with them. She graduated from Blue Island High School in Blue Island, Illinois (1957). She later returned to the Kansas City area to live with her father, stepmother and brother. She married Richard Porter, Sr. on December 24, 1958. They had four children Richard, Jr., Shaya, Erma, and Kevin. She later had her baby son Steven A. Porter, her youngest. Betty was a faithful 50+ year member of Morning Star Baptist Church under the leaderships of Rev. H.C. Eason and Rev. John Modest. She was a member of the WMU, Choir and Sunday school. She was a Sunday school teacher, youth counselor, member of the Senior Social Club and Mother Board. Her love for Christ not only extended throughout her church but also throughout her community, family and friends. Everyone always referred to her as “SWEET BETTY”. She worked various jobs and landed at the Internal Revenue Service. She retired as a manager after 29 years of service. After retirement, she continued to have the desire to serve and worked at Dillard’s Department store, Attorney Jean Owen and Quest Diagnostic’s. She was preceded in death by all of her parents: Deacon Pydia Hersey, Sr. and Anna E. Hersey and Rev. George Newton, Sr. and Clara Lee Newton; sister, Barbara J. Lee, brothers, Pydia Hersey, Jr. and Dwight A. Hersey, step-daughter, Bobbie Porter Booker, grandsons, Andreas Porter and Kenneth Booker, Jr. She departed this life at Research Medical Center on Friday, February 21, 2020 surrounded by her children, grandchildren, brother/sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins and other family members. Leaving to cherish her precious memories are sons: Richard, Jr., Kevin, and Steven Porter of Kansas City, Missouri; daughters: Shaya Woods (Kevin, Sr.) and Erma of Grandview, Missouri; brother George Newton, Jr. (Deborah) of Kansas City, Kansas; sister-in-law, Linda Hersey of San Diego, California; and son-in-law, Kenneth Booker, Sr. of San Francisco, California; grandchildren: Brandy, Richard, III, LaTasha, Toyia, Tiffany, Kevin, Jr., George, Ciara, Devin, Octavia, Raquel and Tyra, 17 great grandchildren, and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, her church family and many friends. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Morning Star Baptist Church 2411 East 27th Street Kansas City, Missouri 64127. Visitation 9:00 a.m. Interment in Mount Moriah Cemetery. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Betty Jean Porter, please visit our floral store. Read More

Betty Jean Porter

April 14, 1940 - February 21, 2020