Betty (Old) Randolph

Betty Frances Old Randolph was born on Valentine’s Day in 1929 in Watertown, Tennessee. She died on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at the age of 96 in Bluffton, South Carolina. She grew up on a farm in Wilson County, the daughter of Louise Neal Old, with support from her grandmother, “Mammy” (Frances Caroline Hawthorne Neal) and with her beloved brother, Ralph Neal Old, who predeceased her. She met the love of her life, Winston Durrett Randolph, at the University of Tennessee-Martin. They married on August 31, 1947, and were inseparable for 75 years, affectionately known as Pops and Gran for much of their adult lives to their children and grandchildren. Winston would often share the story of the day he fell in love with Betty at first sight on the steps of the church in Watertown, saying that from that day on he “never told her no and didn’t intend to.” She was one of the original entrepreneurs, though that term wasn’t used much at the time. She moved to Springfield with Winston and joined the family hardware business, launching her own business, Randolph’s Gifts and Interiors, inside the hardware store. Wedding registries, baby showers, and special occasions were dotted with beautifully wrapped boxes from the gift shop. Many Robertson County residents still have stamped boxes with the horse and carriage in their attics. Betty and Winston retired from the hardware and gift businesses in 1990 and moved to Florida, where they lived for 22 years. Betty was a Southern lady and socialite with many friends who somehow managed to run a business, have a Jell-O salad in the refrigerator, and a cake ready to go at all times. She prepped meals on Sunday, long before this was a fad on social media. She knew plants and decorating but was also frugal and loved a deal. She was an active member of the Garden Club. After retiring, she couldn’t leave her entrepreneurial tendencies behind and collected antiques, reselling them at antique shows and in booths across Tampa, Middle Tennessee, south central Kentucky, and North Carolina. In 2002, Betty and Winston moved back to Tennessee to be near their family, where they built a new home and remained active, traveling, and keeping up with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her family and friends will always remember Betty for her indefatigable spirit, strong will, and commitment to friends and family. She never let her grandchildren win at Rummy Cube or any other game (or anyone else for that matter). She was known in her independent living center as fiercely competitive, accumulating more (as she called it) “funny money” than any other resident.  She loved whipping cream and anything laripin, and a special treat was eating a freshly whipped bowl “before Pops got home.” She had impeccable taste and collected beautiful things, was a loyal friend, and had high expectations for those around her. She was fiercely independent, a woman of strong faith, and an exceedingly generous spirit.

She is survived by her son Trent Randolph (Constance), and daughter Patricia Rogers (Conrad), as well as five grandchildren: Keri Randolph (Chattanooga), Caroline Randolph (Cross Plains) and Laurel Randolph (Los Angeles); Jarod Rogers (Hastings, Nebraska) and Jessica Rogers Smith (Greeley, Colorado), six great-grandchildren, many extended family, and friends, and her almost constant companion and dog, Molly. The family expresses their gratitude to the caregivers who allowed her to live her life on her own terms in her last months.

Graveside services will be conducted Friday September 26th at 11:00 a.m. in the Elmwood Cemetery in Springfield with Tim Harris officiating. There will be no visitation prior to the graveside service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider carrying on Gran’s love of feeding those she loved by donating in her memory to Second Harvest Food Bank, Samaritan’s Purse, or a charity of your choosing.

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