Bethany Rhea Lawrence

Bethany Rhea Lawrence was unexpectedly called home by her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Saturday, March 22, 2025. She was born on August 21,1955 in Montgomery County and was just 69 years of age. We miss her, but we know with certainty that she is singing and praising her God in heaven, along with so many of her friends and family that have gone before.

Beth had such a love of music, and she served as her church pianist for more than 30 years. She loved animals of all types, including the hummingbirds, butterflies and the deer that inhabited the Mathis family farm where she lived for almost 50 years. She especially loved her beautiful black cat, Charlie, who showed up one day and decided to stay. Beth had a taste for over-sweetened, flavored coffee and she delighted in sitting on the front porch with her morning cup, watching the hummingbirds buzzing the feeders and Charlie hunting in the nearby pastureland. Her laugh was infectious, and she rarely met anyone that wasn’t a friend. As the years passed and her spiritual maturity grew, she served as a prayer warrior and confidant for so many in her community. She knew all of her neighbors personally and had a special way of bonding with people that crossed her path.

Beth was blessed to share her life with 2 families that loved her and each other, one consisting of her blood relatives in the Lawrence family and another in the Mathis family that shared their lives with her for over 50 years. Perhaps her greatest gift to others was in serving as the full-time caregiver for Jewel Mathis, matriarch of the Mathis family, in the final years of her life as dementia slowly took its toll. This gift allowed Jewel to live out the remainder of her life on the farm that she loved.

Beth loved the members of our police force and fire department. She posted pictures of Bible verses on her Facebook page and pictures of missing children in the hope that she might contribute to their safe return. She would fuss at you if you killed a bee and even advocated for non-poisonous snakes, although we know that she secretly disliked them. She loved Dutch apple pie from Shangri La and disliked the heat in summer. She didn’t care much for exercise, but she could talk on the phone for hours. She wasn’t much for travel as she didn’t want to leave her cat Charlie. But you were always welcome to come visit and stay awhile with her. More than anything else at this point in her life, she wanted all of us to know about Jesus.

Beth had an early career in the insurance industry and retired from the Montgomery County Sheriff/Collector’s Office in more recent years. She was born to the late James Raymond Lawrence and Flora Lawrence. She is survived by her brother Ray Lawrence and wife Sue of Oden, Arkansas and her sister Wilma Raney and husband Ralph of Benton, Arkansas. Beth is also survived by her brothers-in-love Mark Mathis (Sally) and Curtis Mathis (Kari), as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her sisters, Lorene Howard, Velma Gortemiller, and Francis Gray as well as brothers, Allen Lawrence, Roland Lawrence, Michael Lawrence, and Kenneth Lawrence. She was also preceded in death by Kenneth and Jewel Mathis who too loved her as family. And she was truly loved by many more friends and relatives.