Bettie Sheridan Turney Greenup

Bettie Sheridan Turney Greenup, 88, died Saturday, June 22, 2024 in Lexington, Kentucky. Bettie was born in Paris, Kentucky, the daughter of Jesse McClellan Turney and Helen Elizabeth Sheridan. Bettie graduated from Bourbon County High School in 1954. She furthered her education in Washington D.C. at Marjorie Webster women’s college, where she served on the student honor council and graduated magna cum laude with a BA in education. Bettie returned to Paris after graduation, and she married the love of her life, Calvin Greenup. They married at First Presbyterian Church of Paris, and both remained active in the church throughout their lives. Bettie loved teaching the younger children in Sunday school and she later served as a deacon in the church. She was honored to serve as a delegate to the Transylvania Presbytery in several capacities. Upon moving to Lexington in their later years, Bettie and Calvin joined the Walnut Hill Church alongside their dear friends Emett and Joyce Barfield.Bettie had a passion for Kentucky history and genealogy. Her ancestor came to America in 1621 on the Fortune, the next ship to reach the Plymouth Colony after the Mayflower. Bettie’s Turney forebears eventually settled in Bourbon County in 1780 and purchased a tract of the farm where she ultimately grew up and where she raised her own family. As a result of her family history, Bettie became active in the Jemima Johnson Chapter of the Kentucky Society Daughters of the American Revolution. She served as the President of Duncan Tavern, the state DAR headquarters, during the period of substantial renovation of the Tavern, originally built in 1792. She also was active in the Blue Grass Chapter of Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century, and served as their President. Bettie was always active in service to her community, serving as an assistant teacher at Millersburg Elementary, an assistant in the implementation of Title IX at Bourbon County High School, a bookkeeper for Glen’s Drug, and finally, as office manager for Elizabeth Greenup Faulkner, DMD. Bettie also served as class reunion coordinator for her graduating class at Bourbon County High School. However, the roles she valued most were that of wife to Calvin and mother to her two children, both of whom survive her, Elizabeth Faulkner (JC), Charlotte, NC, and Lee Greenup, Lexington, Ky, and as grandmother to her beloved Nate Faulkner, Charleston SC, and Sam Faulkner, New York City. She is also survived by both a special brother-in-law, Clark Preston, and sister-in-law, Sally Turney.
Visitation will be held Friday, June 28, 5-8 pm at Milward North Broadway, Lexington. The memorial service will be Saturday, June 29 at 1:00pm at Walnut Hill Church on Walnut Hill Road, Lexington.