Betty Lynn Cameron

Germantown, Tennessee – Funeral service for Betty Lynn Webber Cameron, 78, of Germantown, Tennessee, and a former longtime Greenville resident, who died Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at Siloam Baptist Church, 2270 Hwy 47, West Point. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the church. Burial will be at the Palo Alto Cemetery in Palo Alto, MS. A memorial service will take place in Greenville on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025 at First Presbyterian Church, 1 John Calvin Circle, Greenville. Visitation will be at 12 noon with the service at 1:00 p.m. 

Betty Lynn was the first child born to Malcolm Rell and Inez McGee Webber on January 18, 1947, in West Point, the only girl in a family of boys. She attended school in West Point graduating from West Point High School and continued her education at Delta State University. While at Delta State, Betty Lynn didn’t just study, she stood out. In 1968 alone, she was Homecoming Queen, campus beauty, M Club Sweetheart, head cheerleader and Miss Delta State. You could say that was her year to over achieve and a sign of things to come. In 1969, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business.

 Following graduation, she moved to Vicksburg where she began her lifelong devotion to community service. She went to work for the Army Corp of Engineers and later the United Way. While in Vicksburg she was active in the Jaycettes, a service organization whose members served as hostesses for the contestants of the Miss Mississippi Pageant. Betty Lynn served as president and corresponding secretary of the Jaycettes. She was also associate director of the Miss Mississippi Pageant and was active with the Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce. 

Betty Lynn definitely left her mark on Vicksburg before bringing her force of nature to Greenville in 1983. Little did Greenville know they were getting one of their biggest cheerleaders. Betty Lynn quickly found her place in her new home and never stopped promoting, uplifting and encouraging Greenville and the Delta. She worked with numerous organizations throughout her time in the Port City, often serving in a leadership position. Among her many accomplishments, she was a member of Delta Cotton Wives and was named as Good Middling Lady in 2013. She was very active in organizing and encouraging participation in Delta Legislative Day at the Mississippi state capitol. She would not only promote Greenville and Washington County, but the entire Delta region. 

 Betty Lynn was a Life member of the Junior Auxiliary of Greenville having served in several positions including president and selected Queen of the JA Ball in 2001. As an active member of the Greenville Rotary Club, Betty Lynn served on a number of committees including board of directors and the district scholarship committee. She served as the organization’s president for the 2004-2005 club year of which she was the first woman to hold that position in Greenville, and she was also a Paul Harris Fellow. 

 Betty Lynn shared her vocal talents as a member of the chorus for the annual West Delta Chapter of the American Red Cross as well as being on the chapter board of directors and serving as vice-chairman. Because of her service to the local Red Cross chapter, she was awarded the Special Citation for Exceptional Volunteer Service by the American Red Cross. 

She was instrumental and most proud of her involvement in making the Greenville Higher Education Center a reality and bringing university level classes to Greenville.

 Betty Lynn served on the King’s Daughters & Sons Circle, the Advisory Board for the Greenville Public Schools, the Advisory Board of the Greenville Police Department, served on the board of the Mississippi Folk life Festival, Washington County Delta State Alumni Chapter, United Way of Washington County, Junior Greenville Garden Club, Washington County Anti-Drug Task Force, Delta Center Stage and the Boys and Girls Club. 

In 2015 the Elks Lodge of Greenville recognized her with the Elks Distinguished Citizenship Award. In 2012, Betty Lynn was honored as the Woman of the Year in the Delta Democrat Times Best of the Best Readers’ Choice Award and was also honored as Delta State’s Alumnus of the Year. 

 Over the years Betty Lynn has been recognized for her many volunteer endeavors in the community. In 1995, the United way of Washington County bestowed the Peter J. Watzek volunteer award on her. In 1999 she was named as the Greenville Rotary Club Volunteer of the Year and in 2001 she was awarded the Jake Stein Award by the Delta Democrat Times.

 Betty Lynn even went to Washington, D.C. to lobby for awareness of arthritis, a cause that was dear to her heart as she suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since she was 30 years old. 

She had been a member of First Presbyterian Church in Greenville for many years. She was an elder and a member of the chancel choir, taught Sunday school and was a youth advisor. In 2000 she became the executive director of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, a job she was born to do. She had previously served as a volunteer on the chamber’s board of directors, governmental affairs committee, community harmony, and public relations committees. She later became director of Main Street Greenville, a position she held until her retirement in 2016. While in that position she, along with two dear friends thought it would be a good idea to start a festival. They founded the wildly popular Delta Hot Tamale Festival in 2012. The three ladies became known as the Hot Ta’Mama’s. While working at Main Street and until this year, Betty Lynn was the director of the Education Foundation of Greenville that awards scholarships to local high school seniors. 

 Betty Lynn later became a tour guide with the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau working with the various cruise lines that docked in Greenville. She especially enjoyed being a guide to the B.B. King Museum in Indianola. 

Betty Lynn was preceded in death by her parents, her baby brother, Ray Webber, and step-daughter Mary Margaret Cameron. Left to cherish her memory and remember the fun and joy she shared is her daughter Hayley Holmes Sayle (Peter) of Germantown, TN, three precious granddaughters to whom she was Gram – Virginia McGee Sayle, Mary Ellis Sayle and Lillian Webber Sayle, all of Germantown, TN. She is also survived by her brothers Rell Webber (Sharon), John Webber (Donna) and Doug Webber (Leslie); and step-daughter Anna Cameron Oliver. And she leaves many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who will cherish her memory and continue to laugh at a Betty Lynn story. 

The family would like to give a special heartfelt thanks to dear friends, Al and Mitzi Brock, Becky Watts, Donald “Duck” Darnell, Valerie Rankin, Anne Martin Vetrano, Allen and Sherry Spragins, Bob and Lynn Robinson and cousins Nancy Bradley, Sarah Parks, and Sylvia Williams. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting a donation be made to a scholarship in Betty Lynn’s honor. Donations should be payable to the Betty Lynn Cameron Scholarship Fund and mailed to the Education Foundation of Greenville Inc, 1604 South Main Street, Greenville, MS 38701.

 Betty Lynn would say too much has been written about her and too much fuss has been made over her. She deserved this and more. In her memory, eat a piece of Hersey’s chocolate and spread some joy.