January 29, 2025, 89, Kenly —

Betty Jean Rose Hinnant was born on September 8, 1935 during the time of the Great Depression in the United States. Her birth parents had several other children and the family was struggling. Betty was malnourished and very underdeveloped. The story goes that she was eating lead paint off the walls. At the age of about 15 months, Carrie and Clifford Cuddington offered to take Betty Jean to live with them, and her birth parents agreed. At the time, she was not able to walk or talk and was very sick. Ma Carrie nourished her to health and loved her as her own. Carrie & Clifford had one living child at the time, a son, Aubrey, who was 11 years old. They had six children who died in infancy, so they felt blessed to have Betty Jean become their foster daughter. She was not adopted but was totally welcomed to the Cuddington Family. Over the years, Betty Jean had access to her birth family and could see them whenever she wanted to.

Betty Jean went to school in Princeton and worked on the farm with her foster family. After Clifford died, she & Ma Carrie took care of each other. Carrie was very protective of Betty wanting to keep her close and did not agree for Betty to get a job until she was in her 30’s. Betty worked at Horne’s Restaurant in Kenly where she met John Hinnant. They were married and lived with Ma Carrie until her death. John & Betty Jean continued to live on the farm until John passed away.

A while after John’s death, Betty Jean moved to Wilson where she lived with her cousin and good friend, Thomas Earl Cuddington, for several years. She decided she wanted to be called Betty and not Betty Jean. Betty worked as an aid at nursing homes before getting a job at Spring Arbor Assisted Living where she worked until her retirement. When Betty needed assistance with daily living, Thomas Earl arranged for her to become a resident at Spring Arbor and she continued to live there for 17 years. When she needed more care than Spring Arbor could provide, she was moved to Wilson Pines Nursing Home on August 31, 2023; she lived there until her journey on earth was completed on January 29, 2025.

Betty was a small lady with a big personality. She was known by her Cuddington family for being fisty with the ability to get upset with you in a instant. Her nephew, Richard, especially enjoyed telling her how old she was and listening to her argue that she was not that old. Her niece Brenda and Richard’s wife Louise learned to agree with whatever she said to avoid getting scolded. The family is grateful that in her final 17 months at Wilson Pines, her personality mellowed. She never complained but always had a smile to share with the staff and anyone who visited.

Betty was an active member of Rains Cross Roads OFWB Church until she moved to Wilson and began attending Owens Chapel FWB Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband John Hinnant, her foster parents Carrie and Clifford Cuddington, foster brother Aubrey Cuddington, and her cousin and dear friend Thomas Earl Cuddington. She is survived by her nephew Richard Cuddington and wife Louise, and her niece Brenda Brown and husband Steve.

The family extends thanks to Spring Arbor, Wilson Pines, and Hospice of Wilson for taking care of Betty.

A service to celebrate Betty’s life will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 2 p.m. at Rains Crossroads Free Will Baptist Church Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Kenly Funeral Service.

To leave an online condolence, please visit www.kenlyfs.com.