Bettie Lou Hickman, 86, Rogersville, passed away Tuesday, July 2, 2019 in Mercy Hospital, Springfield, following a sudden illness. Bettie Lou Byrd was born on March 18, 1933 in Mountain Home, Arkansas. She attended Mountain Home High School and graduated in 1950. She moved to Springfield, Missouri to attend Missouri State Teacher's College (now MSU). She worked as a car hop at Taylor's Drive-In on Trafficway where she met the love of her life and husband for 36 years, Lloyd Hickman of Willard. They married December 21, 1951. Their son Darrell was born in Vallejo, California where Lloyd was stationed in the Marine Corps. Lloyd went to Korea, and Bettie moved to Wichita to work at Boeing. After Lloyd left the service, they moved to Cave Springs, Missouri and had a daughter, Christine. They moved to Springfield and then to Rogersville in 1964, and had a daughter, Debra. Lloyd passed away in 1987 and Bettie lived her remaining years in Rogersville. Bettie was interested in genealogy. She traced the Byrd and Hickman families back to Europe and the Cherokee Nation. She was an avid scholar of Ozark local history. She volunteered for years at the local history department. Once she retired from the library, she went back as a volunteer. She also volunteered for five years at Mercy Hospital. Bettie was a member of the VFW Post 3404 Auxiliary and the Rogersville Eastern Star. Her interest included watching Lady Bear's games on TV, crocheting and doing crossword puzzles. She was very active in the community in volunteer work until a series of falls in 2018 left her homebound. She is survived by a son, Darrell Hickman and his wife Carolyn of Springfield; two daughters, Christine Porter and her husband Steve of Rogersville, and Debra Shelton and her husband Chris of Springfield; her bonus children, Kim and Ron Stayce of Springfield; six grandchildren, Ty Porter and wife Amy of Cabool, Chad Porter and wife Kayla of Rogersville, Justin Hickman and wife Jill of St. Charles, Traci Woodiel and husband Rick of Springfield, Tina Hickman, and Katie Hickman both of Springfield, several great-grandchildren, a sister, Emogene Martin and husband Bob of Mountain Home, Arkansas, a brother, Ben Byrd and wife Clem of Springfield, several nieces, nephews and many friends. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, David and Lucy Byrd and Benjamin and Florence Lamb, and her parents, Freddie and Marie Byrd, all of Mountain Home, and a sister, Martha Lee Byrd. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, Monday, July 8, 2019 at J.D. Lee and Sons Funeral Home, Rogersville. Burial will follow at Clear Creek Cemetery, Willard. Visitation will be held from 3 4:00 pm, Sunday, July 7, 2019 in the funeral home.