House Resolution 63

A RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MRS. BETTY LYNN WEBBER CAMERON.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, on February 8, 2025, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Mrs. Betty Lynn Webber Cameron, to eternal rest, rendering great sorrow and loss to her family, friends and community; and

WHEREAS, the State of Mississippi and the City of Greenville lost a dear friend, loving mother and grandmother and community treasure with the passing of Mrs. Cameron, who was the first child and only girl born to Malcolm Rell and Inez McGee Webber on January 18, 1947, in West Point, Mississippi, and there is now a hush in our hearts as we come together to pay our respects to the memory of one who has been called to join that heavenly caravan; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Cameron graduated from West Point High School and continued her education at Delta State University, and while she was part of the Fighting Okra, she didn't just study, she excelled, as in 1968 alone, she was Homecoming Queen, campus beauty, M Club Sweetheart, head cheerleader and Miss Delta State, and in 1969, she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in business; and

WHEREAS, after her graduation, Mrs. Cameron moved to Vicksburg where she began her lifelong devotion to community service, and she worked for the Army Corps of Engineers and later the United Way; and

WHEREAS, while in Vicksburg, Mrs. Cameron was active in the Jaycettes, a service organization whose members served as hostesses for the contestants of the Miss Mississippi Pageant, and she served as president and corresponding secretary of the Jaycettes, and she was also associate director of the Miss Mississippi Pageant and was active with the Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Cameron moved to Greenville in 1983, and she quickly found her place in her new home and never stopped promoting, uplifting and encouraging Greenville and the Delta, as she worked with numerous organizations throughout her time in the Port City, often serving in a leadership position; and

WHEREAS, among her many accomplishments, Mrs. Cameron was a member of Delta Cotton Wives and was named as Good Middling Lady in 2013, and she was very active in organizing and encouraging participation in Delta Legislative Day at the Mississippi State Capitol, where she not only promoted Greenville and Washington County, but the entire Delta region; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Cameron 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, and furthermore, as an active member of the Greenville Rotary Club, she served on a number of committees including board of directors and the district scholarship committee, and 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; and

WHEREAS, additionally, Mrs. Cameron 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, and 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; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Cameron was instrumental and most proud of her involvement in making the Greenville Higher Education Center a reality and bringing university level classes to Greenville; and

WHEREAS, she also served on the King's Daughters and 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 Folklife 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; and

WHEREAS, in 2012, Mrs. Cameron 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, and in 2015, the Elks Lodge of Greenville recognized Mrs. Cameron with the Elks Distinguished Citizenship Award; and

WHEREAS, blessed with a volunteer spirit and a loving heart, Mrs. Cameron has been recognized for her many volunteer endeavors in the community throughout the years, and 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; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Cameron even went to Washington, D.C. to lobby for awareness of arthritis, a cause that was dear to her heart as she had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since she was 30 years old; and

WHEREAS, as a member of First Presbyterian Church in Greenville for many years, Mrs. Cameron was an elder and a member of the chancel choir, taught Sunday School and was a youth advisor; and

WHEREAS, in 2000, Mrs. Cameron became the executive director of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, a job she was born to do, as she had previously served as a volunteer on the chamber's board of directors, governmental affairs committee, community harmony, and public relations committees; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Cameron later became director of Main Street Greenville, a position she held until her retirement in 2016, and while in that position she, along with two dear friends, thought it would be a good idea to start a festival, so they founded the wildly popular Delta Hot Tamale Festival in 2012, and the three ladies became known as the Hot Ta'Mama's; and

WHEREAS, while working at Main Street and until this year, Mrs. Cameron was the director of the Education Foundation of Greenville that awards scholarships to local high school seniors; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Cameron also later became a tour guide with the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau, working with the various cruise lines that docked in Greenville, and she especially enjoyed being a guide to the B.B. King Museum in Indianola; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Cameron was preceded in death by her parents, her baby brother, Ray Webber, and step-daughter Mary Margaret Cameron; and

WHEREAS, the memory of Mrs. Cameron, a woman held in the highest regard by friends and family as an inspiring and precious gift from God, will continue to refresh the hearts and memories of her beloved survivors: daughter, Hayley Holmes Sayle (Peter); granddaughters, Virginia McGee Sayle, Mary Ellis Sayle and Lillian Webber Sayle; brothers, Rell Webber (Sharon), John Webber (Donna) and Doug Webber (Leslie); step-daughter, Anna Cameron Oliver; and a host of other relatives and friends; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and honor the lives of fine Mississippians, especially those such Mrs. Betty Lynn Webber Cameron, a gracious woman who loved her family, friends and community unconditionally, bringing glory and honor to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commemorate the life and legacy of Mrs. Betty Lynn Webber Cameron, and express deepest sympathy to her family and friends upon her passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Mrs. Betty Lynn Webber Cameron and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.