of Harrison, AR
December 20, 1940 - February 20, 2026
Betty Francine Kirby 85, of Harrison, Arkansas passed away Friday, February 20th, 2026 at her home. Betty was born December 20th, 1940 on Big Creek in Newton County, Arkansas to Bert and Xenia (Bolin) Criner.
When we think about granny's, the first thing that comes to mind isn't just what she did, it's how she made people feel.
Betty loved her grandkids and great-grandkids more than anything in this world. Nothing brought a bigger smile to her face than seeing them walk through her door. If you ever watched her sitting there while the kids played in the living room floor, you could see it all over her face.
She was a hard-working woman. For 50 years she worked as a waitress at places like the Ramada, McClintock's, and Western Sizzlin'. She served everyone from everyday families to Rotary and Kiwanis organizations. She believed being a good waitress wasn't complicated. In her words, you just had to keep their drinks full and never talk politics or religion. Honestly, that might still be some of the best life advice any of us will ever hear.
She always took care of people. She knew when someone needed something before they even asked. She made people feel welcome and comfortable. Whether you sat at one of her tables or were in her kitchen, you were going to be taken care of. And nobody ever left her house hungry.
She loved to cook, and she loved to feed people. Family, friends, or someone who just happened to stop by, it didn't matter. There was always food, or just give her a minute and she'd whip something up. And if you thought you were leaving without leftovers, you clearly didn't know her very well. She'd have you something wrapped up before you even thought about leaving.
Granny also loved to talk. She genuinely enjoyed people and their stories. Back before they had call waiting hooked up, trying to get through to her on the phone could feel like trying to reach the White House.
She also had a sharp wit. It was quick, clever, and sometimes just a little dangerous. She could deliver a subtle comment that would have the whole room laughing… sometimes a few seconds later when you realized exactly what she had said. Those little cuts were never cruel though. They were part of her humor, part of her charm, and part of what made being around her so memorable.
And if we're being honest, she was probably most comfortable when she had something to worry about. If everything seemed to be going perfectly, she just knew something had to be wrong somewhere. That worry didn't come from negativity, it came from love. She worried because she cared deeply about her family and wanted everyone safe, happy, and taken care of.
Her life was built around service, serving customers, serving family, serving friends, and serving anyone who crossed her path.
She showed us that love doesn't always come in big speeches or grand gestures. Sometimes love looks like a hot plate of food wrapped in foil. Sometimes it sounds like laughter from an unexpected comment. Sometimes it's a phone call that lasts a little longer than planned. And sometimes it's simply someone making sure your glass is never empty. We will miss her humor. We will miss her cooking. We will miss her voice on the phone. And we will miss that her front door was always unlocked and open to anyone. But the things she gave us such as kindness, resilience, humor, hard work, and the importance of taking care of one another, those things don't leave with her. They live on in every one of us.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Beverly Franklin Kirby II, her daughter Rena ''Puddin'' Morris, her sisters Gwen Fiveash, and Maxine Hicks, brother Billy Joe Criner, and an infant brother.
She is survived by her sons Aaron (Ligia) Brunson of Surprise, Arizona, Darro Brunson of Frisco, Texas, and Franklin Beverly Kirby III of Harrison, Arkansas. Her brothers Eddie (Carylon) Criner of Western Grove, Arkansas, Aubrey (Lynn) Criner of Vendor, Arkansas, Danny (Diane) Criner of Western Grove, Arkansas, sisters Kathrine Slater of Raytown Missouri, Peggy Kastner of Independence, Missouri. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and a extremely large group of nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Tuesday, February 24th, 2026 at 1 p.m. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. at Roller-Christeson's Funeral Home with Bro. Rex Griffith officiating.
Interment will follow at Maplewood Cemetery in Harrison, Arkansas.
Pallbearers are A.J. Brunson, Rodney Smith, Tommy Criner, Joey Criner, Darren Criner, and Jamey Criner.
Honorary Pallbearers are her grandkids and great-grandkids.
The family would like to thank the nurses and staff with Arkansas Hospice. Also give a special thank you to Debbi Hill and Sylvia Farmer for all the wonderful care they provided.