Obituary of Betty Whitfield

Minister Betty Jean (Bundage) Whitfield was born on April 11, 1940, to Geneva Morrison Bundage and Joshua Bundage Sr. in Magnolia, TX. She was the oldest sister of four girls, and the second oldest child of eleven siblings.  
 
Betty was preceded in death by her father, Joshua and mother, Geneva Bundage as well as her brothers and sisters: Pastor Billy Nelson, Joshua Bundage, Charles Bundage, Robert Bundage, Jessica (Faye) Bundage, Willie Bundage, David Bundage and Keniol Bundage. 

 Betty attended elementary, middle, and high school in Hearne, TX. She accepted Christ at the age of 5, and while she could always sing, she was very shy and only would sing around her family and people working alongside her in the cotton field. But, in 1955 at the age of 15, there was a BTU talent show at Mt. Olive B.C. in Lamesa, TX one Saturday night, and the Minister of Music threatened to pick her up and carry her to the front of the church if she didn't sing and that is the day that the church found out she had been anointed by GOD to sing! 
 
Betty met her husband of 65 years, C.L. Whitfield, in Lamesa, TX in 1955. They were married in 1957, and to this union 3 children were born, Ricky, Pamela and Michael Whitfield.  

After relocating to Los Angeles, CA, in 1960, she worked for Pillows of California for 4 years and later furthered her education and received her GED in 1968 under the Martin Luther King Jr. Black Power Program in Watts, CA. She then attended FIAT of First Interstate Bank in Los Angeles, where she received her accounting certificate and worked for 22 years before retiring as a customer service representative in 1991 to raise her three grandchildren. 
 
 During this time, she met Evangelist Marcellis Staten of Alpha & Omega B.C., who introduced her to the Los Angeles area where she continued to sing for the Lord. At the age of 44, she acknowledged her call to the ministry under Pastor Herbert Collins at St. John M.B.C. in Los Angeles, CA, on October 7,1990.  
 
In 1995, she and Rev. Whitfield and their three grandchildren relocated to Temple, TX, so they could care for both her and her husband’s parents. There, she united with the Mount Zion M.B.C. family under the leadership of Pastor Charles Maze, where she wore many hats during her years of service including church clerk, treasury, president of Sr. choir, the young matron, mission, and pastor support, adult Sunday school teacher, pastor's secretary, director of youth choir, chairman of the program and decorating committee, as well as managing her gospel group, "5 plus 1". Betty served GOD with gladness in her work for him daily.  
 
Her favorite food was soul food and she loved cooking, singing, and caring for people.  
 
Minister and Rev. Whitfield relocated to Irmo, SC, in 2018 where she resided with her oldest son until her passing. She is survived by her husband, two sisters, three children, thirteen grandchildren, twenty-six great grandchildren, one great-great grandchild, and hosts of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to her favorite organization at: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Minister Betty Jean Whitfield's Homegoing service will be webcast for those friends who are unable to be present at her service. Please click on this link on March 29, 2023 at 12:00 PM, or for 90 days after her service to view her webcasted service. There will also be links to her charitable donation organization from the webcast page.