Story by Beth Allen Cuthbert.
Betty Allen sometimes describes herself as a “Connecticut Yankee.” She was the last child born in the 18th century house in Guilford, CT, where her father’s family lived for over 250 years.
Betty’s mother, Claudia, who grew up in Arlington, Virginia, certainly didn’t think of herself as a Yankee – she yearned for her Virginia home. When Betty’s Virginia grandfather died and her father was invited to join his late father-in-law’s real estate and insurance business, Claudia claimed she never said anything to her husband to encourage the move. She simply closed herself in a closet and prayed. Betty, however, always doubted this story because Claudia never kept a thought to herself! In any event, the family moved to Virginia, and Betty was soon joined by a little brother, Billy.
A good student, Betty graduated as valedictorian in the first graduating class at Arlington’s Washington and Lee High School. She was 16 years old when she left for Duke University at the end of that summer.
Betty met George when he traveled to Arlington to visit his uncle who was married to Betty’s great aunt. They had a date on a Sunday night, and George wanted to take Betty to the movies. Betty’s mother was a strict Southern Baptist. She loved movies, but not on Sundays. On this particular evening, however, she made an exception to her rule: Betty and George could go to the movies. Instead, the couple changed plans and went dancing at the Shoreham, which was much worse. Betty never told her mother what happened.
A year later, after Betty had graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Duke, she and George married, George having sold his car to pay for Betty’s engagement ring. They settled in a small apartment on West Grace Street, in Richmond, where Betty kept house and George practiced law with his father in the Mutual Building.
Housekeeping was new to Betty. Until her marriage, she had never made a bed or helped with the cooking because she could never meet her mother’s high standards. But as a new bride, she was a quick learner. Soon, she and George were inviting other newly-wed couples to dinner in their home. They took dancing lessons at the Country Club of Virginia and enjoyed evenings out playing bridge at friends’ houses. George and Betty spent a wonderful 52 years together raising four children, Beth, Margaret, Ted, and Meredith.
George served in the state legislature for 27 years. With this job came special opportunities. Betty’s favorite was meeting Queen Elizabeth when she visited the United States in 1957 to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. Betty still has the kid gloves she wore to shake hands with the queen.
Service to community is important to Betty. A member of First Baptist, she was honored to be one of its first women deacons and to hold leadership positions in Woman’s Missionary Union. She served on the board of The Virginia Home for 40 years. Until 2015, she sent Christmas cards to every resident. An art history major, Betty led docent tours at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and also served on its Council and Board of Trustees.
After George’s death in 1990, Betty carried on with her busy life and spent time enjoying the company of her seven grandchildren. In 2002, she moved to Cedarfield Retirement Community and continues to entertain friends with her upbeat outlook and great sense of humor.
Read related story: “A Few Good Women”
Beth Allen Cuthbert, Betty Allen’s daughter, grew up at First Baptist and was involved in GAs and youth activities. She was a lawyer for 30 years, most of that time in Petersburg, where she now lives. She has two grown children, who live in the Richmond area. Beth is retired and takes classes and teaches at The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
In June 2016, a group of FBC’s youths, college students, and adult leaders embarked on a mission to change the lives of the homeless community in Nashville, TN. We were invited by Open Table Nashville to use our limited, but ambitious, carpentry skills and our hunger to help build three “tiny homes.” Once completed, these homes would become part of a larger housing neighborhood for homeless people.
In the 2015-16 winter, 80 homeless people died in Nashville. They were not ill; they were not killed or harmed by others. They simply did not have access to shelter when the temperatures dropped and were forced to sleep outside. These 80 people did not wake up.
As with every mission trip, there was an aspect greater than the physical results. We did so much more than show up, help out for a week, and leave feeling good about our work. We were given the opportunity to work alongside the homeless, eat meals with them, and visit their shelters. Seeing so many in need and having the ability to do so little to help was a humbling and powerful experience. It was no longer the homeless community that needed our help. It was David and Helen and Steve, our friends, who were suffering. We saw their lives as more than a statistic and more than a stigma. This trip was special because it left us feeling broken for the people we met, and confident that God had used our group, and would continue to use other groups like us, to minister to, worship with, and love the homeless of Nashville.
Back in RVA, we continue our ministry to the homeless. Steve Blanchard connected us, physically and spiritually, with our local homeless community. Using our new skills and thirst for this ministry, the FBC youths are leading ministry meetings with the homeless on Wednesday nights at the West Marshall Building in Scott’s Addition. We are building relationships with them through discussions, Bible study, worship, and games. With God’s direction, our youths’ ambitions, and FBC’s support, lives are being changed, and a tiny bit of Heaven has come to Nashville and Richmond.
First Things First 