Thursday, April 18, 2019 7:33 am

Betty E. Shires, age 86, of Forest City, passed away on Sunday, April 7, 2019.

Betty was born October 6, 1932 in Cleveland County, to the late Carl Edwards and Effie Horne Edwards. She was a graduate of Hollis High School, class of 1950 and attended Gardner-Webb University and received an Associates degree from Howard Business College. Betty worked as an assistant librarian for East Rutherford High School for twenty-years and was a longtime member of Tanner's Grove United Methodist Church. She enjoyed oil painting, working on crossword puzzles and loved taking trips to the beach.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Bobby Wayne Wright and her second husband, Horace Shires and by one brother, George Edwards.

Those left to cherish her memory include daughter, Joan Conner of Gaffney, SC; son, Ted Wright (Renee) of Hopewell, NC; six granddaughters, two grandsons; twenty-five great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren and a cousin, of Washington State.

A funeral service was conducted at Tanner's Grove United Methodist Church. Interment followed in the Hopewell Methodist Cemetery.

Harrelson Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the family.