Mrs. Betty Davis Kilgore

Betty Kilgore, 90, passed away on Tuesday, November 03, 2020 at Highland Homes in Jackson, MS. A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 05, 2020 at Bolton Cemetery. Betty Kilgore leaves a legacy of strength, determination and love to her entire family. With over 70 plus years in the wholesale gift business, Betty left her mark on the industry, having helped many small business owners flourish in the gift business. Kilgore Sales was a life-line to many mom and pops stores across the entire state of Mississippi. Betty was young and beautiful when the city lights of New York called her name to be a buyer for Kenningtons out of Jackson. I remember Betty telling her City stories of buying trips for the department stores. Her many nights at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, dancing to the big band music in the gorgeous ballroom. Betty has always been a woman ahead of her time in fashion and business sense. She was born, May 14, 1930 and lived her entire life in Bolton Mississippi. Betty met the love of her life, Ben Edwin Kilgore, Sr. of Etta, Mississippi and after a whirlwind romance was married within a few months. To say she was swept off her feet would not be an exaggeration. Together Ben and Betty Kilgore were unstoppable giants in the gift industry. Blessed and survived by her two children, Kim Kilgore of Bolton, MS and Ben Edwin Kilgore, Jr. (Sarah) of Franklin, TN; four grandchildren, Julianna Kilgore of Spring Hill, TN, Cole Kilgore (Jennifer) of Thompson’s Station, TN and their son James, Matthew Mitchell of Bolton, MS, and Luke Mitchell of Bolton, MS; numerous nieces and nephews; and her beloved sister-in-law, Theresa Kilgore of Brandon, MS. Betty is preceded in death by her husband, Ben E. Kilgore, Sr.; her parents, Horace & Susie Davis of Bolton, MS; and her siblings, Horace Davis Jr., Fleeta Milano, Veta Mae Purvis, Nona Ree Brantley. Memorials may be sent to Memorial United Methodist Church, P O Box 87,Bolton, MS 39041; Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, TN; or a Children’s charity of your choice.