Elizabeth Miller Fabianke

Elizabeth “Bettye” Helen Thornton Miller Fabianke, 79, of Mart, Texas passed away on Wednesday November 20, 2019 in Waco, Texas. Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 23, at Pecan Grove Funeral Home, 3124 Robinson Drive, Waco, with Pastor David Cozart officiating. Burial will follow at Mart Cemetery, in Mart, TX. The family will receive visitors from 6 – 8:00 p.m., Friday, November 22, at the funeral home.
Bettye was born July 24, 1940 to Isaac Harry Thornton and Jessie Beatrice Delo in Tehuacana, Texas. She attended grade school in Tehuacana and graduated from Mexia High School in 1958 where she enjoyed playing volleyball; she was a member of the Methodist church in Tehuacana, TX. Bettye married James Kenneth Miller of Sheridan, Arkansas in 1960; they had one son, Stanley Mark Miller. She worked as a seamstress at Dallas Sportswear until she and Kenneth moved to Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He passed away in 1976 and she and Stanley returned to Tehuacana to be closer to her family. Bettye worked as a beautician in Mexia, TX, where she met Harvey Fabianke. They were married in 1980. They enjoyed 27 years of marriage until his death in 2007. Bettye retired from M & M Mars after 22 years of service. She loved the outdoors, camping and fishing, with her beloved “Big Boy” Harvey, and they took numerous trips to Colorado. She enjoyed time with family and friends at reunions at the lake, along with gardening and canning, especially her pickles and picante to share with her family. She loved her dachshunds and pets each and every day of her life. She was an avid Texas Rangers fan, and hardly ever missed a game.
Bettye was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Jessie; her first husband, James Kenneth Miller and her second husband, Harvey Edwin Fabianke; brothers, Joe Davis Thornton, Paul Keith Thornton; and her sister, Nelle Yvonne Thornton Werner Gallagher; son-in-law, Roger Martin; great-granddaughter, Leah Grace Gutierres; and numerous brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
She is survived by her son, Stanley Mark Miller, of Valley Mills, TX; daughters, Donna Eilene Adler and husband Mickey, of Axtell, TX, Patricia Dawn Martin of Whitney, TX; brother, William Harry Thornton, of Seguin, TX; 11 grandchildren, Alex, Amanda, Jessica, Casey, Melonie, Kelle, Amber, Shelly, Tommy, Lucy and Janette; 17 great-grandchildren, Kate, Clara, Parker, Jaxon, James, Tabitha, Leslee, Taylor, Hayden, Kamryn, Ethan, Brynleigh, Bayleigh, Whitlee, Grayor, Jordan and Cash; two great-great-grandchildren, Jaylee and Jase; sister-in-law, Wanda Pritchard Thornton, of Tehuacana, TX, brothers-in-law, Harding Fabianke, Ervin Fabianke, J.D. Robinson, Billy Ray Miller, Donald Gene Miller; and sisters-in-law, Esther Fabianke, and Bobbie June Veazey, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Randy Werner, Ronny Werner, David Barker, Alex Miller, Terry Vogel and Eddie Linn.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105, or www.stjude.org

Bettye was described by everyone as the sweetest person they had ever met.
We love and miss you very much!