Betty Jean Clayton of Warrior, Ala. passed away on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at the age of 79.

Betty Jean attended Warrior School. She was a great listener and someone you could trust always. She could be sassy to say the least. She loved Thanksgiving and Christmas. Betty Jean would stay up all night cooking for her family and enjoyed every minute of it. She cooked the best ham and made the best punch bowl cake ever. These were the best family times, a lot of special memories were made. Betty Jean loved working in her yard and going to the beach. She loved watching Billy Graham and reading his books, and she also loved watching the Hallmark Channel, especially at Christmastime. Betty was a huge Elvis fan and loved Princess Diana. Most of all she loved her family. 

Betty Jean was preceded in death by her parents, David Henry Simmons and Clorey Morton Simmons; husband, William M. "Sonny" Clayton; grandson, Jeffrey Crawford; great-grandson, Triston D. Cox; and siblings, David Simmons, Jr., Wanda Tucker and Dorothy Tucker.

She is survived by her children, Kathy Hogland, Keith Clayton, Terri Mitchell (Michael); grandchildren, Kassie Higginbotham-Clifford, Amanda Tucker (Matt), Tiffany Cox (Jonathan), Austin Hogland, Cody Shoffner and Samantha Ann Lovell; 13 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren; and siblings, Terry Simmons (Karen), Jerry Simmons (Vickie), Sue Parson, Carolyn Williams and Rosela Sloan.

The visitation and funeral service for Betty Jean will be held in the chapel of Messmer Goodwin Funeral Home on Thursday, August 20, 2026. After their private viewing time, the family will begin receiving guests in the chapel at 1:00 p.m. The funeral service will begin at 2:00 p.m. Immediately following the funeral service, we will travel in an informal procession to Union Missionary Cemetery in Warrior, where everyone will reconvene graveside for a brief committal service prior to interment.