Mother Betty O. Sykes was born February 14, 1944 to Gable and Jenny Lou Miller in Helena, AR. There, she performed her high school education at Miller High School where she graduated in 1962. She then continued her education at Arkansas AM & N in Pine Bluff, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business and for 30 years, she assisted numerous individuals with obtaining their adult education and GED degrees. During her college years, Betty met the love of her life, O.T. Sykes, and they married on August 9, 1967 and to this union were born four children. Under the mentorship of her mother-in-law, Mother Arclanthia Sykes, Mother Betty gave her life to the Lord and became a faithful member of the Lighthouse Church of the Apostolic Faith under the leadership of the late Bishop John W. Vann. She continued and sustained her membership with the Lighthouse churches as a loyal member of the True Holiness Lighthouse Church founded by the late Bishop Willie Frazier and under the current leadership of Bishop Neroy Evans. Mother Betty served in several roles during her years as a faithful Sunday school teacher, choir member, and as the Overseer of Hospitality for the South Central Diocese. Mother Betty found unspeakable joy in serving her church, her family, and selflessly attending to the sick and shut in with extreme care and discretion. She always put others before herself and meticulously provided nurturing care to her loving husband. Along with her husband, they built a wonderful warm and loving home that was welcoming to all of her nieces and nephews, especially in their times of need. At the loss of two of her sisters, Donna Rita Maxwell and Tannie Dean Onwuzuruigbo, she reared her late sisters’ children; Raphael Onwu, Akoma Onwu, Ayinna Onwu, Claudia Maxwell, Trisha Rita Maxwell and a host of other nieces and nephews. On Tuesday December 29, 2020 at 10:03AM, Mother Betty was called from labor to eternal rest. She leaves to cherish many wonderful memories with a loving husband of fifty-three years, Dr. O.T. Sykes; two sons and two daughters, Orson (Marketia) Sykes, Kenneth (Sun Jeong) Sykes, Jacquelyn (Jamal) McCall, Jennifer (Derek) Williams, and her beloved niece Trisha Rita Maxwell; one brother, Gable Lionel Miller; nine grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, in-laws, cousins, and friends. She was proceeded in death by her mother, Jenny Lou Miller, her father, Gable Miller, and her five sisters, Shirley Miller, Donna Miller, Linda Erby, Augustine Mckinney, and Tannie Dean Onwu.

A public viewing is scheduled for Friday January 08, 2021 from 4 pm until 7 pm at True Holiness Lighthouse Church 654 Chelsea Ave. Service of celebration will be Saturday January 09, 2021 at Apostolic Deliverance Temple 1369 Norris Rd. Interment will follow in Paradise Gardens.

These services can be streamed on adtlife.org, also via Facebook page Jennifer Ashley Williams, and RS Lewis Livestream.