Betty J. McKibben

Obituary

Betty Joyce Norman/Miller Branch McKibben was born to Thelma Norman and Robert L. Miller on July 5, 1941 at the General Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Betty was baptized as a pre-teen at the Zion Baptist Church in the west end, where she spent her early life.

After her mother’s marriage to Lamar Chester, she was relocated to Walnut Hills ‘til adulthood. She married Arthur L. Branch and gave birth to four children: Anthony (Mary) Branch, Gayle Perkins (fiancé-Tyrone Hyde), Sharlene (Larry) Stallworth and Christopher (Erica) Branch.

Betty’s church attendance became sporadic, then non existent for about 25 years. However, her Christianity and beliefs were still apparent to others, in her speech and actions, though not always to herself.

In January 1999, she joined Miami Baptist Church, where she asked to be baptized. Again, stating she knew now what it actually meant.

Betty, a divorcee, remarried in 1992 to Joseph McKibben, to whom she was devoted until he passed on, in April 2013.

She was preceded in homegoing by her parents; two brothers, Stevie L. Chester and Master Staff Sgt. Eddie L. (Sonia) Norman; one step-sister, Ora B. Rhodes; one stepbrother, David Chester; one half brother, Robert L. Miller, Jr.; one half sister, Gloria Chaney; one great-grandson, Na’Shawn Kitchen; and herfriend, DeloresJones.

She leaves to celebrate her life, in addition to her four children, one brother, Gleeman Chester; 23 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; cousins, nieces, nephews and acquaintances; her best, as she used to say, friend on earth, Otta Lanier and equally loved friends, Ruthann Jones and Yvonne Lathan. She also leaves a host of other relatives and friends.