Betty Louise Budge, “B” was born on December 18, 1935 in Hominy, Oklahoma to Samuel Sylvester Budge, 48, and Bessye Kennedy Budge, 27. She was the fourth child born to S.S. Budge who lost his first wife in an automobile accident. His previous children were Thelma McKnight, Dr. O. Cope Budge and Neal Budge. Betty was the firstborn child to Bessye and was followed by her three sisters, Sylvia Pesl, Dixie Auringer and Verlie Benline. After her birth, the Budge family left Oklahoma and settled in South Texas. In her senior year of High School, as President of the South Texas District of the Future Homemakers of America, Betty led 5,000 young women.
At 16 Betty began to feel a call to be a missionary in Africa. After being told by the Assemblies of God Missions board that she wasn’t strong enough to become a missionary to Africa, Betty married Arthur R. Price in July of 1954.Betty and her husband Arthur had two children, Cheryl Louise Freese –“Cheer” (1955) and Arthur Budge Price-“Bubba/Arty” (1957).The Price Family were faithful members of the Alvin Assemblies of God Church. Betty played the piano and Arthur led the music and they served as Youth Directors. Their home was the meeting place for the youth group activities.
In 1960 Betty and Art began to feel there was a change coming.Shortly thereafter they received an invitation from Betty’s brother, Vanguard’s fifth president, O. Cope Budge, to come work at Southern California College, now Vanguard University, for 10 months during the accreditation process. Betty served as Student Accounts Supervisor and Art as Maintenance Service Manager.
On June 16, 1966 the Price Family moved onto the S.C.C. campus so Art could better troubleshoot issues day or night. The Price house became the second S.C.C. student union. Betty, Art and their children were back in their element and quickly became “family” for many students. In the summer months when the cafeteria was closed, Betty and Art started the Friday Family Night for the students who remained.“Bring Your Own Meat” was the only requirement. Art would barbeque and Betty would make the side dishes.It was a precious life full of fun and Rook games and singing around the piano.
Soon Betty and Art had 5 grandchildren, Douglas Price Ridlon, Adelle Danson, Richard Price, Mark Ridlon and Jessie Price. They changed their titles to Pop Art and Granny B. Then the 10 great-grandchildren came: Zoe Ridlon, Logan Ridlon, Arthur Xavier Ridlon (Xavy), Arthur Price (Arty), Leslie Ridlon, David Price, Abigail Price, Abigail Danson, Annabelle Price (Annie) and Fletcher Danson.
Art and Betty’s 10-month employment at Vanguard turned into 37 ½ years. Their memory is honored in the Price Room near the exit of the Vanguard Cafeteria. The couple founded the “Art and Betty Price Endowment Fund” to help worthy students. The Prices retired in 1998 and moved to their mountain Home, “The Price Cabin”, in Crestline, California, where they continued to host Vanguard students, alumni, pastors, churches, family and friends. Betty and Art’s dedication to Christ never wavered even through the loss of their son, Arty in 2001 and their Grandson, Mark In 2011.
In 2006 they moved back home to College Station, Texas where they were Pop Art and Granny B to many of the Texas Aggies, but God’s calling to Africa was still pending. In 2011 Betty began experiencing some dementia, which caused her to need supervised care. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, B and Art left America to live permanently with their daughter Cheryl and her husband, Michael Freese, in Kenya, Africa. Art and B became honorary missionaries with Jesus Frees Ministries (www.jesusfrees.org) founded in 2006. JFM has currently established 12 JFM churches and a school in Kenya. Betty’s desire to minister to people in Africa was finally fulfilled and she touched many lives. She even has two namesakes in Kenya because her kind and loving character never changed. B’s legacy lives on.
In 2014, Betty fell and fractured her hip and the dementia began to worsen. After her 83rd birthday in December 2018, she developed aspiration pneumonia and went to meet her Lord on December 31st, 2018.
Betty is survived by her husband, Arthur Price, her daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Michael Freese, daughter-in-law, Tamara Price, her grandchildren, Douglas Price Ridlon, Adelle Danson, Richard Price and Jessie Price, her great-grandchildren, Zoe Ridlon, Logan Ridlon, Arthur Ridlon, Arthur Price, Leslie Ridlon, David Price, Abigail Price, Abigail Danson, Annabelle Price, and Fletcher Danson.
