Betty Ann (Huff) Sims

Betty Ann Huff Sims was the daughter of Burney Gertrude Saxon Huff (an RN nurse) and Harry Hampton Huff (the Clarke County Surveyor and Justice of the Peace).

Born at home in Bogart, Clarke County, Georgia, on Sunday, December 28, 1930, she was the first child of Burney and Harry Huff.  Harry was a widower with 5 children: Thomas, James, Charles, Joyce, and Edwin.  He married Burney and they had 5 more children: Betty Ann, Loraine, Zue, Annette, and Herschel.

All 4 of Betty Ann’s half-brothers served in WWII. She was born in the Depression, but never knew hunger or thought herself poor.  They always had a farm with pigs, cows, and a horse. Burney and her daughters all sewed on a pedal sewing machine and used pretty feed sacks to make their beautiful dresses.  Betty Ann made her sister’s wedding dress.  Burney was called the community nurse and took care of all the neighbors (black or white), including birthing babies!  Nursing seems to run in the family.

Betty Ann got married at 17 and had her first baby at 18.  She had never worked outside the home.  She now had 8 children.  The mid-1960’s were very hard.  With no income into the home and no recognized work skills, Betty Ann started going to LPN nursing school at Athens General Hospital.  She went to school 8 hours and worked 8 hours in the evening to feed her children.  After finishing LPN school, she worked in the newborn nursery and labor and delivery at the hospital.  She then got a position in the operating room where she met Dr. Leon Hubrich.  She went to work for Dr. Hubrich as his surgical assistant and worked at Hawthorne Orthopedics until she retired at age 65.

After retiring, Betty Ann did on-call operating room assistance work for Dr. Abney and Dr. Muse until she was 75 years old.

She had cardiopulmonary disease.  Atrial Fibrillation took a toll on her tender heart and she passed away in the early morning of Thursday, February 25, 2021 at the age of 90.

Preceding her in death were her parents Burney and Harry Huff; sons: Edward Sims (Ed) and Richard Lee Sims; half-siblings: Thomas, James, Charles, Joyce and Edwin; sisters; Loraine Huff and Zue Huff Nash.

Betty Ann Huff Sims is survived by 6 of her 8 children who tenderly and carefully cared for her. Al Sims (Kim) of Hull, GA; Barbara Sims Bradford (Keith Brad) of Athens, GA: Nate Sims of Athens, GA; Anita Sims Parsons (Ken) of Evans, GA; Thomas Sims of Athens, GA and Lynn Rives of Conyers, GA. A sister: Annette Parham of Newnan, GA and a brother: Herschel Huff of Bogart, GA.

Betty Ann adored her multiple grandchildren along with great-grandchildren (with another on the way).  One of her granddaughters is in RN and another granddaughter is going to college to be a nurse.

Betty Ann Huff Sims was sweet, gentle, witty, generous, caring, and loving person.  She was an Angel on Earth and now she has wings.

Graveside services will be held Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 2PM at Huff Cemetery.  The family requests that masks are worn.

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, WEST, is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com