The amazing Bettie Hensley Lowther

Paula and I had a marvelous visit in Pompano Beach, Florida with Bettie Hensley Lowther, Class of 1948, at her John Knox Village retirement complex.

Bettie is a former MHS majorette and has been a widow since 1974. But she’s as energetic as she was at Monongah High, at 83.

Bettie remembers when, as a MHS freshman, she and Jackie Godby were the youngest members of the first Monongah High group of majorettes. “We didn’t have the white boots yet,” Bettie said, “so we just wore white shoes.”

As for the uniforms, “There was a lady who hand-made them for all of us.”

Later, the white boots came along. And the manufactured uniforms. And the testosterone-raising levels for the boys.

Otis “Sarge” Shaver, Class of 1948, can attest to that. Wrote Sarge: “John, I remember the majorettes very well. I played sax four  years & marched behind those pretty girls with great (makeup painted) legs & white short boots. Cloris Jones Laswell was one also.  those were the Great Days…”

Indeed, Sarge.

Sarge’s brother, Jim Shaver, Class of 1954, went to Peru to get his Pretty Lady, a native of that country.

Bettie knew Monongah High principal Paul G. Michael from her Fairview days so she was the
“go-to” girl for anyone who wanted Mr. Michael to approve anything. “I had a loud voice, too,” Bettie said. “So loud, in fact, that Coach Ross had me call in the plays to the football team because they could hear my voice over the crowd.”

Ramona Fullen Michalski, Class of 1949, Frank Michalski’s widow who lives in Monongah, remembers dancing to music from a Victrola in the Hensley home outside Worthington on U.S. 19, just past the Four States Road, with Bettie, Elaine Hewitt Monell and Madonna Haggerty Snider.

The Hensley home was crowded. Bettie was the youngest of 11 children.

Barbara Fleming Marsh, Class of 1947, who lives in Thousand Oaks, California, was a sophomore majorette when Bettie and Jackie began flashing their legs. June Paxton Rogers, Class of 1948, also was a majorette alongside Bettie.

Bettie was part of MHS’ “Three Musketeers” with Marylee Hertzog Gwinn, Class of 1948, who lives in Rockville, Maryland and Suzanne Barr Loss, Class of 1948, who lives in Mill Fall and is the widow of Arnold “J.B.” Loss.

Suzi and sister Jeannette Barr Baczuk, Class of 1940, who lives in Ashland, Ohio, were daughters of the famous Dr. Barr of Worthington, who delivered so many children that they call themselves collectively “the Barr babies.”

If you want to re-connect with Bettie, her phone number is (954) 941-2294 and her address is

Bettie Hensley Lowther

671 Lakeside Circle

John Knox Village 

Pompano Beach, FL 33060

I printed up the shoutouts to Bettie my her former classmates and gave it to her for a keepsake when Paula and I visited her in her John Knox Village high-rise. If you have memories of Bettie, email me at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com and I’ll relay them in another Monongah High Alumni newsletter.

She still is an amazing lady.