Betty Lorene Personette came into this world, third child of a dirt farmer and his wife, W.C "Mann" and Ella Carter. She was born in a farm house on November 5, 1923 located on a tree-lined road branching off old Highway nineteen near a four way stop and a general store called 7-Shooter. It lay about halfway between Pauls Valley and Stratford. After Betty came, her parents added six more siblings.

After graduating from Pauls Valley Highschool, Betty married a military man - Bill Personette, had three children while living at various Air Force bases including one in Japan. When they left the Air Force they came back to Oklahoma to live. Betty lost her children’s father in 1975. She let go of all her children’s hands one finger at a time until she lived alone.

Betty joined the Poetry Society in 1980, encouraged by Helen Downing, PSO president at that time. She has served the society in whatever capacity needed, primarily as chairperson, 1989-1992, for the youth contest, held for all Oklahoma school children in grades 1 through 12. Betty thought this was the most important activity of the society. She served as co-president along with Charlie Cahill in 1998. She was historian for PSO, chairperson, grades 1 through 6, for PSO’s fortieth youth contest, and chairperson for National Poetry Day/Diamond Jubilee contest on Oct 10, 2009.

Betty Lorene passed away December 2, 2020. She is preceded in death by : Siblings Jimmy Carter (1927), Mary Jo Thompson (1968), LeRoy Carter (1982), Lewis “Hoot” Carter (2005) and Claudia Patchell (2016), her father W.C. Carter (1985), her mother Ella Carter (1992), her husband Bill Personette (1975), son David Personette (2008), nephew Michael Carter.

She is survived by daughter-in-law Denise Personette, siblings: Dorothy Jean Carter Walston, Norma Dean Boland and Billy Don Carter; children : Cherie Lynne Dveney and Jay Personette; grandchildren:  Lisa Personette, Julie Anne-marie Dewey, Stephen Simmermacher and Stacy Simmermacher. Eli Personette, Christina Personette and Nia Personette; great grandchildren: Maxximus Xavier Raymond, Adam Alexander Raymond, Danny Lee Dewey, Wynnie Brannon, Steven Simmermacher (jr.) and Austin Personette and many nieces, nephews and cousins.