In 1933, the northeast corner of Union County, Tennessee, saw a new business open in Luttrell. A short fifteen years later, after surviving the Great Depression, and World War II with most of the young men serving in the armed forces, the property that consisted of a general merchandise store and a small brick home was sold to Bethel Reed Stowers and he moved his family there.
His family was his wife, Mary Lee, and their children Mary Jo, Judye, and Earl, and the youngest was Betsy, who was three years old. Bethel worked the second shift at Southern Railroad and usually got home before midnight, slept until 8 a.m., and then took over the store from Mary Lee, who opened it at 6 a.m.
Mary Lee would then go next door and cook breakfast for the family. Bethel and Mary Stowers had a strong family love and a strong work ethic. All the children worked in the store for the many years the Stowers operated it.
The store had many owners before and after Bethel retired, but the years that the Stowers were there during the 1950s and 60s were the most stable and successful. Stowers’ General Merchandise had the largest and most varied merchandise in Union County. Stowers had customers from all over Union, Grainger and Knox counties.
When my father, Jesse Perry, received his small VA monthly check he would load me and my younger brothers in his old Dodge truck and head to Stowers’ General Merchandise. He would buy our monthly supply of stick bologna, pork and beans, peanut butter, Swan’s bread, crackers and other staples. My mother worked at Knox Porcelain and we all worked on Daddy’s farm. So for dinner we ate out of cans (so to speak) as we didn’t have the talent or the time to make lunch. We always had a good supper cooked by Mother after she came in from work.
At the age of four, Betsy started to work for her father in the store. Her main job was to rotate the Pet and Carnation milk. When the new stock arrived, she had to move the older milk to the front and the new milk to the back to ensure the milk was always fresh. Betsy must have been a good worker as her father did not fire her.
Betsy also started her singing career at age four. She sang, with her sister Judye playing the piano, at the funeral of a two-year-old child. Betsy and Judye also started singing at Cedar Ford Baptist Church and other nearby churches at this time.
At age five, Betsy, with Judye on piano, made her TV debut. She tap danced and sang “Baby Face” on the Cas Walker TV Show. A year later, Betsy and Judye started on the Mull’s Singing Convention TV Show in Knoxville.
When Betsy was eight years of age, she and Judye toured with the Tennesseans, going as far north as Baltimore, Maryland. Their mother travelled with them when they were on tour. In 1957 at age twelve, Betsy won two trophies competing at Chilhowee Park Jacob Building. One was from the Statesmen’s Quartet and the other from the renowned Chuck Wagon Gang.
Betsy continued singing in churches, on Mull’s Singing Convention and other venues. Betsy loved Mahalia Jackson and her Spirituals, and was blessed when in middle high school. Betsy’s mother had a phone call from the Knoxville Civic Coliseum, and they wanted Betsy to open for Mahalia Jackson’s upcoming concert.
Betsy and Judy performed and got a standing ovation. Then Mahalia sang for forty minutes and took a short break. Betsy and Judye went to her dressing room and met Mahalia Jackson. What a night for these two young ladies.
Betsy and Judye opened a few more times for well-known singers at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Betsy appeared on the Harry Lee Whittington TV Show, and was also a regular on the Jim Clayton TV Show and the Country Style 69 Show.
After entering talent and beauty pageants locally and regionally, Betsy was offered a contract by an Atlanta talent agency, but refused because of the places she would be required by contract to appear. Betsy would not give up her principles for so-called success.
Back to Betsy’s formative years, growing up in her parent’s store, attending a small elementary school and building lifelong friendships: Betsy and older brother Earl got BB guns for Christmas one year. Betsy and Earl used their BB guns to hunt snakes, squirrels and rabbits.
According to Betsy, the animals were in no danger. Betsy, with her friend Linda Sue, even tried “chicken hunting.” That is, they were trying to catch vagrant chickens roosting behind the local church. Kids will be kids.
Betsy and Earl’s cousin Dal lived for a while with the Stowers’ family after his father was killed by a fall at the cement plant. Dal taught Betsy and Earl how to catch crawdads for bait while fishing. Betsy also caught worms and baited her own hook. Betsy, Earl, and Dal fished for redeyes in a small creek near Stowers’ General Merchandise.
Betsy and her siblings grew up in a stable family, were taught work ethics, respect for everyone, a deep belief in God and a tolerance for other’s beliefs. In 1964 Betsy attended Virginia Intermont College in Tennessee. Betsy married Mike Frazier in 1965.
They have two daughters, Nancy Lee and Sarah Beth. In 1967, Betsy enrolled in Tennessee School of Beauty where she acquired a teacher’s degree. She taught there for two years. After teaching, Betsy worked at Sculptress salon on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. Her husband worked for Stowers’ General Merchandise and then worked for three years at Southern Salvage and then opened Railroad Salvage with Walter Carter. Mike now owns and operates Knox Rail Salvage. In 1982, Betsy bought and operated the Regency Salon Royale at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Knoxville. Shortly thereafter, Betsy opened an upscale clothing shop next to her salon. Betsy owned and operated these two businesses for 10 years and then sold both.
During the time Betsy owned these two businesses, she met and did the hair of celebrities like Jerry Clowers and his wife, Patricia Neal, and Rick Flair, the wrestler. Many other celebrities frequented her shop over the years.
Later, Mike and Betsy went with a church group to Liberia, Africa. It was quite an awakening for Mike and Betsy. Betsy was deeply touched by the poverty, customs and living conditions. In Betsy’s book, “Can You See God” Betsy writes of a fourteen-year-old boy who begged for them to take him home with them. He pleaded. “Mister, I will work hard for you. Please take me with you.” He lived on the streets. This trip had an effect on Betsy and set in motion her desire to start a ministry to help less fortunate people.
Betsy started her ministry that is known today as Angelic Ministries. It is located at 1218 North Central Street in the old Merita Bakery. The ministry helps people of all ages and race with ministry, clothing, food, home furnishings, hair and appearance, cleanliness, and job referrals. I have been through this building with Betsy, who I attended high school with. You need to go and see this great ministry for yourself. There is simply not enough space to write all of the good things that Betsy and the ministry do here in East Tennessee and on a worldwide scale. Angelic Ministries can always use volunteers, food, clothing, furniture and appliance donations, and also monetary donations.
Betsy, you are an angel.