Bettye Baumhauer
Bettye Ann Clements McShan Baumhauer died peacefully on January 18, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, AL, surrounded by her four children.
“Bette” was born August 8, 1935, to the late Annie Maye and Hunter Clements in Reform, Alabama, and graduated from Pickens County High School. Soon afterwards, Bette married John Tyler McShan of McShan, Alabama, and reared four wonderful children. She was later married to Ed Baumhauer of Mobile, Alabama, until his death in 2007. In her golden years, she enjoyed a special comradeship with Dr. Everett Hale of Tuscaloosa, and they spent many happy days in the country bass fishing and riding the farm in his horse drawn wagon. Bette was a lifelong member of First United Methodist Churches in Reform and Tuscaloosa, AL.
Bettye loved the outdoors and was a fierce competitor at every game she played, whether it was poker and Rummikub with the family or competitive Bridge, where she achieved the rank of Life Master. She was an excellent downhill and water skier, sailboat racer, scuba diver, and golfer. Not many golfers can claim 2 hole in ones on separate courses. (And yes, there were witnesses to both she liked to emphasize).
Perhaps nothing better defined Bettye’s life than her passion for time spent in Orange Beach at her beloved Bette’s beach house. She was as salty as they get and was always at home on the water fishing in the gulf or shrimping and crabbing on Cotton Bayou and Perdido Bay. If she couldn’t muster up a crew to go fishing, she was more than comfortable taking her center console “Bettye’s Day” offshore solo to troll for Spanish and King Mackerel with her favorite lures which she made herself from McDonalds drinking straws with the red and yellow stripes. When successful she would clean her fish and prepare incredible meals for dinner. Bettye’s culinary skills and elegant dinner parties were legendary and she was widely known as a gourmet chef when such things were a rarity in rural Alabama. Her family was fortunate to be raised on her rich gumbo, buttery speckled trout almondine and fresh-baked French bread, brioche, bagels, buttermilk biscuits, and beignets. She waged a constant battle with hurricanes and developers to preserve the beach house and it still stands today as a family haven and a monument to her passion, forethought, and tenacity.
Bettye is survived by her sister, Janis Harper of Auburn, AL; children, Melissa Allgood and her husband, Richard Grover Allgood, of McShan, AL, John Tyler McShan, IV and his wife, Sally Martin McShan, of McShan, AL, Elizabeth Glenn “Missy” Budd and her husband, Kenneth Kaull Budd, of Atlanta, GA, and Hunter Clements McShan and his wife, Gina Tyson McShan, of Columbus, MS. Bette was adored and admired in countless ways by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Grover Allgood (Becca) and daughters, Lilla, Emiline, and Kate, John Hunter Allgood (Margo) and daughters, Ellen Elizabeth and Margaret, son in Heaven, William Hunter, Kenny Budd (Kristen) and daughter, Ella, Tyler Allgood Malouf (George), Katie McShan Holmes (Paul) and daughter, Eve, Sarah Anne McShan, Hunter Budd (Ann Kathryn), Ty McShan (Alden), Mac Budd, Holley McShan, Hunter McShan, Jr., and Stella McShan.
Along with being a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Bettye “mothered” to many who had the good fortune to fall within her reach. She will be missed by all. Bette’s family is grateful for the care that Barbara Ford and her ladies from A Touch of Love provided for her.
A memorial service will be 11:00 AM Monday, January 24, 2022, at First United Methodist Church, 800 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to MD Anderson Cancer at www.mdanderson.org/gifts.
