Betty Marie Tope was born December 3, 1930 in Bertha, Minnesota, the only child of Adeline Elizabeth Tope and Lester Abram Tope. She lived the first eleven years of her life on a farm in the Wykeham Community close to Eagle Bend, Minnesota.

She was the last of her family of aunts, uncles, cousins and parents to attend the one room schoolhouse on the corner of the farm. She later attended academies in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Lincoln, Nebraska and graduated from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1955 with a degree in Home Economics. Betty received a minor in Library Science from James Madison University in Virginia and was the first in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination to receive a Media Specialist Certificate in Library Science.

Betty taught at academies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Virginia. She also taught at church schools in West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. She was the Librarian at the Osburn Elementary School in Chickamunga, Georgia for seven years. She was a Charter Member of the Rock Spring, Georgia Seventh-day Adventist Church and later a Charter Member of the Gassaway, West Virginia Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Her last home was is in Brooks, West Virginia and she was a member of the Beckley Seventh-day Adventist Church. She leaves behind an aunt, many cousins and friends and Betty Park, with whom she had taught for many years.

Betty died peacefully in the early evening in her sleep at Main Street Care in Hinton, West Virginia.

Burial will be in the Batista Family Cemetary in Danese, West Virginia where she awaits the soon coming of Jesus. A memorial service is planned at Beckley Seventh-day Adventist Church, 116 Willowwood Road in Beckley, West Virginia on May 13, 2023 at 2:00 pm.