Elisabeth "Betty" Headley Garr was born on July 28, 1922 in Lexington, Kentucky. She was the first child of Charles Crain Garr and Elisabeth Higgins Headley Garr. She attended elementary school in her hometown Lexington before going to Arlington Hall boarding school in Virginia during her high school years. After high school, Betty returned home to Lexington where she attended the University of Kentucky, where she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. In 1944, she graduated UK with a bachelors degree in Sociology. She continued her education in Chicago, and in 1950 she graduated from the University of Louisville with a masters degree in Social Work. She moved around, living in Louisville, Danville, Kentucky, and even Dallas, Texas for a while before returning to Lexington where she spent the rest of her life. On June 17, 1972 Betty married Amos Millett Lawrence in Lexington. Throughout her life, Betty was very involved in civic and historical groups. She was a longtime member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames, University of Kentucky Alumni groups and First Presbyterian Church in Lexington. She passed away in 2015 at the age of 93.
Documents
Correspondence
97 love letters from Garland "G" (Senator?) to Betty "B." He seems to have loved her very much, the letters end in August and it is unknown how much longer the courted her. His efforts went unaccepted as they never married. He was a banker in Louisville, he mostly speaks of his general activites, their visits, and other events going on with them, their mutual friends, and families.
37 letters between Harry "H. O." and Elisabeth "Betty." Harry was a soldier in WWII, he spent most of 1943 in different types of army training before being shipped out at the end of the year, there is a gap in the letters with none from 1944, it picks back up in 1945 at the end of the war where Harry is in England. There is one letter that is unable to be dated that talks of their splitting up as she gives his "pin" back which was a way for Fraternity members to indicate an important lady (girlfriend, fiance', etc.) by pinning them with a greek letter pin.
17 letters between Henry R. Strickland and Elisabeth. Henry appears to be some type of engineer working for an airline company in California. He courted Elisabeth during the year of 1959, he clearly tries to marry her and loves her. Unfortunately the letters show no clear end to their relationship, but it is known that she did not marry him.
14 letters between James Lee Murphy and Elisabeth. James appears to be a farmer in Danville, Ky. He keeps her updated on various goings on there and about his life. They just appear to be friends, possibly from her college days. He doesn't seem to have a serious romantic interest in her like her other suitors.
Photographs
