Bette Sharpe Bridal, 87, of Cashion, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. She was born June 7, 1939, in Oklahoma City to Melvin and Dorothy (Shipman) Sharpe.

As the second of four children, and the only daughter, Bette grew up surrounded by the love of her family and the beauty of the Oklahoma countryside. She first lived on a farm in the Council Grove area before moving in 1949 to a farm near Cashion, where she helped tend their small dairy of milking shorthorns.

Bette and her brothers shared a lifelong love for the land, often exchanging photos of their gardens in later years. She deeply appreciated nature, from watching the weather and stargazing, to birdwatching, to doting on her beloved cats, especially Bootsie.

In 1957, she graduated from Cashion High School and attended Oklahoma State University, where she earned a degree in secondary English. To support her studies, she worked at the college switchboard.

Shortly after graduating in December 1960, Bette married Arthur Scott Bridal at the Cashion United Methodist Church on April 30, 1961.

To start their life together, Arthur’s childhood home – the actual house was moved two miles down the road so that the young couple could settle next door to his parents, John and Grace Bridal, on the family farm just east of Cashion.

His mother, who had been their Sunday School teacher, always knew they were a match made in heaven.

Bette taught high school English at Deer Creek, a small school in those days, during the 1961-62 and 1962-63 school years. The student signatures in her yearbooks capture how she inspired a love of English and literature in many, though a few of the rowdier boys left autographs expressing remorse for giving their kind teacher a hard time.

In 1963, she left teaching to care for her first child, Anita Grace, and in 1967, she welcomed her second daughter, Sharon Lorraine “Lori.”

An avid reader, Bette narrated stories expressively to share the love of books with her daughters and later her granddaughter, Camille, born in 2004 in France, to Lori and Thierry Lhermitte.

Though she was a somewhat reluctant traveler, Bette made a memorable 2012 road trip with Arthur, Lori, Thierry and her 8-yearold granddaughter to meet Anita and her husband Ron Kemp at the Grand Canyon.

The trip continued to Los Angeles, near Anita and Ron’s home, where Bette made her first-ever visit to the Pacific Ocean.

She also made several trips to France to spend time with family there, even learning a little French to better communicate with her daughter, Lori’s inlaws, Raymond and Annie Lhermitte.

Bette was a loving wife, sister, devoted mother and a profound source of warmth to all who knew her. She was deeply involved in her community as a member of Eastern Star, the United Methodist Church Ladies Circles 1 and 2, the E.T.C. Club and the Wynamit Club.

Together with Arthur, she was a charter member of the Central Oklahoma Antique Tractor Club, where they made lifelong friends from across the country.

As a Sunday School and Bible School teacher, she shared the love of God with a generation of children and as a Girl Scout leader, she taught them the value of teamwork.

Sharp-witted and intellectually curious, she broadened her family’s horizons by taking them to theater performances, exhibits and community events.

On the farm, Bette’s talents kept everyone going. She cooked for the crew, ran errands for machine parts and managed the farm finances.

For 61 years, she and Arthur nurtured the family farm and their children on that same corner east of Cashion. She remained there until her last day, lovingly cared for by her daughter Anita and son-inlaw Ron, who lived with her.

In her final years, she was tenderly cared for by Annmarie and, more recently, Angel, whose professional and kind support the family deeply appreciated.

Bette was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur; her sisters-in-law Jean and Loy Donna; and her beloved nephews, Kevin and Tim.

She is survived by her brothers Melvin, Robert (Maureen) and Daniel; her daughters Anita (Ron) and Lori (Thierry); her granddaughter Camille; and her loving nieces and nephews, John (Casey), Mary (John), Donna (Tam), Kenneth and Jamie.

She advised her children to “Light a candle where you may,” because she knew it is the everyday acts of kindness and love that illuminate our lives and our world.

Friends and family will forever cherish the light she brought into their lives.

A celebration of Bette’s life will be held at Cashion First Baptist Church, located a little less than a mile east of Cashion at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, with interment following at Cashion Cemetery.

Services are under the direction of Smith-Gallo Funeral Home, 220 North 1st St., Guthrie.

Following the graveside service at Cashion Cemetery, those who wish to share memories are warmly invited to gather at Cashion First Baptist Church for heavy hors d’oeuvres.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Smith-Gallo Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to either the Oklahoma Dementia Care Network (OkDCN) at the University of Oklahoma in Norman or the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, both of which reflect Bette’s lifelong commitment to kindness, community and caring for others.

Friends may sign the online guestbook at www. smithgallo.com.