W.A. Criswell’s widow dies

Bessie “Betty” Marie Criswell, widow of legendary preacher W.A. Criswell, died Aug. 2 at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas at the age of 93.

The cause of death was a respiratory illness, according to the Dallas Morning News, which described Betty Criswell as “a local legend herself, staunchly supporting her husband and teaching a Sunday school class that KCBI-FM (90.9) aired for nearly 30 years.”

Betty Criswell came to Dallas in 1944 when her husband became First Baptist’s pastor. W.A. Criswell, a key figure in the SBC’s conservative resurgence and its emphasis on biblical inerrancy, was named pastor emeritus in 1994; he died in 2002 at the age of 92.