Velma Dean Cotton Tyson Jones passed away at the impressive age of 87 on September 5, 2021. Born on March 21, 1934 in Todd County, Ky. to Otha Richard Cotton and Sarah Cordelia Sherrod Cotton, Velma was raised in Greenville, Muhlenberg County. She is preceded in death by her parents, sister Margaret Cotton Lee (Pascal) and brother Carl Cotton (Jean).

Velma married Charles T. Tyson in September of 1954, then moved from rural Kentucky to Chicago where jobs were plentiful. Velma and Charles had a honeymoon baby nine months later (we checked) and named him Richard Tyson, who survives her. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law Kathy (Thomas) Tyson, granddaughters Hillary Anne Tyson and Melissa Erin Tyson, her great-grandchildren Jayden Richard Bailey Tyson and Roselle Cordelia Tyson, nephew Darrel Lee and niece Phyllis Lee Davenport.

Velma was a hard worker and her various careers included making vacuum tubes for General Electric, a nutritionist at a nursing facility, and a seamstress at a factory that made Levi jackets until they closed down, sending the jobs to a place south of the U.S. border. One of her favorite jobs was as a cook at a big boat dock on Kentucky Lake. Velma was an amateur artist, with her landscape paintings typically done using the colors of black and white. A professional artist once said her painting style was quite unique and her artistry breathtaking.

Velma was quick to laugh and unbelievably funny. She said "No, thank you" to her only child signing up for Boy Scouts because she was afraid he'd "get on a snake" while outdoors. He still grew into a manly man who can build fires and tie knots, and he's not afraid of snakes. Velma loved reading mysteries and Kentucky ghost stories. She loved animals and once - when she was carrying a kitten around in the crook of her arm - her family jokingly told her she was like Coco the gorilla. She laughed and said, "She's spoiled. I can't get rid of her!"

Velma moved to Lexington, Ky. to live with Richard and Kathy in 1995 in order to help care for her granddaughters. Those girls were the absolute joy of her life and she doted on them. Velma loved traveling, particularly family trips to Disney World, Niagara Falls, and the Smoky Mountains. An amazing cook, Velma believed that dessert should be served with every meal. Her surviving family members are all on diets to this day but no one regrets taking one single bite of the culinary delights that she served. Her specialties were homemade banana pudding made on the stove top and an incredibly delicious banana bread from a handwritten recipe that is still followed and enjoyed to this day.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Woodfin Memorial Chapel and an online guestbook is available at https://www.legacy.com/funeral-homes/obituaries/name/velma-jones-obituary?pid=200057156&v=batesville . A celebration of life will be held next spring when all of her loving family can gather to remember her beautiful spirit, her amazing sense of humor, and together cherish her time in this world. Her remains will be interred at the cemetery of Friendship Baptist Church outside of Greenville, Ky., where she attended church for many years.

In lieu of flowers, please get vaccinated in Velma's memory. Her family was unable to visit in her final months because the nursing facility was locked down due to the preventable surge of Covid infections. #VaxxedForVelma