Betty Nichols Shanks

Betty Nichols Shanks, of Little Rock, died Saturday, February 24, 2018 at the age of 88. She was born on June 1, 1929 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Her parents were the late Joe Bailey Terry (1908-1955) and Jewell Ruth Stone Terry (1909-1999). As a single mother in 1970, she founded J & J Piano & Organ Company and later, Nichols Piano & Organ Company of Memphis, Tennessee and Nichols Furniture of Little Rock. She married her loving husband, Thomas L. Shanks in December of 1989. She is survived by her husband and children Joe Nichols, John Nichols, Carolyn Shanks Paget of Galveston, Texas and Randy Shanks of Ontario, Canada. Her grandchildren include Ben Nichols of Memphis, Tennessee, Matthew Nichols of Austin, Texas and Jeff Nichols of Austin, Texas. She was very devout and loved the following phrase from a poem that said "mourn not for me; my soul lives on. I'm with God's angels around Christ's throne, free from heartache, sorrow, pain and sin; singing praises to God." She studied the Bible extensively and found that Paul tells us in II Corinthians 5:8, that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, March 1, 2018 at Roller-Chenal Funeral Home Chapel, 13801 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72211. The family will received friends from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Entombment will be at Riverwood Memorial Gardens, Maumelle, Arkansas. Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.