Gus aka Bette Louisa Brown

 I am posting this as part of Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks series (for 2025) and you can follow along on her Generations Cafe Facebook Page. Each week we receive a writing prompt which helps us share our genealogy stories. This is week 3 - Nickname

Jeff's grandmother was such a beautiful lady.  Her nickname "Gus" didn't fit her at all.  

1922 Bettie and Bessie Brown

When my husband's sister Leslie was little, one day she came home from school and called her Grandmother "Gus".  No one remembers why and I certainly don't know why it stuck, but that is what she was known as until her death!!  

When I had children, I asked Gus what she would like her great grandchildren to call her because she had told me that she didn't like the name Gus.  She said she would like to be called GG (for Great Grandma).  We tried to refer to her by GG but none of the extended family members knew who we were talking about.  So we had to keep explaining who GG was;  it didn't take long before we gave up and went back to calling her Gus. 

Bette Louisa Brown

1921-2019
Jeff's Grandmother 

Bette Louisa Brown
1921-2019

Jeff's Grandmother