Lifetime of Service

From fashion to philanthropy, Betty Thrasher makes a difference across Central Texas

By Amy ROGNLIE | Photos by JANE GIBSON and Temple Daily Telegram archives

‘I feel like I’m the luckiest person in the world. I have had so many wonderful friends and amazing experiences. I think, ‘Why me?’ I’ve been so blessed.”

Betty Thrasher, the regal queen of fashion in Bell County, has been blessed, but she has also blessed countless others through her generosity, love and warm-hearted hospitality.

She was born into the clothing business in Rosebud, where her father owned several stores, and she always dreamed of owning her own very special store where she could teach others what she lives out every day: “When you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you act good.”

From her family, Betty also learned the joy of serving others with generosity, the importance of relationships, and that beautiful things should be enjoyed every day, not only on special occasions. And for Betty, true beauty begins with who a person is inside, and fashion is not a price – it is a look.

She started her fashion career by working for a cosmetic company, Beauty Counselor (now Clinique). For 40 years, she went to women’s homes and taught them about makeup. During that time in the 1960s and ’70s, she also started her own school for girls to teach them how to carry themselves with grace and style, how to speak in public and how to apply makeup. The girls brought sack lunches and the cost for the class was $45 for three months. Some of her students were participants in the Miss Texas pageant, in which she was involved for 10 years.

But she still dreamed of opening her own store. After preparing 10 girls for the Miss Texas Pageant, she finally opened her first store, The RoseBud, in Gatesville in 1979.

“I did what I could do for the pageant,” she said. “Now I needed to work on the public. The time had come — I needed to teach people how to dress.”

And of course, she would — with warmth, hospitality, and a listening ear for anyone who crossed the threshold of her store. And in 1981, Betty opened a second store in Temple, fabulously decorated in her signature pink and green. Rose-colored carpet, a lime green sofa with hot pink piping, and of course, roses everywhere, welcomed customers into the lovely world Betty had created for them.

Invitations, along with long-stem pink roses, were hand-delivered to business leaders and friends, inviting them to the opening cocktail party at the new location in Exchange Square on Loop 363. Live music and real models created an unforgettable experience as her dream expanded into Bell County. But she has always cared more about people than sales.

“I wanted the RoseBud to be a place where people could gather. You could sit on the couch all day; drink coffee or coke or champagne and visit with friends,” she said. “It developed into something really fabulous.”

Every month, Betty would put on a spectacular event at the store for her customers. She would personally host champagne luncheons for which she prepared the food herself. The store also hosted trunk shows from New York and Europe, with friends, family and community members serving as models for the season’s newest colors and styles.

Putting on a fashion show was the next logical step, and in the early 1980s, she put on a fashion show to benefit Altrusa. The event was a roaring success and became an annual event until 2007, when she sold the store.

“It was like something you’d see in London or Paris,” Betty recalled. “It would stop the clock. Nothing like it had ever been seen in Temple. I always chose local models — no one was paid, and we all had the best time.”

And of course, everyone was invited back to The RoseBud after the show for champagne and to visit because that’s what Betty loved — getting people together. Over the years, she continued to do fashion shows to benefit various causes, including Baylor-Scott and White Hospital. The first show she did for the hospital enabled it to purchase a needed piece of equipment for the emergency room, and she continued her annual shows for BSWH for 30 years, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“I made so many friendships during that time,” Betty said. “It was a wonderful experience in Temple for all walks of life to come together. It was so beautiful — I can’t explain it.”

Drawing 1,000 women each year, the annual BSWH benefit fashion show included 40 models from size 2 to size 20. Betty would hand-select each volunteer model and what each would wear. Makeup and hair teams were on hand to make sure everyone was looking their best.

She also recruited men from the community to serve at the shows as the waitstaff. Her “Men in Tux” became a well-loved tradition in Temple for both the attendees and the men, who all adored Thrasher.

“What an elegant, classy and genuine lady Betty is. If you look up ‘class-act’ in the dictionary, there is a full-color portrait of Betty. She is the real deal,” said Guy Fowler, one of Betty’s original Men in Tux. “It was such an honor and absolute, total privilege to be part of Betty’s shows. And it was such a diverse group of guys — neurologists, CEOs, construction workers — people from all walks of life. She told us what to do and we said ‘Yes, ma’am.’”

Today, Betty Thrasher is 96 years old, and more beautiful than ever — inside and out — as she nears Heaven’s gates. After being diagnosed with cancer and told by doctors that she has only weeks to months to live, she is facing death with her characteristic grace.

“I have had a fabulous life, and Temple has been very good to me. I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything. I’m not afraid and I don’t dread dying because I have a close relationship with the Lord. He will be by my side during this, too.”