Betty Mauldin

Betty Jo Mauldin was born on May 29th, 1928, in Winona, Texas to Milton Dixon and Zearlean Butler. She was one of four children who all proceeded her in death. She graduated from Emmett Scott High School. She also completed her certification from the famed Madam CJ Walker Beauty Academy in 1949 and her nursing certification from E&K Vocational Nursing Program in May 1977.

Betty Jo was an entrepreneur at heart. She owned and operated Magnificent Afro Salon in Dallas, Texas from 1949-1996. Betty Jo was the first cosmetologist to do hair relaxer in which she also created, manufactured, and distributed her own glycerin hairspray.

Betty Jo styled many of the Dallas Cowboys players hair such as Ed “To Tall” Jones, Thomas Hollywood Henderson, Preston Pearson, and Actor DJ Steven Ladd. In 1981, she opened Magnificent Arcade in Dallas, Texas in which she later passed down to her daughter Virginia who moved to Chicago to pursue her career. Betty Jo did not stop there. In 1985, she opened Betty’s Chili Bowl and served the arguably best chili in Dallas, Texas until 1996. Betty owned her own line of elegant gift baskets that every Dallasite desired. Despite her many entrepreneurial ventures, she still found time to work at Texas Instruments, Braniff International Airways and believe it or not she was a Licensed Clowner. Her home is adorned with many trophies, plaques, awards, jackets, and certificates from being an award-winning Bid Whisk and Domino player. 

Betty Jo was married to Napoleon Norman and to that union her son Napoleon LaNardo Norman Jr. was born who preceded her in death. She then later married James Earl Mauldin and from that 25-year union her daughter Virginia Kaye Mauldin was born. 

She leaves to cherish her extraordinary memory, her devoted daughter Virginia Kaye Mauldin Phillips Edloe, her grandchildren Brandon Earl Phillips, Mikell Jowan Phillips, Reggia Kaye Edloe, and Monica Ann Keaton and a host of great grandchildren, relatives, and friends. 

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