Billy Ray Kimbrell
Billy Ray Kimbrell, 89, of Oaks, Oklahoma, died April 12, 2021, at Washington Regional Medical Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas.
He was born January 16, 1932, in Elmer, Oklahoma, to Flavel “Guy” Kimbrell and Della (Fletcher) Kimbrell. He married Wanda Lee Mills in Keota, Oklahoma, on July 1, 1956. They met while they were both students at Oklahoma A&M College in Stillwater.
Bill grew up in Mountain View, Oklahoma, as the oldest of four boys. He graduated from Mountain View High School and later Oklahoma A&M College with a degree in Agriculture Education. He served in the United States Army and obtained the rank of First Lieutenant.
Bill and Wanda raised four children and enjoyed farming for many years. You rarely saw one without the other. They were married for 63 years before her passing in 2019. Bill enjoyed the country life and living in a small town. He loved working with youth and supporting youth organizations. He spent many years working with youth by umpiring little league baseball, refereeing basketball, announcing football games at Oaks Schools, volunteering with 4H and of course working with and supporting the FFA Organization.
He was a Vocational Agriculture teacher and FFA Advisor for 25 years at Oaks Mission Public Schools and nine years at Lenapah Public Schools. He was a member of Kansas Masonic Lodge and Oaks Eben Ezer Lutheran Church. He was a retired board member of the Northeast Electric Cooperative where he served for 34 years. He also served as a board member of the American Farmers and Ranchers Insurance Company, a member of the Retired Teachers Association and Retired Agriculture Teachers.
Bill is survived by his children: Larry Kimbrell of Georgia (wife Cindy), Gary Kimbrell of Owasso (wife Dee), Nancy Kimbrell of the home, Kathy Enyart of Wyandotte; grandchildren: Kristen Young of Tulsa (husband Kurtis), Audra Bryant of Olaton, Kentucky (husband David), Erik Enyart of Wyandotte (wife Sara), and Jared Kimbrell of Texarkana, Texas; great-grandchildren: Emory and Rylee Young of Tulsa, David Bryant, Jr. of Kentucky, and one on the way; one brother, three sister-in-laws, and one brother in-law. He was preceded in death by his wife Wanda, his parents, one son-in-law Rick Enyart, two brothers, two brother-in-laws, and two sister-in-laws.
In lieu of flowers, the family would like to request donations to Kansas Masonic Lodge 252, c/o James Thomas, PO Box 3, Watts, OK 74962 or the Oklahoma FFA Foundation, 1500 West 7th Ave., Stillwater, OK 74074. Please write in memo: Blue Jacket Program.
Funeral service were held at 1 p.m., Friday, April 16, 2021 at Oaks Mission School Gymnasium, Oaks, Oklahoma. Burial was at Keota Cemetery, Keota, Oklahoma. Visitation was 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 15, 2021, at Wasson Funeral Home, Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Please sign the online guestbook at www.wassonfuneralhome.com.
PAID OBITUARY