Billy Thomas Scheets (Lebanon)'s Obituary
Billy Thomas Scheets, son of James Edgar and Delia Mae Handley Scheets, was born April 24, 1930, near Competition, Missouri. He departed this life Wednesday, January 18, 2012, in his home, in Lebanon, Missouri, at the age of eighty-one years, eight months, and twenty-four days.
On November 28, 1953, in Lebanon, Missouri, he was united in marriage to Alice Marie Layman, and to this union one daughter and one son were born.
He was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Warren, Wilburn, Lowell “Bunny”, and Loren; and two sisters, Hazel Scheets, and Eula Sweeney.
Billy is survived by his loving wife of fifty-eight years, Alice, of the home; a daughter, Janice Coleman, and her husband, Jamie, of Bismarck, Missouri; a son, Chad Scheets, and his wife, Danielle, of Park Hills, Missouri; a granddaughter, Emilea Wakefield-Stricklin, of Bismarck, Missouri; a grandson, Garrett Scheets, of Park Hills, Missouri; two great-grandchildren, Reagan and Carson; a sister, Ruth Allen, of O’Fallon, Missouri; a number of nieces and nephews; as well as a host of other relatives and friends.
He was born and raised in the Competition, Missouri area and attended Competition Schools until the tenth grade. At that time, his family moved into Lebanon, and Billy graduated from Lebanon High School in the Class of 1948. On the day of his graduation, he entered the United States Navy where he served during the Korean War. He was stationed on the Leonard F. Mason, DD-852 ship as a radioman until his honorable discharge in 1952. After he and Alice were married, they made their home in Overland, Missouri for a few years while Billy worked for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft. In 1956, they moved to Bismarck, Missouri, and Billy began working as a depot agent telegrapher for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. He continued in this career until retiring in 1991, and soon after he and Alice moved back to Lebanon.
Billy had professed his faith in Christ and was a member of First Baptist Church in Bismarck for a number of years. After moving to Lebanon, he became a member of Union Mission Church, where he served as a Deacon.
During his years in Bismarck, Billy served as a City Alderman for twelve years, coached men’s fast pitch softball, men’s basketball, refereed high school basketball and volleyball, and umpired baseball games. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and was active in the Bismarck Post # 6947 for many years. He had served as their commander, quartermaster, aide de camp and chaplain. He also was Chief Staff for District # 8. He had continued to be involved in the V.F.W. Post # 4107 in Lebanon and had served on their Honor Guard Team. He also belonged to the Elks Lodge, and the American Legion. Since returning to Lebanon, he had been active in the Hughes Senior Center as a delivery person for their Meals-on-Wheels Program, was a VF Mall walker, and was the KY3 Weather Watcher for the Lebanon area. He enjoyed sports of all kinds, liked collecting coins, bowling, and gospel singing.
Billy was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and uncle, and was a caring neighbor and friend. We celebrate his life and know he will be fondly remembered as a devoted family man, a dedicated worker, a patriotic citizen, and a true Christian man.
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