Red Wilkinson

(From Konantz Warden Funeral Home)

Billy Ray “Red” Wilkinson, 72, of Iantha died Dec. 29, 2017, at Freeman Hospital. Born Aug. 24, 1945, in Fredericktown, he was the son of Loretta Rose Wilkinson of Festus and the late Lloyd Sylvester Wilkinson.

Mr. Wilkinson attended Fredericktown High School and earned an associate degree in business from School of the Ozarks. He went to work for the Seneca Fire department, where he became the youngest fire chief in the state. He continued in the fire service for the next 26 years and helped establish the certification program for the University of Missouri Fire Academy.

He worked at BF Goodrich in Miami, Okla., for 19 years and was in charge of fire safety and training. After BF Goodrich closed, he returned to college and completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Pittsburg State University in Kansas. He worked at Oak Hill Hospital in Joplin and Barton County Memorial Hospital in Lamar, as well as serving as Director of Nursing at Buena Vista in Carthage and Joplin Healthcare Center. He was well-known as the big strong ER nurse with the deep voice. He retired in 2010 from Barton County Memorial Hospital and retired a second time from Truman Healthcare and Rehab in 2017 at the age of 71.

Over the years, Mr. Wilkinson coached his daughter Katie's softball team, the Seneca Milnot Whippettes, as well as Little League and Babe Ruth teams in Jasper. He loved to hunt and fish with his sons and grandkids, and enjoyed watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife of almost 40 years: Charleen K. (Smith) Wilkinson; a daughter: Katie (Charles) Whitekiller of Neosho; four sons: Billy (Lori) Wilkinson of Sand Springs, Okla., Matt (Holly) Hymer of Seneca, Chris Hymer of Seneca and Jacob (Kristie) Hymer of Willard; 16 grandchildren: Jeff (Talor), Josh (Casey), Justin (Christin), Hannah, Jessica, Lyndie, Lucy, Jacoby, Lance, Brady, Davy (Taylor), Rachel, Mason, Dachel, Kailey and Austin; four great-granddaughters: Madison, Molly, Murphy and Sophia; three sisters: Betty Ciolek, Ruth Greishaber and Nancy White; four brothers: Henry, Ted, Charles and Tom; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial visitation is at 1 p.m. and a memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, at the Lamar United Methodist Church, 900 Poplar St., in Lamar. Burial is in the Iantha Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Konantz Warden Funeral Home in Lamar.