BILLY ALLEN RAWLINGS

LAMAR- Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Daniel Funeral Home for Billy Allen Rawlings, 84, Lamar, who died Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, at St. Luke’s Nursing Center in Carthage.

The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, at the funeral home.

Contributions are suggested and made payable to the Lamar Fire Department or the Lamar Booster Club in care of the funeral home.

Condolences may be shared at www.dfhlamar.com.

Survivors include his wife Bonda; two sons, Stanley Allen Rawlings and wife Tammie and Steven Len Rawlings; five grandchildren, Dustin Ragsdale and wife Christi, Loni Ridenhour and husband Kyle, Nicole Rawlings, Brett Rawlings and Sarah Rawlings; seven great-grandchildren, Skyler Ragsdale, Aniston Ragsdale, Maylee Rawlings, Tripp Jones, Trenten Jones, Olivia Jones and Weston Ridenhour; sister-in-law, Lora Rawlings; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Lynn and Keith Divine, Theresa Jo and Doug Faubion and John and Kerry Divine.

He was preceded in death by one sister, Helen Winningham and her husband Earl Winningham; one brother, Jerry Rawlings and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Luanna Olson and Jim Olson.

Mr. Rawlings was born Sept. 3, 1938, in rural Barton County, to Fred Franklin Rawlings and Lora Gladys (Bright) Rawlings. He was a 1956 graduate of Lamar High School. After graduation he served in the National Guard. He married the love of his life, Bonda Lynn Divine on July 28, 1962, in Lamar.

He worked for Finley Engineering for 47 years and was a member of the Lamar Fire Department for 53 years, serving as fire chief for 46 of those years. He was a member of the Southwest Fire Chiefs Association, designed the county wide 911 address mapping system for Barton County and also was instrumental in starting the rural fire district. He was a member of Metro Club and was a founding member of the Lamar Booster Club.

Mr. Rawlings was honored with being named Rotary Man of the Year in 2009. In 1974, he and long time friend Bob Slinker started the youth flag football program. Mr. Rawlings loved sports, especially the Lamar Tigers and for 50 years he would park the family station wagon, or van, in the same parking spot, usually hours before the game. He was a member of the "chain gang" from 1971-2001. He was also a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals. Summer nights were filled with the sounds of Jack Buck announcing the St. Louis Cardinals coming from the garage or an open car window, with Stan Musial being his all time sports hero.