BILLY RAY “RED” WILKINSON

IANTHA- A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, at the Lamar United Methodist Church, for Billy Ray “Red” Wilkinson, 72, Iantha, who died Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, at Freeman Hospital, surrounded by family. Burial will follow in the Iantha Cemetery.

Visitation will be held at the church prior to the service, beginning at 1 p.m.

Arrangements were under the direction of Konantz Warden Funeral Home.

The obituary may be viewed and condolences sent online at www.konantzwarden.com.

Survivors include his wife, Charleen K. (Smith) Wilkinson; his mother, Loretta Rose Wilkinson, Festus; a daughter, Katie Whitekiller and husband Charles, Neosho; four sons, Billy Wilkinson and wife Lori, Sand Springs, Okla., Matt Hymer and wife Holly, Seneca, Chris Hymer, Seneca and Jacob Hymer and wife Kristie, Willard; 16 grandchildren; four great-granddaughters; three sisters; four brothers and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Lloyd Wilkinson.

Mr. Wilkinson was born Aug. 24, 1945, at Fredricktown, to Lloyd Sylvester and Loretta Rose (Mills) Wilkinson. He was a graduate of Fredricktown High School and School of the Ozarks, where he earned an Associate in Business degree and served on the fire department, becoming the youngest fire chief in the state at age 17. He served the next 26 years on the fire department in Seneca and helped to 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. He returned to college at PSU after the company closed and completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He started his nursing career at Oak Hill Hospital in Joplin, followed by Barton County Memorial Hospital in Lamar. He served as the Director of Nursing at Buena Vista in Carthage and Joplin Healthcare Center. He retired from nursing in 2010 from Barton County Memorial Hospital and retired a second time from Truman Healthcare and Rehab in 2017.