WILLIAM BILL HILLMAN

LAMAR-Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Sullivan for William Bill Gerald Hillman, 95, Lamar, who died Monday, Aug. 3, 2015, at Truman Healthcare and Rehab in Lamar. Burial will follow at I.O.O.F. Mausoleum in Sullivan.

Arrangements are under the direction of Eaton Funeral Home in Sullivan.

Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, at Eaton Funeral Home in Sullivan.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Lamar Senior Citizen Center, 306 W. 11th St., Lamar, MO 64759.

Online condolences may be left at www.eatonfuneralhome.com.

Survivors include two sons, Bill Hillman, Overland Park, Kan. and Jim Hillman and wife Martha, Lamar; eight grandchildren, Kathy VanBecelaere and husband Matt, Abby Gilkey and husband John, Jenny Tucker and husband Jeff, Chris Hillman and wife Melissa, Natalie Lambrecht and husband Cory, Jimmy Hillman, Jessica McGinnis and husband Josh and Joe Starks and wife Mindie; 18 great-grandchildren, Dillon Simmons, James Simmons, Patrick Simmons, Jack Gilkey, Hattie Gilkey, J.T. Tucker, Tripp Tucker, Case Tucker, Andrew Hillman, J.P. Hillman, Cooper Hillman, Tucker Hillman, Rowan Lambrecht, Graham Lambrecht, Colton Watson, Camryn Watson, Ali Starks and Johnny Starks.

He was preceded in death by a daughter-in-law, Peggy (O'Sullivan) Hillman.

Mr. Hillman was born May 5, 1920, in St. Louis, to William and Nellie Hillman. He was a 1937 graduate of Sullivan High School. He enlisted and served in the Army Air Corp from Jan. 6,1942 until Nov. 6, 1945.

He had worked as an office manager for International Shoe Company for approximately 15 years and then worked for Nieman Tool & Machine for 18 years. He retired from Carden Machine Company in 1986. He enjoyed baseball and even tried out for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was offered a minor league contract, but chose to raise a family instead. He created Sullivan's first organized youth baseball team known as the Midgets, in the summer of 1948.

He was a longtime member, deacon and teacher of the First Baptist Church of Sullivan and served as the chaplain for the Sullivan Rotary Club for many years. He was also a licensed pilot.

He married Mary Elizabeth Bacon on Nov. 22, 1939. She died Jan. 7, 2010.