Services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Thursday, June 3rd at Bright-Holland Funeral Home with Bro. Brad Michael, Pastor Justin Golden, and Mike Ford officiating. Burial, with military honors, will follow at Knights of Honor Cemetery in Blossom. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service.
Mr. Willard, the son of Kelf Barney Willard & Mattie Bishop Willard, was born July 20, 1934, in the Crossroads Community near Pattonville, Texas.
At an early age, he was a farmhand from 1953 – 1956, raising livestock and operating & servicing tractors and combines. Due to not being able to attend high school because of needing to help his family, it was not until 1972, that Lloyd would receive his GED.
In December 1956, he joined the United States Army serving 20 years before his retirement in December 1976. While in the military, he received the Nation Defense Service Medal; Good Conduct Medal Clasp, Silver, 1 Loop: Senior Aircraft Crewman Badge; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; Vietnam Service Medal with 1 Silver Service Star; Bronze Star Medal; and the Army Commendation Medal. Upon his retirement from the U. S. Army, he began a career with The Campbell Soup Company which spanned 16 years. At Campbell Soup, he received several safety awards.
In retirement, he had been on the Blossom City Council, was active in his grandchildren’s lives, and enjoyed working outside on pastureland. He was an active member of Victory Baptist Church in Hugo, OK until his health failed.
Survivors include his wife, Emma Nell Deese Willard, whom he married on June 22, 1957, building 63 years of family and memories, daughters, Rhonda Rasberry & husband Randy of Dallas and Renea Smith & husband Travis of Reno, grandchildren, Sandra Draude & husband Thomas, Ethan Rasberry, Cade Kraft, Kaleb Long, Abigail Long, Jackson Smith, and Allie Smith, a great grandchild, Finley Draude, a son-in-law, Rod Kraft of McKinney, a sister, Juanita Garrett of Woodland, two nieces, Patricia Griffith & husband Jim and Pamela Myers and a great nephew, Michael Griffith along with a host of friends.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Karen Renea Kraft, his parents, a sister, Dorothy Jo Myers, and two brothers-in-law, M.C. Myers and R.L. Garrett.
Casket bearers will be: Kaleb Long, Jackson Smith, Cade Kraft, Rod Kraft, Travis Smith, Randy Rasberry, Jake Ford, and Stephen Long. Honorary bearers will be: Clifton Miller, Marc Kaley, Aaron Loftin, Ethan Rasberry, and Punchy Brown.
