Billy Pat Renfro

Bill lived on a farm in Big Cabin where graduated from School in 1949.

He attended Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College in Miami, Oklahoma where he met his future wife in 1950. In 1981 he graduated from a correspondence school of the Assembly God Church. Later getting ordination papers in 1999.

The big thing kids did when Bill was attending college in Miami was "dragging main" – driving from one end of Main Street to the other and back again. Virginia and some girls were "dragging main" after high school graduation that year. They pulled into a local drive-in cafe which was also a high school hang out. They were followed in by a car load of boys from the local college. The boys got out of the car and went over and started talking to the girls. One of the boys wanted to date one of the girls in the car but she said only if Virginia went with them. So, Bill made a date with Virginia. The other girl and boy dated perhaps a couple of times, but Bill and Virginia were together for 67 years.

Bill went to work for Phillips Petroleum Company on October 1, 1951 in corrosion survey crew. Bill and Virginia were married on December 22, 1951. They lived mostly in Kansas during the first year of their marriage. Being in a survey crew they moved often. The first placed they lived was Eureka, Kansas for about 6 months. Most often the stay in one town was not that long.

In 1955 he went to work for Phillip's in Oklahoma City. They were there for 5 years. In 1960 he was transferred to Alvin, Texas working in a gasoline plant. They bought a house in Arcadia, Texas, now Santa Fe, where they lived for 5 years.

In 1966 they felt led of the Lord to move to Houston to be near a church they were attending. He quit Phillips after living in Houston for some time and went to work full time at the church. He left that job in 1971 and went into the washer/dryer repair service which he continued until his retirement in 1992.

During this time a friend of his invited him to go with him to the Salvation Army on Sunday evenings. He agreed to go thinking he would only be sitting on the platform while his friend conducted the service. But after the second Sunday his friend told him he would preach the next Sunday. So he filled the pulpit that Sunday and after a short period of time his friend said he was quitting and turned the service over to Bill where he continued for the next 5 years. He preached to about 150 to 200 street people every Sunday night. During that time he heard some heartbreaking stories and would occasionally invite one home with him to visit with further.

In 1987 they bought two acres of land in Stoneham, Texas and over the next three years built their house there. They would leave Houston on Thursday or Friday afternoon and spend the weekend working on their house, which they finished in 1990.

Shortly after buying the land they began to attend a small United Methodist Church in Stoneham. Soon afterwards he was asked to start an Adult Sunday School Class. He taught Sunday School there for the 15 or 16 years.

In 2015 he was diagnosed with Leukemia and was told it was the slow growing kind and would probably die of something else before being affected by the Leukemia. For the next two years he was okay and not affected by the disease at all. Then in May of 2017 he was told he had become anemic. The doctor suggested Chemo which he tried but became deathly sick after 12 days, so he stopped taking it but spent four very sick days in the hospital. Afterwards he told his family doctor he did not want to see anymore specialist but wanted to be treated by him. The doctor then asked him if he would go on Hospice. His doctor was also a Hospice doctor. He went on Hospice on June 1. He continued to do pretty well after he got all the chemo out of his system until 2 weeks ago when he began to go downhill and continued down.

He continually said he was not afraid to die in fact looked forward to it but did not want to leave Virginia, he had always hoped she would precede him in death, so he could take care of her. He was assured by his sons they would look after her which helped greatly.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Myrtle (Lord) Renfro Three sons Phillip Wade Renfro, Claude Wesley Renfro, and Roy Walter Renfro Two brothers Harold Renfro and Bobby Renfro.

He is survived by:

His wife, Virginia, of 65 years 10 months.

His sons and their wives: Bill Renfro and wife Martha David Renfro and wife Fara. Daughter -in-law Julee Renfro

Brothers: Raymond Renfro Jack Renfro

Sister: Alberta (Renfro) McKay

Sister--in-law: Mary (Ellington) Watts and husband Bobby Watts

Grandchildren: Daniel Renfro, Rachel (Renfro) Clayden and husband Ryan Clayden; Heather Renfro-Critton and husband Rodrick Critton, Randi (Renfro) Jefferies and husband Jesse Jefferies, Michael Renfro, Dustin Renfro, and Taylor Renfro. Great granddaughters Ryleigh Clayden and Rory Clayden.

Friends are invited to a gathering and viewing Tuesday, November 7 at 1:00 P.M. in a parlor at Forest Park Lawndale where they will be escorted to the gravesite for the service. Graveside service will be at 2:00 P.M.

Anyone who so desires are invited to Bill and Virginia’s home after the service.