L.R. — D.J. Conradi. [Group Sheet]

1. M.C. Service

Notes:

Obituary:

SHREVEPORT, LA - A Celebration of Life for Billy Ray Service, 88, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, August 10, 2018, at Rose-Neath Marshall Street Chapel, Shreveport, LA. Officiating will be Rev. Dennis Sims. Interment will be at Forest Park Cemetery, St. Vincent Ave., Shreveport, LA.

The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until service time Friday at the funeral home.

Bill was born November 2, 1929, in El Dorado, AR to Frances Ruth Adkins Service and Willie Harmon Service and passed away August 7, 2018 at his residence in Shreveport. He was Baptist in faith. Billy worked and retired from Exxon after 40 years. He was a member of the Pelican Travelers Club and Exxon Annuitant Club, and was founder of the Exxon Extras Travel Club. He was a company man through and through. Bill was loaned by Exxon to Alyeska Pipeline Company for two years. He finished the seven northern pump stations and was there when the first oil traveled through the pipeline in 1977. Upon retirement he and Beth traveled to all fifty states, all but Hawaii by motor home. He never met a stranger and was loved and admired by many for his wise advice, mentorship, leadership and kindness.

His wife and family were his most treasured possessions and they will miss him more than words can express.

He was preceded in death by his parents, W. H. "Red" Service and Ruth Service. Left to cherish his memory is his loving wife of 67 years, Beth Service of Shreveport, LA; son, Leonard Service of Shreveport, La; daughters, Debbie S. Gibson and husband Kent of Minden, La and Brenda S. Harrison and husband William of Monroe, La; grandchildren, McIlroy Service, Lana Gibson, Jillian Whitney, Dorobeth Windham and Katy Harrison; great-grandchildren, Hunter and Harper Grace Whitney and Lillybeth and John Chris Windham.

Honoring Bill as pallbearers will be Alan Herring, Jack Herring, Ward McClain, Kent Gibson, William Harrison and Chris Windham.

(Published by Rose-Neath Funeral Home of Shreveport, LA)

Billy married M.E. McIlroy [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Obituary:

VIVIAN, LA - Services for W.H. "Red" Service, 90, will be held at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, March 2, 1989 at First Baptist Church in Vivian, La. with the Rev. Robert Puryear officiating, assisted by the Rev. Jack Byrd and the Rev. A.C. Crawford. Interment will be in Forest Park Cemetery in Shreveport.

Mr. Service passed away at 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 28, 1989 at the North Caddo Memorial Hospital after a brief illness. He was born in Edgewood, Texas, on November 30, 1898 and was a resident of Vivian for the past 28 years.

He was a member and senior Deacon of the First Baptist Church in Vivian, where he served as president of the Truth Sunday School Class. Mr. Service was an active member of the Kiwanis Club 'till failing health. He became an ardent fisherman during his retirement years, having caught over 14,000 catfish since 1980, which he shared with his family and friends.

Red Service was a pioneer in the oil industry. He worked for Standard Oil of New Jersey (Exxon) for 40 years, serving as District Production Foreman from 1944 til his retirement. He had been retired for 30 years and was a founder and president of the Exxon Annuitant Club for 28 years.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Francis Ruth Adkins Service; his son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Beth Service of Shreveport; three grandchildren and their spouses, Kent and Debbie Gibson of Shreveport, Bill and Brenda Harrison of Monroe, La., Leonard and Donna Service of Pontiac, Michigan; four great-granddaughters, Lana and Jill Gibson, Dorobeth and Katie Harrison; two nieces and one nephew.

Mr. Service was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who loved life and lived for his family and many friends.

The family would like to express appreciation to Dr. Johnny Haynes and the staff of North Caddo Memorial Hospital for their expert care and love during the time of his illness.

(Published in The Shreveport Times on March 2, 1989)

Willie married Frances Ruth Adkins 28 Apr 1927, Cotton Valley, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA. Frances (daughter of John Franklin Adkins, Sr. and Esther Houston) was born 5 Nov 1911, Cotton Valley, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA; died 3 Aug 1995, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana, USA; was buried 5 Aug 1995, Forest Park Cemetery East - Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Obituary:

VIVIAN, LA - Frances Ruth Adkins Service was born on November 5, 1911 to a pioneer Webster Parish family. She went to Heaven on Thursday, August 3, 1995 where she joined her beloved husband of 59 years, W.H. (Red) Service.

Services will be held at First Baptist Church in Vivian on Saturday, August 5, 1995 at 11 a.m. with interment at Forest Park in Shreveport. Officiating the service will be Dr. Jimmy Dobson, pastor of First Baptist with assistance by former pastors, under the direction of McGuire Funeral Home of Vivian.

Meme, as she was called by her grandchildren and many others who knew and loved her, is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Beth Service, granddaughter, Debbie and husband, Kent Gibson, grandson, Leonard and wife, Donna Service, all of Shreveport, and granddaughter, Brenda and husband, Bill Harrison of Monroe, LA, great grandchildren, Lana and Jill Gibson and Dorobeth and Katie Harrison. She is also survived by sisters, Lillian A. Bigham of White Oak, TX and Isha A. Cloud of Tyler, TX, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Service was active in her church and community wherever Standard Oil took her family to live. She was saved at First Baptist Church in Cotton Valley, had been a member at First Baptist in Norphlet, AR, Oil Field Baptist Church in Homer, LA, First Baptist Church in Rodessa, LA and was a member at First Baptist Church in Vivian since her husband retired in 1959. There she remained faithful in service and attendance until she became ill in May of this year. She and her husband were instrumental in early organization of the Vivian Red Bud Festival, She was an organizer and longtime president of the second oldest Exxon Annuitant Club, Vivian Chapter.

Her youthful zest for life betrayed her age. She will be missed by the many that she loved. A favorite proverb was "cast your crumbs on the water and they will come back as loaves." This was how she lived and will continue to serve as part of her legacy.

Pallbearers will be Dennis Wade, Waymon Moon, Mike Irvin, Van Hutchinson, Walter Kirkpatrick and Bill Jordan. Honorary pallbearers will be Jimmy Rodgers, Gene Shelton, Deacons of First Baptist Church and the men of the Annuitant Club.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to First Baptist Church of Vivian Building Fund.

(Published in The Shreveport Times on August 5, 1995)

Notes:

Obituary:

J.F. Adkins, Sr. Succumbs at 73

Funeral services will be held at New Sarepta Baptist Church for John Franklin Adkins Sr., 73, of Sarepta, who died in a Shreveport hospital at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

The Rev. R.O. Bazer, former pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in the Old Sarepta Cemetery under the direction of the Brunson Funeral Home of Bossier City.

Mr. Adkins was a farmer and well-known property owner.

Surviving are his widow: three daughters, Mrs. Lillian Bigham and Mrs. Isha Cloud, both of Shreveport, and Mrs. Ruth Service of Rodessa; three sons, Houston Adkins of Price, Tex., John F. Adkins Jr. of Cotton Valley, and Penny Adkins of Mineral Wells, Tex.; five stepsons, J.E. Wills of Cotton Valley, Trebanion Deloach of Delhi, Tom Deloach of Sarepta, James W. Deloach of Dallas, and J.A. Deloach of Shreveport; four stepdaughters, Mrs. Margaret D. Clark of Napoleonville, Mrs. Elizabeth D. LeCroy of Sarepta, and Mrs. Charlene Sullivan and Mrs. Doris Sullivan, both of Benton; and three sisters, Mrs. W.E. Wiley, Mrs. Lena Delafield, and Mrs. Abit Moore, all of Sarepta.

Pallbearers will be Gwen Adkins, Billy Service, George Cloud, J.A. Deloach, Jack Clark, and Robert Stokes. Honorary pallbearers will be nephews.

(Published in The Shreveport Times on August 9, 1954)

John married Esther Houston 2 Sep 1903, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA. Esther (daughter of Lazarus Lafayette Houston and Frances Viola Campbell) was born 13 Dec 1874, Shongaloo, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA; died 14 Apr 1937, Cotton Valley, Webster Parish, Louisiana, USA; was buried 15 Apr 1937, Old Sarepta Cemetery - Sarepta, Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Obituary:

Funeral services for Mrs. Esther Houston Wills Adkins, who died at 10:50 a.m. Tuesday in a Shreveport sanitarium, were held in the Baptist Church of Cotton Valley at 10 a.m. Wednesday with the Rev. S.E. Ellis, of Gladewater, Texas, and Dave Coyle, of Cotton Valley, officiating.

Interment was made in Sarepta, La.

Mrs. Adkins is survived by four sons, J.E. Wills of Cotton Valley, Houston Adkins of Henderson, Texas, John F. Adkins, Jr. of Cotton Valley, and Pennie Wills Adkins of Cotton Valley; three sisters, Mrs. Egan Hodges of Shreveport, Mrs. Porter Cochran of Sarepta, and Mrs. Ben Pugh of Sarepta; six brothers, Dr. W.M. Houston of El Dorado, Ark., G.O. Houston of Baton Rouge, I.N. Houston, Lonnie Houston, V.E. Houston, all of Shreveport, and Lee Houston of Sarepta; and four grandchildren, Audrey, Jean, Patricia and George Hunter Cloud, Billy Ray Service and Gwen Pee Adkins.

(Published in the Webster Review on April 16th, 1937)