MURIEL L. KENNEDY WAS BORN TO ROSS SMITH AND LOIS CORBY (RENNER) RICHARDSON SEPTEMBER13,1930 IN JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE AND ENTERED ETERNAL LIFE THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019 AT THE AGE OF 88 YEARS. IN JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE WHERE BILLIE WAS BORN, THERE WAS A HOSPITAL WHICH WAS VERY UNUSUAL FOR THE TIME. HER FAMILY LIVED IN NEARBY CHUCKY, TENNESSEE.
WHEN BILLIE WAS BORN, THE NEIGHBOR LADY’S NAME WAS WILLIE. IT WAS HER WISH FOR BILLIE TO BE HER NAMESAKE. BILLIE’S MOM NAMED THE BABY GIRL MURIEL LOUISE RICHARDSON.
THE NEIGHBOR WILLIE LATER GAVE HER THE NICKNAME BILLIE, WHICH STUCK WITH HER FOR HER ENTIRE LIFE. BILLLIE’S FATHER WORKED IN THE TOBACCO FIELDS OF TENNESSEE WHERE EVERYTHING WAS LUSH AND GREEN. BILLIE ENJOYED PLAYING IN THE TOBACCO FIELDS AND WITH HER DOLLS.
HER FATHER LATER GOT A JOB IN AMARILLO, TEXAS WORKING ON A FARM. WHEN THE FAMILY ARRIVED IN AMARILLO, THE CHILDREN WERE STUNNED THAT THE LAND WAS SO FLAT AND BARREN. BILLIE GREW UP AND ATTENDED SCHOOL IN AMARILLO.
BILLIE LATER WENT TO BEAUTY SCHOOL AND BEGAN TO WORK AT A BEAUTY SHOP. SHE ENJOYED GOING TO PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING MATCHES IN THE EVENINGS. ONE EVENING, A YOUNG AIR FORCE MAN SAT NEAR HER.
HE ASKED HER IF SHE WAS MARRIED AND SHE SAID NO. . THE CONVERSATION THEY BEGAN THAT NIGHT STARTED THEIR LOVE STORY, THEY WERE MARRIED ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1955 IN AMARILLO, TEXAS AND 8 YEARS LATER, ADOPTED THEIR BEAUTIFUL, LOVING DAUGHTER, PENNY.
SHE WAS THE APPLE OF JOHN’S EYE. IN A SHORT WHILE, JOHN’S DAD, WHO LIVED IN PAULS VALLEY, OKLAHOMA FELL FROM A PECAN TREE, AND INJURED HIS BACK. IT WAS AT THAT TIME, THAT JOHN AND BILLIE BOTH QUIT THEIR CAREERS AND TOOK THEIR DAUGHTER PENNY, WHO WAS ONE AT THE TIME IN 1964 AND MOVED TO PAULS VALLEY, OKLAHOMA TO HELP JOHN’S DAD WITH THE FARM.
BILLIE SOON WENT TO WORK AT NINA’S BEAUTY SHOP AND WORKED THERE UNTIL SHE WAS 80 YEARS OLD. SHE ONLY TOOK TIME OFF TO RAISE PENNY AND TAKE CARE OF JOHN IN HIS ILLNESSES BILLIE FAITHFULLY ATTENDED PAULS VALLEY FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WHERE SHE SANG IN THE CHOIR EVERY SUNDAY FOR MANY YEARS WHILE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF CHARLES VANN. IT WAS A SPECIAL TIME IN BILLIE AND JOHN’S LIFE, SINGING IN THE CHOIR.
THE CHOIR TRAVELED STATEWIDE SINGING. BILLIE AND JOHN ALSO TAUGHT THE 4 AND 5 YEAR OLD SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS FOR MANY YEARS. BILLIE WAS ACTIVE IN THE BEATY COMMUNITY, PARTICIPATING IN MANY HOME EXTENSION ACTIVITIES.
SHE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER PARENTS, HER LOVING HUSBAND. JOHN R. KENNEDY IN 2005, SISTER, KATHERINE SOUTHERLAND, NIECE, BRENDA SOUTHERLAND AND BROTHER, CHARLES RICHARDSON. HER SURVIVORS INCLUDE: DAUGHTER: PENNY KENNEDY PARKER OF THE HOME 4 GRANDCHILDREN: AUSTIN GRANT PARKER (MONICA PEREZ) OF SAN ANTONIO, TX, MARK CHANDLER PARKER OF KILLEEN, TX, SARAH RENEE PARKER OF COLLEGE STATION, TX, AND JOHN THOMAS PARKER (ADYNEE PERKINS) OF TEMPLE, TEXAS 2 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: PENELOPE GRACE PARKER AND TAYLIN AMIAH JONES NEPHEW: ARLEN MAY OF DUNCAN, OK NIECES: LINDA MAY OF DUNCAN, OK GREAT-NEPHEW: KEITH MAY OF DUNCAN, OK GREAT-NIECE: APRIL MAY OF TX A SERVICE TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF MURIEL L. “BILLIE” KENNEDY ARE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, 24, JANUARY 2019 AT 2:00 P.M. IN THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF PAULS VALLEY, OK WITH PASTOR DON GRIFFIN AND PENNY KENNEDY PARKER OFFICIATING.
INTERMENT WILL FOLLOW IN MT. OLIVET CEMETERY. SERVICES ARE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF WOOSTER FUNERAL HOME.
CONDOLENCES MAY BE SENT TO THE FAMILY @ WWW. WOOSTERFUNERALHOMES.
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