Billie Ruth Towne

Funeral service for Billie Ruth Towne will be 10 a.m., Fri., May 20, at First United Methodist Church with Rev. Galen Lassiter officiating. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery under the direction of Musgrove-Merriott-Smith Funeral Service & Crematory. Visitation will be held at the funeral home Thurs. 1-8 p.m.

Billie died Sun., May 15, 2011, at St. John Medical Center, Tulsa, at the age of 81.

The daughter of Bruce T. and Virginia Fyrn (Brown) Hough was born July 4, 1929, in Ada. As a young child, the family moved to Claremore, and Billie attended Claremore schools. On May 10, 1946, she married William Harvey Towne. He was stationed in Germany, Louisiana, Kansas, Alaska, Tripoli, and Florida, before they moved to Claremore where he retired. Billie was active in the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, and as a volunteer for Claremore Regional Hospital. She was always involved with her children's activities, and attended First Baptist Church.

She is preceded in death by her husband, William in 1982; and her parents.

Billie is survived by her son, John Harvey Towne and wife, Kim of Broken Arrow; daughters: Betty Ruth Lucas of Georgia, Kathy Ann Thomas and Rick Mullings of Claremore, Ranae Ellen Wright and husband, Hal of Norman, and Janet Lynn Hendricks and husband, John Hendricks, Jr. of Chelsea; brothers: Bruce Hough and wife, Beverly of Claremore, and J.T. Hough and wife, Louis of Crete, NE; sister, Sue Prather and husband, Johnny of Claremore; 13 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren, and numerous extended family members.