Emilie I. Oates

Celebration of life services for Emilie ""Billie"" I. Oates, 86, of Diboll will be held Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. in the Diboll First United Methodist Church with Pastor Becky Love officiating. Opportunities to speak will be offered during the service.

Mrs. Oates was born June 25, 1925 in Spartanburg, South Carolina to the late Helena (Hart) Isom and William Lelvin Isom, and died Saturday, February 18, 2012 at PineCrest Retirement Community.

Billie Oates was well-known in her community for her love and devotion to her family, her church, and her friends. She was a member of Diboll First United Methodist Church for 42 years, serving in many capacities, but always in service to her Lord. A longtime member of the Diboll Garden Club, she enjoyed gardening, raising and arranging flowers, and sharing her plants and flowers with others. She enjoyed her Tuesday Club for many years, joining with friends to take day trips, often to beautiful gardens, or to have lunch together. She spent hours learning to oil paint, participating in the Lufkin Art Guild, selling her paintings to benefit Diboll Day, and giving lovely oil paintings of flowers and landscapes to her friends and family. Her legacy will be her kindness, thoughtfulness, love of her family, her devout Christian faith, and her concern for others.

Family members include her daughter and son-in-law, Emilie and Ray Sasser of Meridian; son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Becky Oates of College Station; daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Kevin Ryan of Conway, Arkansas; son, Bill Oates, Jr. of Leggett; son and daughter-in-law, John and Ruth Oates of Diboll; grandchildren, Jenny Misslin and husband Dylan, Zach Sasser, Michael Oates, Daniel Oates and wife Rebecca, Elizabeth Grobmyer, Josh Oates and wife Tina, Jordan Oates, Josh Morton, Luke Morton, Matthew Oates and wife Mary, Rachel Oates, and Jody Lovell and wife Tina; great-grandchildren, Rachel Oates, Joshua Oates, Madison Grobmyer, J.W. Oates, Jr., Caden Oates, Caley Oates, Katy Lovell, Brittany Lovell and Lisa Lovell; and a number of nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William J. Oates, Sr., sisters, Sara Isom Phillips and Helena Isom Seigler; and granddaughter, Kathrine Nicole Oates.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons.

Honorary pallbearers will be the men of the Diboll FUMC Strauss Sunday School Class, as well as Joe Gage, David Kellam, Glenn Price, Clyde Maxey, Gary Hurley, Don Hendrick, James Furgurson and Jeff Hearne.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Diboll First United Methodist Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 412, Diboll, Texas 75941.

There is no set visitation the day or evening before the services.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.