Extracted from The Altus Times (Altus, OK)
Friday, January 21, 2005

Hamilton

Billie Jo Hamilton died at her home in Hollis on Jan. 19, 2005, due to heart disease. She was born to Carl and Thelma Snider on July 13, 1928. She graduated high school at Louis Hill in 1946 and attended Southwestern State College in Weatherford for two years. While in high school she entered and won the Miss Hollis Beauty Pageant.

She married Vance Hamilton on July 3, 1948, in Hollis, and in the early '50s they moved to Shafter, Calif. In 1965, the family moved to Australia for two years and returned to Hollis in 1967.

In October 1969, the family opened the Boomerang Restaurant, which they owned and operated for the next 23 years. She sold her business then started the Donut Place. She made the best doughnuts for the next few years until she decided to retire. From that time on, she traveled the world and had the best time of her life. She loved life, her friends and family. She especially liked going to family reunions and the reunions of her friends. She knew everyone and was a friend to everyone. Hamilton was a member of First United Methodist Church in Hollis and was active with United Methodist Women.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her brother, Larry Snider; and son-in-law, Don Pate.

She is survived by six loving daughters and their spouses, Vickie Bryson of San Diego and husband Larry, Jan Hale of Hollis and her husband Rodney, Susie Cummins of Altus and her husband Brent, Kim Ward and her husband Ron Cox of Green Valley, Ariz., Carla Mason and her husband Bret of Anchorage, Alaska, and Tonia von Luhrte and her husband Karl of Mackenbach, Germany; grandchildren, Craig Pate, Kristi Pate, BJ Cummins, Kadi Cummins, Brett Hale, Alex and Mak Mason and Mark and Sarah van Luhrte; great-grandchildren, Jasmine and Briana Hale and Cooper Cummins; sister, Doris Smith of Bakersfield, Calif.; sister-in-law, Mary Snider of Wellington, Texas; three nephews, two nieces and a host of cousins and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 21, 2005, at the First United Methodist Church in Hollis with the Rev. David Parker and the Rev. Dee Willis officiating. Interment will follow at Fairmount Cemetery under the direction of Patterson Greer Funeral Home.