Dateline: July 10, 2008

Carroll Edwin Bills, Sr., 83, died Sunday, July 6, 2008, in Clarendon.

Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 10, 2008, in the Clarendon Church of Christ with Chris Moore, Minister, and Carroll Edwin Bills, Jr., officiating. Burial will be held with US Navy Honors in Memorial Park Cemetery in Vega. Services are under the arrangement of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon

Carroll Edwin Bills was born at home in the Neri community of Hood County to Jackson Hezekiah and Margaret Jane Ridley Bills, the youngest of seven children. Mr. Bills was a gospel preacher and a talented song leader, serving congregations of Churches of Christ in Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, and Arkansas. He was a graduate of the Neri School and Granbury High School in Hood County, Brantley Draughn Business College, and Texas Wesleyan College, with further study at Abilene Christian College, Harding College Graduate School, Freed Hardeman College Graduate School, and West Texas State University. As soon as he was old enough, he enlisted in the Navy Sea Bees and served honorably in the South Pacific during World War II, attaining the rank of Machinist Mate Third Class. He was a member of several volunteer fire departments, including Camden, Ark. , Vega and Howardwick.

Mr. Bills was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers; and four sisters.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Linn Tracy Bills, with whom he shared a marriage of over 60 years; a son, Carroll Edwin Bills, Jr. and wife Cari of New Knoxville, Ohio; four daughters: Susan Permenter and husband Bob, and Melinda Fangio and husband Steve, all of Amarillo, Rebecca Hillman and husband Richard of West Lafayette, Indiana, and Ruth Byrd of Jefferson, Texas; Also surviving are grandchildren, Andrew Jackson, Amanda Betzen, Angie Reid, Page Love, Jason Permenter, Lance Permenter, Kelley Permenter, Chris Fangio, T.J. Fangio, Nick Hillman, Beth Hillman, Michael Byrd, and Bradie Byrd; 15 great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Honorary casket bearers will be the Howardwick Volunteer Fire Department.

The family requests that memorials be to the World Bible School Ministry of the Clarendon Church of Christ, PO Box 861, Clarendon, Texas 79226 or High Plains Children’s Home, 11461 South Western Street, Amarillo, Texas 79118.

The family will be at 401 Meredith Circle in Howardwick.

Sign our online guestbook at www.RobertsonFuneral.com.