Rev. Billy Oneal Harper's Obituary
Billy Oneal Harper, Sr.
A celebration of life of the Rev. Billy Oneal Harper, Sr, 72, of DeRidder, will be held Wednesday, March 4, 2009, at 2 P.M., at Diamond Baptist Church on Highway 1146, between DeRidder and Rosepine, LA. The Revs. Dale Miller, Curt Iles, Fred Hartzell and Ned Barrett will officiate. Pallbearers will be Jared Ripley, Richard Cook, James Halbert, Norman “Rutillio” Arguijo Lainez, James Frank and Fernando Israel”Chente” Lopez Nieto. Visitation will be held Tuesday, March 3, 2009, from 5 P.M. until 9 P.M. at Labby Memorial Funeral Home in DeRidder, and at Diamond Baptist Church from 10 P.M. until time of the funeral service on Wednesday, March 4, 2009. Burial will follow in Shiloh Cemetery in the Shiloh Community area under the direction of Labby Memorial Funeral Home in DeRidder.
He is survived by his wife Betty S. Harper of DeRidder; his daughter, Rose Ann Ripley of the Shiloh Community, LA; sons, Billy O’Neal Harper, Jr., of the Shiloh Community, James Edward Harper of Mittie, LA, Phillip Jefferson Harper of Bon Aire, GA, stepsons, David L. West of Natchitoches, LA, and Jeffrey D. West of DeRidder; brothers Larry Leonard Harper of Port Neches, TX, James Leland “Buddy” Harper of Winnie, TX, and Thomas Jefferson “Tommy” Harper of Shiloh Community, LA; eleven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Thomas Jefferson and Tennie Josephine Singleton Harper and his first wife Rose Edna Wilson Harper.
Billy was born August 23, 1936, in LeBlanc, LA, and entered the presence of his Lord on February 26, 2009, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
He was a person whose life was filled with laughter. Billy enjoyed kidding and joking with everyone. He served in the National Guard and worked for Beauregard Electric Cooperative and Gross and James Tie Company. He was also self-employed in the timber industry and was owner and operator of a sawmill. Billy was a Gideon and was a member of the East Beauregard Lions Club and DeRidder Civitan Club. Billy was called into the ministry and was ordained to preach the Gospel in 1989. He served as pastor at Good Hope Baptist, Arkadelphia Baptist and Texas Avenue Baptist Churches along with being involved in ministering to those in nursing homes. The Lord also called him to serve as a missionary to Honduras. Billy organized Beulahland Ministries which he ran for 19 years, organizing and growing churches, and ministering to the spiritual, physical and educational needs of the people of several Honduran communities. He was recognized by the Honduran government for his efforts to improve the lives of the people of Honduras. Billy loved his work in Honduras and felt the people of Honduras were like an extended second family. You could not talk to him for five minutes without him bringing up something about the country and the people he met. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Beulahland Ministries in care of Diamond Baptist Church, P. O. Box 1626, DeRidder, LA, 70634
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