A military graveside service for Mr. Billy Wayne Hollingsworth, age 82, of DeBerry, TX, will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, May 17, 2013, at Bracken Cemetery near DeBerry with Rev. William Sewell and Dr. Jeff Penfield officiating under the direction of Jimerson-Lipsey Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. Mr. Hollingsworth passed away on Tuesday afternoon, May 14, 2013, at his home in DeBerry.

Billy Wayne Hollingsworth was born on Feb. 28, 1931, in Raymondville, Texas to William Elmer and Alice Elizabeth Howell Hollingsworth. He started school in Murchison, Texas at the age of five, and would always tell that the school burned that year when the children were out for Christmas, and the children were farmed out to homes in town to finish out the year. Bill went into the Army when he was 17 years old. He would tell stories about Fort Oared California, where he took basic training, and the train ride to Fort Riley Kansas, how he hitchhiked to Vernon, Texas to his cousin, Ray Robertson's funeral, who was killed in the Korean War. Bill would tell you, "The best duty I ever had was in downtown Tokyo, Japan." His next base would be Fort Sill Oklahoma, from there to Korea, from there back to Fort Sill, from there to Munich Germany, from there to Fort Hood, Texas, to Korea, to Fort Carson Colorado, to Vietnam and home to Texas where he said good-bye to the Army. Bill went to work for the IRS at the Federal Records Center in Ft. Worth, Texas. City life just did not work for Bill, and he felt that William and Tina needed to be in the country, you don't get more country than De Berry, Texas, and he would say it's the best move we ever made. He went to Panola Jr. College on the GI bill. He took a Forestry Course and before he completed it was hired by the Texas Forestry Service in Carthage, Texas. Bill retired from there, enjoyed traveling for the next years. In 2012, we went to Colorado, Nebraska, and in April of 2012, we went to Gilchrist, Texas. Bill would still want to go but home would call him back very quickly. Bill was preceded in death by his mother, Alice Hollingsworth; father, Elmer Hollingsworth; and a son, William Earl Hollingsworth.

He is survived by his wife, Wanda Hollingsworth; daughters, Tina Penfield and husband Jeff and Darlene Sigler and husband John; grandchildren, April Sanchez, Dave Lawless, Geoffrey and Nathaniel Penfield, Sasha and Brett Hollingsworth, Cristy Bardin, and Bruce Wayne Corley; six great-grandchildren, Audrie, Paisley, and Sadie Sanchez, Madison and Bryce Bardin, and Beckham Corley; two cousins, Don Robertson and Belvia Holden; six sisters-in-law; five brothers -in-law; many nieces, nephews, even more friends, helpers, and special friends and Wanda's Hands, John Jones and Linda Mitchell.

There would not be any Mountain tops if there were no valleys, and God is in both places. Life may not be the party you hoped for but while you are here you should dance.

A guestbook may be signed online at www.jimerson-lipsey.com.