William A. Garland, Jr.

Rev. Bill Garland, a resident of Cleveland was born October 30, 1923 in Marlow, Oklahoma to Bertie Thelma Garland and William Andrew Garland, Sr. As a young child the family moved to Gracemont, Oklahoma where Bill was raised and received his education graduating in 1941. Soon after his graduation Bill accepted employment with Boeing in Wichita, Kansas. On February 9, 1942 Bill was united in marriage to Joy Armice (Mauldin) and to this union there are six children Carolyn, Darrell, Carey, Kathy, Janice and Anita.

On Dec. 23, 1943 Bill entered the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. During his time in the military Bill was a member of the 3212 Engineer Company as a gunner on the B-24. Throughout his time Bill served in the following campaigns: Po Valley in the Northern Apennines, Rome-Arno, Rhineland as well as the Air Offensive in the Balkans. Bill also earned the following medals: European-African-Middle Eastern service medal, good conduct medal and an Oak Leaf with the three clusters. Upon his return to the United States in September of 1945 Bill and Joy moved to Wanette, Oklahoma to help his father with the family farm.

While living in Wanette, Bill was saved and baptized in June of 1948. In 1949, his father sold the family farm and Bill and Joy moved to Wichita, Kansas. Later that year, Bill received his call to the ministry and pastored in Cimarron and Kiowa, Kansas. In 1953, Bill moved his family to Shawnee, Oklahoma to attended Oklahoma Baptist University. While attending OBU, he pastored at Hopewell and Sharon Baptist in Shawnee.

Rev. Bill Garland graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1958 and upon his graduation he moved his family to Mounds, Oklahoma where he pastored the First Baptist Church. Rev. Garland remained in Mounds until 1960 when he came to Cleveland where he was the pastor at Western Heights Baptist Church. Brother Bill made another move to Parsons, Kansas in 1966 to the Friendship Baptist Church. In 1970 Bill began ministering in Mesa, Arizona at the Bethel Baptist Church. While in Arizona Bill was instrumental in building the Valley Heights Baptist Church in Phoenix where was for seven years. In appreciation the church presented him with a trip to the ìHoly Landî. This trip was one that Bill had always looked forward to taking one day.

Then in summer of 1982 Bill and Joy moved to First Baptist Church in Hominy where he preached till his retirement in December of 1988. Upon his retirement Bill and Joy moved to the farm between Hominy and Cleveland to the home that he built. Rev. Garland was still active as an interim pastor for many years in Ponca City and Westside Hominy Baptist Church as well as holding several revivals.

Bill loved to fish, work in his vegetable garden, flower garden and being outdoors. Rev. Bill Garland went to be with his Lord and Savior Saturday evening May 15, 2004 at his home in Cleveland at the age of 80 years 6 months and 15 days. He was preceded in death by his father and mother.

Bill is survived by his wife, Joy of the home; two sons, Darrell and his wife Tippie Garland of Reno, Nevada; Carey and his wife Susan Garland of Shawnee, Oklahoma; four daughters, Carolyn Gray of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Kathleen and her husband Jerry Blevins of Ochelata, Oklahoma; Janice and her husband Tom Bordigioni of Reno, Nevada and Anita and her husband Scott Murray of Phoenix, Arizona; two sisters Ruth Powell of Wichita, Kansas and June Stonum of Anadarko, Oklahoma; eleven grandchildren Donnie, Deanna, Lisa, Darrin, Megan, Courtney, Mary, Jason, Kimberly, Christopher, Michael, and Enrique; six great grandchildren, Michael, Shalyn, Heather, Samantha, Renee, and Nicholas, and one great great granddaughter Alyssa.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 2:00 pm in the Sanctuary of the First Baptist Church with Dr. Larry Wilson, Rev. L.B. Flannigan, Rev. George Boston and Rev. David Head officiating. Burial will follow in the A.J. Powell Memorial Cemetery in Hominy, Oklahoma under the direction of Chapman-Black Funeral Home, Inc.

Visit an online video tribute, obituary and guestbook for Rev. Bill Garland at www.chapman-black.com.