Funeral services for Bill L. Patton, 80, will be held Saturday, Sept. 9, at Meredith Nowell Funeral Home in Clarksdale. He passed away Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, at his home in Enid Shores. Internment will be at Memorial Garden Cemetery in Clarksdale. The family will receive friends at 10 a.m. before the service at 11 a.m.

Rev. Keith McElfresh and Rev. James Taylor will officiate. Pallbearers are grandsons Michael Higginbotham, Landon Fullilove, Alex Brechbiel, Luke Weldon, Joshua Higginbotham, and Leland Weldon. Honorary pallbearers are husbands of his granddaughters, Eddie Hibbard, Tim Smith, Heath Havard, Ryan Smith, and Jonny Presswood.

Patton was born Sept. 14, 1942, in Cleveland to Enoch Vernon and Lillian Bernadine Ellis Patton and moved to Coahoma County at an early age. He graduated from Clarksdale High School in 1962 and entered the U.S. Army, where he was stationed at Ft. Polk, LA.

He married Doris Marie Burr on July 23, 1963. The couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this summer surrounded by multitudes of family and friends.

Patton was an associate with National Life and Accident Insurance Company for 18 years where he was a top producer. He earned many trips as a top salesman and enjoyed traveling with his wife and friends. After his insurance career, he became a mail carrier with the U.S. Post Office in Clarksdale and carried city routes for more than 28 years.

He retired from the Post Office in 2005 and built a home at Enid Shores in Panola County, enjoying fishing, hunting, and golfing. Always a hard worker, Patton maintained a small grass mowing business into his 70s. He raised vegetable gardens every summer, including this year when he planted and helped tend a large plot of tomatoes.

He was an avid sports fan, especially of Ole Miss football, St. Louis Cardinals baseball, and school athletics when his grandchildren were playing. He enjoyed traveling, visiting his daughters’ homes, attending antique and custom car shows, grilling for his family, and collecting bicentennial quarters. Yard sales and BBQ places were seldom passed up, and his standard for all BBQ was Abe’s in Clarksdale.

He was a charter member of Grace Baptist Church in Clarksdale where he taught Sunday School and was leader of the youth group for many years. He was a member of Enid Lake Baptist Church and a student of the Bible, reading devotions and studying scripture daily.

Survivors include the love of his life, Doris Burr Patton of Enid; four daughters, Sharon (Dr. Shane) Higginbotham of Benton, AR, Karon (Bill) Brechbiel of Ocean Springs, Tammy (Jeremy) Weldon of Batesville, and Donna (Heath) Fullilove of Batesville; a brother, Jerry (Sharon) Patton of Columbia, IL; 13 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a host of nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Matha Ann Akers and Jane Peacock; and two brothers, Thomas Patton and Edward Patton.

Memorial contributions may be sent to Enid Lake Baptist Church, P.O. Box 119, Pope, MS 38658, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.