Billy Ray Cropper

Funeral services for Billy Ray Cropper, 79, Koshkonong, Missouri, will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 27, 2015, at Central Church of Christ, under the direction of Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.

Mr. Cropper died at 5:27 p.m., Tuesday, March 24, 2015, at West Vue Nursing Center.

He was born July 21, 1935, the sixth of six children to Samuel Tildon Cropper and Bertha Mae Martin Cropper. He was born and raised in Thomasville, Missouri. Mr. Cropper joined the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged. He then became employed with McDonnell Douglas where he worked on the Apollo and Gemini Space Programs. In 1974, he moved to Koshkonong, Missouri, and worked for Oregon County as a road grader operator and was a farmer; he retired from Oregon County and continued to farm until his health deteriorated. He loved farming, fishing and hunting. Mr. Cropper was a member of Central Church of Christ. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

He is survived by his wife of fifty-three years, Phyllis Cropper, West Plains, Missouri one daughter, Cindy Shipley and husband, Jeff, West Plains, Missouri; special grandson, Brennan; one sister, Roberta Prisock, Starkville, Mississippi; and one niece, who was raised by his parents, Beth Roberts, Couch, Missouri.

His parents, one son, Jeffery Ray Cropper, one sister, Silvia McCain, three brothers, Lloyd, Leonard and Samuel Cropper and one nephew, who was raised by his parents, Martin McCain, precede him in death.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m., Thursday at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.  Burial will be at the Woodside Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Paragould Children’s Home or Woodside Cemetery, and may be left at Robertson-Drago Funeral Home.