Billie Jean Arney

Billie Jean Richardson was born to John Edd Richardson and Emmaline Duncan Mills Richardson on October 4, 1933 in Collinsville, Oklahoma.  She was the youngest of 5 brothers and sisters; Dixie Mae, Virginia Mae “Bert”, John Sherman “Bus”, Joe Bob and Jackie Lee.  Her father passed away in 1948 when Billie was 15 years old.

When Billie was 16 years old, she married Everett St.John in Pryor, Oklahoma on November 26, 1949 and had six children; Carolyn Jean, Marquita Ann, Virgil Kent, Tony Ray, Dixie Loraine, and Everett Chris.  They lived in Claremore, where Billie attended Bible Baptist church and was baptized in 1968.

Life was challenging for Billie and Everett so they divorced and went their separate ways. Billie moved to Burns Flat where she met Louis Arney while working as a waitress at The Cherokee Post, near Foss, Oklahoma.

Billie Jean moved to Yukon, in 1979 and married Louis Arney when she was 47 years old. Louis and Billie’s friends, neighbors and family gathered for many events, including every Thanksgiving, at their Yukon home, until Louis passed away on January 26, 2016. They were married for 34 years and enjoyed traveling in their RV to Galveston to meet with friends each year, California trips to visit family and the lake. They often went to Las Vegas and Billie had a lucky streak on several occasions that would pay for the trips.

Billie was an avid fan of basketball, which she played as a Collinsville Cardinal in school, and she loved her OU and OSU men’s and women’s teams as well as the Thunder NBA games.  She knew all of the game times, scores and the next team they were going to play.

Family members came to Yukon, on October 21, 2017, to move Billie back home to Collinsville, where she enjoyed daily visits from children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, multiple friends and other family ties. She loved to attend the monthly lunches with Collinsville classmates, the tea room outings with family and other local gatherings.

Billie Jean Richardson-Arney passed away on Saturday, March 27, 2021, in her Collinsville home with her loving family at her side. Her love of family and friends will never be forgotten.

Billie was survived by children; Carolyn St. John, Marquita and Eddy Boyd, Kent St. John, Tony and Bonnie St. John, Dixie St. John, Chris St. John and Candace Ellis, as well as numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

Visitation will be noon to 8:00 pm, Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at the Collinsville Dolton Funeral Home. The family will be present from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Funeral services will be 2:00, Wednesday, March 31, 20201 at the Zion Hill Church with Rev. Wendell Ban officiating. Interment will follow at the Ridgelawn Cemetery in Collinsville.

Services are under the direction of Collinsville Dolton Funeral Home.