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United States Marines Marines Veteran Billy Dan was born May 4, 1925, in Dickens County in a little house on the farm known as the "Fite Place" to Thomas O. and Fannie E. Spraberry Bingham. He was the last of nine Bingham children. There are five brothers; Abb and Roger of Spur; Doyle, Lubbock; Bing, Slaton and Thomas of Modesto, California, and two sisters, Bea Steele and Nonie Thomason of Spur. One sister, Rosie Friel, is deceased. Billy´s parents moved into Spur soon after he was born, and he attended Spur schools. The day the Spur Municipal Swimming Pool was opened, his mother told him not to go swimming. He slipped over the hill and spent the day in the pool. Needless to say, when his mom saw him there was only one place on his body that could receive any punishment. He didn´t go swimming for several days! While in high school, he worked for Leon Ice House and Wooten Wholesale Grocery Co. Billy Dan decided to volunteer for the Marines rather than finish school, so in May 1943 he went to serve his country in the South Pacific. He was discharged from the Marines in January, 1946, and returned to Dickens County. I met Billy when I was a freshman at Patton Springs High School. I graduated there in 1944. I don´t really remember the first time I saw him, but it was probably on the "drag" in Spur on a Saturday night. Oh, what fun those good old days of the 1940´s were! I was born in Afton, Dickens County, Texas on October 19, 1926 to Jesse T. and Ruthie J. Powell. My mother is a native of Dickens County, born on April 10, 1901 to J. A. and Ruthie J. Jackson. We lived just west of Afton on Cottonwood Creek. It was fun to grow up near a creek! I left a lot of footprints there, as did my two brothers, Joe and Jackson and my sister, Sue.After I graduated from high school, I attended Draughons Business College in Lubbock and was working at Household Supply Company, located then on Avenue Q in Lubbock, when Billy returned from the Marines. We were married February 23, 1946 in the Spur First Baptist Church by Charles N. Gilbert, pastor. I belonged to Afton Methodist Church; so Brother Gilbert used the Methodist ritual for our ceremony. We traveled by train to California looking for the greener pastures, finding none. Because I was homesick we returned to Dickens County in 1947. In 1950 we bought the farm known as the "Old McMahan Place" on the edge od Dry Lake Community and that is where we raised our two children; Judy Bingham Morris, born June 24, 1947 of Henrietta, Texas and Alan Ray Bingham, born August 7, 1949 of Matador, Texas. Both were born in the Nichols Hospital in Spur. We now have four granddaughters; Misti and Kim Morris, Beth and Alana Bingham, who come to visit us and travel in their parents´ footprints. Billy has worked for Reece McNeill, Farmers Co-op and Supply during the years and farmed on the side, which I refer to as his hobby. In the 1950´s we operated a dairy. When we had to abandon this project, I went to work for the Federal Land Bank Association in March 1958, where I am still employed. When I started to work it was for the period of time that we educated our children, but by the time Judy graduated from North Texas State University and Alan graduated from Texas Tech, I decided to work for Marie´s retirement. Billy served on the Spur School Board, was president of the board for a term during the 1960´s and presently serves on the board of Dickens County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1. We are members of the First United Methodist Church, VFW and VFW Auxiliary Post 7212, Spur, Texas and Spur Golf Club. We are both looking forward to the day when we retire and can spend full time with farming, raising cattle, playing golf, visiting friends, relatives and maybe travel some. It is still nice to call the "Old McMahan Place" our home.
By Marie Powell BinghamSource: Dickens County History...its Land and People © Dickens Historical Commission; Printer: Craftsman Inc. Lubbock, Texas 1986
Services for Marie P. Bingham, 60, Spur, were held at 2:30 p.m. March 4, in the First United Methodist Church with church pastor Rev. George Price Jr., officiating.Burial was in Spur Memorial Cemetery with Campbell Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bingham died at her home Monday, March 2, following a lengthy illness. She was born October 19, 1926 in Afton. She had been a resident of Dickens County all of her life. She had served as office manager for the Federal Land Bank since 1958. She was a member of the VFW Ladies Auxillary and was past president of the United Methodist Woman. She also has served as teacher for the Pathfinder Sunday School Class. She was a member of the Methodist church.
Survivors include her husband, Billy Dan Bingham, Spur; one son, Alan Bingham, Matador; a daughter, Judy Morris, Jolly; one brother, Jesse Joe Powell, Spur; a sister, Sue Condron, Los Lunas, NM and her mother, Mrs. Ruthie Powell, Spur; six grandchildren.
Pallbearers included Loyd Hindman, Ruben Waddell, Joe Harrison, TonyDavis, Bunky Garner and Clomer Randall.
©The Texas Spur, March 5, 1987
From the scrapbook of Lillian Grace Nay, transcribed by Linda Hughes
Billy was born May 4, 1925, in Spur, the youngest of nine children to Thomas Oscar Bingham and Fannie Mae Spraberry Bingham. All except two brothers, all have preceded him in death.On May 12, 1943, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps and trained at Camp Elliott in San Diego, Calif. Corporal Bingham went overseas on April 15, 1944, to serve in American operations in the South Pacific. He was involved in engagements at Saipan, Iwo Jima, and the occupation of Japan. For his service he was decorated with the American Theatre Ribbon, Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Ribbon, and the Victory Medal. Cpl. Bingham returned home to the U.S. on Dec. 23, 1945.
Upon his return to Spur he became a farmer and rancher, worked for West Texas Gin, and was a store manager for Farmers Co-Op Gin and Supply. His community credits include serving both as a member and president of the Spur I.S.D. School Board, serving on the Valley Municipal Water District Board, serving as an officer and member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and being a Mason.
Billy was an active member of First United Methodist Church in Spur, where he served as Sunday School Superintendent and Usher. While his children were young, he was active in Little League baseball as a coach. In his spare time he enjoyed playing golf with family and friends.
Billy Dan Bingham joined his wife with the Lord on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2004. He married Marie Powell Bingham on Feb. 23, 1946, and they had been married 40 years when she passed from this life on March 2, 1987.
He is survived by his son, Alan Bingham and wife Kay of Matador; his daughter, Judy C. Morris and husband Don of Jolly; two brothers, Rodgers Bingham of Denton, and V.F. (Bing) Bingham of Lubbock; eight grandchildren, Misti Morris of College Station, Kim Morris of Austin, Beth Fritsch and Mindy Jameson of Lubbock, Alana Carr of Littlefield, Cody Dodson, Chance Bingham, and Isiah Archer of Matador; and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held Monday, January 3, at First United Methodist Church in Spur. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 448, Spur, TX 79370; or Texas State Veterans Home, Attn. Mike Sutton, 1809 North Hwy. 87, Big Spring, TX 79720-0793.
©The Texas Spur, Thursday, January 6, 2005, page 5
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