Billie Jo Ripley

Wilma Josephine “Billie Jo” (Reynolds) Ripley, 89, Forest City, passed on to eternal life at the Oregon Care Center on Friday, January 1, 2021.

She was the daughter of Henry E. and Josephine L. (Turney) Reynolds and was born September 8, 1931.

She was educated at Brush College Country School and Forest City High School, where she was the class valedictorian in 1949.

B.J. was a mover and a shaker throughout her life. She resided in Mound City for many years and was active in Community Betterment, canvassed the town for votes to build the municipal swimming pool, and many other civic endeavors. She founded the Christmas Around the Square tradition in Oregon that is now 31 years old.

She worked at the Ripley Variety Store and the Galley in Mound City, was city collector there and also worked at the Mound City News-Independent. From there she was employed with the Plattsmouth, Nebr. Journal and Maryville Daily Forum in the advertising department. When her father was diagnosed with cancer, she returned home to Forest City to provide care for him.

She was a member of the Cosmopolitan Club in Mound City; she was a charter member of the Holt County Historical Society, the Forest City Drug Store Museum and the Holt County Museum and Research Center, helped provide genealogy for Gone Home Book I, member of Missouri Press Association, member of the Oregon United Methodist Church, WSCS and United Methodist Women, Oregon Kiwanis Club, Holt County Republican Club, Mound City Golf Association, and Maryville Soroptimist Club.

After her father’s death, she and her son purchased the Times Observer newspaper in Oregon. Their first edition came off the presses on June 1, 1989, where she held the title of publisher. B.J.’s pride and joy was a quarterly edition called “Country Roads.” It was a feature section on current times, historical times ad well as other items of interest. She retired on her 80th birthday in 2012.

She was preceded in death by her parents and an infant brother.

Surviving are her children, son Robert (Gina), Oregon, and daughter, Dee Ann Heck (Gary), Mound City. There are nine grandchildren, Brent Ripley (Melissa) DeSoto; Kayla Jo Ripley, Forest City; Jordan Ripley (Lindsay), St. Joseph; Emily Lopez (Joaquin), Dearborn; Alexandra Ripley, Oregon; Sarah Gregory (Ryan) Pleasant Hill; Kate Drew (Shawn), Manhattan, Kans., David Ray Heck, Albany; Sidney McQuinn (Kyle), St. Joseph. There are also nine great-grandchildren, Raegan Jo Ripley and Gracen Brown, Fayette, Abby Drew, Manhattan, Sophia, Campbell Ann and Robert Gregory, Pleasant Hill, Charlotte and Adilynn McQuinn, St. Joseph, and Quinn Ripley; and one great-great grandson, Beck Brown, Fayette.

Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, January 7, 2021, at the Oregon Methodist Church. Open visitation beginning Tuesday at noon at the Chamberlain Funeral Home, Oregon. Interment will be at Forest City Union Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the Oregon Community Activities Committee, or The Shop, in care of Mound City United Methodist Church. Online condolences may be left at www.chamberlainfuneral.com.