William Strait,

William (Billy) Price Strait, 89, of Brookhaven, formerly ofHazlehurst, died Saturday, May 03, 2014, at Hardy Wilson Hospital in Hazlehurst. Visitation is scheduled from 12:00-2:00 onMonday at Stringer Funeral Home in Hazlehurst with services following at 2:00pm at the funeral home. Interment willbe immediately following at Rose Hill Cemetery in Brookhaven. Mr. Strait was bornin Lincoln County of December 6, 1924, to Willie Jay and Ella PriceStrait. He was a 1944 graduate of BrookhavenHigh School, where he lettered in both basketball and track. He was second in high hurdles in the SouthwestRegion, the Big 8 and Overall State in the 10th, 11th and12th grades, "never able to beat that one boy from McComb". His athletic prowess was passed on to histwin grandsons, Justin and Benjamin Chapman, who attended the University ofOklahoma on track scholarships. Mr. Strait wasdrafted the summer before his senior year, serving briefly in the Army A€™s 43rdRainbow Division Infantry at Camp Gruber, OK. Upon his discharge in December 1943 he returned home and promptly calledup a pretty girl who earlier had caught his eye at school, one DorisSmith. The two had their first date onChristmas Eve 1943, going to "the midnight picture show", when Billy gave Dorisa gold heart locket. The two becamesweethearts and later graduated together the spring of 1944. They eloped on July 2, 1946, on the way tovisit Doris A€™ sister and brother-in-law in Pascagoula, keeping their marriage asecret, albeit not for long as their first child was born within the year. Four more children completed their family. He had written in his Bible: "The sweetestthing I have ever known was loving Doris for 62 years A€“ who blessed our familywith five children. First date:Christmas 1943 till January 29, 2005." Upon graduationfrom Copiah-Lincoln Jr. College in 1946, Mr. Strait worked for Sun Oil Companybefore joining United Gas (later Entex) in 1950. His career began in Brookhaven and took himto Newton and then Hazlehurst, where he retired after 36 years. He was also a volunteer fireman. After retirement he operated Strait A€™s BlueFlame Service, servicing gas appliances for another two decades. Many times he charged only for parts, his wayof helping many who could not afford to pay. Billy and DorisStrait were married for fifty-eight years when she died on January 29,2005. He married Dolores Arnold Day in2007 and they made their home in Brookhaven. They were both avid gardeners until their health failed. Mr. Strait had a way with flowers and wasknown to be able to "plant a plastic flower in the ground and it would root." He was a member of his childhood church,Hawkins Chapel Methodist Church, and also attended Jackson Street MethodistChurch in Brookhaven. He was a proudveteran and a member of the American Legion in Wesson. To say he loved Southern gospel music, a lovehe passed on to his five children, was an understatement. He loved its rich harmony and "hand clapping"rhythms. He had amassed a collection ofover 175 CD A€™s and cassettes and had attended "gospel singin A€™s" throughout thestate for over 50 years. Anyone who knewBilly knew he loved to pull tricks and "tell tall tales" to make people laugh,a trait he inherited from his father, whose charisma earned him one term as afloating representative from Lincoln and Franklin Counties in the MississippiState Legislature during the 1930s. Ayoung Billy served as page during this time, recalling such experiences as hisfirst air conditioned building and hearing the fledging Blackwood Brothers singon Saturday mornings in front of the Lamar Life Building. He also liked to recall the story of thesummer session of 1936 when, as a hot and bored boy of 12, he was sitting inthe window at the Capital during a meeting and "accidentally" dropped a papercup into the fan, making "the awfulest racket". He was promptly scolded by Rep. WalterSillers. Billy also like to tell aboutthe time when Governor Hugh White told him to run and get him some Roitancigars, for which Billy said he ran up and down those big marble stairs ( "theprettiest things I A€™d ever seen") as fast as he could, earning him four bits (afifty cent piece), a lot of money to a poor farm boy in 1936. In addition to hisparents, Mr. Strait was preceded in death by his first wife, Doris SmithStrait; a sister Katherine Tigrett of Brandon and a brother Paul Strait ofWesson. He is survived by his wifeDolores Day Strait of Brandon and also his five children, Sylvia Chapman (Mel)of Fairview, TX; Becky Howard (John) of Madison; Jenny Davis (Alan) of BatonRouge, LA; Billie Dawn Strait of Hazlehurst; Jay Strait (Lanell) of Hazlehurst;seven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Memorials can bemade to the Alzheimer A€™s Association or to missions at Jackson Street MethodistChurch in Brookhaven or First Baptist Church in Hazlehurst.,

William Strait,

December 6, 1924 - May 3, 2014

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William Strait,

December 6, 1924 - May 3, 2014

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