Joe Patton

Reverend Joe Patton, 90, of West Frankfort, Illinois, formerly of Omaha, went to be with his Lord on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at the Parkway Manor in Marion.  He was born and raised on the family farm near Omaha on February 20, 1929, the son of the late Charles Wesley and Wilma (Keasler) Patton.  Joe married the former Wilma Moore on September 20, 1945.  He retired as a plumber and pipe fitter out of Local 551 and pastored several churches for over fifty years.  Joe was a member of Cavalry Baptist Church in West Frankfort.  When he was twenty-one years of age he joined May Masonic Lodge in Norris City and was a mason for sixty-nine years.  He served his Lord most of his adult life, and began his ministry as a Deacon at  the Ridgway Baptist Church and later became a ordained Baptist minister.  Joe not only loved the Lord and served Him well.  He also loved hunting, fishing, and living on Barkley Lake making memories with his family.  Joe is survived by his wife of seventy-four years, Wilma Patton of West Frankfort; one daughter, Vickie and Jim Johnson of West Frankfort; three sons, Phillip Dean Patton of Lebanon, Ohio; Steve Patton of Marion, Tony and Debbie Patton of Chesapeake Bay, Delaware; eight grandchildren; nineteen great grandchildren and one great great grandson, Rowan James.  He was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Virginia Tarrant, Maxine Vickers, Imogene Koehler; one brother, John C. Patton.   Visitation for Joe will be held on Saturday, November 16th from noon until service time at 1 p.m. at the Vickery Funeral Chapel in Omaha.  Pastor Lloyd Whittaker will be officiating the service with burial at Bethlehem Cemetery near Omaha.  Memorials may be made to the Bethlehem Cemetery.