Willie Dee Rankin

GRANBURY — Willie Dee Rankin, age 87, passed away on Sunday, June 14, 2015, in Granbury, Texas.
Services: 10:00 AM Saturday, June 20, 2015, at Lakeside Baptist Church, Granbury
Interment: 3:30 PM Saturday, June 20, 2015, at Elmwood Memorial Park, Mausoleum Gardens, Abilene
Visitation: 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Friday, June 19, 2015, at Wiley Funeral Home, Granbury
In lieu of flowers, memorials to: Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 1939 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018 or Alzheimer’s Association, 2630 West Fry #100, Fort Worth, TX 76102.
Willie was born on August 15, 1927 in Anson, Texas to the late Robert and Dora Lee Dutton Rankin. He served in the US Navy in World War II. He married Opal Irene Frost on July 2, 1948 in Hamlin Texas. After their marriage   they lived in Eastland for 5 years where he worked as a Typesetter for Victor Cornelius. They later moved to Granbury from Abilene in 1981. Willie was a member of Lakeside Baptist Church. He was a former member for 28 years at Elmwood Baptist Church in Abilene where he was an Ordained Deacon.
Survivors: wife, Opal Irene Rankin; children, Bruce Rankin and wife, Donna, of Granbury and Donna Dalton and husband, Gerald, of Campbell, Missouri; 3 grandchildren, Emily and Marty Deslattes, Teresa and Mike Salceanu, and Christina and Todd Richardson; 10 great-grandchildren, Justus Daniels, Cayden Daniels, Christopher Richardson, Madison Richardson, Dakota Richardson, Ila Irene Richardson, Sebastian Salceanu, Theadora Salceanu, Hannah Deslattes and Haddie Deslattes; brothers, Wanell Rankin and wife, LaVonne of Abilene, and Wendell Rankin and wife, Carole, of Euless; sister in law, Wilma Little of Waco.
He was preceded in death by his brothers, Doug Rankin and Denzel Rankin, and great granddaughter, Gabrielle Auleen Daniels.