William Parten

Mr. Parten passed away following a short illness surrounded by his children. He was born July 22, 1930 in Flynn, Texas, to Rev. Roy Oscar Parten, Sr. and Willie Mae Durrett Parten. They moved to Madisonville when he was four.

Mr. Parten, also known as Bill, W.A., and Uncle Dub accepted Jesus as his savior at 5 years of age and joined First Baptist Church, Madisonville. Since that time it was his will to serve God with his life. He graduated from Waco High School in 1947. He entered the Air Force January 1951, became a navigator and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on October 13, 1953. He married the love of his life, a Killeenite, Vivian Marie Gault, on October 17, 1953.

W.A. got out of the service in August of 1955. The young couple settled in Killeen where they reared three children and lived ever since.

W.A. graduated from Hardin Simmons University in 1956 with a major in Bible, and received is Master’s Degree in Education from Southwest Texas State University in 1965. He also received his Master’s in Divinity from Southwest Baptist Seminary in Ft. Worth, San Antonio campus in 2007.

Mr. Parten was a 5th grade teacher with KISD for 34 years, retiring in 1994. He taught at Meadow’s Elementary School on Ft. Hood and Bellaire Elementary School. He was also a school bus driver. During that time W.A. along with his mother and step-father, owned and operated Globe Mobile City, a 5-star mobile home park. He was a dedicated worker.

As a practicing Christian and believing his time belonged to the Lord, he was ordained as a Deacon at East Side Baptist Church in May 1963, led an Adult Men’s Bible Study Class, assisted with the Children’s Worship Service and drove a church bus. He was a member of Gideons International since 1972. Mr. Parten was a Pastor at Cedar Valley Baptist Church from February 1976 to September 1992. He then held Bible Studies in nursing facilities in Killeen and Harker Heights.

Organizations Bill Parten had belonged to in Killeen were: Chamber of Commerce, Jr. Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club, masons (33rd degree), and Toastmasters Club and Mission Service Corp.

Mr. Parten was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Roy. O. Parten, his wife of 60 years, Vivian Gault Parten, and a granddaughter, Catrina Sturgill, Alaska: He is survived by his sons Durrett and Randy Parten of Killeen, Sandra Parten Kite of Anchorage, Alaska; Martine Bykowski of Temple, and Janice and Ricky Smith of Goldthwaite; 10 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to East Side Baptist Church, 500 North W.S. Young Dr. in Killeen. Visitation will be at Harper-Talasek Funeral Home October 26th, 2020 from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Services will be held at 11:00a.m. on October 27th, 2020 at Eastside Baptist Church in Killeen. Burial will follow at Killeen City Cemetery.