Obituary of Billie Dean Probst

Billie Dean (Pence) Probst died Thursday, October 24, 2024.

Billie was born in Thorn Grove, Arkansas on May 21, 1939. She was the middle child of Pauline (Birchett) and Virgil Pence.

During her childhood, Billie determined that chopping cotton was not to be in her future. And so it was that after graduating from Knobel High School in 1957, she immediately moved to St. Louis, Missouri.

While attending church services in St. Louis, she became friends with Etta Phillips. Etta ran a boarding house and among her residents was a nephew Jim, who, in Etta’s opinion, spent a bit too much time carousing. She often admonished him with a quote from the Gospel According to St. John “Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.”

Jim eventually caught sight of Billie as she accompanied Etta to Sunday services and the rest, as they say, is history.

Virgil was not in favor of Jim nor of the upcoming wedding. He secretly offered Jim money to just go away.  But Billie’s love for Jim outweighed her desire to be obedient to her Dad. Despite Virgil’s boycott of the ceremony, she and Jim were married on May 31, 1957. Billie said that years later, Virgil admitted “I was so wrong about Jim.”

On March 30^th of 1959 (a FULL TEN months after the nuptials), Little Jim was born with (Duane) A. J. making his debut 5 years later in June of 1964.

She and Jim were truly a team. Aunt Billie and Uncle Jim – that’s how most folks knew them. Some knew them as Brother Jim and Sister Billie due to their pastoring churches in Maryville and St. Joseph, Missouri.

Billie was a caretaker extraordinaire. In addition to her husband and sons, various relatives lived with Jim and Billie over the years. Some for a few weeks, some for years. Her father and father-in-law, her brother, her sister-in-law, numerous nieces and nephews – if you needed a place to stay (or hide) or were just in the midst of transition – her home was open.

When Christmas rolled around, Billie always had extra presents wrapped and ready for the unplanned and yet somehow expected children who might otherwise go without.

As her children and grandchildren matured and depended less and less on Billie, Billie still had a desire to help others. She fulfilled that desire through service in the American Red Cross. From house fires and tornadoes in Northwest and Southeast Missouri, to hurricanes in Louisiana and the Virgin Islands, to the terrorist attack in New York City, she was there.

Billie was preceded in death by her husband Jim, her parents Virgil and Pauline Pence, her Sister Reva Jean Landreth, her brother Richard Pence, and all of her in-laws (save one), and a granddaughter Lili.

She is survived by two sons - Dr. James Probst (Melanie) of Nashville, Illinois, and Duane A. J. Probst (Cheryl) of Linn, Missouri; four grandchildren – Kimberly Probst Warden (Brandon Pickeral) of St. Louis, James Gabriel “Gabe” Probst of Chicago, Louis Probst (Ariel) and Luke Probst (Autumn) of Linn; five greatgrandchildren, Jackson and Ruby Warden of St. Louis, Ezra, Micah, and Luka Probst of Linn; tons of nieces and nephews, Knobel High classmates, and dear, dear friends.

Said one niece, “Hers was a life full and well lived.”

Visitation will be held in the Handy Church in Handy, Missouri on Saturday, November 2, 2024, beginning at 10:00 a.m. with the funeral service to follow at 11:00 a.m. Burial in the Handy Cemetery.