B. L. Davis

B. L. Davis October 14, 1918 July 2, 2010 B. L. Davis, of Waco, went to be with his Lord and Master Friday, July 2, 2010, after a long courageous battle with cancer. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 7, at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Waco Memorial Park. Visitation with the family will be 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Tuesday, July 6 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey. B. L. Davis was born on October 24, 1918 in Murchison, Texas and grew up on a cotton farm near Chillicothe. He volunteered for the U. S. Army in 1938 at the age of sixteen and he was honorably discharged in 1940. He met the love of his life, Mary Ellan Gause in Abilene and they were married on March 29, 1941. B.L. was drafted back into the U.S. Army in 1942 serving as Drill Instructor at Fort Knox, Kentucky from 1942 until 1944. Sergeant Davis was ordered to the European Theater in May of 1944 and served until the end of the war in 1945. He served with valor as a tank commander in the Tenth Army. B.L. fought in the Battle of the Bulge, The Relief of Bastogne and was seriously wounded on April 18, 1945 and was listed as missing in action. When the war ended B.L. was still hospitalized in Nancy, France. He was awarded The Purple Heart, two Bronze Stars and One Oak Leaf Cluster for his service in combat. He returned to the USA on a hospital ship during Christmas of 1945. He surrendered to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in 1951 at Summit Baptist Church in Amarillo. B. L. earned his BA Degree from Howard Payne University and BD Degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He served as pastor at Brooke Smith Baptist Church, Rocky Creek Baptist Church near Brownwood, East Cisco Baptist Church, First Baptist Church Seagraves, First Baptist Church Hereford, Alum Rock Baptist Church San Jose, CA and San Jacinto Baptist Church Amarillo and part time pastor at Falcon Head in Marietta, OK. B.L. was the Director of the Amarillo Baptist Association from 1975 through 1986. During this time he served as chairman of two city wide crusades for Amarillo. B.L. helped break ground for High Plains Baptist Hospital and served as a Trustee for nine years. He lead and preached the Gospel in several world wide crusades, The Philippines1963 and 1968, Encounter California 1967, Japan 1972, Seoul, Korea 1973, 1975 , 1977 and 1984, Racife, Brazil 1981, 1982 and 1985 and Paris, France 1976. B.L. also led two area wide Latin American Crusades in Hereford. B.L. retired from full time ministry on December 31, 1986. He moved to Waco in July 1998 and was a member of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church at the time of his passing. B.L. was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter, Dixie Lee Davis in 1944 and his wife, Mary Ellan Davis on July 29, 2003. They were married for sixty two years at the time of Ellan's passing. He is survived by his children, Dian Taylor and husband, Don of Waco and Mike Davis and wife, Mary Kay of Austin; sister, Mary Frances Ward of Amarillo; grandchildren, Doak Taylor and wife, Pam of McKinney, Doug Taylor and wife, Katherine of Aura, Uganda, Davis Taylor and wife, Cortney of San Antonio, Evaney Priolo and husband, George of Amarillo, Scottie Davis and wife, Janeth of Morse, Kerry McGill and wife Mary of Austin; great-grandchildren, Peyton, Holden, Dillon, Haven and Canyon Taylor, Kylie, Karis and Caleb Taylor, Kristlyn, Bryce, Mia and Kendall Taylor, Olivia Kirk, Hartley and Presley Davis, Greyson McGill and Ireland McGill. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WilkirsonHatchBailey.com. Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey