Funeral services for Billy Joe, previously of Plainview, will be at 10:30 a.m on Wednesday, December 9th at College Heights Baptist Church in Plainview. Burial with Military Honors will be at 3:00p.m. on Wednesday in Cee Vee,TX. A visitation will be held on Tuesday December 8th from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Lemons Funeral Home in Plainview.

Billy Joe was born on August 22,1940 in Lamar County to Jeff and Ela Cross. At the age of 17 he left school and joined t he United States Marine Corp. He entered as a Private in 1957 and was honorably discharged in 1962 as a Corporal. He married Phyllis Ann Garvin on October 6, 1959 in Lubbock, TX. They resided in Fallbrook, CA while Billy Joe was in the Marines. Billy Joe earned his GED while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. After his discharge, Billy Joe and Phyllis then moved to Plainview where he enrolled in Wayland Baptist University. He earned his License to Minister in 1964. Billy Joe later became an ordained minister and began preaching in Vinson, OK for two years and then began preaching in Dumont, TX for 10 years. He later earned his teaching certificate and began teaching GED classes from 1973-2014. He then was a general education and computer teacher at Lakeside School. He retired from teaching in 2014.

Billy Joe was preceded in death by one son, Ben Allen Cross in 2014; three brothers, Leslie M.Cross, Kenneth R. Cross, and Jack M. Cross; and one sister, Kathryn Squier.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 56 years, Phyllis Ann (Garvin) Cross; two sons, Brad and Brent Cross; two sisters, Shirley Graham and Opal French; brother-in-law, Howard Squier; sister-in-law ,Virgie Cross; four grandchildren, Bridget Cross, Krista Cross, Kendra Cross and Blake Cross; nine great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.