William Robert (Bill) Bane, 86, of Sallisaw entered into eternal rest on June 10, 2017. He was a retired farmer and rural mail carrier and a member of Vian United Methodist Church.
Bill was born in Oakland, Iowa, on August 20, 1930, to John Y. Bane and Ruth (Setz) Bane. His family moved to Sequoyah County in 1951, and he married Margaret Black on April 24, 1954. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Charles Bane; and his grandson, William Raymond Leasure. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, of the home; daughter Sarah, of the home; son Doug and wife Vicki of Sallisaw; daughter Rebecca Leasure and husband Ray of Fort Smith; and grandchildren Grace Bane and James Bane.
Bill was known among family and friends for being able to "work a room." He could carry on a conversation with anyone. That ability served him well as a church usher for many years. Everyone who met him recognized his kind and friendly manner, as he is still remembered affectionately by many who lived on his mail route although he retired in 1990. He was also known for having a joke at the ready for almost any situation. He was writing humorous captions on newspaper and magazine photos long before "memes" became popular. He frequently attended car and tractor shows and could identify the make and model of a car or tractor from a single glance.
During his final months Bill received excellent care from the staff of Gore Nursing Center and Compassus Hospice.
Funeral services will be Wednesday, June 14, at 2:00 at Vian United Methodist Church, under the direction of Agent Mallory Martin Funeral Home, with burial following at Sallisaw City Cemetery. The family will visit with friends at Agent Mallory Martin from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 13.
Pallbearers will be Roger Stites, Bill Stites, Jarod Vinson, Brian Lee, Rafe Leflore and Steve Drake.
. Honorary pallbearers will be Seymour Drake, Fred Beck, Terry Guthrie, Benny Hight, Dr. Tommy McCreight,
Dan Drake, Darren Guthrie, Devin Guthrie, Stafford Drake and Dr. Macon Landers.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the American Diabetes Association or to your favorite charity.
