Joseph William Bolton, Sr., 95, passed away on Monday, February 1, 2010, at Baptist Orange Hospital.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 5, 2010, at Winfree Baptist Church under the direction of Claybar Funeral Home in Orange with Reverend Keith Royal officiating. Burial will follow at Autumn Oaks Memorial Park in Orange.
Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Thursday, at the church.
Born in Montague County, Texas on July 9, 1914, he was the son of Joseph Albert Bolton and Judy Owens Bolton. During WWII Joe worked at Levingston Shipyard. After the war he went to night school and opened Bolton Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Service. After retiring, he became manager of Brown's Bowling Lanes for 10 years. Joe was a Deacon at Winfree Baptist Church and previously a member of North Orange Baptist Church and Old First Orange Baptist Church. He enjoyed woodworking, playing and watching sports and bowling on leagues in the late fifties and sixties. For the last twenty years Joe loved spending his time witnessing to friends, family, and anyone else he met, inviting them to church and talking about the Lord.
Preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Frances "Sweet Pete" Bolton; his parents, Judy and Joseph Bolton; sisters, Edna White, Lee Harvey, Mae Wellington; Nell Jennings, Martha Vincent and Beulah Bell; brothers, Milton, Jake, Ed, Clyde and Dub Bolton; and great-grandson, Ryan Pineda.
Joe is survived by his daughter, Judy Breaux and her husband, F.E. "Moody" Breaux of Orange; son, Joe W. Bolton, Jr. and his wife, Billie Bolton of Beaumont; grandchildren, Julie and Ronnie LeDoux of Orange, Janet and Ricky Pineda of Orange, Jodie and Mark Anders of Vidor, Jennifer and Joseph Lawrence of Sugar Land, Wendy Ellis of Beaumont, Kelly and Brett Hardy of Sour Lake and Joey Bolton of Beaumont.
He is also survived by his great-grandchildren, Matt and Nicole Gearen, Lori and
Joe White, Leslie Sonnier, Misty Anders, Michelle and Trent Sprayberry, Holland Lawrence and Jordan Lawrence, Dustin, Shane, Kassi and Kamryn Hardy, Jessica, Taylor, Jamie, Cody and Sarah Ellis, Tyler, Brandon and Laura Bolton, Shanna Chesser and Chrissy and Jason Ply; great great-grandchildren, Keegan Sonnier, Ashton and Tyson White, Easton Sprayberry, Breanna LeDoux, Morgan Durden, Jailyn and Camden Ply and Devin Kibodeaux.
Serving as Pallbearers will be Matt Gearen, Joey Bolton, Ricky Pineda, Joseph Lawrence, Brett Hardy, Tolly Shults, Jim Murray and Larry Ancelot. Honorary Pallbearers will be Mark Anders, Ronnie LeDoux, Larry Sanford, Ronnie Evans, Steve Culp, Jeremy Culp, and the Winfree Baptist Church Deacons.