Mr. Joe Jerald Rayburn

Joe Jerald Rayburn, age 83, went to be with his Lord and Savior Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at Dallas Presbyterian Hospital. Joe was born July 25, 1932, in Munday, Texas to Ermon and Thomas Washington Rayburn. During his 83 years, Joe had three families which included the Rayburn/Hammontree biological family, his Orphan family, and his Northside Baptist/Kessler Park Methodist Church family. Along with his mother and father, he is preceded in death by his five brothers: Dwight, Ray, Leamon, and Quinton (Dick) Hammontree and Paul Rayburn. Born during the Great Depression and after losing both his mom and dad, Joe and his brother Paul were placed in the Waco Methodist Orphans Home in 1938. There, Joe sang in the choir and every Saturday he would get to travel to Dallas, TX to record hymns on the WBAP Radio Station for the Methodist Home Sunshine Hour Broadcast Program. It was there that he got to meet movie stars like Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Tyrone Power, and Annabelle. Joe was known for giving every orphan a nickname. His nickname was Joe Hog because he ate all the time and never seemed to get full. At the Home, everybody had a job and Joe worked on the Home Dairy Milking Crew. This crew was in charge of milking 45 cows by hand, feeding them, and keeping the stalls clean. Joe was also a running back for the Methodist Home Badger football team and a member of the scout troop, earning the rank of First Class Scout. He attended Waco High and was a blocking back for the Waco High Tigers football team. After leaving the Home, he joined the US Airforce serving honorably as a Military Policeman. He guarded B-47’s and B-52’s loaded with atomic bombs at Goose Bay Airforce Base. After leaving the military he was a Deputy Sheriff for Dallas County under Sheriff Bill Decker. Joe was one of the police officers at the Texas Theatre responsible for the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald. In the 1950’s, Joe settled in Duncanville, TX where he owned and operated Little Joe’s Drive-In on Main Street. For several years, he operated a very lucrative grease collecting business. Later, Joe worked as a long haul truck driver for the rest of his working career. In his spare time, his hobbies included motorcycles, hunting, horses, sports, working with church youth, working with the scouts, and he loved to lead and sing southern gospel hymns. Joe Rayburn accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and set a wonderful example for adults, church youth, and the Boy Scouts. The visitation will be held from 3 to 5pm, Sunday, January 17, at David Clayton & Sons (200 W Center Street Duncanville, TX 75116). The funeral service will be held at 10am, Monday, January 18, at Kessler Park United Methodist Church (1215 Turner Ave. Dallas, TX 75208). Following the service will be the committal service at Laurel Land Memorial Park (6000 SRL Thornton Freeway Dallas, TX 75232).