Dear Sir, Our First Amendment rights are safe…for now. There is a small, but very vocal and aggressive movement that would dictate what others in our community can and cannot read. Books are being searched for, challenged, and removed in schools and libraries across the nation due to individuals deeming them offensive because of (insert your personal beliefs, biases, and opinions here).

Billie Wray Kay Eakin Strauss passed away peacefully on June 27, 2023. Billie was born on July 28, 1929, in Tyler, Texas, to William Rosamond Kay and Velma Verona Herring Kay. The family moved to Madisonville, Texas in 1936. She gave her life to Christ at age 10 at First Baptist Church in Madisonville. After graduating from Madisonville High School in 1945, she attended Baylor University, graduating in 1949. She married Bob Eakin on June 6, 1949 and they had five children together. She was active in church life, serving in the WMU and teaching Sunday school. She was also active in Little League baseball, serving as the president of the Ladies Auxiliary.