Billye Venable Treadwell
Billye Modene Venable Treadwell was born January 11, 1934, to Sterling and Manda Venable. She was the youngest of 4 siblings and grew up on a farm in the Bilby/Spaulding area south of Holdenville. Hoeing peanuts, milking, churning, and her least favorite, picking cotton were daily chores for Billye and her siblings. Before she was old enough to work in the fields, and underfoot in the house with her mom, she was tasked with getting the mail, a quarter mile down the lane. She often rode her stick horse because it was “too far to walk.”
Billye attended school in Spaulding where she played softball, basketball, and sang in a girl’s quartet. When she missed the bus, she had to walk across the fields sometimes in the snow, and probably uphill both ways. Guessing the stick horse was not allowed in school.
After graduation, Billye moved to the big city of Holdenville. She worked at Foster Drug where she learned to make a mean grilled cheese sandwich, and at Chesnutt Motor Company where she learned bookkeeping and other life skills from Vera Chesnutt. The Elks Lodge was the happening social scene, and Billye attended some dances there. As fate would have it, she was swept off her feet and away from her date by Tommy Treadwell, a veteran of 2 wars, and a smooth dancer. Sparks flew, and so did Tommy and Billye, off to elope. Flown by friend and pilot Wilton Dillon, to Miami, OK where they were married on March 13, 1955.
Not long after they were married, Lisa Ann Treadwell arrived on the scene followed pretty quickly by Scot Dean, Thomas Kent, and Lyn Evlyn. That’s not a typo. Tommy filled out the birth certificate and misspelled Evelyn. Billye handled 4 kids, maintaining the house, shopping on a budget, and a finicky sewer system. She was the best mom to not only her kids, but any cousins, neighborhood kids, friends, and just about anyone who walked in her door. She never met a stranger, and her welcoming energy was felt by everyone who met her. She hosted many Thanksgivings and Christmases with her legendary ham loaf as the quintessential Christmas dish.
When the kids had mostly dispersed to college and career, Billye began working at People’s State Bank preparing statements and later handling their marketing and monthly newsletter. An avid walker, Billye took daily walks with her dog of the time, Vicki, Roger, and finally George. She picked up neighbors’ newspapers on her way so they wouldn’t have to walk out to get them. She walked 2 miles until she was well into her 80’s.
Time went by and weddings and grandkids came along. Billye and Tommy were blessed with 10 grandchildren who often stayed with them (sometimes all at once!). Her house was a favorite place for all of them, and she regaled them with her wisdom, grannyisms, songs (sometimes inappropriate), and her frog (if you know, you know).
Later in life, Billye continued to walk, traveled with Tommy on American Bankers Association trips, looked after neighbors and friends, and at the end of his life, Tommy. She was the ultimate caregiver to the benefit of many friends and family.
When the time came for some one to care for her, Billye was able to stay in her home for over 2 years with the care of Laverne Wolf and frequent visits/ lunches from her “5th and 6th” kids, Kelly Smith and Karen Patterson. After medical issues made it impossible for her to stay in her home, Billye went to live at Brookdale Senior Community in Shawnee. She was cared for by the staff there for 9 months.
Billye passed peacefully in hospice care surrounded by family on January 30, 2026. Billye was preceded in death by husband Tommy Treadwell, her parents, Sterling and Manda Venable, her siblings J.R. Venable, Maureen Rupe, and June Byerly, her grandson T.J. Treadwell, and grandson in law, Richard Fehl.
Billye is survived by her four children, Lisa Massey and husband Andy, Scot Treadwell and wife Vicki, Kent Treadwell and wife Tara, and Lyn Harris and husband Ray; 9 grandchildren, Natalie Tapley, Katy Treadwell, Drew Massey, Toby Hanyok, Abby Brown, Sara Treadwell, Bonny Oesch, John Tom Treadwell, and Taylor Larkin; and 17 great grandchildren.
Services will be held at the United Methodist Church in Holdenville on March 17, 2026 at 12 noon. A visitation will be held at Hudson Phillips Funeral Home from 5-7 p.m. on March 16th.
