Clay Eugene Wills, Sr. left this world to be reunited with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, July 28, 2018.

He was born April 28, 1927, and lived 300 yards from his birthplace on the Ecton Pike.

Around age 10, he joined the First Baptist Church and grew spiritually through the Sphar Bible Class.

As a young man, he attended the Sugar Ridge School, St. Agatha Academy, was a 1945 graduate of Clark County High School, and Kentucky Wesleyan College.

A lifelong farmer and conservationist, he worked the land raising many crops of tobacco, hay, fescue seed, sheep, and cattle.

In the 1960s, he worked for the Agricultural Stabilization & Conservation Service (ASCS) measuring tobacco.

He also served as chairman of the Southern States Co-op Board, was a member of the Clark County Young Farmers, Clark County Cattleman’s Association, Kentucky Cattleman’s Association, and traveled with the Farmer Banker Tour.

Eugene enjoyed the simple things in life like going to the stockyards and talking to people.

He loved raising beef cattle, Massey Ferguson tractors, home-grown strawberries, thin-sliced fruit cake, ice cream, and Juicy Fruit gum.

His home was a gathering place where you never left hungry.

He was proud to have voted in every election possible.

He will be greeted in heaven by his wife of 53 years, Peggy Rose Lanter Wills, parents, Edgar Clay and Nannie Martin Wills, brother, Raymond Lee Wills, and many friends that he met along the way.

He leaves to cherish his memory a spouse, Virginia Shrout Wills, two children Jane Wills (Robert) Sparks and Clay Eugene Wills Jr. (Carol Reed), three grandchildren David (Jennifer) Sparks, Matthew (Elysia) Sparks, and Morgan Wills (August) Fisher, six great grandchildren Allyson Rose Sparks, David Sparks Jr., Andon Frost, Abbigail Frost, Kate Fisher, and Burley Fisher, and two stepsons Doug and Danny True.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 31 from 5-8 pm at First Baptist Church, 32 E. Lexington Ave.,

Winchester, KY. Funeral will be held at the church by Rev. Don Burkhead and Pastor Tony Stang on Wednesday, August 1 at 11:00 am with graveside services to follow in the Winchester Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be August Fisher, Bob Hampton, Bill Pumphrey, Bill Quisenberry, David Sparks, Matthew Sparks, Robert Sparks, and Larry Wiseman. Honorary pallbearers include John Bradley, Carlean Hefner, Don Henry, Don Holder, Jeff Lanter, Scottie Lanter, Royce Paynter, Ruth Slusher, Danny True, Doug True, Jack Wise, and David Woosley.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the First Baptist Church Nursery. Please remember our loved one by sharing time outdoors with a young person.

Plant a garden, tend a crop, ride on a tractor, care for an animal, or take them fishing to pass on his love of the land.