Billie Adams Dennis

is honored with a Medium Bench from Christopher A. Moeller.

Billie Adams Dennis was born Billie Joyce Adams to William C. and Alma G. Adams of Tulsa on April 29th, 1926. She lived in Tulsa until 1939 when her father's profession as a petroleum geologist took the young family to Houston, Texas. There she did her college preparatory work at St. Agnes Academy from which she graduated in 1943. She attended the University of Houston in 1944 prior to transferring to her church's school, Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa. There she earned an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts in 1945.

Her academic career was then put on hold while she began her family by marrying William S. Moeller of Davenport, Iowa on January 11th, 1947. While her husband attended medical school at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, their family grew by three with the births of William Walter Moeller on March 24th, 1953; Christopher Adams Moeller on November 8th, 1955; and Scott Matthew Moeller on October 7th, 1957.

Divorce in 1962 led her to return to Tulsa to join her mother who had become a widow five years earlier. Along with caring for her mother and children, she attended the University of Tulsa, earning a Bachelors of Arts in History, Political Science and Education in 1964 and a Master of Arts in History and Political Science in 1966. She then taught social sciences in the Tulsa Public School System at Orville Wright Junior High from 1964 to 1978. During these years, she taught full-time while raising her three boys amid the turmoil of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

After the boys completed their high school education, Billie married Don H. Dennis of Grady, Oklahoma on August 9th, 1978. Since moving to the Dennis Hereford Ranch near Grady, she has helped her husband manage and operate a thriving registered and commercial cattle business as well as successful oil and gas ventures. Though these business activities have kept her quite busy, she has still strived to help her community and colleagues while being the ever faithful and attentive wife and mother. Most notably she served on the board of the Southern Oklahoma Family Shelter and is an active member of the American Hereford Association Auxiliary, the Oklahoma Hereford Association Auxiliary, the Oklahoma Cattlewoman's Association, the Texas Hereford Association Auxiliary, the American Association of University Women and the Oklahoma Historical Society, among other associations and organizations.

Over these many years of study and hard work, trials and tribulations, and both professional and geographic changes, she remained a guiding light and inspiration to her family. Leading by example, she raised her boys to be hard working and industrious as well as respectful and loyal. Her sons Bill, an engineer in Dallas, Texas, Chris, a physician in Wichita, Kansas, and Scott, an oil company employee in Ardmore, Oklahoma. still depend on her for support, advice and her unending love. At the time of this writing, she also has three grandchildren who benefit from her attention and guidance: Michael Adams Moeller and Theresa Marie Moeller of Wichita, Kansas and Matthew Adams Moeller of Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Billie Adams Dennis has been and remains a true heroine to all the people's lives she has touched, including her students, her friends and her colleagues, but especially to her loving husband, children and grandchildren. This small tribute attempts to recognize her for all she has done for so many.

September 5, 1998