Pictured are (from left) Charles and Brenda Mackey, and Tina and Rick Ornelas.
July 6, 2026 - Two separate families entered vehicles in the Timpson Frontier Days car show to honor and celebrate the life of their loved ones who passed away at a young age. The two families were neighbors when both boys were young and best friends.
The first was Bill Billingsley who passed away in a car crash with a friend on April 26, 1987 at the age of 22. His sister, Tina Ornelas, shared Bill was out with friends when he parked his pickup and got into his friend’s 1973 Pontiac Ventura. The two traveled down the roadway and later had a single vehicle crash which took both their lives. Bill’s truck, a 1984 C/30 1-ton dually, was driven home by another friend.
The second to pass was Charles Wayne Hooker, Jr. on August 3, 1988. He was also 22 years old. According to his sister, Brenda Mackey, when he bought the 1954 Chevy he was a Sophomore in High School with the intention of fixing it up. She said it was basically just the cab and he sat on a 5-gallon bucket to drive it. After graduating from Timpson High School in 1984 he joined the Navy and was a Navy Airman D-3, Plane Captain at Cecil Field, Jacksonville, Florida. He came home on leave and died in an accident on August 3, 1988 in Panola County.
At the time of his death, he had not had the opportunity to redo his truck yet and it was basically a yard ornament.
Mackey, shared, “We bought it from my parents, and redone it in memory of him. So, we tried to incorporate the Navy stuff and then his dog tags, we hang on the rearview mirror and then the license plate is 66WH88 and that's the year he was born 66; his initial was Wayne Hooker, WH; and then he passed in 88.”
Each family shared Bill and Wayne were best friends with Wayne not getting over the loss of his friend Bill. They are buried not far from each other at Timpson Missionary Baptist Cemetery in Timpson.
Both families are glad to be able to keep Bill's and Wayne's memories alive with their vehicles.
Related Article: Timpson Frontier Days 2026 Car Show Results
