Mr. Joseph "Joe B" Benjamin Hilliard

Joseph Benjamin Hilliard (Joe B) joined his wife, Pauline, on August 4 in arms of Christ. Born February 4, 1923, in Aurora, Illinois to Berton Parker Hilliard and Elnora Elizabeth (Coleman) Hilliard; Joe spent his youth in Jonesboro before moving to Keiser in 1941. After meeting Pauline in September of 1941 they were wed that same December and lived together as man and wife for 66 years. Joe went to work for Keiser Supply Company and later Lee Wilson Company as a young bookkeeper and retired after 63 years as Senior Vice President of the company that was his second family. For his fiftieth anniversary as a Lee Wilson Company employee the Wilson family established what is now the Joe B. Hilliard / Wilson Scholarship at Arkansas State University.
Joe served on many state and county boards and agencies. Among his many accomplishments was serving as Mayor of Keiser. During his tenure as Mayor he and his council members were instrumental in seeing that all city roads were paved, started two-days-a week garbage pick-up, purchased ten acres for a city park, built a new fire station for a new fire truck, built a city hall with a public library, constructed a sewer system, and erected street lights for the town of 500 citizens.
A life time sports fan and dedicated St. Louis Cardinals fan Joe listened to, attended or viewed over 10,000 St. Louis Cardinal baseball games.
As much as he loved his work and those who he worked with his first love was Jesus Christ. He and Pauline were members of Keiser United Methodist Church from the time of their marriage and retained their membership after their move to Germantown Plantation Assisted Living in 2010. He was gifted with a beautiful tenor voice and loved to sing and hear the songs that praised and glorified his Lord. One of his favorite hymns, “Others” exemplified his character and how he lived his life. He did not judge or gossip about people, but accepted each as a child of God. He helped those he could never wanting recognition of his many good deeds.
Joe is survived by his three children, Carole Ann Burns and her husband David, Mike and his wife Sue and Paul his wife Carla, grandchildren Christy Ford, Michael Hilliard and Stacy Hilliard and five great-grandchildren: John David Burns, Carole Ann Ford, Jewel Elizabeth Ford, Ethan Martin Hilliard, and Brayden Joseph Hilliard. He is preceded in death by his parents; wife: Pauline Hilliard; one sister: Pauline Cunningham, and one brother Eugene Parker Hilliard.
A Bar-B-Q lunch will be served following the service, all friends are invited.