William Shelton

William Oliver (Wild Bill) Shelton, age 86 passed away Monday in Destin, Fl. Funeral services will be held Friday, November 14, 11A.M. at Central Baptist Church in Newnan, Ga. with Dr. Joel Richardson officiating. Burial will follow at 3 P.M. in Evergreen Cemetery in Macon, Ga. He was born in Macon, Ga. on September 23, 1922 to the late Otto Harrison Shelton and Agnes Lee Lowe Shelton and was of the Baptist faith. W.O. was a graduate of Lanier High School in Macon. Upon graduation he entered into pilot training in Griffin. He served in the United States Army Air Corp. During WW II while serving as a pilot his plane was shot down in the Pacific Ocean where he saved 18 wounded soldiers in 2 life rafts. He was also shot down over Burma. During his life he raced cars with legends like Glenn â€œFireballâ€ Roberts, the Flock Brothers, Clement Hutto, and Barney Smith. He won numerous flying awards including the â€œSoutheastern Aerobatic Championshipâ€. His many business accomplishments include Registered Gemologist; jewelry store owner; flight instructor at Spence Air Base, Moultrie and Reece Field, Macon; pilot with Riddle and Eastern Airlines, as well as the Flying Tigers. He owned and operated a crop dusting business, Moultrie, and TransAir Cargo Line, Miami, Fl.; 3-Bâ€™s Food Mart and Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Macon; several Burger Kings, K. C. Food Mart and Star Auto Sales, Newnan, Ga. which later relocated to Ft. Walton Beach, Fl.. He was an avid outdoorsman with golf ranking second in his life. His family was always first. He was a member of the Masonic Order of Fort Hawkins, Lodge # 418 and the Al Shirah Shrine Temple. Besides his parents he was preceded in death by brothers Quitman Otto Shelton, Calvin Lee Shelton. He is survived by his wife Carol Johnson Shelton of Destin, Fl. Children, Brenda (John) Shelton Dunn, William â€œBillâ€ (Betty Jo) Shelton, Jr. of Carrollton, Brian (Pat) Shelton of Newnan; Christopher â€œChrisâ€ (Delores) Shelton and Kevin Shelton of Destin, Fl.; and brother Drexel (Carolyn) Shelton, sister Polly Amerson and 2 nieces all of Macon; Grandchildren, Lisa (Scott) Elrod Campbell of Easley, South Carolina, Kim Elrod, and Tina (Reese) Elrod Payton of Newnan, Pam (Craig) Shelton Dodson, William Oliver â€œTraeâ€ Shelton, III of Carrollton, Craig Shelton of Newnan, Tyler Shelton, Taylor Shelton, and Tanner Shelton of Destin, Fl.. and 11 great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends following graveside services at the home of Polly Amerson, 781 Ivy Brook Way, Macon.

William Shelton

September 23, 1922 - November 10, 2008