Billy Joe “Sam” Estes, 80, of Ada, Oklahoma passed away Monday June 1st, 2020.

Sam was born into a large family, being the fourth of nine children. They spent their youngest days roaming around the Lula area. The family moved many times and ultimately settled in Ada. The older children began their work life very early and through harsh life lessons they learned to survive. Sam followed his brothers into the construction business and found his happiness in the hard work of building structures.

Sam quickly learned and mastered many construction trades and focused his efforts in masonry. He started with a local contractor, who at the time, still used manpower in the literal way. Without the benefit of machinery, he made mortar by hand in a mud box by pulling wet sand through slacked lime, while working his way up to become a bricklayer. This defined the nature of the labor that the greatest generation had to endure.

Sam partnered with Floyd Holman and together Estes-Holman construction built hundreds of commercial structures and public school buildings and bricked thousands of houses over the course of 40 years. During the 70’s, they were working a large contract, building many homes and were able to completely brick a house in a single day. Their work is on display everywhere you look in Pontotoc county.

While managing the construction business, Sam took on another career of being the manager/operator of the Rural Water District # 8 and served for 25 years.

Work was his life, the only recreation Sam enjoyed was the annual Estes deer camp which ran the week of Thanksgiving for 40 consecutive years. Sam enjoyed the fellowship of his brothers, sons, nephews and friends attending each camp. Very little hunting took place, but rather long days of cutting and splitting firewood, cooking large meals and telling stories. It was something he looked forward to every year.

Sam is preceded in death by his parents Joe and Hazel Estes, wife Lynda and brothers Gerald, Tommie Sr., and Homer (Whick) Estes.

Sam is survived by brothers Roy Estes, Wendall “Brub” Estes, Arvis “Butch” Estes and sisters Dawanna “Cissy” Hughes and Darlene”Tinsy” Polidar. Sons Danny Davis and wife Cathy, Sammy Estes and wife Donnell, Bo Estes and wife Randi, and daughter Candace Driskill, and husband Lloyd all of Ada. Grandchildren Emily Waddell, Presley Driskill, Katy, Landon, Lincoln, Laci and Lyra Estes, Karisa Meyers and Clancy Davis. Great grandchildren Liam and Berkley Waddell and Davis, Mattie, and Talon Meyers.

Funeral services will be 10:00 AM, Thursday, June 4, 2020 at Morris Memorial Baptist Church in Latta. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Ada.

Pallbearers will be Tommie Estes Jr., Bud Estes, Rick Estes, John Estes, Doug Estes, and Bobby Ray Keller.

Estes-Phillips Funeral Home