Willie Donald (Donnie) Stratton, Jr. was the oldest child of Willie Donald Stratton, Sr. and Mary Ellen McQuire Stratton (Rigney).
He was born July 5, 1938. Donnie had three younger siblings; Mary Elizabeth Stratton Roe(Roy), Martha Ann Stratton Hendron (Billy), and Jackie Lewis Stratton. He was survived by his son, Joseph Donald (Jodee) Stratton, and was also survived by three nieces: Mary Leigh Roe (Howe); Karen Lynn Roe (Davidson); and the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. William Hendron; four nephews: Jeffery Lee Roe; Gary Wayne Roe; Roy Lee Roe, Jr. and William Hendron, Jr; and a multitude of cousins, as well as his grandmother, Ona McGuire and by three uncles, Melvin McQuire, of Harrodsburg, KY., Charles Stratton of Lexington, KY. and Lewis Stratton of Lawrenceburg, KY. He was predeceased by his father, his daughter,DeONa Marie Stratton, one nephew, William Scott Hendron, and his step-father, Ernest Rigney.
The Stratton family resided during Donnie's adolescent years on a farm in rural Anderson County. Their beautiful farm home was destroyed by a fire, from which they all thankfully escaped unharmed with only a chair full of clothes and their TV, which was reported to be the first TV privately owned in Anderson County.
Donnie attended Western High School. After high school he was employed by the H. K. Porter Factory, Frankfort, KY, a company that manufactured wheelshield wipers for the Ford Motor Company, where he was an inspector.
In 1963 Mr. Stratton married Judith (Judi) Ann Fryer on June 29 in Lexington, KY.
In 1967 Mr. Stratton became an ironworker for the Whalen Erecting Company and helped erect the dormitory towers on the UK campus in Lexington, the tower office complexes at Fountain Square in Frankfort, KY, and the Kincaid Towers in downtown Lexington, KY.
In 1973 Donnie opened his own successful business on Pridemore Court in Lexington, KY; Don's Autobody, which later was moved to Highway 127 in Lawrenceburg, KY. He was considered to be the very best Corvette auto-body-man in the area.
In the late 1960s through 1973 Donnie raced automobiles beginning at the Bluegrass Drag Strip in Lexington, KY with a gold metal-flaked Austin Healy and graduating to several 'rails' or 'dragsters', all of which were built and maintained by him personally, with the help of a small dedicated group of gentlemen who acted as his pit crew. Then he began 'roundtrack' racing in Richmond, Clay City, and Frankfort, KY, having purchased a car from nationally-known driver, Bill Kimmel, who had raced and crashed the car at Daytona Speedway. The red Chevelle was re-numbered and throughout Donnie's ownership it was known as 'USA-1'.
In 1973 Donnie and Judi's first child, DeONa Marie Stratton, was stillborn. Their son, Joseph Donald Stratton, was welcomed into their arms through adoption in February 1974 at the age of three-weeks.
Donnie attended the Baptist Church as a child and later as an adult attended St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Anderson County.
Throughout his adult life Donnie was a wonderful pet owner/father to a large family of pets whom he doted on. Tag, his 'watch dog' German Shepherd, Princess, his 'princess' German Shepherd, George, a scrappy, tough little poodle who showed up on his door one snowy Christmas morning, DonnaLeigh a loving cock-a-poo, Dusty, a spoiled, but loved pure-bred toy poodle, and a host of other dogs and cats all depended on him and loved him and received the best he had to offer through the years.
After a divorce, Donnie sold his business and moved back to Lexington, KY. At his residence/place of business, sometime between January 12, 1988 and January 14, 1988 he was the victim of an unfortunate freak accident when an automobile slipped off a hydrolic jack and he was asphyxiated.
Funeral Services were conducted at the Gash Memorial Chapel in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky on Sunday, January 17, 1988.
Profound Thanks to SR/KS for sponsoring this memorial of my children's father. It means so very much to me.
He was born July 5, 1938. Donnie had three younger siblings; Mary Elizabeth Stratton Roe(Roy), Martha Ann Stratton Hendron (Billy), and Jackie Lewis Stratton. He was survived by his son, Joseph Donald (Jodee) Stratton, and was also survived by three nieces: Mary Leigh Roe (Howe); Karen Lynn Roe (Davidson); and the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. William Hendron; four nephews: Jeffery Lee Roe; Gary Wayne Roe; Roy Lee Roe, Jr. and William Hendron, Jr; and a multitude of cousins, as well as his grandmother, Ona McGuire and by three uncles, Melvin McQuire, of Harrodsburg, KY., Charles Stratton of Lexington, KY. and Lewis Stratton of Lawrenceburg, KY. He was predeceased by his father, his daughter,DeONa Marie Stratton, one nephew, William Scott Hendron, and his step-father, Ernest Rigney.
The Stratton family resided during Donnie's adolescent years on a farm in rural Anderson County. Their beautiful farm home was destroyed by a fire, from which they all thankfully escaped unharmed with only a chair full of clothes and their TV, which was reported to be the first TV privately owned in Anderson County.
Donnie attended Western High School. After high school he was employed by the H. K. Porter Factory, Frankfort, KY, a company that manufactured wheelshield wipers for the Ford Motor Company, where he was an inspector.
In 1963 Mr. Stratton married Judith (Judi) Ann Fryer on June 29 in Lexington, KY.
In 1967 Mr. Stratton became an ironworker for the Whalen Erecting Company and helped erect the dormitory towers on the UK campus in Lexington, the tower office complexes at Fountain Square in Frankfort, KY, and the Kincaid Towers in downtown Lexington, KY.
In 1973 Donnie opened his own successful business on Pridemore Court in Lexington, KY; Don's Autobody, which later was moved to Highway 127 in Lawrenceburg, KY. He was considered to be the very best Corvette auto-body-man in the area.
In the late 1960s through 1973 Donnie raced automobiles beginning at the Bluegrass Drag Strip in Lexington, KY with a gold metal-flaked Austin Healy and graduating to several 'rails' or 'dragsters', all of which were built and maintained by him personally, with the help of a small dedicated group of gentlemen who acted as his pit crew. Then he began 'roundtrack' racing in Richmond, Clay City, and Frankfort, KY, having purchased a car from nationally-known driver, Bill Kimmel, who had raced and crashed the car at Daytona Speedway. The red Chevelle was re-numbered and throughout Donnie's ownership it was known as 'USA-1'.
In 1973 Donnie and Judi's first child, DeONa Marie Stratton, was stillborn. Their son, Joseph Donald Stratton, was welcomed into their arms through adoption in February 1974 at the age of three-weeks.
Donnie attended the Baptist Church as a child and later as an adult attended St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Anderson County.
Throughout his adult life Donnie was a wonderful pet owner/father to a large family of pets whom he doted on. Tag, his 'watch dog' German Shepherd, Princess, his 'princess' German Shepherd, George, a scrappy, tough little poodle who showed up on his door one snowy Christmas morning, DonnaLeigh a loving cock-a-poo, Dusty, a spoiled, but loved pure-bred toy poodle, and a host of other dogs and cats all depended on him and loved him and received the best he had to offer through the years.
After a divorce, Donnie sold his business and moved back to Lexington, KY. At his residence/place of business, sometime between January 12, 1988 and January 14, 1988 he was the victim of an unfortunate freak accident when an automobile slipped off a hydrolic jack and he was asphyxiated.
Funeral Services were conducted at the Gash Memorial Chapel in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky on Sunday, January 17, 1988.
Profound Thanks to SR/KS for sponsoring this memorial of my children's father. It means so very much to me.
Willie Donald (Donnie) Stratton, Jr. was the oldest child of Willie Donald Stratton, Sr. and Mary Ellen McQuire Stratton (Rigney).
He was born July 5, 1938. Donnie had three younger siblings; Mary Elizabeth Stratton Roe(Roy), Martha Ann Stratton Hendron (Billy), and Jackie Lewis Stratton. He was survived by his son, Joseph Donald (Jodee) Stratton, and was also survived by three nieces: Mary Leigh Roe (Howe); Karen Lynn Roe (Davidson); and the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. William Hendron; four nephews: Jeffery Lee Roe; Gary Wayne Roe; Roy Lee Roe, Jr. and William Hendron, Jr; and a multitude of cousins, as well as his grandmother, Ona McGuire and by three uncles, Melvin McQuire, of Harrodsburg, KY., Charles Stratton of Lexington, KY. and Lewis Stratton of Lawrenceburg, KY. He was predeceased by his father, his daughter,DeONa Marie Stratton, one nephew, William Scott Hendron, and his step-father, Ernest Rigney.
The Stratton family resided during Donnie's adolescent years on a farm in rural Anderson County. Their beautiful farm home was destroyed by a fire, from which they all thankfully escaped unharmed with only a chair full of clothes and their TV, which was reported to be the first TV privately owned in Anderson County.
Donnie attended Western High School. After high school he was employed by the H. K. Porter Factory, Frankfort, KY, a company that manufactured wheelshield wipers for the Ford Motor Company, where he was an inspector.
In 1963 Mr. Stratton married Judith (Judi) Ann Fryer on June 29 in Lexington, KY.
In 1967 Mr. Stratton became an ironworker for the Whalen Erecting Company and helped erect the dormitory towers on the UK campus in Lexington, the tower office complexes at Fountain Square in Frankfort, KY, and the Kincaid Towers in downtown Lexington, KY.
In 1973 Donnie opened his own successful business on Pridemore Court in Lexington, KY; Don's Autobody, which later was moved to Highway 127 in Lawrenceburg, KY. He was considered to be the very best Corvette auto-body-man in the area.
In the late 1960s through 1973 Donnie raced automobiles beginning at the Bluegrass Drag Strip in Lexington, KY with a gold metal-flaked Austin Healy and graduating to several 'rails' or 'dragsters', all of which were built and maintained by him personally, with the help of a small dedicated group of gentlemen who acted as his pit crew. Then he began 'roundtrack' racing in Richmond, Clay City, and Frankfort, KY, having purchased a car from nationally-known driver, Bill Kimmel, who had raced and crashed the car at Daytona Speedway. The red Chevelle was re-numbered and throughout Donnie's ownership it was known as 'USA-1'.
In 1973 Donnie and Judi's first child, DeONa Marie Stratton, was stillborn. Their son, Joseph Donald Stratton, was welcomed into their arms through adoption in February 1974 at the age of three-weeks.
Donnie attended the Baptist Church as a child and later as an adult attended St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Anderson County.
Throughout his adult life Donnie was a wonderful pet owner/father to a large family of pets whom he doted on. Tag, his 'watch dog' German Shepherd, Princess, his 'princess' German Shepherd, George, a scrappy, tough little poodle who showed up on his door one snowy Christmas morning, DonnaLeigh a loving cock-a-poo, Dusty, a spoiled, but loved pure-bred toy poodle, and a host of other dogs and cats all depended on him and loved him and received the best he had to offer through the years.
After a divorce, Donnie sold his business and moved back to Lexington, KY. At his residence/place of business, sometime between January 12, 1988 and January 14, 1988 he was the victim of an unfortunate freak accident when an automobile slipped off a hydrolic jack and he was asphyxiated.
Funeral Services were conducted at the Gash Memorial Chapel in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky on Sunday, January 17, 1988.
Profound Thanks to SR/KS for sponsoring this memorial of my children's father. It means so very much to me.
He was born July 5, 1938. Donnie had three younger siblings; Mary Elizabeth Stratton Roe(Roy), Martha Ann Stratton Hendron (Billy), and Jackie Lewis Stratton. He was survived by his son, Joseph Donald (Jodee) Stratton, and was also survived by three nieces: Mary Leigh Roe (Howe); Karen Lynn Roe (Davidson); and the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. William Hendron; four nephews: Jeffery Lee Roe; Gary Wayne Roe; Roy Lee Roe, Jr. and William Hendron, Jr; and a multitude of cousins, as well as his grandmother, Ona McGuire and by three uncles, Melvin McQuire, of Harrodsburg, KY., Charles Stratton of Lexington, KY. and Lewis Stratton of Lawrenceburg, KY. He was predeceased by his father, his daughter,DeONa Marie Stratton, one nephew, William Scott Hendron, and his step-father, Ernest Rigney.
The Stratton family resided during Donnie's adolescent years on a farm in rural Anderson County. Their beautiful farm home was destroyed by a fire, from which they all thankfully escaped unharmed with only a chair full of clothes and their TV, which was reported to be the first TV privately owned in Anderson County.
Donnie attended Western High School. After high school he was employed by the H. K. Porter Factory, Frankfort, KY, a company that manufactured wheelshield wipers for the Ford Motor Company, where he was an inspector.
In 1963 Mr. Stratton married Judith (Judi) Ann Fryer on June 29 in Lexington, KY.
In 1967 Mr. Stratton became an ironworker for the Whalen Erecting Company and helped erect the dormitory towers on the UK campus in Lexington, the tower office complexes at Fountain Square in Frankfort, KY, and the Kincaid Towers in downtown Lexington, KY.
In 1973 Donnie opened his own successful business on Pridemore Court in Lexington, KY; Don's Autobody, which later was moved to Highway 127 in Lawrenceburg, KY. He was considered to be the very best Corvette auto-body-man in the area.
In the late 1960s through 1973 Donnie raced automobiles beginning at the Bluegrass Drag Strip in Lexington, KY with a gold metal-flaked Austin Healy and graduating to several 'rails' or 'dragsters', all of which were built and maintained by him personally, with the help of a small dedicated group of gentlemen who acted as his pit crew. Then he began 'roundtrack' racing in Richmond, Clay City, and Frankfort, KY, having purchased a car from nationally-known driver, Bill Kimmel, who had raced and crashed the car at Daytona Speedway. The red Chevelle was re-numbered and throughout Donnie's ownership it was known as 'USA-1'.
In 1973 Donnie and Judi's first child, DeONa Marie Stratton, was stillborn. Their son, Joseph Donald Stratton, was welcomed into their arms through adoption in February 1974 at the age of three-weeks.
Donnie attended the Baptist Church as a child and later as an adult attended St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Anderson County.
Throughout his adult life Donnie was a wonderful pet owner/father to a large family of pets whom he doted on. Tag, his 'watch dog' German Shepherd, Princess, his 'princess' German Shepherd, George, a scrappy, tough little poodle who showed up on his door one snowy Christmas morning, DonnaLeigh a loving cock-a-poo, Dusty, a spoiled, but loved pure-bred toy poodle, and a host of other dogs and cats all depended on him and loved him and received the best he had to offer through the years.
After a divorce, Donnie sold his business and moved back to Lexington, KY. At his residence/place of business, sometime between January 12, 1988 and January 14, 1988 he was the victim of an unfortunate freak accident when an automobile slipped off a hydrolic jack and he was asphyxiated.
Funeral Services were conducted at the Gash Memorial Chapel in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky on Sunday, January 17, 1988.
Profound Thanks to SR/KS for sponsoring this memorial of my children's father. It means so very much to me.
