Webber’s Co-Founder Dies

From The Cynthiana Democrat:
William A. (Billy) Webber III, 82

William A. (Billy) Webber III, 82, of Cynthiana, died Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, at his residence.
Born in Harrison County at the corner of Hinton-Webber Road and Stringtown-Webber roads in the old Webber log house of his grandfather, on Jan. 2, 1925, he was the son of the late William A. Webber Jr. and the late Sarah Elizabeth Kimbrough. He was a World War II Veteran, serving in the U. S. Navy during the battles in the Pacific and was a policeman of the U.S. sailors during the occupation of Japan.

Upon discharge from the Navy in 1946, Billy Webber co-founded Webber Sausage Company with his father in 1947. Originally located in a small building in the Belmont section of Cynthiana, it was shortly relocated to the corner of what is now Ky. 36 and Carl Stevens Road. Obtaining a G.I. loan following his stint in the Navy, Mr. Webber, along with his father, began the task of building a multi-state business.
On Oct.16, 1948, he married Betty Jean Clough at the First United Methodist Church of Cynthiana. Webber Sausage Company continued to grow until it was sold to ConAgra in 1984. In the years from its founding until its sale, Webber Farms employed hundreds of men and women from central Kentucky. It maintained pork processing plants in both Cynthiana and Lawrenceburg, Ky., and sold its meat products under both the Webber’s and Edward’s labels.

During the same years, Mr. Webber made many contributions to the Harrison County and central Kentucky communities. He was president of the Harrison Memorial Hospital Board during the time when it moved to its present location. For eight years, he served as a member of the board of trustees of Asbury College in Wilmore, Ky. He served for five years on the board of The Wilmore Camp Meeting Association and two years as president of that board. Mr. Webber was a founding member of the Harrison County Educational Foundation. He was a Sunday school teacher at the First United Methodist Church for 32 years. A certified lay speaker of the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church, he traveled around the district organizing United Methodist Men’s groups. Mr. Webber also served for a number of years as associate district lay leader within the church.
As chairman of the Ford Philpot Evangelistic Association for 22 years, he saw to it that Webber Farms was the sponsor of the organization’s syndicated television show, The Story, for many years. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Cynthiana and an associate member of the Oddville United Methodist Church.

His wife, Betty C. Webber, preceded him in death in 1997 after nearly 49 years of marriage. He was also preceded in death by his three sisters, Elizabeth Webber (Stanford), Jean Webber (Lewis), and Martha Webber (Rutherford), residing and buried in Texas.
William A. Webber III is survived by his son, William A. Webber, IV, Jersey City, N.J.; and his daughter, Jeanine W. Lulich, of Shelby, Mich.; four grandchildren, Jon-Michael Webber, Falmouth, Derek A. Webber, Cynthiana, and Sarah Kendall Lulich and John William Lulich of Shelby, Mich.; two great-grandchildren, Corey Hunter Webber of Cynthiana, and Alyssa Elizabeth Webber of Falmouth; a nephew, Jack D. Rutherford III, Mesquite, Texas; and a cousin, Burton Kimbrough, Cynthiana.

Visitation will be Friday, Oct. 12, at the Drake-Whaley-McCarty Funeral Home, 112 N. Walnut St., Cynthiana, Ky. from 5 to 8 p.m., and after 10 a.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church, 302 E. Pike St., Cynthiana. Funeral services will be conducted at the First United Methodist Church, on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 2 p.m. by the Rev. Wayne Smith, the Rev. Jimmy Owens and the Rev. Ted Hill.
Burial will be in Battle Grove Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Kenneth Simpson, Earl McNabb, Harold Gasser, Rex Hiday, Marc Ray, Bill Kuster, Jon-Michael Webber and John William Lulich.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Bluegrass or the First United Methodist Church in Cynthiana.