Obit of Rainbolt, Elmo M. - Murray County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Dennis Muncrief 29 Jan 2006 Return to Murray County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/murray/murray.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== ::Green Hill Cemetery--Davis OK Surnames: Rainbolt Johnson Originally posted at: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/UaB.2ACI/1451 Elmo M. Rainbolt Elmo M. Rainbolt, of Davis, was born September 10, 1918 in Tishomingo to S.C. and Bertie (Johnson)Rainbolt. He passed away Wednesday, January 4, 2006 at Oklahoma City at the age of 87. He and June Kimble were married on April 4, 1943 at new York, Ny. She preceded him in death on March 4, 1997. Also preceding him in death were his parents; two sons, Edward in 1950 and William in 1994; and one sister, Sue. After high school, Mr. Rainbolt attended the University of Oklahoma, until he entered the U.S. Border Patrol in 1942. While serving as a patrolman, his primary service for several years was in West Texas. He was promoted to Chief Patrol Inspector in 1957 for Brownsville, Texas sector. In 1959, Mr. Rainbolt was again promoted to the position of Chief Patrol Inspector for the Southeastern United States, headquartered in Richmond, Va. During this period, as problems in Cuba begin to escalate, and Florida begin to receive a flood of Cuban refugees, the office, as well as Mr. Rainbolt, were moved Miami, Fla. It was shortly after arriving in Miami, that the Cuban Missile Crisis began to escalate. Mr. Rainbolt and the Border Patrol were called on to play a significant role in detaining and identifying the huge influx of people from Cuba. In 1962, Mr. Rainbolt received letters of commendation from both President John Kennedy and Attorney General Bobby Kennedy for his leadership of the Border Patrol in a "Time of National Crisis." In September of 1962, Attorney General Kennedy deputized Mr. Rainbolt as Chief U.S. Marshall. With this position he was to escort James Meredith into the University of Mississippi, which stands today as an important milestone in the integration of Southern Universities. He appeared on the front cover of Life Magazine escorting Meredith into his first class in Mississippi. For this action, Mr. Rainbolt again received letters of commendation from President Kennedy and Attorney General Kennedy for his "Service to the Nation." Mr. Rainbolt ended his Border Patrol Career in June of 1969 as Chief Patrol Inspector of the Southwestern U.S. in Yuma, Ariz. after 27 years of dedicated service. Shortly after his retirement from the Border Patrol, Mr. Rainbolt began a long banking career with his brother, Gene Rainbolt, in Purcell. In 1971, he became President of the First National Bank of Davis, a city he and June resided in for the rest of their lives. Mr. Rainbolt is survived by three daughters, Cindy Scola and husband, Steve, of Howell, N.J.; Lucy Bennett and husband, Hugh, of Las Vegas, Nev.; Jo Ann Rainbolt-Gunter and husband, Mark, of Oklahoma City; one son Richard Rainbolt, of Laredo, Texas; two grandchildren, Stephanie and Brandon; one brother, Gene Rainbolt, and one sister, Nadine Hitchcock. A private family service was held Saturday, Jan. 7, 2006 officiated by Rev. Finis Steelman. Honorary pallbearers were Randy Moore, Taylor Moore, Miles Judkins, Jerry Don Fullerton, Royce Dale Jones, Sammie Jones, Dub Moore and Everett Carter. Interment was in the Green Hill Cemetery, Davis. Services are "entrusted to" Hale's Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the National Border Patrol Museum and Memorial Library, 4315 Trans Mountain Rd., El Paso, Texas, 79924. www.borderpatrolmuseum.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Murray County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/murray/murray.html