Obituary – W.D. "Bill" Landrum
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

W. D. “Bill” Landrum, Sr., passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March19, 2024 at his residence.
Bill was born on March 25, 1929 in Greenville, Mississippi. His parents, Joseph and Marguerite Landrum precede him death. He is also preceded in death by his first wife, Betty King Landrum, to whom he was married from 1950 until her passing in 2011.
Bill was a beloved husband, father and grandfather who brought joy and a zest for living into everyone’s lives. Bill was raised in Floyd County and came to Griffin in 1955 to stay four weeks and loved it so much he made it his home. He graduated from Cave Spring High School in Floyd County in 1946. He attended Darlington School for Boys in the fall of 1946. He attended Berry College in 1947 and 1948 where he majored in Mathematics and Physical Education. He was self-employed from 1959 to 2014. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Descendants of Washington Army at Valley Forge, the Sons of the Confederacy, the Jamestown Society, the Elks Club, the Griffin Masonic Lodge, the Shriners, and Griffin Historical Society. He served two terms on the Griffin City Commission and was Mayor in 2007. He received the Lon Touchstone award from the Chamber of Commerce in 2000 for 3 in 1 carwash.
Bill is survived by his wife, Gertrude; son, William David Landrum, Jr. (Karla) of Franklin, Tennessee; daughter, Kaye Landrum Norris (William) of Fernandina Beach, Florida; grandchildren, William B. Norris III of New York, New York, Dr. Elizabeth Kaye Norris, PhD of Denver, Colorado, Lindsey Sloan Landrum of Franklin, Tennessee; three step children, Don Watts, Dr. Lori Whatley PhD (Darrell), Sheri Smith (Valdon); seven step grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Bill leaves behind a legacy woven with dedication, love and a commitment to excellence in all facets of life. Gratitude remained a constant disposition for Bill as he was consistently aware of God’s grace over his life, vocation and family. He was truly blessed. He will be profoundly missed and fondly remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather and a man of exceptional talents.
Visitation will be Thursday, March 21, 2024 from 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm at Conner-Westbury Funeral Home. Following the visitation a funeral services will be in the chapel. Interment will follow in Westwood Gardens. Pastor Ron Murray will officiate.
More Stories |
-
Walking Horse Trainers Association Horse of the Year committee would like to announce some changes to the Horse of the Year program for 2025. World Champion and World Grand Champions will still be automatic nominees with the added requirement of having to been shown at least 3 times in their division during the show year.
Read More
-
The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act and the Horse Protection Amendments Act were both introduced in the 119th Congress. The PAST Act would eliminate the use of pads and action devices, eliminate the Horse Industry Organization system of enforcement and increase penalties for violators of the HPA.
Read More
-
The 2025 International class schedule and rules and regulations are now available!!
Read More
-
Kate Cowan and her equine partner, Mr. Deeds, kicked off their 2025 show season in style, winning the TWHBEA Youth Medallion Pleasure.
Read More
-
Ally Jo Jacobs guided Els Predicted Storm to victory in the TWHBEA Youth Medallion Performance class at the FAST Spring Showcase! Joined in the winner’s circle by her mom, Amanda Jacobs, and Betsey Maples.
Read More
-
United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker set oral arguments on the USDA’s motion to dismiss for April 14, 2025 in Memphis, Tenn. The USDA moved to dismiss portions of the Wright’s complaint. The most important of those was the claim by Wright’s that the relief, should they win, be applied industry-wide. The USDA claims that those claims for industry-wide relief are time barred under the Administrative Procedures Act.
Read More
-
In 1959, Rodger’s Perfection was named the World’s Grand Champion at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. It was also the debut year of one of the longest-running and most beloved Western TV shows of all time, Bonanza.
Patriarch Ben Cartwright and his three sons, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe, rode across a field on Buck, Chub, Sport and Cochise for the show’s opening.
Read More
-
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Those words from poet Maya Angelou could have been written about the McWaters family. LaRue, Ann and their family have contributed to the Tennessee Walking Horse industry for years with compassion and hard work.
Read More
-
Read More
-
In a letter sent March 6, 2025, Patrick F. Philbin, attorney for industry plaintiffs, asked the USDA to reconsider certain aspects of the current enforcement and inspection scheme under the Horse Protection Act. At the core of Philbin’s letter is the need for adequate due process to be provided under the HPA and for industry participants to have some form of a pre-deprivation hearing prior to their horse being disqualified.
Read More
|