Survivors include his two sons: Kevin and Judy Rankin, of Melbourne, IA; and Carl and Dee Rankin, of Bedford, IA; eight grandchildren: Charles (Chip) and Rebecca Rankin, of Breezy Point, MN; Dale and Tammy Leikvoll, of Hillman, MN; Chad and Sarah Leikvoll, of Princeton, MN; Dena Oscarson, of Pierz, MN; Elizabeth And Matt Green, of Abingdon, VA; Rebecca and Sam Juhl, of Des Moines, IA; Patrick and Mackenzie Rankin, of Bedford, IA; Sarah and Tim Guilliatt, of Bedford, IA and 14 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister Neva and Norman Hampton, of Collins, IA; sister-in-law Gladys Robertson, of North Richland, TX; nephew Marty and Jackie Rankin, of Fort Worth, TX and many nieces, nephews and extended family.

He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Elizabeth (McKinley) Rankin, parents Carl and Nora Rankin and eleven brothers and sisters.

Billy Marvin Rankin was born in rural Jasper County, Iowa, on April 12, 1938, to Carl and Nora (Tribby) Rankin. He was educated in rural Country schools and proudly served three years in the US Navy.

He married Mary Elizabeth McKinley on August 1, 1959, and bore two sons Kevin and Carl. They made their home in Centerville, IA where Kevin and Carl were born. In the fall of 1976, they moved to Melbourne, IA where he lived until his death, along with stays at the Iowa River Hospice House and State Center Specialty Care.

Billy worked in many jobs throughout his life in factories specifically Marshalltown Trowel, U.S. Manufacturing. He is also remembered in Melbourne welder, repairing and fabricating machinery at Floyd Needham’s shop.

Old-time country and bluegrass music was a lifelong passion for Billy, learning to play a harmonica by age five and guitar shortly after that. He was self-taught and played solely by ear. If it had strings he could tune it and play it, especially guitar, mandolin and fiddle, to name a few of his favorites. He began playing for dances as a young boy and continued throughout his life. He arranged and attended many jam sessions all over the state which were his favorite form of entertainment. When he wasn’t playing at a dance, he could also be seen dancing with Mary, the love of his life.

In later years, Billy’s love of making music developed into a passion for making and repairing musical instruments. He began slowly making his first fiddle, researching and learning proper luthier techniques. Many times he had to first design and build his own tools or jigs before he could actually make the instrument. He built several fiddles, guitars, mandolins, an octofone and even a hammered dulcimer. Billy also gained quite a reputation for repairing many musical instruments through the years. He painstakingly worked on each instrument like it was his very own and always worked to make it as good as new or in most cases, better. He was a proud member of the Guild of American Luthiers and attended many of their annual conventions in Tacoma, Washington.