People Searching For Religious Healing Find The Wrong Billy Graham

Wednesday, October 10th 2007, 5:00 pm

By: News On 6

A Tulsa woman has been offering a sympathetic ear to telephone callers for half a century. She listens to their concerns and their problems, even prays with them if they choose. The News On 6â€™s Rick Wells reports she's not a preacher, but her name is Billie Graham.

"They are looking for someone to talk to," Tulsan Billie Graham said.

Billie Graham says sheâ€™s gotten hundreds and hundreds of phone calls over the years from people looking for help from the Reverend Billy Graham.

"She kept on talking, say a prayer for her, finally I said a prayer for her and told her I'd pray for her every night which I did," Billie Graham said.

She's been a Stanley Home Products representative for a long time so she's listed in the phone book.

"So people search the phone book for Billy Graham they find you?" asked News On 6 reporter Rick Wells.

"Yeah," Graham responded.

She always explains she's not that Billy Graham, usually they say they don't care, sometimes they turn the tables on her.

"This one wanted to pray for me, boy she said a beautiful prayer," Graham said.

Graham says she's always liked the other Billy Graham but never met him, he came to Oklahoma City a few years back but she didn't go.

"I've always been proud to tell people my name is Billie Graham," she said.

Her maiden name was Billie Ruth Strickland, she married Harvey Graham in 1950 that's when the phone calls started.

"I think we have a lot in common because he loves people and wants to help people," Billie Graham said.

Sometimes when she gets an address from one of her callers she'll send them something. She's copied poems and prayers she's liked over the years and will send one along to a caller with a note.

Many would consider all this annoying, she's turned it into a positive.

"When someone needs me, I try to be there for them," Graham said.

Billie Graham says she gets calls at all hours of the day and night. Last week she got six collect calls, but this Billie Graham doesn't accept them.

Watch the video: Woman Gets A Lot Of Calls For Prayer