Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online 1 March 1999 Submitted by Charlene Beatty Beauchamp cbodessa@classicnet.net Thanks to the Odessa American Online http://www.oaoa.com/ ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** OA Online Obituaries. March 01, 1999 Permian Basin Obituaries _________________________________________________________________ PECOS -- Wendell Dugger Faulkner Sr. of Pecos passed away Feb. 26, 1999, after an extended illness. He was born Dec. 13, 1922, in Edna, Texas, to Bertha Dugger and Wendell Davis Faulkner. Services will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, March 1, 1999, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church with the Rev. C.E. Mclntyre officiating Burial will be at Mount Evergreen Cemetery. Arrangements are by Pecos Funeral Home Pallbearers will be Bill Collie, Bill Cowden, Dale Miller, Jim Pattee, Archie Scott and R.L. Struhall. Honorary pallbearers will be Bob Bickley, Bobby Dean, Cyrus Gordon, Lee Green, David Hess, Ed Kennedy, Bobby Mitchell, Dudley Montgomery, Rex Pigmon, Dick Slack and "Manie" Manuel Tarin. During World War II, Wendell was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, an Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters and the European Campaign Ribbon with two bronze stars for his service in the United States Army Air Corp. Stationed in Old Buckingham, England, with the 453rd Bombardment Group, Captain Faulkner flew 32 missions as a lead B-24 pilot. Upon his return home, he enrolled in the College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Wendell and his three brothers are the only four sons from the same family to have ever received civil engineering degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. On June 9, 1945, Wendell married Janet Muckleroy of Austin. Wendell and Janet moved to Barstow in 1948 and on to Pecos in 1950 where he expanded his surveying business by opening Faulkner Construction Company. His general contracting firm operated throughout West Texas and built many buildings in Pecos including the First Baptist Church, St. Catherine's Catholic Church and Recreational Hall, St. Marks's Episcopal Church, Pecos High School Auditorium and Gymnasium and the Security State Bank. In 1962, Wendell was elected County Commissioner of Reeves County, Precinct 2, a position he held for 20 years. He served on the Board of Directors of the Security State Bank for over 30 years and as an Advisory Director until his death. Other business enterprises included Trapark Inc., Apache Petroleum and an independent oil and gas operation. Wendell was active in civic affairs, serving on several boards including the Reeves County Hospital Board and as President of the Rotary Club and Pecos Valley Country Club. He spearheaded fund drives for charitable organizations including the Buffalo Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America and Shriners Crippled Children Foundation. From 1984 until 1989, Wendell served as a board member of the Texas Rehabilitation Commission and in 1986, he was honored as Disabled Texan of the Year by the Governor's Committee for Persons with Disabilities. Wendell was a Licensed Professional Engineer and a Mason. He was also an avid hunter and an outdoorsman, a legacy carried on by his sons and grandchildren. Mr. Faulkner is survived by his wife of 54 years, Janet Faulkner of Pecos; his four sons, Wendell Faulkner Jr. of Odessa, Bruce Faulkner of Tyler, Carroll Faulkner of Austin and Doug Faulkner of Cadillac, Mich.; and seven grandchildren, Sarah and Wendell Dugger III of Odessa, Campbell of Tyler, and Jennifer, James, Will and Gray of Austin. He is also survived by his mother, Bertha Arthur of Beeville; and two brothers, Royce Faulkner of Austin and Gene Faulkner of Bedford. He was proceeded in death by his brother, Joe Carroll. Memorials may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of West Texas, 2303 West Wall Street, Suite 210, Midland 79701, or a charity of choice. _________________________________________________________________ MIDLAND -- Lawrence Raymond Upton was born Sept. 25, 1920, to James and Jennie Upton in Muskogee, Okla. He attended school in Oklahoma, then entered the U.S. Army. He and Celeste Looper were married Dec. 7, 1946, in Stigler, Okla. They moved to Odessa in 1975. He worked for Centriflo Pump and Machine for 10 years before he retired in 1985. Lawrence passed away at Medical Center Hospital, Saturday, Feb. 27, 1999. He was 78. Graveside services are set for 4 p.m. Monday, March 1, 1999, at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Mr. Walter Kreidel of Golf Course Church of Christ in Midland will officiate. Arrangements by Pipkin Funeral Home. Lawrence was preceded in death by his parents, James and Jennie Upton; three brothers, Richard Upton, Bill Upton and Charles Upton; and two sisters, Fannie Kennedy and Zella Jarrad. He is survived by his wife, Celeste Upton of Odessa; one daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Larry Porter of Odessa; three granddaughters, Misty and Renee Upton and Staci Porter, all of Odessa; four brothers, Nelson Upton of Tulsa, Okla., Kenneth Upton of Pearland, Paul Dean Upton of Muskogee, Okla., and Joe Upton of Denver, Colo.; two sisters, Mary Ruth Ledford and Leona Nickens, both of Tulsa, Okla.; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Charles and Billie Looper of Midland, Pat and Sandra Looper of Odessa, Sybil Daniel of Tucson, Ariz., and Barbara Looper of Odessa; and several nieces and nephews. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 1999 Odessa American. All rights reserved.