Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online 10 April 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. April 10, 1999 Permian Basin Obituaries _________________________________________________________________ LUBBOCK -- James Owen Berryhill Sr. (Jimmy) was born November 1, 1933 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He was the son of Owen Dallas Berryhill and Mattie Irene Berryhill, both deceased, and brother of Sue Geron, deceased. He died April 8, 1999. Celebration services will be held in Lubbock, Texas at the Sunset Church of Christ at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 10, and graveside services will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Odessa at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 10, 1999. Jimmy loved God the Father, Jesus Christ, his family and everyone he ever met. Jimmy is survived by his wife of 47 years, Betty Marie; their son Jamie, his wife Renda, their son Mark, and their daughter, Nancy Halfacre and her husband, James Halfacre, and ten grandchildren, Kristen, Heatherly, Angela, Jamison, Kami, Moriah, Nathan and Evan Berryhill and Anthony and Ami Halfacre. _________________________________________________________________ Seth H. Garrison GARLAND -- Seth H. Garrison Jr., age 88, a resident of Odessa, passed away April 8, 1999, in Medical Center Hospital. Mr. Garrison was born Jan. 29, 1911, in West Plains, Mo. He attended Texas A&M University and was a member of the Presbyterian faith. In 1930, he went to work for American Airlines installing beacons between Dallas and El Paso. Mr. Garrison worked many years for Halliburton, Helco and MWL Oil Tool Company. Afterward he established his own oilfield fishing tool business. Mr. Garrison was preceded in death by his wife, Mary F. Garrison in 1996. Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law, Gene and Dorinda Herzog of Garland; two granddaughters, Melissa and her husband, James Key, of Fort Worth, and Valerie Herzog of Dallas; brother, Charles Garrison of Brownwood; sisters, Marie and her husband, Arthur Harper, of Fort Worth and Sarah E. Tharp of Houston; nephews, Dale Harper of Fort Worth, Gary Tharp and John Tharp, both of Houston. Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 10, 1999, at Williams Funeral Chapel with Dr. Fred Chambers officiating. Interment will follow in Garland Memorial Park. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association. Funeral arrangements by Williams Funeral Directors. _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA -- Vivian Bray, 64, of Odessa died Friday, April 9, 1999, at her residence. She was born Nov. 7, 1934, in Lark, Okla. She married Wesley T. Bray May 17, 1952, in Rankin and they moved to Odessa in 1956. She was a homemaker and member of Free Will Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wesley Bray, Jan. 3, 1985; parents, L.C. and Vera Carman; brother, L.C. Carman Jr.; and sister, Joyce Thompson. Survivors include daughters, Beverley Kirkland and husband, Keith, and Debbie Bray, all of Odessa; granddaughters, Tiffany and Chelsea Kirkland of Odessa; brothers, Roy Carman of Odessa, Jimmy Carman of Texas City and Tommy Carman of Odessa; sisters, Janie Webb of Gardendale, Mae Cree of Odessa and Aline Burns of Gorman. Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Monday, April 12, 1999, in the chapel of Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors with the Rev. Gene Jackson officiating. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Arrangements by Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. Pallbearers will be James Qualls, Roger Wagner, Jeremy Wagner, Rick Price and Troy Webb. If desired, memorials may be made to Vista Care Family Hospice, 618 North Golder Ave., Odessa 79761. Vivian will be sorely missed by her family, friends and all who knew her. She touched the lives of everyone she knew. _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA -- William T. "Bill" Williams was born in Rockville, Ind., on Aug. 14, 1919. He was the son of Luther Dennis Williams and Grace Clara Kessler. He was the ninth and last child in the family that relocated to Coffeyville, Kan., in the early 1920s. Bill joined the U.S. Navy as an aviator in 1940. While stationed in Corpus Christi, he met and married Frances Lorene Eddins April 3, 1943. He served in the Pacific Theater during World War II as a torpedo bomber pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bataan (CVL 29), home of Air Group 47, known as the "Liquidators." He flew over 3,000 hours with 87 carrier landings. He was awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross and five Air Medals. In addition, he was awarded the Navy Cross by Admiral Jocko Clark for his direct hit on the Japanese superbattleship Yamato in the South China Sea. He retired from the Navy in 1945. His permanent retired rank was Commander. He was a life member of the Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. In 1945, Bill with his four brothers purchased Odessa Valve & Machine Shop, which later became Western Tank, Skyline Steel Company, and Shamrock Steel Sales, all in Odessa. He was responsible for the steel fabrication of the present day facility of Western Tank Co. He retired from these endeavors in April 1983. He will always be remembered for the excellence he upheld in whatever he pursued. Bill loved the Lord and enjoyed serving Him. It was in this service that he and his now deceased brother, Jim, became the instrumental forces in helping to establish Odessa Bible Church and Grace Bible Church, which were later merged into one congregation. Bill also enjoyed gardening and especially the cultivation of lilies. He served as a lifetime member of the North American Lily Society. He is survived by his beloved wife, Lorene of Odessa; sister, Ethel Lorene Morris of Tyler; brothers, Harold Williams of Laurel, Mont., and Don Williams of Odessa; daughter, Sandra Stein of Carrollton; son and daughter-in-law, Terry and Monica Williams of Odessa; daughter and son-in-law, Billie and Kevin Haughey of Flower Mound; three grandchildren, Chris Stein of Tulsa, Okla., Staci Stein of Irving and Warren Williams of Odessa. After a lengthy illness, Bill went to be with the Lord Wednesday, April 7, 1999. A memorial service will be held for Mr. Williams at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 10, 1999, at the Odessa Bible Church, 2110 E. 10th St. The family suggests that memorials be sent to the Odessa Bible Church or the American Cancer Society. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 1999 Odessa American. All rights reserved.