Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online 7 Jan 2000 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. January 07, 2000 Permian Basin Obituaries Obituaries Index Home _________________________________________________________________ Johnie Lavelle Beard ODESSA — Johnie Lavelle Beard, 73, died Dec. 14, 1999, in Houston, where he has resided for the last two years. A private celebration of his life was held on Friday, Dec. 17, 1999, at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Houston. Mr. Beard was born Dec. 23, 1925 in Clarendon. He graduated from Clarendon High School in 1943. He served his country during World War II in the Navy on a ship. He married Anna Beth Combest Beard in 1950 and they moved to Odessa in 1953. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 35 years, retiring as postmaster in Canyon. He was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Odessa and was involved with the Boy Scouts of America as a Troop Leader, for a number of years. Survivors include his wife, Anna Beth Beard; brother, Robert E. Beard of Naperville, Ill.; three daughters, Tamara Mapp and Tracy Beard, both of Houston, and Connie White of Amarillo; four grandchildren, William E. Mapp IV, Sarah Mapp and John Mapp, all of Houston, and Casey Gandy of Amarillo; and four great-grandchildren, James Ramey, Blaine Gandy and Conner Gandy, all of Amarillo. The family suggests donations to the Parkinson’s Foundation or your favorite charity. _________________________________________________________________ Frederick Henry Gifford ODESSA — Henry was born July 12, 1951, in Rio Grande, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, to Frederick William and Margaret Zapico Gifford. He passed away Jan. 3, 2000, in Odessa at the age of 48. Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 7, 2000, at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. A wake is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. Henry grew up and attended schools in Argentina. He taught school there and later moved to New Zealand to work in the oil industry. He moved to Odessa in 1976. He married Anna Maria Chabarria in Pecos Aug. 7, 1976. He went to work for Meither Machine and later for General Tire, now Ameripol Synpol, where he had worked for the last 12 years. He was a steward in the local chapter of the United Steel Workers of America. Henry enjoyed water skiing and was also very involved with his children in their school activities. Survivors include his wife, Anna Maria Gifford; son, Frederick Steven Gifford of Odessa; daughters, Christina Ann Gifford and Amy Diane Gifford, both of Odessa; parents, Frederick and Margaret Gifford of Odessa; sisters, Margarita Mabel Gifford Chamorra of Argentina, Brenda Diana Gifford of Odessa and Susy Isabel Cleaveland of Mountain Home, Idaho; brother, William Alexander Gifford of Marshall; one grandson, Jarrod Steven Gifford; one stepgrandson, Dakota Fugere; and several nieces and nephews. _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA — Helen June Moore, 80, of Odessa passed away January 4, 2000, in a Houston hospital. Mrs. Moore was born June 29, 1919, in Tuscola. She took her training to become a registered nurse at Hendrick’s Memorial Hospital in Abilene prior to becoming a commissioned officer in the Army Nurse Corps where she soon became a 1st Lieutenant. She had received her military training at Camp BarkIey in Abilene and was assigned to the 16th Army Field Hospital. She served during many campaigns in North Africa and Europe as well as the D-Day Normandy Invasion. She married Heulit A. Moore on April 18, 1945, in Paris, France. He preceded her in death in September 1991. Mrs. Moore moved to Odessa in 1957 and was a member of Open Door Assembly of God Church where she was very active. She also was active in mission work and helped found the Promised Land Christian Retreat. She had worked as a registered nurse at Medical Center Hospital in the pediatrics unit for more than 18 years. She will be remembered not only for what she did, but also for how she did it. She had a way of investing all her actions with her unique view and presence. She was, most of all, creative with her hands, her mind, her way of showing love. Her friends were for a lifetime. Her most essential quality was her profound respect for life and her joy for it. In her last, long challenge she was magnificent in her tooth-and-toenail fight for every inch of life she could have. God and his teachings were precious to her daily life. We know she is precious to God. She is survived by one son, Larry Moore of Clovis, N.M.; four daughters, Patricia Long of San Diego, Janice Pinney of Austin, Connie Heath and her husband, Steven, of Elgin and Susan Quisenberry and her husband, Stokes of Memphis, Tenn.; one brother, Marshall Flippo of Canyon; one sister, Onita Shelton of Abilene; five grandchildren, Jordan Long, Noah Heath, Naomi Heath, Sarah Moore and Helen Louise Quisenberry; one great-grandchild, Kyle Long; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7, 2000, in the Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Wayne Zeigler officiating. Interment will follow in the Sunset Memorial Gardens under the direction Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. God looked around his garden, And he found an empty place, He then looked down upon this earth, And saw your tired face, He put his arms around you, And lifted you to rest, God’s garden must be beautiful, He always takes the best, He knew that you were suffering, He knew you were in pain, Her knew you would never, Get well on earth again, He saw the road was getting rough, And the Hills were hard to climb, So he closed your weary eyelids, And whispered "Peace be thine," It broke our hearts to lose you, But you didn’t go alone, For part of us went with you, The day God called you home. _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA — Ralph Cleveland Taylor, 78, of San Angelo died Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2000, at a nursing home in San Angelo. The family will meet with friends at Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home form 5 to 7 p.m. Friday. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, 2000, at First Church of God with the Revs. Martin Kehler and Paul Jones officiating. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens. He was born Jan. 27, 1921, in Odessa, Mo. He married Audrey McCray March 9, 1951, in Odessa, Texas. Mr. Taylor was a longtime resident of Odessa. He served in the Seabees during World War II. He was a member of the First Church of God were he served on the board of trustees for many years. Ralph loved to read his Bible and listen to gospel music. He was a board member of Gulf Coast Bible College for 10 years. He was past owner of Ralph Taylor Construction. He was the past partner in T&E Building Supply and past owner of ATCO. Survivors include his wife, Audrey McCray Taylor of San Angelo; brothers, Ray Taylor of Odessa and Paul Taylor of Mayhill, N.M.; and numerous nieces and nephews. The family suggests memorials to Mid America Bible College. Services entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA — Raleigh D. Whitson was born Nov. 19, 1912, in Fairfax, Okla., to Dove and Emma Bailey Whitson. He passed away Jan. 3, 2000, at Memorial Hospital & Medical Center in Midland. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Sunset Memorial Chapel with Rev. James R. Otterness officiating. Masonic graveside services will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Services are under the care of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. Mr. Whitson served in the Army during World War II in the 20th Air Force and was stationed in Guam. He came to Odessa in 1948. He was the owner of the Pepsi-Nesbitt Bottling Company. He was a member of the Odessa Country Club for 40 years, a member of the McFarland Lodge and a Shriner. He was a former president of the Permian Basin Bottlers Association. Survivors include his wife, Vera Whitson; daughter, Karen Snoddy of Odessa; sisters, Deane Moore of Dallas, Thelma Henson of Midland and Catherine Boucher of Eugene, Ore.; grandchildren, Heather and Craig Snoddy of Odessa; and nephew, Douglas Henson and his wife Carol of Midland. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and one sister. The family request that memorials be made in his name to the Alzheimer’s Association in Odessa. Honorary pallbearers: Douglas Henson, Clay Wood, Happy Dyer, Johnny Hatten, Don Reaves, T.O. McLean, Harold Smtih, Kay Nelson, B.C. Garrison, John Late and George Brown. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2000 Odessa American. All rights reserved.