Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online 20 Aug 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. August 20, 2000 Permian Basin Obituaries _________________________________________________________________ W. Gerald Hyde MIDLAND W. Gerald Hyde was born Oct. 12, 1918, in Franklin County to William Oliver and Martha J. Reeves Hyde. He was reared and educated in Franklin County. In 1939, he married Beatrice Hyde in San Angelo. He retired March 29, 1984, from Pylant Sign Company after 32 years of service. Mr. Hyde was a member of Crestview Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Beatrice Hyde, of Midland; sons, Guy Hyde and his wife, Yvonne, of Bozeman, Mont., and Jerry Hyde and his wife, Roberta, of Midland; grandsons, Ron Roeser and Rich Roeser, both of Chicago, Wayne Hyde of Midland and Patrick Hyde of Sugarland; granddaughters, Kerry Jeter of Abilene and Renee Wade of Hattisburg, Miss.; and nine great-grandchildren. Mr. Hyde died Friday evening in a Midland retirement home. Visitation with the family will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday at Ellis Funeral Home. Services to celebrate his life are scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2000, in Crestview Baptist Church with Dr. Larry Ashlock officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery under the direction of Ellis Funeral Home. Honorary pallbearers will be members of his Crestview Baptist Church Sunday school class. _________________________________________________________________ Jane H. Ray was born Oct. 24, 1932, in Virginia to Rush and Ella Holt. She passed away on Aug. 17, 2000, at Medical Center Hospital. Services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21, 2000, at the Sunset Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Ernest Easley of First Baptist Church officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Mrs. Holt came to Odessa 41 years ago. She married Joe Paul Ray Oct. 31, 1955, in Martinsville, Va., he preceded her in death. She was a member of the First Baptist Church. Jane worked as an insurance agent for the Prudential Life Insurance Company for 19 years. She won many awards over the years for her achievements there. Survivors include her sons, Danny P. Ray and wife Kathy of Odessa, Michael D. Ray and wife Patti of Flowermound and Joe R. Ray and wife Susan of Lewisville; her brothers, Noel Holt of Patrick Springs, Va., Harry Holt of Stuart and Jay Holt of Bassett, Va.; her sisters, Pearl Blackard of Stuart, Va., Eunice Young of Bassett, Va., and Norine Buffkin and husband, Arthur, of Martinsville, Va.; seven grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a sister, Dallas Holt Hensley Pulliam of Martinsville, Va.; and a brother, Moir W. Holt, of Stuart, Va. Family visitation will be at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home from 6:00 to 8:00, Sunday, August 20, 2000. Services are under the care of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Nita Gem Tripp ODESSA Nita departed from this life Friday, Aug. 18, 2000, in the care of Home Hospice. Services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Sunset Memorial Chapel. Dr. David Mindel was the officiating minister. Mrs. Tripp is survived by a daughter, Sally "Sissy" Hill and husband, Doug; a son, M.R. "Billy" Tripp Jr., and wife, Jeannie; and four grandsons, Micah and Tucker Tripp, Joshua Jones and Adam Hill. She was preceded in death by her husband, M.R. "Bill" Tripp, and granddaughter, Lydia Osborn. Daughter of Sam and Cecile ONeal, Nita graduated from Pecos High School and went on to get an associates degree in art from Texas State College for Women at Denton. She moved to Odessa in 1935 and married Bill Tripp April 9, 1939. She was voted First Lady of Odessa in January 1959 after having volunteered in countless organizations. Nita was also a member of First Christian Church. Her passion was to better serve the young, old, and/or downtrodden. She was a former president of the Council of Church Women. She, along with her husband, Bill, helped establish the Chi Rho Youth Program at First Christian Church in Odessa. Nita was instrumental in getting the state juvenile probation program organized. She won statewide recognition for her work with the Texas mental hospital system where she served as chairman and advisory board member. Additional accomplishments include serving as chairman of the Voters Service League and helping to organize the Ector County Parks Department. At former President Eisenhowers invitation, Nita was asked to participate at a White House conference on youth and children. Nita will be remembered for her tenacity, determination, devotion to her family, and her spiritual conviction. The family suggests making memorials to the charity of choice. Arrangements by Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2000 Odessa American. All rights reserved.