Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online 2 Dec 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. December 02, 2000 Permian Basin Obituaries _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA Richard P. Anderson, age 81, of Odessa passed away Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2000, in Brandon, Fla. He was born Dec. 5, 1918, in Brookline, Mass., and graduated from Brookline High School. Mr. Anderson entered the U.S. Army Corps in 1940 and served in the Pacific Theater of Operations as a radio operator on bomber aircraft during World War II. He was awarded the Air Medal and received a Purple Heart for wounds received during a bombing mission against the Japanese-held island of Tarawa. Other decorations include: Solomon Island campaign unit citation, American Defense Service Medal and the Asiatic Pacific Theater Campaign Ribbon and other awards for 60 air combat missions. LIFE magazine published an account of a combat mission involving Sgt. Anderson in which the B-17 they were flying had to ditch in the Solomon Sea. The crew survived seven days in two half-filled four-man rafts; however, two of the nine-member crew died of starvation and overexposure. He was also mentioned in the World War II book The Saga of the Hornet. Following the war, he met and married Irene Milburn in 1945. Upon leaving the service, he became an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration serving in Dallas, Amarillo, El Paso, New Orleans, Houston and Midland-Odessa. He retired in 1968. He was preceded in death by his wife, Irene. He is survived by his sister, Mrs. Phyllis Zollin of Sun City, Fla.; a brother, Charles Anderson of Brookline, Mass.; and many nephews and nieces. Mr. Anderson was a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and the Disabled American Veterans. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, 2000, at the Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home followed by interment at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Services are entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA Stroud Kelly Bearden passed away after a lengthy illness Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2000, at his home in Odessa. He was born April 14, 1909, at Tenaha in Shelby County, Texas, to parents Agnes Jane and Jasper Burr Bearden. He was married to Jewell May Teurman in Wheeler, Texas, on Jan. 1, 1930. Mr. and Mrs. Bearden lived and farmed in the Texas Panhandle at Kelton in Wheeler County and in East Texas at Tenaha in Shelby County for several years. In 1935, they moved to McCamey in West Texas where Mr. Bearden went to work in the oilfields for National Supply Company. After living in McCamey, Freer and other Texas cities and working in the oilfields setting pumpjacks, building cattle guards and doing related oilfield and construction work, Mr. and Mrs. Bearden moved to Odessa in 1937, where they purchased their home. In 1944, Mr. Bearden started Lone Star Construction Company as an oilfield construction and service business until he sold it and semi-retired in 1975. He continued working in the construction field until finally retiring in 1987. In October 1980, Mr. Bearden was awarded official recognition as a Permian Basin Petroleum Pioneer for his lifelong work in the petroleum industry since 1935. For relaxation, Mr. Bearden enjoyed eating peanuts with Dr. Pepper, fishing, hunting, playing shuffleboard and shooting pool. He will be long remembered as a kind and generous father to his family. Mr. Bearden is survived by his wife of 70 years, Jewell Bearden; a son, Charley Bearden of Odessa; daughters, Louise Spratlen and Mildred Clemmons Odessa; and daughters, Alice Busby and Linda Junker of Midland. At the time of his death, Kelly had 14 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild. Funeral services for Mr. Bearden will be at 2 p.m. today, Dec. 2, 2000, at Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home with C.A. Smith of Andrews officiating. Graveside services will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens following the service. Pallbearers will be grandsons, John Spratlen, Michael Spratlen, Jerry House, Terry House, James Busby and Jason Junker. Services are entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Shirley Cates ODESSA Memorial services for Shirley Cates, 64, of Odessa are scheduled for 6 p.m. today, Nov. 2, 2000, at Hubbard-Kelly Chapel with Pastor Melvin Warren officiating. Shirley left this world from her residence to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2000. She was born Feb. 3, 1936, in Quero, Texas. She was retired from a career in retail administration. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Odessa. Shirley was preceded in death by her loving, longtime companion, Bob James, and granddaughter, Kallie Nell James. Survivors include a daughter, Deb Smith of Borden County; three sons, Michael Cates of Lamesa, Steve James of Wylie and Robert James of McKinney; a brother, Jerry West of Mississippi; four sisters, Janelle Yates of Lamesa, Robbie Irwin of Whitney, Joy Jenkins of Fort Worth and Loy Henderson of Boulder, Colo.; and 13 grandchildren. Services are entrus- ted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Billy Horton Mickle Jr. ODESSA Services for Billy Horton Mickle Jr., 49, of Odessa are scheduled for 4 p.m. today, Dec. 2, 2000, at Washington Avenue Church of Christ with Lynn Money officiating. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, 2000, at Wayland Community Cemetery in Stephens County with Jim Cox officiating. Mr. Mickle died Thursday, Nov. 30, 2000, at Midland Memorial Hospital and Medical Center. He was born Jan. 6, 1951, in Gorman. He was a 1969 graduate of Odessa High School and a 1980 graduate of Lubbock Christian University. He was an avid supporter of high school, college and professional sports. He had worked as a youth minister for the Church of Christ. He was preceded in death by his parents, Bill Mickle Sr. and Betty Sue Greenlee Mickle. Survivors include his brother, Omer Mickle, sister-in-law, Grace Mickle and nephew, Tahoe Mickle, all of Sherman; and best friend, Jim Pollard of Odessa. Services are entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ ODESSA Margaret Mullins, 77, of Odessa died Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2000, in Fort Worth. She was born April 10, 1923, in Coatsville, Penn. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. today, Nov. 2, 2000, at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Ernest Easley officiating. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Mrs. Mullins was a graduate of Coatsville High School and Duke University. She married Dr. Don Mullins in Galveston. He preceded her in death in 1991. Survivors include her sons, John Mullins and wife Ann of Houston and Don Mullins and wife Karen of Arlington; daughters, Katherine Perkins of Phoenix and Melinda Mullins of Fort Worth; grandchildren, Jennifer and Christopher Mullins of Houston and Nathan and Emma Perkins of Phoenix; and sister, Dorothy Diehl of Downing Town, Conn. Funeral arrangements are by Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. (www.wilsonfuneral.com) _________________________________________________________________ KERMIT Ezequiel Rios, 75, of Kermit died Thursday, Nov. 30, 2000, at Medical Center Hospital. He was born Feb. 24, 1925, in Palomas, Mexico. Mass will be celebrated at 3:30 p.m. today, Nov. 2, 2000, at St. Joseph Catholic Church with the Father John Lucido officiating. Rosary will be said at 6 p.m. today at Cooper Funeral Chapel. Burial will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3, 2000, at Kermit Cemetery. He was a retired construction worker for Huntsman Corp. He was Catholic and a resident of Kermit for 26 years. Survivors include his wife, Irma Barerra of Kermit; son, Ezequiel Rios Jr. of Levelland; daughters, Christina Rios, Christabel Rios and Crystal Rios, all of Odessa, and Anabella Rios of Kermit; brothers, Cruz Rios of Monahans and Manuel Rios of Andrews; sisters, Eva Hernandez of Marfa and Graciela Molinar of Andrews; and a grandchild. Pallbearers will be Ezequiel Rios Jr., Rojelio Molinar, Manuel Rios, Jesus Garcia, Meli Hernandez and Roger Molinar. Arrangements by Cooper Funeral Chapel, Inc. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2000 Odessa American. All rights reserved.