Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online 4 March 2001 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 04, 2001 Permian Basin Obituaries _________________________________________________________________ [INLINE] Monroe T. Buels ODESSA Monroe T. Buels, age 87, of Odessa died Feb. 28, 2001, at Parks Methodist Retirement Village. He was born Dec. 11, 1913 in Ft. Bend, Texas. Funeral Services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, March 5, 2001 in the chapel of Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors with Roy Smalling and Dr. Jesse Cone officiating. Monroe was a chief warrant officer during World War II serving as an aide to General Patton. Mr. Buels married Annie L. Lewis on May 4, 1947, in Lubbock. They moved to Odessa in 1951, and he was a member of the Sixth and Jackson Church of Christ. He was employed by Marks Crane and Rigging for 12 years. He is survived by a son, Ralph M. Buels of Georgetown. Arrangements are by Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. (www.wilsonfuneral.com) _________________________________________________________________ Lillian Thames Porter Fambro ROCKWALL Lillian Thames Porter Fambro passed away March 3, 2001, in Rockwall, Texas. Born Sept. 11, 1915, in Evant (Hamilton County), Texas, she was the last of Joseph and Annie Whitley Thames eight children. At age 3, she lost her mother, brother and brother-in-law to the great Spanish flu epidemic. In 1933, after graduating from Forsan (Texas) High School, she married Robert P. Porter of Chemult, Oregon. Mr. Porter, the father of her four children, died in 1966. In 1973, she married Ranald McDonald, who died two years later. She married Tom Fambro in 1978. He died 10 years later. Left to honor her life are her children, Robert B. Porter and Gary L. Porter of San Angelo, Richard L. Porter of Rockwall, and Jacklyn Porter Antweiler of Austin. In addition to her four children, Lillian is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A devout Christian, Lillian was a member for most of her life at the First Baptist Church of Odessa, Texas. She started her professional life as a chart clerk, then became the librarian for Phillips Petroleum Company in Odessa. She worked for Phillips some 22 years. For many years, she was active in the Jane Phillips Sorority, serving in several elected positions in the local chapter, and at one point was president of the national Jane Phillips Sorority. She enjoyed music and was a member of the Sweet Adelines, a womens singing group. She lived for the past few years at the Summer Ridge Assisted Living Center in Rockwall, Texas. Services will be held at 2 p.m. today, March 4, 2001, at Rest Haven Funeral Home-Rockwall Chapel, with Melvin Merritt officiating. Interment will follow at Rest Haven Memorial Park. _________________________________________________________________ [INLINE] Giene McDonald ODESSA Giene McDonald, age 73, of Odessa died Feb. 28, 2001, at her residence. She was born March 21, 1927, in Mena, Arkansas to George and Vergie Lovell. Memorial Services were held Saturday, March 3, 2001, in the chapel of Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors with Rev. Clydell Chapman officiating. Mrs. McDonald moved to Odessa in 1952 from Houston, where she was a member of Trinity Baptist Church. She retired in 1997 after 17 years with the State of Texas Comptrollers office. She was the past chairperson and secretary of the Womens Democratic Party. She had been heavily involved in early union activities in the Permian Basin and served on the Board of Directors of Meals on Wheels and the Head Start Program. She is survived by her sons, James E. McDonald of Houston, W.D. "Bill" McDonald of Stephenville, and Mike McDonald of Dallas; sisters, Joyce Moringy of Austin and Jaunita Janetsky of Smithville; 10 grandchildren; and six great grandchildren. Arrangements are by Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. (www.wilsonfuneral.com) _________________________________________________________________ [INLINE] Jay H. Mehaffey ODESSA Broadcast pioneer Jay H. Mehaffey passed away Friday, March 2, 2001, at his home after a long battle with colon cancer. He was born Aug. 3, 1920, in Grinnell, Iowa. At the time of his going to join his Lord and Savior, he was 80 years, six months and 27 days of age. He was a 53-year resident of Odessa. After World War II, he attended Drake University, majoring in English and Radio Speech. He started his broadcast career with what was then KOSA Radio in Odessa. In September 1948, he was national sales manager and play-by-play sports announcer. In 1955 he was one of the group that was granted the television license for Channel 7 in Odessa. On Jan. 1, 1956, KOSA TV went on the air and brought the first live network television to the Permian Basin. Mehaffey continued to do the 6:15 sports on KOSA TV along with his management duties. By 1966, KOSA TV was in a chain that included Channel 7 in Amarillo, Channel 4 in El Paso, and Channel 5 in Dallas, along with three radio stations. At this time, Mehaffey sold his interest in the stations, but continued his normal duties at KOSA TV until 1976, when he retired. After a short retirement, he went back to broadcasting at KMID TV as account executive and sports director. Mehaffey did his last daily 6:15 sportscast on Dec. 31, 1983. For 35 years, two generations of West Texans grew up watching Jay on the 6:15 sports from KOSA Radio in 1948 to KMID TV in 1983. He was an avid golfer for 50 years, but had never had a hole-in-one. On Sept. 5, 1988, his final retirement date after 40 years, he had a hole-in-one on the No. 8 hole at Mission Country Club. He was a member of Odessa Country Club, a charter member of Sunset Country Club, a former member of Andrews Country Club, Greentree Country Club, and Mission Country Club. He was a member of the original Odessa Kiwanis Club in 1949-1950-1951. He was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, formerly Normandy Heights Presbyterian Church, since 1952. He shared the 1988-89 Addy Award for Excellence in Advertising with the late John Guffy. He was awarded the Excellence for Community Service Award for media by the Heritage of Odessa Foundation in 1995. He is well remembered as a broadcaster, but his service in WWII is notable. Mehaffey was one of the last surviving U.S. Army Rangers who led the cliff climb at Point-Du-Hoc and Omaha Beach during the Normandy D-Day landings June 6, 1944. He has received many awards for his part in the invasion, but his prized one is the French Croix Du Guerre, because of the citation that came with it. The citation reads, "This superb shock unit of volunteers was always in the thick of the fight. The 5th Ranger Battalion notably distinguished itself on 6 June, 1944 at the time of the Normandy landings at Point-Du-Hoc. The mission of neutralizing several enemy elements, they attained the objectives to which they had been assigned and were successful in holding the positions, thus making possible the landing of other important forces." And thats the way it was, Mehaffey always said. He was a retired Army Captain, a member of the Oil Patch Chapter of Retired Officers Association, a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lieutenant and Mrs. H.W. Mehaffey, and his twin brother, major Jack Mehaffey. Survivors include his wife, Jeanette Bowden Mehaffey of Odessa; two stepsons, Larry Phillips of Burnet, Texas, and Harry Phillips of Austin; three grandchildren; sister, Shannon Rae Brown of Des Moines, Iowa; nephews James H. Brown of Naperville, Ill., Jay V. Brown of Columbus, Ohio, Col. Michael Michael Mehaffey of Ft. Monroe, Va., Chief Warrant Officer Dennis Mehaffey of Ft. Belvoir, Va., Patrick Mehaffey of Salem, Ohio, and Timothy Mehaffey of Greensboro, N.C.; and a niece, Erin Mehaffey Simpson of Salem, Ohio. Services will be held at 2 p.m. today at Westminster Presbyterian Church with Rev. Cheryl Homser officiating. Interment will be in Colfax, Iowa. If you would like to make a donation, buy a Buddy Poppy from the V.F.W. and help our hospitalized Veterans, or donate direct to Local V.F.W. Post. Services entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ [INLINE] Marguerite Snead ODESSA Marguerite Snead, age 80, of Odessa died March 2, 2001 at Medical Center Hospital. She was born Aug. 10, 1920, in Washington, D.C. Graveside Services will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, March 5, 2001, at Sunset Memorial Gardens with Rev. Dr. Jimmy Braswell officiating. She married R.B. "Bob" Snead on Nov. 14, 1941, in Washington, D.C. They moved to Odessa in 1957. She was a homemaker and a member of Midessa Heights Baptist Church. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Mrs. Snead was preceded in death by her husband, R.B. "Bob" Snead in 1996, her father Arthur Sanford in 1950, her mother, Eunice Sanford in 1959, and a grandson, John R. Williams in 1991. She is survived by her son, Bobby Snead and wife Beth of Gardendale; daughter Sheron A. Williams of Odessa; sister Evelyn Lusby of Washington, D.C.; granddaughters Kim Barnes and husband Rick of Odessa and Tami Mesa and husband Isaac of Austin; and a great-granddaughter, MacKenzie Barnes of Odessa. If desired, Memorials may be made to The Alzheimers Association of the Permian Basin. Arrangements are by Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. (www.wilsonfuneral.com) _________________________________________________________________ Estelle Courtney ODESSA Estelle Courtney, 84 years of age, passed away on March 2, 2001, at Medical Center Hospital. She was born on April 21, 1916, in Granbury, Texas to O.F. and Johnnie Roberson. She married Cecil J. Courtney on June 28, 1965. He preceded her in death in 1974. Surviving are her son, Wayne Nichols and his wife Lena of Odessa; daughter Johnnie Servis and her husband Bill of Newton, Texas; brothers Marlin Roberson of Big Spring, Ancil Dale Roberson of Ft. Worth, and Dale Roberson of Glen Allen, Va.; sisters Othelle Nichols of Sand Springs, Texas, and Andaleen Canen of Burleson, Texas; grandchildren Tonya Nichols Harris, Donica Nichols Cole, Jeri Lyn Hallman and Derrick Servis; four great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Visitation will begin today at noon until 5 p.m. with the family receiving friends from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Odessa Funeral Home. Graveside services are set for 2 p.m. Monday, March 5, 2001, at Trinity Memorial Park with the Rev. Vondel Drinkard and Bill Servis oficiating. Services by Odessa Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2000, 2001 Odessa American. All rights reserved.