Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online 20 May 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. May 20, 20001 Permian Basin Obituaries _________________________________________________________________ Lee Roy Murphy ODESSA Lee Roy Murphy, age 70, of Odessa passed away Friday, May 18, 2001, at Medical Center Hospital. His father, Wesley, and a brother, H.L., preceded him in death. Services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, May 21, 2001, at Northside Baptist Church with the Revs. Clydell Chapman of Northside Baptist and Mike Bartlett of Greenfield Acres Baptist Church officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens under the care of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. Mr. Murphy was born May 13, 1931, in Nocona where he grew up. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1953. He married Stella on November 3, 1951, in San Angelo. They moved to Odessa on January 14, 1954. Lee Roy served with the Odessa Police Department and the Ector County Sheriffs office from 1964 until 1982. He was a reserve Sheriffs Deputy until last year. He was a member of the Ector County Sheriffs Posse and a member of Greenfield Acres Baptist Church. Mr. Murphy was the owner of Ector Sanitation. Survivors include his wife of nearly 50 years, Stella Murphy of Odessa; his son, Wesley Murphy and wife Melissa of Odessa; a daughter, Edna Buck of Odessa; his mother, Lizzie Murphy of Odessa; brothers, Tommie Murphy of Odessa, Robert Murphy of San Angelo and Kenneth Murphy of Odessa; his sister in law, Marie Murphy of Las Cruces, N.M.; five grandchildren, Scotty Pence and wife Tammy, Tiffany Davis, David Pence, Randi Murphy and Riley Murphy; two great-grandchildren, Cade and Hunter Pence. Memorials can be made to the Hospice House of Odessa or to the charity of your choice. _________________________________________________________________ Curtis Abernathy ODESSA Curtis Alvie Abernathy, age 81, of Odessa passed away Friday, May 18, 2001, at Scenic Mountain Hospital in Big Spring. He was born Dec. 3, 1919, in Marietta, Ga. He married Gussie Gloer on July 24, 1944, in Marietta. He moved to Odessa in 1949, from Roswell, N.M. He was an U.S. Army veteran of World War II and was a Pearl Harbor survivor. He was a retired agent for American National Insurance Co., and was their top salesperson for many years. He was past master of the H.A. McFarland Masonic Lodge 1338. He was a member of Wesley Evangelical Methodist Church, where he served on the board of trustees. Curtis and Gussie took great pride in taking care of the church flowers, and they always looked beautiful. Survivors are his wife, Gussie Abernathy of Odessa; brother, Charles Abernathy and wife Elsie of Cedartown, Ga.; sister-in-law, Jessie Abernathy of Acworth, Ga.; nieces, Patricia Abernathy and April Abernathy, both of Acworth, Ga.; nephews, Robert Hunnicutt of Acworth, Ga., James Hunnicut of Dallas; and cousin, Frank Fortner of Atlanta. Services will be 3 p.m., Tuesday, May 22, 2001, at Wesley Evangelical Methodist Church with longtime pastor and family friend Ronny Newton officiating. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. The men of the church will act as honorary pallbearers. Services entrusted to Kelly-Hubbard Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ David Jones David Earl Jones, age 43, of Odessa died of a lengthy illness May 17, 2001, in Lubbock. He was born May 22, 1957, in Sweetwater. He was a member of West Side Baptist Church in Sweetwater. He is survived by his mother, Gay Morrison of Odessa; sister, Debbie Shifflett and husband David of Odessa; brother, Jimmy Jones and wife Beverly of Odessa; three nieces, Krisa Shifflett, Whitney and Shelby Jones, all of Odessa; uncle, Billy Ray Ham and wife Mary Jo of California; aunt, Mary Ham of Sweetwater; and several cousins. Services were held Saturday, May 19, 2001, at Sunset Memorial Chapel with the Rev. James Bishop officiating. Burial proceeded at Sunset Memorial Gardens. _________________________________________________________________ Hershel R. Tex Griffith ODESSA Hershel R. "Tex" Griffith, age 74, of Odessa passed away Friday, May 18, 2001, at Medical Center Hospital. He was born Feb. 17, 1927 in Olney, Texas. He was retired from the El Paso Natural Gas Co. He was an U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War and a member of the First Assembly of God. Mr. Griffith was preceded in death by his son, Hershel Raymond Griffith, Jr.; his sister, Ruby Webb; and his brother Perry Lamonte Griffith. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Patsy Griffith of Odessa; two sons, Roger Griffith of Los Lunas, N.M. and David Griffith of Rowlett; daughter Mary Brem of Odessa; brother J.R. Griffith of Odessa; two sisters, Dorothy Gatlin of Stephenville and Janell Rector of Brownwood; nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Services will be held 7 p.m. Monday, May 21, 2001, at the First Assembly of God with the Revs. Paul Thompson and Roger Griffith officiating. Interment will be 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, 2001 at Pioneer Cemetery in Pioneer. Services will be entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Stanley Riley HOUSTON Stanley Ray Riley passed away on May 18, 2001, after a seven-year battle with cancer. Stan was born July 13, 1940, in Coleman, Texas. After graduating high school and attending Texas Tech University, he served for two years in the U.S. Army between 1963 and 1965. Subsequently, he spent 21 years in the banking industry, working as a state bank examiner before serving as an executive officer for Continental Bank, Allied Bank and the Ashford Bank. Since retiring from the banking industry, Stan has been involved in several business ventures. He was preceded in death by his parents, W.S. and Robbie Riley; brothers, W.S. Riley, Dave Riley and Dewey Riley; and sisters Jean Sinclair and Joann McIntosh. He is survived by his loving wife of 33 years, Susan Riley; son, Mitch Riley and wife Betsy and an unborn grandchild due in December 2001, son, Luke Riley; brother, Don Riley; six nieces and ten nephews all of whom he loved very dearly. Stan selected the following friends to serve him as pallbearer Tommy Allsop, Charles Arnold, Jerrell Clay, Bob Grundy, Jim Harrison, Walter Klein, Vearl McDaniel, Mike Pickering, Jim Rash, Lawrence Skipper, Ed Smith and George Wirt. Services celebrating Stans life will be at 11 a.m. Monday, May 21, 2001, at First United Methodist Church West Campus with the Rev. Rob Renfro officiating. The church is at 3663 Westcenter, Houston, Texas 77042 (southeast corner of Westpark and Beltway 8). A visitation will be held today at Forest Park Funeral Home between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. today at 12800 Westheimer Road at Dairy Ashford. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to First United Methodist Church or the American Cancer Society. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2000, 2001 Odessa American. All rights reserved.