Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online 6 June 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. June 06, 2001 Permian Basin Obituaries _________________________________________________________________ Valerie Tyann Anderson ODESSA Valerie Tyann Anderson, age 53, of Odessa died Monday, June 4, 2001, at her residence. She was born in Waterberry, Conn., to Tyree and Lillian Thompson Sr. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 9, 2001, at Mount Pleasant AME Church in Hollywood, Fla., with the Rev. Myers officiating. Mrs. Andersons family will be receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today, June 6, 2001, at Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. Mrs. Anderson was raised in New Haven, Conn. She graduated from South Central University, where she was president of her graduating class. She married Bobby Anderson in 1967. They moved to St. Augustine, Fla., in 1979, where she was employed by the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind until retiring to Miami in 1990. She was very active in her church, Mount Pleasant AME in Hollywood, Fla., and her fellowship. She spent her last days in Odessa to be near her devoted daughter and loving sweet baby. She was preceded in death by her father, Tyree Thompson Sr., and brothers, Richard and Tyree Thompson Jr. She is survived by her mother, Lillian Evans of New Haven, Conn.; husband, Bobby Anderson of New Haven; daughters, Michelle Jarnagin of Odessa and Bridget Anderson of Miami; grandson, Leon Bluitt of Odessa; sisters-in-law, Dr. Sandra Thompson of Miami and Ella Valentine of New Haven; aunt and uncle, Ethel and Bennie Jackson of St. Augustine; adopted daughter, Karen Gates of Odessa; and many nieces and nephews. If desired, memorials may be made to the Special Olympics of Odessa. Arrangements by Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. (www.wilsonfuneral.com) _________________________________________________________________ Irene Leija Rosales BAKERSFIELD, Calif. Irene Rosales was a very caring, loving and giving person to all who knew her. She was a wonderful mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. She will be deeply missed. She was born March 23, 1953. She died June 1, 2001. Irene was preceded in death by her mother, Jessie O. Leija, and brother, Johnny O. Leija. Survivors include her daughters, Jennifer Cisneros and Ginger Ortega, both of Bakersfield, Calif.; sons, Ernesto Rosales Jr. of Odessa, Timothy Rosales of Wigby, Wash., and Michael Rosales of Bakersfield; father, Frank Leija of Odessa; sisters, Frances Pizana of Cuyama, Calif., Patricia Papion of Bakersfield, Gloria Campos, Nancy Castillo, Christina Castillo, Amanda Suchil and Jessica Marrufo of Odessa; and brother, Jerry Leija of Odessa. She is also survived by two grandchildren, Andrew Ortega and Samuel Cisneros of Bakersfield. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. today, June 6, 2001, at Hillcrest Memorial in Bakersfield. _________________________________________________________________ R.A. Slim Weber Jr. ODESSA Slim Weber Jr. passed away Tuesday, June 5, 2001, at Hospice House after a brief battle with lung cancer. He was born Dec. 14, 1926, in Utopia to R.A. Weber Sr. and Amanda Tampke Weber. A family visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. today, June 6, 2001, in the chapel of Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 7, 2001, in the chapel of Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors with the Rev. Charles Thornton officiating. Interment will be at 2 p.m. Friday, June 8, 2001, at Center City Cemetery in Goldthwaite. Pallbearers will be Kenneth Hahn, Scott Swindall, Jigs McCombs, Roger Wagner, Jesus Alvarez and Bud Poage. Honorary pallbearers will be Jeremy Wagner, Toby Riley, Brandon Riley, Daniel Bivens, Mark Bivens, Josh Alford and Cody Alford. Slim and his family lived in Utopia until he was about 10. Then, they moved to Hondo. Slim was in the Army from June 1946 to November 1946. He was stationed in Italy until his father was injured and Slim was brought home on a medical leave. Slim was a cowboy from the day he could walk. He helped his dad on the ranch at Hondo, and by age 12, he was day-working for other ranchers. He was a river rider for the government from February 1948 to June 1951. He rode the Texas-Mexico border keeping livestock from entering Texas to help prevent the spread of diseases in our cattle. This was a job that he loved and had many good memories and great tales to tell about this time. He later worked as a heavy equipment operator on the Amistad Dam while they were building it. He continued to work as a heavy equipment operator until he retired after a back injury in 1980. Slim traded livestock and horses all of his life and made many friends in doing so. No matter where Slim went, he always would see people he knew and had kept in touch with friends whom he had met along the way clear up until the end. He and his wife Susie Marks Weber were supported all during Slims illness by countless friends and neighbors who were always there to help and to relive many good memories that they had all made together. A special thanks to Kenneth and Pat Hahn for their friendship and their help to Susie and Slim during his illness. Also, thanks to Jesus Alvarez, who visited Slim nearly daily after work and who was a buen amigo to both Slim and Susie. Thank you to all the people at Home Hospice and Hospice House in Odessa who helped make Slims illness more bearable and who were supportive of Susie. Such a true blessing was Slim to all those who knew him. He touched our hearts by his kindness and his willingness to always help others and will be greatly missed by all. Slim is survived by his wife, Susie Marks Weber of Gardendale; a daughter, Tanya Weber of Carlsbad; two sisters, Jonell Reasonover and Mary Anderson, both of San Antonio; mother-in-law, Beth Marks; and her mother, Naoma Rosson, both of Goldthwaite. In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations to be made to Hospice House in Odessa. Services have been entrusted to Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. (www.wilsonfuneral.com) _________________________________________________________________ Millard Ethridge Woody Smallwood BURNET Woody Smallwood, 54, of Burnet died Sunday, June 3, 2001. Woody was born June 4, 1946, in Winters to Archie Willard Smallwood and Stella Muzzie Hartley Smallwood. He married Linda Gardner Nov. 26, 1965, after graduating from Odessa High School. He served three years in the U.S. Army where he attained the rank of E6. Military assignments were in Texas and Germany where he worked with the Hawk Guided Missile System. While at Sul Ross University, he was in the Whos Who in American Colleges and Universities and was named Man of the Year. Bachelor and masters degrees in education were earned there. After teaching, he became a school administrator for several years in the Austin school system where he was named Outstanding Vocational Industrial Teacher of the Year for the state of Texas. Woody also had a self-owned construction company. The Smallwood family moved from Austin to Round Rock to Burnet, where they have lived for the last 12 years. Woody attended Hoover Valley Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his mother, Stella Muzzie Smallwood. He is survived by his wife, Linda; daughter, Crystal; and son, Chad of Burnet; his father, Archie Smallwood of Odessa; a sister, Vada McCallum of Odessa; brothers, Jimmy Wimpy Smallwood of Leander and Alford Smallwood of Victoria; his mother-in-law, Rudean Gardner; and brother-in-law, Russell Gardner, both of Burnet. Graveside services with arrangements by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home of Burnet will be at 4 p.m. today, June 6, 2001, at Lakeland Hills Memorial Park on Park Road 4 near Burnet. The Rev. Al Cummins, pastor of Hoover Valley Baptist Church, will be the officiating minister. Pallbearers are Stacy Branscum, Glenn Nail, Dan Brakhage, Dana Jones, Buster Davis, Wesley Williams, Mike Moore and Randy Slaton. Honorary pallbearers are Dwayne Hastings, Charlie Birdwell and David McCollum. Woody leaves behind fond memories for all the many lives he touched. He was a wonderful father and husband, best friend to many, but most of all, a great man to all who knew him. He spent his life in the service of others and never knew a favor too small. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2000, 2001 Odessa American. All rights reserved.