Ector Co. TX - Obits from the Odessa American Online 21 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 21, 2001 Permian Basin Obituaries Ben Briley ODESSA Ben Alden Briley, 83, passed away Friday, June 15, 2001, at Hospice House. He was born March 20, 1918, in Bartlesville, Okla., to Benjamin Franklin Briley and Anna Gertrude Briley. He was a plant foreman for Shell Oil Company in Notrees. He married Juliette Durand on Nov. 24, 1945, in Marseille, France. He was in the armed forces. He was preceded in death by his parents, Benjamin Franklin and Anna Gertrude Briley; his brothers, Berton and Carl Briley; and his sisters, Dorothy Huddleston and Ruth Reynolds. Informal memorial services will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 23, 2001, at 500 E. 36th St. He is survived by his wife, Juliette Durand Briley of Odessa; two sons, Carl and wife, Melinda Briley of Odessa and Marc and wife, Becky Briley of Austin; two daughters, Barbara Briley of Albuquerque, N.M., and Paulette and husband, Douglas Johnson of Tempe, Ariz.; sister Margaret Kittelson of Winfield, Kan.; 13 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. He will be lovingly remembered as a man who marched to the beat of his own drum. He possessed an inventive and curious mind, a generous spirit and a loving nature. He was endowed with a sense of fun and humor that was contagious. We all were enriched by his unconditional love and he will live on through the generations to come in our capacity to love, laugh and share. Its requested that memorials be sent to Habitat for Humanity. Services entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Joe E. Sparks ODESSA Joe E. Sparks, 77, of Odessa, passed away on June 19, 2001 at Seabury Nursing Home in Odessa. Military graveside services, conducted by VFW Post 4372, are scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, June 22, 2001, at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Odessa with the Rev. Don Fankhauser of Antioch Christian Church officiating, assisted by Mr. Cary Summers. Joe was born August 29, 1923, at Fort Sam Houston Army Base in San Antonio to Noah and Mary Lou Sparks. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942 where he served during WWII. He married Gale Hardcastle on Dec. 12, 1945 in Brownsville. In 1947, he re-enlisted for five more years where he served during the Korean War. In 1957, he came to Odessa from Brownsville as assistant manager of Walgreen Drug Store. Later, he retired as manager of Kroger. Joe is survived by his wife of 55 years, Gale Sparks of Odessa; daughters, Deborah Lou May and husband Jack of Odessa and Melissa Sue Gardner and husband Mike of De Leon; sister, Grace Pat Summers and husband James of Odessa; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and three nephews. The family has requested memorials to the Alzheimers Association and Hospice Home. The family would like to recognize the staff at Seabury Nursing Home for their kindness and consideration during Joes stay there. Services entrusted to Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Maria G. Romo ODESSA Maria G. Romo, 73, of Odessa, a homemaker, died Tuesday, June 19, 2001, at Medical Center Hospital. She was born Feb. 1, 1928, to Darita Enriquez and Manuel Gonzales. Rosary will be said at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 21, 2001, at Martinez Funeral Home. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church with the Rev. Gilbert Rodriguez officiating. Burial will follow at Rosehill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Friday. She is survived by: her husband, Timoteo Romo of Odessa; eight sons, Manuel Gonzales of Lovington, N.M., Alejandro Gonzales, Jose Gonzales, Luis Romo, Lorenzo Salas and Roberto Romo, all of Odessa, and Joel Romo and Julio Gonzales, both of Monahans; four daughters, Rosa Zavala and Maria Elana Loya, both of Odessa, Dolores Fuentes of Monahans and Suzana Romo of Keene; and a sister, Carmela Gonzales of Chihuahua, Mexico. She was preceded in death by: her parents, Manuel Gonzales and Darita Gonzales. Arrangements by Martinez Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Robert York ODESSA Robert Bob Doran York, 72, of Odessa, passed away on June 18, 2001 at his residence. He was born on September 15, 1928, in Brady. He served in the Army during the Korean War in 1950 and participated in the rifle squad of the Honor Guard. He married Betty Jewel Slaughter in San Saba in 1951 and came to Odessa in 1964 from Lometa. Bob worked as a sheet metal aircraft mechanic for Ector Aircraft for 36 years. He was a family man who enjoyed gardening, woodworking and loved animals. His parents, Roberly and Bernice York and a sister, Annye Belle, preceded him in death. Robert is survived by his wife Betty York of Odessa; son, Robert Doran York, Jr. and wife Sandra Elizabeth of Kingwood; daughters, Rhonda Albers and husband Rick of Ruidoso, N.M. and Jana Wortham and husband Mike of Lubbock; brothers, Charles York and wife Lillie of San Antonio, Howard York and wife Judy of Brady; sister, Kathryn Benjamin of Lometa; sister-in-law, Wanda Burns and husband Bill of Brady; brother-in-laws, Jerry Slaughter and wife Elva of Midland, Larry Slaughter and wife Judy of Goldsmith, Steve Slaughter and wife Susan of Belton; grandchildren, Justin Cody York and wife Alison of Stephenville, Dustin Miles York of Odessa and Teresa Parisher of Kingwood. Services will be 10 a.m. Friday, June 22, 2001 at Sunset Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Raymond Bugg of Community Care Hospice officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. The family will be receiving visitors from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 21, 2001. Memorials may be made to Community Care Hospice, American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association. Services are entrusted to Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. _________________________________________________________________ Copyright © 2000, 2001 Odessa American. All rights reserved.