Ector Co. TX - Obituaries from the Odessa American Online 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. Permian Basin Obituaries Copyright © 1999-2002 Odessa American. All rights reserved ================================================================================ Sunday April 21, 2002 Verla Fern Lay ODESSA - Verla Fern Lay, 80, passed away Friday, April 19, 2002, at Medical Center Hospital. She was born July 11, 1921, to Burley and Mable Holland in Maunie, Ill. Verla was a lifetime resident of Odessa. She married Bill Lay in 1966, and was a member of Foursquare Gospel Church. She loved going to church and reading her Bible. She enjoyed crossword puzzles, making crafts, and being with her family. There will be family visitation from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 21, 2002, at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. Services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, April 22, 2002, at Foursquare Gospel Church with the Rev. Robert Lamb officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers will be Deric Brunette, Bobby Stark, Rough Lamb, Dewayne Johnson, Ricky Davis, and Eddie Davis. Her husband, Bill Lay, parents, Burley and Mable Holland, daughter, Beverly Ann Cox, two brothers, Robert and Dale Vincent Holland, and a grandson, David Shane Brunette all preceded her in death. Survivors include two sons, Glenn Dale Cox and wife Betty Jean of Denver, CO; and Jim Cox and wife Linda of Texarkana, TX; one daughter, Shirley Brunette and husband David of Odessa; and one sister, Maxine Hylton of Longview. Her grandchildren are Kim Stokes and husband Daniel of Hagerston, MD; Bobby Blitz and wife Paula of Aurora, CO; Phillip Cox and wife Sherry of Texarkana, TX; Glenda Ransiear and husband Jim; Rayann Kekona; and Jennifer Cox, all of Aurora, CO; Shaye Lamb and husband Rough; Kenneth Brunette, Samantha Stark and husband Bobby; Deric Brunette and Cody Brunette, all of Odessa. Her great-grandchildren are Chris Lamb and wife Kimberly of Billings, MT; Eric Lamb and wife Shandi of Las Vegas, NV; Michael Blitz and wife Maria of Aurora, CO; Christie, Robbie, and Catie Cox of Texarkana, TX; Joy Lamb, Hannah Lamb, and Hallie Stark all of Odessa. Her great-great-grandchildren are Christopher Kyle, Ryan Joseph, and Alyssa Mackenzie. She has numerous nieces and nephews, and brothers and sisters in the Lord, too many to count. Memorials may be donated to Foursquare Gospel Church in her memory. Services are under the direction of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. Dorothy Yalch McCann ODESSA - Dorothy Yalch McCann, 85, of Odessa, died Friday, April 19, 2002, at Medical Center Hospital. She was born Feb. 14, 1917, in Strawn, Texas, to Stefan and Maria Yalch. She married J.D. McCann on Feb. 18, 1938, in Strawn. She came to Odessa in 1948 from Rio Grande City. She attended St. Mary's Catholic Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, J.D., on June 9, 1978, and one infant son, James. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, April 22, 2002, in the chapel of Frank W. Wilson Funeral Director with the Rev. Francis Frey officiating. Interment will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 23, 2002, at Mount Marion Cemetery in Strawn. Arrangements are by Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. Survivors include son, Michael Stephen McCann of Odessa; daughter, Betty Enabnit of Phoenix; sister, Helen Cox of Stephenville; grandchildren, Wade McCorkle of Phoenix, Micah and husband, Parrish Pettigrew, Michael McCann II, Christian McCann, and Miryam McCann all of Odessa; great-grandchildren, Brenden and Madison McCorkle of San Diego, Makayla and Autym Pettigrew of Odessa; was "Big Mama" to Rhonda Baggett of Odessa, Robby Gilbert of Austin and Joe Gilbert of Nashville, Tenn.; and several nieces and nephews. Dortha L. "Nell" Thomas OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA. - Dortha L. "Nell" Thomas, after a valiant battle against unbelievable odds, went to meet her Lord and Savior on April 14, 2002. She was born Dec. 31, 1928, in Ranger, Texas, the oldest child of H.E. and May Gregory. She graduated from Odessa High School in May of 1946. On June 21, 1947, she married the love of her life, Charles H. Thomas. Two very special daughters were born to this union and soon became the focal point of a very loving and devoted family. God and family were her world and heaven help anyone or anything that interfered with either one. Nell had a special place in her heart for babies, both her own and those in every church nursery she served. Even many years later as teenagers and adults these children would remember the influence Miss Nell had on their lives, that hand has rocked many cradles. The most profound influence Nell had was on her own family. She was a strong and dynamic personality who believed in calling them like she saw them, if you agreed with her, great. If you didn't, then it was your own choice to be wrong. Perhaps her greatest gift to her family and especially to her grandchildren was her absolute unselfishness with any and everything she possessed. She was generous when she had an abundance and even more so when she didn't. A good wife (the greatest cook in the whole world) mother, grandmother, and great- grandmother was a gift far beyond rubies and gold. Without her chocolate cake, birthdays will never be the same. She is survived by her husband Charlie, her daughters, Cynthia and husband, Larry Koonce of Oklahoma City, Okla., and Sherry and husband, Joe Coombes of Burkburnett, Texas; grandchildren, Kori and Tod Bussert, Deke and Amy Koonce, Laura and Ty Hutchinson, Kari and Mike Kerr, Hillary, Lindsey, and Zane Coombes; her great-grandchildren, Kami and Kelsi Bussert, Tyler and Justin Koonce and Natalie Hutchinson; her many adopted grandchildren and great-grandchildren; a sister, Ann and husband Jack Harvey; brothers, Tom and wife Billie Jo Gregory, and Wendall Gregory; and a host of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Dean Gregory. Funeral services were held Wednesday, April 17, 2002, at Crestview Baptist Church in Oklahoma City and interment was at Memorial Park Cemetery in Oklahoma City. Leonard Kunkel ODESSA - Leonard Kunkel, 86, passed away Friday, April 19, 2002, at the Hospice House. He was born Feb. 3, 1916, to Fred and Mattie Kunkel in Megargel, Archer County, Texas. Mr. Kunkel married Viola Frances Mitchell on Sept. 17, 1935, in Seymour, Texas, later moving to Odessa in 1944 from Dallas. He was a production foreman for Texaco for 34 years, retiring in 1978. He enjoyed collecting antiques and Indian artifacts and loved fishing and painting. There will be a family visitation from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, 2002, at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. Services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, April 22, 2002, at Sunset Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Dave Dineen officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers will be Frank and Ray Harvill and nephews. Honorary pallbearers are Jack Mathis, Toby Hart, and Bob Morrison. His parents, Fred and Mattie Kunkel, brothers, Ted, Rich, Robert, Turner, Ernest, and Joe Kunkel, and sisters, Leola and Belle Kunkel, all precede him in death. Survivors include his wife, Viola Kunkel of Odessa; son, Curtis A. Kunkel of Ruidoso, NM; daughter, Narita Kay Holmes of Odessa; brother, Harrell Kunkel of Beaumont; sister, Thelma Cochran of Houston; grandchildren, David and Misty Holmes of Austin, and Nancy Thompson of Virginia and Stuart Kunkel of Odessa; and many nieces and nephews. Memorials can be sent to the American Cancer Society, Odessa Chapter, 811 Central, Odessa, Texas 79761, or to Nurses Unlimited of Odessa. Services are under the direction of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. .A.L. Pugh Jr. ODESSA - A.L. Pugh Jr. was born Aug. 24, 1927, in Mexia. He died Thursday, April 18, 2002, in Dallas. He was the son of the late Pansy and Amel Leon Pugh. A.L. lived a good and faith-filled life. He was raised in Wink where he graduated from Wink High School. He proudly served his country and is a veteran of World War II. A.L. attended and graduated from Rice University. He spent many years in Hobbs, N.M., and worked in the oil industry. He moved his family to Odessa in 1976 where he retired from Amoco after a long and fulfilling career. He attended Temple Baptist Church and was active with his Scripture Study Group. A.L. was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Wilfred Pugh. He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Randall and Ann Pugh of Keller, Ralph and Lily Pugh of Austin and Leon and Amy Pugh of Dallas; daughter and son- in-law, Lorna Reed and husband Al of Lubbock; brother, O.D. Pugh and wife Anne of Houston; sister, Edith of Paris, Texas; grandchildren, James Pugh, Nicholas Pugh, Christopher Pugh, Holly Reyes, Page Nichols, Nash Crawley, Alex Pugh, MaryClare Pugh and Shannon Pugh; stepgrandchildren, Gretchen and Corey Vincil; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services and visitation will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 23, 2002, at Temple Baptist Church, 10th and Texas, in Odessa with the Rev. Jack Watkins officiating. Burial will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, 2002, at the Kermit Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Cooper Funeral Chapel Inc. in Kermit. In lieu of flowers, A.L. requested memorials be made to the American Diabetes Association Memorial Program NCC, P.O. Box 2680, North Canton, Ohio, 44720, 1- 800-342-2383, www.diabetes.org. Please note A.L. Pugh Jr. on donations. Howard Leon Dudley KERMIT - Howard Leon Dudley passed away on April 20, 2002, at Winkler County Memorial Hospital in Kermit, Texas. He was a member of the Church of Christ. He was born on a farm in White Flat, Texas, on Oct. 23, 1934, to Jesse and Claude Dudley. His parents, one brother, Eugene Dudley and one sister, Louise Clemmer, preceded him in death. Survivors include one brother, Pat Dudley of Wink, Texas; son, Phil Dudley and his wife, Bernice; daughter, Marla K. Dudley, all of San Antonio; daughter, Dana King and her husband, Clifton (C.W.), of Crane, Texas. Leon has four grandchildren - Jessica, Michael, and Joshua King of Crane, and Tristan Chapa of San Antonio. Leon has been a long-time resident of Kermit. He was a successful, independent businessman whose knowledge of the oilfield will be missed greatly. He was the owner and operator of Dudley Production Co. and Dan Mar Well Service, Inc. and other small businesses. He was a large contributor to his political party and was very supportive of various local youth organizations. Leon enjoyed golfing with his buddies and visiting with family and friends. It was always a delight for him when either family or friends would drop by the office or the house for a visit. We will miss him! Services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, April 22, 2002, at the First Baptist Church of Kermit with Brian McGonagill of the Church of Christ officiating. A graveside service will be held at 4 p.m. the same day at the Trent Cemetery in Trent, Texas, with Billy Hamner officiating. Services are entrusted to Cooper Funeral Chapel, Inc. Copyright © 1999-2002 Odessa American. All rights reserved.