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 =========================================================================== Thursday June 20, 2002 P.R. Cates Jr. ODESSA - P.R. "Phil" Cates Jr., age 84, of Odessa passed away Tuesday, June 18, 2002, at the VA Medical Center in Big Spring. Services are scheduled for 3 p.m. today, June 20, 2002, at Sunset Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Johnny Young officiating. There will be no graveside services. Phillip Richard Cates was born July 4, 1917, in Wichita Falls to Phillip and Lila Cates. He worked in the Civilian Construction Corps at age 15 and later served in the U.S. Cavalry. He married Texana Chilton on June 4, 1941. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the South Pacific and received a medal for expert marksmanship for rifle and pistol. Mr. Cates loved to hunt, and he was a lifetime member of the NRA. He was the longtime owner of Cates Refrigeration. He was a member of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society. He was a member of First Baptist Church and an active member of the K.I.T. Club and Dr. E.J. Claassen's Sunday school class. Dad was proud to be a fifth cousin to Davy Crockett, defender of the Alamo. His parents and a sister, Lila Catherine Belew, preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his beloved grandmother, Grace Davis Berry, who died at the age of 103. Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Texana Cates of Odessa; his sons, Phillip Cates and wife Barbara and Rick Cates and wife Anna, all of Odessa; a brother, Don Cates and wife Donna of Lubbock; a sister, Carol Cates of Lubbock; a brother-in-law, Melvin Belew of Madisonville; grandchildren, Christi Cates, Kim Clinkenbeard and husband Tracy, Cari Cates, Phillip W. Cates, Mickey Appleton and wife Margie and Robin Chambers; great-grandchildren, Missy, Mandy and Wesley Appleton; uncles and aunt, Keith Davis and wife Sue of Thorndale and Neil Davis of Los Alamos, N.M.; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and his beloved poodle, Cujo. The family suggests memorials to the VA Hospital VAVS Fund, Rm. 6, 300 Veterans Blvd., Big Spring, Texas, 79720. Services are under the care of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. Betty Mattern ODESSA - Betty Mattern, age 76, of Odessa passed away Sunday, June 16, 2002, at Hospice House. She was born July 17, 1925, in Watonga, Okla., to Alvin and Pearl Teply. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. today, June 20, 2002, at Sunset Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Paul Jones officiating. She attended Cordell School near Watonga. After finishing school, she moved to Hooker, Okla., where she met and married Doyle Laugh. They moved to Elk City, Okla., where Doyle became a minister of the Assembly of God Church. They moved to Odessa and continued their ministry at an Assembly of God Church. She enjoyed playing guitar with her husband and running their cafe. Later, Betty spent 40 years as a nurse for the hospital and for Dr. Wright. After Doyle Laugh's death in 1982, she married Dan Mattern. He also preceded her in death. She is survived by her brother, Don Teply of Watonga, Okla.; stepson, James Mattern of Houston; three stepgrandchildren; numerous stepgreat-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews Services have been entrusted to Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. You are invited to leave a message in our online guest book at www.wilsonfuneral.com. Fannie Mae Sheppard CRANE - Fannie Mae Sheppard, 84, of Crane died Wednesday, June 19, 2002, at the Odessa Hospice House. Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, June 21, 2002, at the Crane County Cemetery with the Rev. Owen Sharp officiating. Services are under the direction of Shaffer-Nichols Funeral Home of Crane. Mrs. Sheppard was born Sept. 14, 1917, in Omega, Ga. She had lived in Crane for 55 years. She was a housewife. She was preceded in death by her husbands, L.E. Noland and Dennis Sheppard; a son, Butch Noland; a grandson, James Lloyd Noland; and several brothers and sisters. She is survived by her daughter, Grace Bland and husband Ray of Crane; a sister, Mary Tomlinson of Cocoa, Fla.; four grandchildren; and seven great- grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Hospice House, 903 N. Sam Houston Ave., Odessa, Texas, 79761. Raymond Wilkin FORT WORTH - Raymond Edmond Wilkin, 69, died Tuesday, June 18, 2002, in Fort Worth. Funeral: 10 a.m. Friday, June 21, 2002, at University Christian Church with Dr. Alan Lobaugh officiating. Burial: Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. today at Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home. Memorials: Should friends desire, memorials may be given to Vitas Hospice. Pallbearers: L.C. Collins, Loren Hanson, Will Henderson, Jerry Jones, Clifton Morris and Ron Siler. Raymond Edmond Wilkin was born Aug. 17, 1932, in Baytown to Henry and Madie Wilkin. He moved to Penwell in 1945 and attended Odessa High School, where he played baseball on the Texas state championship team of 1950. He attended Sam Houston State College on a baseball scholarship and graduated with a degree in business administration. He was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso in the U.S. Army. Mr. Wilkin was a former managing partner of Ernst & Young Accounting Firm in Fort Worth where he retired after 28 years to pursue other interests. He was given the Distinguished Honorary Alumnus award for outstanding professional achievement presented by UTA. In a tribute to Ray, the UTA College of Business created the Ray Wilkin Junior Achievement Scholarship for helping UTA obtain its largest single contribution in its history. His memberships included past president of Junior Achievement, 1981-1983; past president of the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra; past president of Casa Manana; honorable member of Accounting Alumni Association at UTA; member of the Texas Society of CPAs; and member of Delta Tau Delta and Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. He was also a member of Colonial Country Club, past member of Rotary Club of Fort Worth, past member of Fort Worth and Century Two clubs, elected member of Beta Gamma Sigma University of Texas at Arlington and United Methodist Church in Fort Worth. Special thanks to the Texas Cancer Center in Fort Worth and to all the staff at Arlington Cancer Center, Arlington Memorial Hospital and Vitas Hospice Group. He was preceded in death by a son, John Raymond Wilkin, and his parents, Madie and Henry Wilkin of Monahans. Survivors: Wife of 27 years, Vicki Patricia Wilkin; children, Andrew Wilkin and his fiancee Lisa Kosiba of Frisco, Laura Wilkin of Fort Worth, Jim Nowell and his wife Cammie of Fort Worth and Sherri Nowell Conger and her husband John of Dallas; grandchildren, Olivia and Mitchell Nowell and Clint, Chris, David and Jack Conger; sister, Sarah Gann and her husband Ross of Monahans; nieces and nephews; countless friends; and many special people at the Monday night Men's Meetings at Harbor. U.M. Tadlock III NOVATO, Calif. - U.M. Tadlock III, age 48, of Novato, Calif., passed away Tuesday, June 18, 2002, in Novato at a local hospital. He was born Aug. 5, 1953, in Odessa to U.M. and Marcia Tadlock. He attended Odessa High School, Sul Ross State University and Abilene Christian University. He was a building contractor in California. He was a member of the Church of Christ. His mother preceded him in death. Survivors include his father, U.M. Tadlock Jr. and wife Elaine of Odessa; a son, Wesley Austin Tadlock of Illinois; and a daughter, Tara Lawrence of Dallas. Arrangements have been entrusted to Keaton's Redwood Chapel in Novato and Sunset Memorial Funeral Home in Odessa. Copyright © 1999-2002 Odessa American. All rights reserved.