Ector Co. TX - Obituaries from the Odessa American Online Submitted by Sonny Hall shall@balista.com 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 =========================================================================== Wednesday September 04, 2002 Vinia Jean Bledsoe ODESSA - Mrs. Vinia Jean Swoopes Bledsoe passed away Saturday, Aug. 31, 2002, at Medical Center Hospital. She was born June 18, 1934 in Lott, Texas, to Mr. Mack Swoopes Sr. and Mrs. Inez Truesdale Swoopes. She began school in Kansas City, Mo. She was one of seven children, two of whom have preceded her in death. The family moved to Odessa in 1941, and she resumed her education in Ector County Independent schools; first at Douglas Elementary School and later at Blackshear Jr./Sr. High School. She was very active in basketball and track and field, as she lettered in both. She later attended Odessa College and Wilson’s Beauty College from which she graduated. Immediately after graduation, she became an operator at Bivian’s Beauty Salon where she worked for many years before she retired. And later was employed at Texas Electric Service Company for 17 years before retirement. Mrs. Bledsoe was married to Mr. Lawrence Bledsoe Sept. 4, 1955, by the late Rev. W.R. Ockletree, pastor of St. James Baptist Church, where she was a member. Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, 2002, at Bethlehem Baptist Church with the Rev. Roscoe S. Sutton officiating. Interment will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be held at Martinez Funeral Home on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. She was preceded in death by her parents and two siblings, a brother and a sister. She is survived by her husband, Lawrence Bledsoe of Odessa; brother, Mack Swoopes Jr. of Odessa; sisters, Willie Ruth Houston of Harrisburg, Penn., Billy Swoopes and Jackie L. Hammond and her husband Lee R. Hammond, all of Odessa; two uncles, William Swoopes of Kansas City, Mo., and James Truesdale of Lott; two aunts, Addie Ruth Butcher of Oakland, Calif. and Freddie B. Taylor of Dallas; three nieces; twelve nephews; and a host of other relatives. Lloyd Harold Curlee ODESSA - Lloyd Harold Curlee passed away Sept. 2, 2002, after a lengthy illness. Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday, September 6 at Sunset Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Dick Brown officiating. Mr. Curlee was born in Itasca, Texas, on Nov. 6, 1923, to Thomas Gwen Curlee and Phema Williams Curlee. He began his education in Itasca, and graduated from Itasca High School. He was very active in sports and won second place at State finals in Austin in the 100-yard dash. He was also drum major in the school band. He entered the United States Army on Oct. 24, 1943, and served in the Anti-Aircraft Coast Artillery. He was in the Invasion of Europe and fought in the Battle of the Bulge in Germany. Mr. Curlee was a rifle marksman. During his enlistment, he advanced to the rank of Private First Class. He was awarded a Good Conduct Medal, service ribbons, and one Silver Service Star. Mr. Curlee received his Honorable Discharge on Feb. 24, 1945. In 1946, Mr. Curlee began his pursuit in higher education at North Texas University in Denton. He completed his BA degree in 1949 and began his first teaching assignment in Midland. In 1950, he taught at Austin Elementary under the supervision of A. G. McDonald in Odessa. During the years of 1950 to 1953, Mr. Curlee graduated with a Master’s Degree in Education and the years that followed he completed 30 hours beyond his Master’s. From 1950 until his retirement in 1983, he completed 34 years teaching children and made a great contribution in meeting the need of his students. Mr. Curlee had many friends and cherished these relationships. Along with his love for people, he also enjoyed raising and training dogs for shows throughout Texas. His first dog, a Basenji named "King," was given to him by A. G. and Bess McDonald in 1958. This particular dog won many state recongnitions along with several other dogs he had trained. Mr. Curlee was an avid reader and enjoyed sharing with others the books he had read. Lloyd Curlee will be missed by his friends and associates and will long be remembered by the students and lives he has touched. He is survived by two brothers, Jack Curlee of Waxahachie and Sterling Curlee of Pasadena; and numerous nieces and nephews. John Makoviny, Jr. MIDLAND - John Makoviny, Jr., 83, of Midland and Pecos, died Saturday, Aug. 31, 2002, at his residence in Midland, Texas. He was born on Jan. 21, 1919, to John and Mary Makoviny in Connecticut. John served in the United States Navy during World War II as a seaman second class on the U.S.S. Solace and received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained during the war. He attended New Mexico Highlands University and received a Master’s degree in education. He then taught special education in Carlsbad, N.M. until his retirement. While teaching he met Winnie Davis Rhulen and married her in 1950. She was his loving wife until her death in 1993. He attended St. Catherine’s Church in Pecos and was an active member of the Knights of Columbus. He is survived by his very dear friend, Doris Lloyd of Midland; his grandchildren, Maureen Berry and husband James, Colleen Votry and husband Frank, Eileen Bahama and husband Mike and John Gallagher and his fiancée J.J. Straight, all of Las Vegas, Nev.; and great-grandchildren, Amber Votry, Kenneth and Stephanie Langille, James Paul Berry Jr. and Eddie and Mario Dominguez. Visitation will be held Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2002, at Ellis Funeral Home between the hours of 7 and 8 p.m. Funeral services in Midland have been scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, 2002, at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Bob Hopkins officiating. Services in Pecos have been scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church. Interment will be in Stratford, Conn. Arrangements are under the direction of Ellis Funeral Home, 801 Andrews Hwy. Midland, Texas. Copyright © 1999-2002 Odessa American. 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