Mexia Daily News - Jan. 10, 2004 edition

Joe Stooksberry

Former longtime Wortham educator, Joe Stooksberry, 86, of Bella Vista,
Arkansas, died Saturday in Concordia Care Center at Bella Vista.

Mr. Stooksberry, who was at Wortham Public Schools from 1946 to 1977, was born
May 26, 1917, in Winters, Tx., to Joe Milton and Vesta Kate Brady Stooksberry.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Bella Vista.

A 1937 graduate of Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State
University in San Marcos), he then bacame Prinicpal-Coach at Giddings, Tx. He
was married to his high school sweetheart, Grace Pyburn, on June 9, 1940.

Joe joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943, and after attending Officers
Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia, he took part in the Guam and Iwo Jima
campaigns as a part of the 3rd Marine Division during World War II. After the
war, he served as coach, and later as Prinicipal in Wortham schools, from 1946
until 1977. It was in 1987 that he and his wife retired to Bella Vista.

A Memorial service will be conducted on Saturday afternoon, Jan. 10, at 2
o'clock. Arrangements are by the Bella Vista Funeral Home and Crematory.

Surviving are his wife of 63 years, Grace Stooksberry; two daughters and
sons-in-law, Nancy and Jim Cole of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Linda and Richard
Wyatt of North Bethesda, Maryland; a sister, Fran Ayres of Bella Vista; five
grandchildren - Will Richardson of Austin, Katherine Carson and husband Chris
of San Marcos, David Cole of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Grace Snitgen and
husband Doug of Portland, MI., and Greg Wyatt of St. Andrews, Scotland; two
nieces and two nephews.