Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 7 June 1997 Copyright, http://www.amarillonet.com/ ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Thanks to the Amarillo Newspapers for allowing us to place their online obits in the USGenWeb Archives ==================================================================== Last updated; Saturday, June 7, 1997, 7:00 AM Amarillo Lou Allen Lou Allen, 64, a former resident of Eldorado, Okla., died Wednesday, June 4, 1997, at Amarillo. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in the Odema Cemetery at Eldorado with the Rev. Don Harrold of Olustee, Okla., officiating. Arrangements are by Patterson Greer Funeral Home of Hollis, Okla. Mrs. Allen was born in Altus, Okla., and raised in Jackson County. She was a homemaker. Clyde Renfro Clyde Renfro of Amarillo died Friday, June 6, 1997. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at West Park Cemetery in Hereford with the Rev. Dr. Gil Lain, pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, officiating. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle. Mr. Renfro was born in Swisher County and was a longtime Castro County resident before moving to Amarillo in 1982. He was involved in agribusiness. Mr. Renfro served on the board of Dimmitt Wheat Growers and the Sugar Board. He was active in many groups at First Baptist church in Dimmitt for more than 25 years. Mr. Renfro was a member of Paramount Baptist Church. He owned and operated Hereford's first airport. Mr. Renfro married Betty Blankenship at Hereford. Survivors include his wife; a son, O.C. Renfro of Amarillo; a sister, Mrs. Edwin Mauk of Lubbock; and a brother, Lee Renfro of Austin, Nev. The family requests memorials be to Paramount Baptist Church, 3801 S. Western St., Amarillo, Texas 79109 or to First Baptist Church, 1201 Western Circle Drive, Dimmitt, Texas 79027. Canyon Bonita Newby Bonita Elaine Cazzell Newby, 87, of Irving, a former Canyon resident, died Friday, June 6, 1997. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Llano Cemetery. Arrangements are by Chism and Smith Funeral Home of Irving. Mrs. Newby was born in Amarillo and had lived in Canyon before moving to Irving eight years ago. She had been a member of the First Baptist Church of Canyon and had retired as a bookkeeper for West Texas State University. Mrs. Newby was preceded in death by a son, Jack Vislas Newby II. Survivors include her daughter, Sharon Murray of Slidell, La.; a brother, Nard Cazzell of Amarillo; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Oklahoma Neva Inez Day RANDLETT, Okla. - Neva Inez Prater Day, 81, died Thursday, June 5, 1997, at Lawton. Services will be at 10 a.m. today in Union Valley Baptist Church at Cookietown with the Rev. Arbuary Ritter officiating. Burial will be in Hansford County Cemetery at Spearman, Texas. Arrangements are by Hart-Wyatt Funeral Home of Walters. Mrs. Day was born in Twitty, Texas, and was raised in the Mobettie and Canadian areas of Texas. She married Joseph Lynch Day in 1935. After her marriage, she lived on a ranch southeast of Spearman on the Canadian River. She and her husband moved to Spearman in 1944 where she worked as a clerk in the sheriff's and tax assessor's offices. After retiring in 1976, they moved to Truth or Consequences. Mr. Day died in 1981. She moved to Randlett in 1982. Survivors include a daughter, Connie Vardell of Randlett; a brother, Ivy Prater of Dalhart, Texas; a sister, Verna Mapes of Friendswood, Texas; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Arvilla Margaret Rice KENTON, Okla. - Arvilla Margaret Rice, 77, died Thursday, June 5, 1997. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Kenton Cemetery with Derek Cox officiating. Arrangements are by Cimarron Mortuary of Boise City. Mrs. Arvilla was born in Kansas City, Kan., and moved to Kenton with her family when she was 3. She attended school in Kenton and lived there for the rest of her life. She married Pierson Rice in 1937 at Clayton, N.M. He died in 1986. Mrs. Arvilla was a member of the Kenton United Methodist Church. Survivors include a son, Emmitt Rice of Dumas; a daughter, Ruby Gore of Boise City; two sisters, Marie Willhite of Boise City and Irene Kencheloe of Albuquerque, N.M.; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Cimarron Home Health and Hospice or to the Black Mesa Club. Nellie Lucille Bobbitt BALKO, Okla. - Nellie Lucille Bobbitt, 73, died Wednesday, June 4, 1977. Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Balko Baptist Church with Harvey Albright and Rodney Roberson officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery by Clark Funeral Service. Mrs. Bobbitt was born in Denver and married James Leroy Bobbitt in 1941 at Oklahoma City. They moved to the Anthony community in 1945, where she worked as a nurse at the Beaver County Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home for 23 years. She was a member of the Balko Baptist Church for more than 30 years and was a member of the Sunflower Club. Mrs. Bobbitt was a high school graduate, a homemaker and a 55-year resident of Beaver County. Mrs. Bobbitt was preceded in death by her husband and a son, Jimmy Bobbitt. Survivors include three daughters, Myrtle Timpe of Ozark, Mo., Janet Rader of Hammon and Joy Bobbitt of Perryton, Texas; eight grandchildren; and 11 greatgrandchildren. New Mexico Maye Phillips CAUSEY, N.M. - Maye Phillips, 84, died Thursday, June 5, 1997. Services will be at 11 a.m. today at Causey Baptist Church with the Rev. Glen Edwards and Carroll Peaden officiating. Burial will be in Springlake Cemetery at Springlake, Texas, by Ellis Funeral Home of Muleshoe, Texas. Mrs. Phillips was born in Carter, Okla., and married Orby Phillips in 1933 at Clovis. She was a homemaker and a member of Causey Baptist Church. Mrs. Phillips had lived in Stegall, Texas, before moving to Causey in 1981. She had previously lived in Olton, Texas, from 1933 to 1947. Survivors include two sons, Clyde Phillips of Inez and Aubrey Phillips of Dexter; two daughters, Laverne Coffman of Causey and Johnnye Lavender of Lubbock, Texas; two sisters, W.L. Phillips of Picayune, Miss., and Blanche Collier of Scurry, Texas; 13 grandchildren; 17 greatgrandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Area Ada Hollabaugh HEREFORD - Ada Hollabaugh, 98, died Wednesday, June 4, 1997. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Gililland-Watson Funeral Home Rose Chapel with Dr. Tom Fuller of First United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in West Park Cemetery. Mrs. Hollabaugh was born in West Fork, Ark. She graduated from Prairie Grove High School at Prairie Grove, Ark. She moved to Texas in 1937 from Sabetha, Kan., and moved to Deaf Smith County in 1938. She was a member of First United Methodist Church and was a child-care provider. She received her 50-year pin from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Women's Auxiliary and was a 50-year member of the Rebekah Lodge. She married Clarence Hollabaugh in 1919 at Prairie Grove. He died in 1954. Survivors include two sons, William Hollabaugh of Lubbock and Raleigh Hollabaugh of Pittsburg, Calif.; and two grandchildren. The family will receive friends from noon until service time Monday. The family suggests memorials be to Kings Manor Methodist Home, 400 Ranger, Hereford, Texas 79045. Virginia Crawford Grant DUMAS - Virginia Crawford Grant, 89, died Friday, June 6, 1997, at Pampa. Graveside services will be at 3:30 p.m. today in the Dumas Cemetery with the Rev. Lonny Robbins of Trinity Fellowship Church of Pampa officiating. Arrangements are by Morrison Funeral Directors. Mrs. Grant was born in Van Buren County, Ark., and had lived in Dumas for 58 years before moving to Pampa in 1994. She married Homa C. Grant in 1928. They owned and operated Grant's Hardware Store in Dumas. She retired in 1974. She was a member of Mary Ellen and Harvester Church of Christ at Pampa and was a lifetime member of the Woodmen of the World. Survivors include her husband; four daughters, Shirley Waller and Wynona Robinson, both of Pampa, Yvonne Hill of Kilbourne, La., and Janice Dollar of Dumas; three brothers, Sammy Crawford of Memphis, Kenneth Crawford of Frankfurt, Germany, and H.C. Crawford of Arkansas; four sisters, Bill Rea and Grace Gardenhire, both of Memphis, Leta Faye Tomlin of Irvine, Calif., and Johnnie Medhart of Quanah; 10 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Hospice of the Panhandle, P.O. Box 2795, Pampa, Texas 79066-2795; Mary Ellen and Harvester Church of Christ Children's Home Fund or Pampa; or Trinity Fellowship Children's Education Fund of Pampa. The family will be at the funeral home from 1:30 to 3 p.m. for visitation. Nona Smith QUANAH - Nona Smith, 91, died Thursday, June 5, 1997. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. today in the Quanah Memorial Park with the Rev. Clinton Young of the First Baptist Church officiating. Arrangements are by Price-Jackson Funeral Home. Mrs. Smith was born in Bells. She married Dee Smith Sr. in 1930 at Bells. She moved to Quanah in 1990 from Bells. She was a homemaker and a Baptist. Survivors include her husband; a son, Dee Smith Jr. of Quanah; three grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter. Walter C. Johnson HEDLEY - Walter C. Johnson, 91, died Friday, June 6, 1997. Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Church of Christ in Hedley with Bright Newhouse and Don Stone officiating. Burial will be in Rowe Cemetery by Spicer Funeral Home. Mr. Johnson was born in Johnston County, Okla., and married Gladys Clementine Johnson in 1927 in Oklahoma. They moved in 1933 to the Texas Panhandle, where Mr. Johnson worked as a rancher. She died in 1984. Mr. Johnson also was preceded in death by a son, W.C. Johnson, in 1936 and a granddaughter in 1978. He was a member of the Church of Christ. Survivors include a son, Blackie Johnson of Giles; a daughter, Velva Gibson of Pampa; a sister, Jewel Mays of San Antonio; three grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to a favorite charity. Levona Marie Witten PLAINVIEW - Levona Marie Witten, 82, died Friday, June 6, 1997. Services will be at 4 p.m. today at First United Methodist Church in Plainview with the Rev. Max Browning, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Plainview Memorial Cemetery by Freeman Funeral Home of Hale Center. Mrs. Witten was born in Alvarado and married Charles Vincent Redinger in 1936 at Hale Center. He died in 1968. She moved to Plainview from the Mayfield community in 1970 and married Claude Witten that year at Hale Center. He died in 1989. Mrs. Witten was a member of the Plainview Symphony Guild, the Plainview Community Concerts, the Hobby Club and the Plainview Women's Forum. She was a former member of the Pioneer Study Club. Mrs. Witten also was a member of Plainview First United Methodist Church. Survivors include two brothers, Joe Roney and Ben Roney, both of Hale Center. Zona Russell Lane TURKEY - Zona Russell Lane, 98, died Thursday, June 5, 1997. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in First United Methodist Church with Stuart Smith, minister of Turkey Church of Christ, and the Rev. Melvin Clinton, pastor of First Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Dreamland Cemetery by Myers-Long Funeral Directors. Mrs. Lane was born in Robertson and married Homer Lane in 1918 at Memphis. He died in 1983. She moved to Turkey in 1908 and had owned and operated a cafe in Turkey for many years. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and First United Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by a son, Harold Lane. Survivors include a son, James C. Lane of Silver City, N.M.; a daughter, Linda Ferguson of Turkey; 11 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to First United Methodist Church of Turkey or to Crown of Texas Hospice of Amarillo. Elba Ramirez HEREFORD - Elba Ramirez, 43, died Friday, June 6, 1997. Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Parkside Chapel with Emilio Fuentes officiating. Funeral mass will be said at 10 a.m. Monday in San Jose Catholic church with the Rev. Domingo Castillo officiating. Burial will be in West Park Cemetery by Parkside Chapel. Ms. Ramirez was born in Midland. She was a homemaker. Survivors include her mother, Consuelo Ramirez of Hereford; a son, Mark Ramirez of Midland; a daughter, April Chavez of Midland; six brothers, Ismael Ramirez, Ruben Ramirez and Tony Ramirez, all of Hereford, George Ramirez of Lubbock, Rudy Ramirez of Amarillo and Nick Ramirez of Andrews; two sisters, Alia Gutierrez of Midland and Angie Blea Midland; and three grandchildren.