Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 15 Nov 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, November 15, 1997, 8:43 AM Amarillo W.R. Bruza W.R. "Woody" Bruza, 81, of Amarillo, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997. Services will be at 3 p.m. today in the Chapel of Polk Street United Methodist Church with the Rev. Bill Wade officiating. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery by N.S. Griggs & Sons Funeral Directors, 2615 Paramount Blvd. Mr. Bruza was born in Oklahoma City. He served as a staff sargent in the Army during World War II and was one of the first to march into Berlin after its fall. He had been a partner in Jupe Motor Supply for 36 years. Mr. Bruza married Dorothy Hall in 1940 at Oklahoma City. Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Carol Breitling and Janette Chrysler, both of Amarillo; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The family will be at 3412 Harmony. They request memorials be to Baptist St. Anthony's Hospice and Life Enrichment Center or Polk Street United Methodist Church. Sheryl Ann Augustine Sheryl Ann Augustine, 45, of Amarillo, died Tuesday, Nov. 11, 1997. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Denver. Colorado arrangements will be by Horan McConaty Funeral Home of Denver. Local arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home Inc., 4100 S. Georgia St. Mrs. Augustine was born in Denver. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. Survivors include her husband, Joe; and her mother and stepfather, Helen and Milo Ewing of Wheatridge, Colo. The family requests memorials be to the St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church organ fund. Bradley Cole Mark Neece Bradley Cole Mark Neece, 5 months old, of Amarillo, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997. Graveside services will be at 4 p.m. today in Memory Gardens Cemetery with Don Woolsey, pastor of Grace Community Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home Inc., 4100 S. Georgia St. Bradley was born in Amarillo. Survivors include his biological parents, Melanie and Delon Neece of Canyon; his parents, Amber and Robert Cole of Amarillo; two brothers, Branson Cole and Benjamin Cole, both of Amarillo; two sisters, Brittany Cole of Amarillo and Tiffany Neece of Canyon; and grandparents, Nancy Cayton of Canyon, and Luther May of Abilene, and Denise and Mark Menke, and Donna Cole, all of Amarillo. Patricia Ann Yowell Patricia Ann Yowell, 63, of Amarillo, died Monday, Nov. 10, 1997. Cremation arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle. Mrs. Yowell was born in Arkansas City, Kan. She had been a resident of Amarillo for 20 years. She was a mailroom clerk for the Amarillo Globe-News, where she had worked for 17 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Hawkins Yowell, in 1977. Survivors include a daughter, Teresa Lynn Lynch of Altus, Okla.; and three grandchildren. The body will not be available for viewing. Ila Dell McNew Ila Dell McNew, 90, formerly of Amarillo, died Tuesday, Nov. 11, 1997, in Bella Vista, Ark. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday in River Road Baptist Church with the Rev. Michael Carter officiating. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle. Mrs. McNew was born in Bridgeport and moved to Amarillo in 1925. She was a payroll clerk at Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. from 1925 to 1967. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Telephone Pioneers and River Road Baptist Church. She married Garvin Bird in 1927. He preceded her in death. She married Harold McNew in 1945. He died in 1980. She also was preceded in death by a daughter, Margaret Bird Trolinger. Survivors include a sister, Maxine Baird of Amarillo; two stepsons, Walter McNew of Plano and Brad McNew of Amarillo; two grandsons; five stepgrandchildren; three great-granddaughters; and two stepgreat-grandchildren. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday. The family requests memorials be to River Road Baptist Church, 8605 River Road, Amarillo, Texas 79108; Meals on Wheels, 1416 W. Eighth Ave., Room 106, Amarillo, Texas 79101; or the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 2490, Amarillo, Texas 79105. Esther Pierce Esther Pierce, 89, of Amarillo, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997. Services will be at 1 p.m. today in Schooler-Gordon Funeral Directors Bell Avenue Chapel, 5400 Bell St., with Dale R. Dunn, pastor of Lamont Drive Baptist Church, officiating. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Pampa with Rick Parnell, associate pastor of Central Baptist Church of Pampa, officiating. Mrs. Pierce was born in Soper, Okla., and graduated from Soper High School, where she played basketball. She lived in Pampa from 1929 to 1981, when she moved to Amarillo. She married Douglas Johnson Pierce in 1927 at Soper. He died in 1981. She also was preceded in death by an infant son, Douglas Rudolph Pierce, in 1929. Mrs. Pierce was a member of Central Baptist Church in Pampa for 52 years and worked in the church nursery there for 40 years. She had been a member of San Jacinto Baptist Church Homebound Sunday School class. Survivors include two daughters, Sunny Rae Muncrief of Madill, Okla., and Jeane Taylor of Amarillo; a brother, Claude Wiginton of Littlefield; a sister, Lena Nielsen of Houston; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and three stepgreat-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Students in Free Enterprise c/o West Texas A&M University. Elsewhere Betty Duggan Ford MYRTLE SPRINGS - Betty Duggan Ford, 43, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997, in Mesquite. Services will be at 4 p.m. today in Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors Colonial Chapel at Pampa with the Rev. Todd Dyess, pastor of First United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery at Pampa. Mrs. Ford was born in Pampa. She was a 1972 graduate of Pampa High School. She attended West Texas State University at Canyon. She had been a claims specialist for Republic Diversified Services of Dallas for the past 10 years. She was a Methodist. She married Wesley Ford in 1989 at Canyon. Survivors include her husband; a son, Jessy Burgess of the home; and two brothers, Bill Duggan of Missouri City and John Duggan of Beeville. The family requests memorials be to the American Heart Association. New Mexico Robert Clifton Morgan PORTALES, N.M. - Robert Clifton "Ike" Morgan, 91, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in University Baptist Church with the Rev. Steve Smith officiating. Burial will be in Portales Cemetery by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales Inc. Mr. Morgan was born in New Mexico Territory. He attended school at several one-room schools in the area of his family's home west of Portales before attending Portales and Floyd schools. He was a member of the first graduating class of Floyd High School in 1925. He was a member of University Baptist Church, where he was a deacon and the church treasurer for many years. Mr. Morgan married Nell Bruton in 1928 at Dimmitt, Texas. They farmed and had a jersey dairy west of Portales. In 1945, they moved to Dimmitt and returned to New Mexico in 1947. They continued to farm and milk until 1955, when they moved to Portales to be closer to their Farm Bureau Insurance business. In 1952, Mr. Morgan was elected to the New Mexico State Senate, an office he held for 20 years. In 1966, he was elected president pro-tem of the Senate, a position he held until retiring from political office in 1972. As the chair of the Education Committee, he introduced a bill which provided for an educational retirement system for New Mexico educators. Mr. Morgan was a member of the Portales Rotary Club for many years. Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Glenna Cooper of Bella Vista, Ark., and Joy Best of Elida; six grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandson. The family requests memorials be to the building fund at University Baptist Church. Oklahoma Sylvus Adee BOISE CITY, Okla. - Sylvus Adee, 80, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997. Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday in Boise City Christian Church with Kary Myers officiating. Burial will be in Springfield Cemetery at Springfield, Colo. Arrangements are by Cimarron Mortuary. Mr. Adee was born in Okeene. He moved to Cimarron County with his parents in 1919. Their family farm and ranch was 10 miles northwest of Boise City. He attended the Sandy View School and worked on the family farm. He married Lena Mae Carter in 1942. Mr. Adee served with the Army for four years during World War II. He was stationed in Guadalcanal, New Guinea, and the Northern Solomons. After being discharged from the Army, he returned to Cimarron County to farm and ranch with his dad. He later owned and operated a western wear and boot repair shop in Boise City. After retiring, he was active with the Boise City Senior Center. Survivors include two sons, Steve Adee of Palmer, Alaska, and Leslie Adee of Hugoton, Kan.; a daughter, Marlene DeAnda of Dumas, Texas; three sisters, Ruby Enlow of Marietta, Ga., Ruth Hall of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Elis Marie Ward of Boise City; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to the Dwight Phillips Veterans of Foreign Wars memorial scholarship. Memorials will be accepted at Cimarron Mortuary. Area Ben Scroggins PAMPA - Ben Scroggins, 54, a former Amarillo resident, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997. Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. today in Polk Street United Methodist Church in Amarillo with the Rev. Bill Wade, associate pastor, and the Rev. Valerie Mirab of First United Methodist Church of Krum officiating. Private burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Amarillo by Memorial Park Funeral Home, 6969 E. Interstate 40, in Amarillo. Mr. Scroggins was born in Dallas and raised in Amarillo. He graduated from Tascosa High School and attended Spartan School of Aeronautics at Tulsa, Okla. He was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War. During his career as a corporate pilot, he was employed by United Mud of Borger, Mesa Petroleum of Amarillo and most recently by Bourland-Leverich of Pampa. Mr. Scroggins married Rose Marie Westart in 1970 in Missouri. Survivors include his wife; a son, Brian Scroggins of Denver; three daughters, Valerie Ecton of Bolingbrook, Ill., Nicole Scroggins of Aviana Air Force Base, Italy, and Jodi Scroggins of Canyon; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Scroggins of Amarillo; a brother, James Scroggins of Pampa; a sister, Paula Ezzell of Keller; and three grandchildren. The family will be at 5505 Berget in Amarillo. They request memorials be to the Ronald McDonald House, 1501 Streit Drive, Amarillo, Texas. Clayton Andrew Mann CLARENDON - Clayton Andrew Mann, 94, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997. Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in Robertson Funeral Directors Chapel of Memories with Bright Newhouse, pastor of the Hedley Church of Christ, officiating. Masonic graveside rites and burial will be in Rowe Cemetery at Hedley. Mr. Mann was born in Cooke County and moved to Clarendon in 1909. He was a carpenter for most of his life before retiring. He was a member of Clarendon Masonic Lodge No. 700 and First Christian Church. He married Viola McBride in 1928 in the McKnight community of Donley County. Survivors include his wife; a son, Monte Mann of Houston; and three grandchildren. Beulah Lee Maxey CLARENDON - Beulah Lee Maxey, 93, died Friday, Nov. 14, 1997. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Roberts Funeral Directors Chapel of Memories with the Rev. Jim Powell, pastor of the Howardwick Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Citizens Cemetery. Miss Maxey was born in Afton, Okla., and moved to Donley County in 1916. She worked as a cook and a home-care attendant much of her life before retiring. She was a member of McKnight Baptist Church. She was the pianist at churches in Chamberlain and McKnight for many years. Survivors include a brother, V.T. "Shin" Maxey of Howardwick. Santos Perez Sr. DIMMITT - Santos Perez Sr., 85, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997. Vigil will be at 7 p.m. Sunday in Foskey-Lilley-McGill Funeral Home Ivey Chapel. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Immaculate Conception Catholic Church with the Rev. Guillermo Morales and the Rev. John Hickey officiating. Burial will be in Castro Memorial Gardens. Mr. Perez was born in Brady. He lived in Brownfield before moving to Dimmitt in 1950. He was a farmer before retiring. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. He married Marcelina Pesina in 1935 at Brady. Survivors include two sons, Jose Perez of Cincinnati and Santos Perez Jr. of Dimmitt; three daughters, Velia Gonzales of Amarillo, Juanita Ramirez of Dimmitt and Jose Wylie of San Angelo; two brothers, Pablo Perez of San Angelo and Gavino Perez of San Antonio; a sister, Maria McHaney of Seguin; 21 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. Charlie Churchwell PLAINVIEW - Charlie Winfield "Chuck" Churchwell, 92, died Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in First Baptist Church Chapel with the Rev. A.C. Hamilton, retired Baptist minister, officiating. Burial will be in Plainview Cemetery by Wood-Dunning Funeral Home. Mr. Churchwell was born in Comanche County. He grew up in Comanche County and graduated from high school there. He moved to Plainview in 1924. He worked for the late Bill Sammann, who helped him get started in the farming business in the Prairie View community. He and his family moved to Hale County in 1925. He continued to farm and later went into the oil and gas business. After retiring, he owned and trained race horses. He was a Baptist. Mr. Churchwell married Buena Hodges in 1958. She died in 1994. Survivors include two brothers, Marvin "Preach" Churchwell and W.R. "Mutt" Churchwell, both of Plainview; three sisters, Vera Castleberry of Plainview, Cora Lee Vaughn of Hale Center and Mavis McClain of Bentonville, Ark. The family will receive friends at the church parlor at 1:30 p.m. today. Blanche Copelin TULIA - Blanche Copelin, 83, died Friday, Nov. 14, 1997. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in Rose Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Jess Little, pastor of Silverton First Baptist Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Wallace Funeral Home. Mrs. Copelin was born in Waxahachie. She was raised in Runningwater and graduated from Cotton Center High School. She moved to Silverton in 1967 and to Venus in 1996. She married Chester Dale "Red" Copelin in 1937 at Plainview. He died in 1978. She also was preceded in death by a son, Samuel Copelin, in 1984. Mrs. Copelin was a homemaker and a member of Silverton First Baptist Church. Survivors include a daughter, Darlene Caffee of Midlothian; a son, Billy Copelin; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Jearl Keeton PLAINVIEW - Jearl Keeton, 55, of Hedley, formerly of Plainview, died Wednesday, Nov. 12, 1997. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Lemons Funeral Home Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Keith Riley, pastor from Childress, officiating. Burial will be in Plainview Memorial Park. Mr. Keeton was born in Tulia. He grew up in Plainview and graduated from Plainview High School in 1960. He worked in the oil fields in Odessa and Spearman. He married Glinda Wojcik in 1980 at Levelland. They moved to San Angelo, where he managed a store for Tucker Drilling. He moved to Lubbock in 1990 and attended Rice Technological School. Mr. Keeton moved to Claude in 1991. He moved to Hedley this year to own and operate a metal arts business called Steel Shadows. He was Baptist. He was preceded in death by a son, Kelly Leo Keeton, in 1993. Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Jennifer Nollner of Spearman and Melissa McLain of Dallas; a stepson, Joseph Jones of Hobbs, N.M.; three brothers, Dale Keeton of Midland, Kenneth Ray Keeton of Marion, Ark., and Curtis "Bud" Keeton of Sidney, Ohio; two sisters, Jerline Poling of Riverside, Calif., and Oveta Fay O'Dell of Lovington, N.M.; and two grandchildren. Robert C. Potts SPEARMAN - Robert C. "Bob" Potts, 68, died Friday, Nov. 14, 1997. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Sunday in Hansford Cemetery with the Rev. Gene Foster, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home. Mr. Potts was born in Phillips. He had lived in the Spearman area for 49 years, moving from Phillips. He was a retired mechanic. Survivors include a brother, Jody Potts of Borger; and a friend, June Potts of Spearman. Juanita Marie Vanortwick PAMPA - Juanita Marie Vanortwick, 69, died Friday, Nov. 14, 1997. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Fairview Cemetery with the Rev. Albert Maggard, pastor of First Pentecostal Holiness Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors. Mrs. Vanortwick was born in Yale, Okla. She moved to Pampa in 1956 from Stillwater, Okla. She was a member of First Pentecostal Holiness Church. She married Bobby Lee Kinnamon in 1946 at Stillwater. He died in 1981. She married Dale Vanortwick in 1987 at Miami. He died in 1991. Survivors include a daughter, Barbara Roe of Skellytown; a sister, Grace Spencer of Yale; a brother, Wilbur Curtis of Stillwater; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. The family will be at 2211 Hamilton. They request memorials be to the National Kidney Foundation.