Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 15 Oct 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; Wednesday, October 15, 1997, 6:39 AM Amarillo Darrell C. Railsback Darrell C. Railsback, 84, of Amarillo, died Saturday, Oct. 11, 1997, in Houston. Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in St. Stephen United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dean Wynn officiating. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery by Schooler Funeral Home Inc., 4100 S. Georgia St. Mr. Railsback was born in Niobrara County, Wyo. He moved to Amarillo from Phillips. He retired as an engineer for Phillips Petroleum Co. after working there for 32 years. He was a member of St. Stephen United Methodist Church. His wife, Marvel, died in 1995. Survivors include three sons, Tom Railsback of Dallas, Lynn Railsback of Bartlesville, Okla., and Jan W. Railsback of Houston; and four grandchildren. The family will be at 5200 While-AWay. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m. today at the funeral home. Iona Cook Iona Cook, 59, of Amarillo, died Monday, Oct. 13, 1997. Services will be at 6 p.m. today in Schooler Funeral Home Brentwood Chapel, 4100 S. Georgia St., with Rick Mathis, minister at West Amarillo Christian Church, officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery at Moline, Ill. Mrs. Cook was born in Moline. She lived in San Diego for 11 years before moving to Amarillo in 1993. She was a bowler and a member of Coal Valley Presbyterian Church in Coal Valley, Ill. She had been an explosives technician at Pantex for the past three years. She married Raymond Cook in 1958 at Rock Island, Ill. Survivors include her husband of Milan, Ill.; three daughters, Christine Cox and Stephanie Haggerty, both of San Diego, and Susan Cox of Rock Island; a son, Stephen Cook of Escondido, Calif.; three brothers, Edward Blackburn of Moline, Bob Blackburn of Ogden, Utah, and Loren Blackburn of Apollo Beach, Fla.; and two grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Crown of Texas Hospice, 1000 S. Jefferson St., Amarillo, Texas 79101. Elsewhere Ida E. Richard BEDFORD - Ida Elizabeth Miller Richard, 69, died Friday, Oct. 10, 1997, in Mesquite. Services were at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in Lucas Funeral Home in Hurst. Burial was in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Fort Worth. Mrs. Richard was born in Goshen, Ind., and was raised in an Amish household. As a young adult, she attended nursing school in Urbana, Ill., and then worked at a hospital in that area. She married Jack Homer Richard in 1949. They served tours of duty in England, Germany and Detroit before moving to Amarillo, where they lived for 12 years. They moved to Hurst in 1969. Mrs. Richard worked for about 20 years in a variety of positions for Dillard's department stores. At the time of her retirement, she was an auditor. When her children were young, she volunteered as a softball coach, a Cub Scout leader, a Brownie leader and a room mother. More recently she had been a member of a bowling league, a Keno group and the Texas Rangers Women's Club. She also served as secretary of her church. Survivors include her husband; three daughters, Erica Quinn of Fort Worth, Diana Sobey of Dallas and Toni Richard of Bedford; a son, Mark Richard of Pasadena; a brother, Elmer Miller of Goshen; four sisters, Emma Miller, Edna Miller and Katie Stutzman, all of Goshen, and Orpha Miller of Sarasota, Fla.; and six grandchildren. Letters of condolence may be sent to the Jack Richard family, 3205 Shadybrook, Bedford, Texas 76021. The family requests memorials be to the American Diabetes Association, 12850 Spurling Drive, Dallas, Texas 75230. Sherry Cowan LUFKIN - Sherry Cowan, 50, died Monday, Oct. 13, 1997. Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in Gipson Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Walter Futch officiating. Entombment will be in Sunset Mausoleum in Garden of Memories Memorial Park. Mrs. Cowan was born in Amarillo. She lived in Brownwood for nine years and had been a resident of Lufkin since 1985. She was a homemaker and a member of Trinity Baptist Church. Survivors include her husband, Mike Cowan; a daughter, Denise Nichole Harris of Grafton, Va.; a son, Michael Cowan of Bryan; her parents, Clyfton and Jo Wilkerson of Amarillo; two sisters, Becky McNeil of Plano and Carol Webb of Amarillo; a brother, Mike J. Wilkerson of Shelby, N.C.; and four grandchildren. The family requests memorials in lieu of flowers be to Trinity Baptist Church, 2909 E. Lufkin Ave., Lufkin, Texas 75901; or the Arthur Temple Cancer Center, 1201 Frank Ave., Lufkin, Texas 75904. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Clarence Shipman VERNON - Clarence "Jr.'' Shipman, 67, a former longtime Vernon resident, died Tuesday, Oct. 14, 1997, in Claude. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in Sullivan Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Neal Owens officiating. Burial will be in Eastview Cemetery. Mr. Shipman was born in Buckeye, Ariz. He moved to Vernon with his family when he was 4 and attended Vernon public schools. He served with the Army during the Korean War. He retired from the maintenance department at Vernon Regional Junior College. He was a member of the Church of God. Mr. Shipman moved to Claude in May. Survivors include a sister, Juanita Perkins of Amarillo; and a brother, Lester B. Shipman of Hesperia, Calif. The family will be at the funeral home from 7 to 8 p.m. today. Area Weldon C. Terry PAMPA - Weldon C. Terry, 78, died Monday, Oct. 13, 1997. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors Colonial Chapel with Tom Russell, minister of Central Church of Christ, and Frank Morrison officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery. Mr. Terry was born in Berlin, Okla. He moved to Pampa in 1947 from Erick, Okla. He worked for Mead's Bakery as a route salesman for more than 25 years. He was a member of Central Church of Christ. He married Ruby Merrell in 1954. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Delois Broadbent of Pampa; four sons, Rayford Terry of Edmond, Okla., Eddie Terry of Shamrock, Clyde Terry of Mooreland, Okla., and Geoffrey Terry of Pampa; two stepdaughters, Marcelle Batson of Bosque Farms, N.M., and Sally Bradford of Denver City; three brothers, Foy Terry of Clinton, Okla., W.O. Terry of Amarillo and Leon Terry of Orange; three sisters, Juanita McCarthy and Vastalee Hicks, both of Pampa, and Ida Mae Berry of Clinton, Okla.; 18 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Hospice of the Panhandle, P.O. Box 2795, Pampa, Texas 79066-2795. Opal J. Bufkin STRATFORD - Opal J. Bufkin, 83, died Monday, Oct. 13, 1997. Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. today in Coldwater Manor with the Rev. Mark Metzger officiating. Additional services will be at 3 p.m. Thursday in Spicer Funeral Home Chapel at Memphis with the Rev. Tom Posey of First Christian Church of Memphis officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery at Memphis by Morrison Funeral Directors. Mrs. Bufkin was born in Memphis. She moved to Stratford in 1981 from Memphis, where she was a longtime resident. She was a homemaker and a member of First United Methodist Church of Stratford. Her husband, Park Bufkin, died in 1955. Survivors include a daughter, Ann Mitchell of Stratford; two sisters, Jean Horchlet of Mountain Park, Okla., and Dorothy Rose of Weatherford; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. The family will be at 404 N. 4th. They request memorials be to Coldwater Manor, P.O. Box 1189, Stratford, Texas 79084. R.T. Dyess STRATFORD - R.T. Dyess, 84, of Dalhart, a former Stratford resident, died Tuesday, Oct. 14, 1997, in Dalhart. Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in Stratford First United Methodist Church with Dr. Clifford Trotter, retired Methodist minister, and the Rev. Everett Statler, pastor of Central United Methodist Church in Dalhart, officiating. Graveside services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Stratford Cemetery by Morrison Funeral Directors. Mr. Dyess was born in Vernon. He lived in Stratford from 1959 until 1968 and then from 1978 until moving to Dalhart in 1995. He was a retired Methodist minister. Mr. Dyess married Lola Todd in 1937 at Clarendon. She died in 1995. Survivors include three sons, Jerry Dyess of Dalhart, Todd Dyess of Pampa and Sam Dyess of Seattle; a brother, Tony Dyess of Tampa, Fla.; four grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. The family will be at 313 Avenue A in Dalhart. Bertha Smith HALFWAY - Bertha Smith, 91, died Tuesday, Oct. 14, 1997. Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Alvin Petty, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Plainview Memorial Park by Lemons Funeral Home. Mrs. Smith was born in Hill County. When she was 6 months old, her family moved to the Runningwater community. Her father, William W. Edmonson, donated land for the town of Edmonson. Mrs. Smith attended the Runningwater school and Plainview Business College. She worked at Harvest Queen Mill. She married Winford H. Smith in 1927 at Plainview. They lived and farmed at Halfway. Mr. Smith died in 1988. She also was preceded in death by a son, Henry Travor Smith, in 1934. Mrs. Smith had been a member of the Halfway First Baptist Church since 1927. She also was a member of the Women's Missionary Union, and she worked with the Royal Ambassadors. She was a Pink Lady at Central Plains Regional Hospital. Survivors include two sons, Neilan Smith of Halfway and Kenneth Smith of Muscle Shoals, Ala.; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Callie Lorena Bailey MCLEAN - Callie Lorena Bailey, 91, died Tuesday, Oct. 14, 1997. Services will be at 4 p.m. Thursday in First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Thacker Haynes, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery by Lamb Funeral Home. Mrs. Bailey was born in Bridgeport, Wise County. She moved from Wise County to McLean in 1908. She married Jack Bailey in 1921 at McLean. He died in 1983. She also was preceded in death by two sons, Melvin Bailey in 1983 and Charles Bailey in 1995. Mrs. Bailey retired from the McLean schools after 18 years of service. She was active for many years in the McLean and Heald Methodist churches. Survivors include two sons, Vestal Bailey of McLean and Jack Bailey, both of Pampa; three daughters, Jeanne Bailey, Mary Ann Bailey and Jan Haynes, all of Pampa; 14 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to the McLean Museum or the McLean Methodist Church. Dee Smith Holliman WELLINGTON - Dee Smith Holliman, 37, of Page, Ariz., formerly of Wellington, died Wednesday, Oct. 8, 1997, in Colorado. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Derwin Comer, minister of music and education, officiating. Burial will be in North Fairview Cemetery by Adams Funeral Home. Mrs. Holliman was born in Frankfurt, Germany. She graduated from Amarillo High School in 1978. She then attended Amarillo College before entering and serving two years in the Air Force. She married Leldon Holliman in 1989 at Athens, Texas. At the time of her death, Mrs. Holliman was employed as a computer clerk for the U.S. Department of the InteriorBureau of Reclamation. She was a Baptist. Survivors include her husband of Page; a daughter, J'Vonne Diane Stancombe of Page; her parents, George and Letha Smith of Wellington; and a brother, Eddie L. Smith of Amarillo. The family requests memorials be to the Wellington Cemetery Association.