Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 11 April 1998 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, April 11, 1998, 8:13 AM Amarillo Betty Witt Betty Witt, 65, of Amarillo, died Thursday, April 9, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in N.S. Griggs & Sons Funeral Directors Pioneer Chapel, 2615 Paramount Blvd., with the Rev. Troy Harp, pastor of Freewill Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery. Mrs. Witt was born and raised in Amarillo. She graduated from Amarillo High School in 1950. She married Bill Witt in 1948 at Amarillo. They owned the Phillips Manor Motel in Dumas. She retired after 20 years as a bookkeeper and auditor for the Holiday Inn in Amarillo. Mrs. Witt was a member of Freewill Baptist Church, where she played the piano for 30 years. Mr. Witt died in 1989. Survivors include three sons, Bernie Witt and Robert Witt, both of Amarillo, and Randy Witt of Pine Bluff, Ark.; a brother, Bob Hughes of Hereford; a sister, Floy Minor of Fort Gibson, Okla.; and five grandchildren. The family will be at 600 S. Highland. Arthur Walker Holbrook Jr. Arthur Walker Holbrook Jr., 88, of Amarillo, died Friday, April 10, 1998. Private services for the family will be at a later date. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle. Mr. Holbrook was born in Coffeeville, Kan., and had lived in Amarillo for three years. He was a newscaster with WIBW radio in Topeka, Kan., from the mid1930s until 1956. He put WIBW on the air as a television station. He moved to Los Angeles in 1956 and went into the real estate business. He worked in public relations for the Department of Water and Power until retiring in 1975. Mr. Holbrook was a 32nd Degree Mason and was active with the Shriners in Kansas. He was a Coast Guard veteran of World War II. He married Dorothy Mahan in 1956 at Las Vegas. She died in 1982. Survivors include a niece, Janet Groppe of Amarillo. Kim Wesley Nielsen Kim Wesley Nielsen, 41, of Amarillo, died Thursday, April 9, 1998. Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday in Paramount Terrace Christian Church with the Rev. Jay Graham of the church officiating. Burial will be in Llano East Cemetery by Schooler Funeral Home Inc., 4100 S. Georgia St. Mr. Nielsen was born in Forest City, Iowa, and had lived in Amarillo for 19 years. He was a partner in Zanchettin Brothers Terrazo and Tile Co. He had been associated with Big Brothers for 10 years and was named Rookie Big Brother of the Year. He was a member of Quails Unlimited and a supporter of the Unity Scholarship Fund and Planned Parenthood. He was a mentor in the ACE Scholarship Fund. Mr. Nielsen married Pamela Zanchettin in 1983 at Amarillo. Survivors include his wife; his mother and father, Gunnar and Lucille Nielsen of Milltown, Wis.; two sisters, Kara Nielsen of St. Paul, Minn., and Mary Nielsen of El Paso; a brother, Steven Nielsen of Balsam Lake, Wis.; and his grandmother, Gladys Siekmier of Crystal Lake, Iowa. The family requests memorials be to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. New Mexico Elmer Northcutt CUERVO, N.M. - Elmer Northcutt, 84, died Thursday, April 9, 1998. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. today in Broadview Church of Christ with Bob Martin and Don Thomas officiating. Burial will be in Hollene Cemetery by SteedTodd Funeral Home in Clovis. Mr. Northcutt was born in Belleview. He farmed and ranched in Deaf Smith County, Texas, and in Ima. He was active in FFA and 4H youth programs. He was a member of the Church of Christ in Broadview. He married Mavanee Kemp in 1938 at Clovis. He was preceded in death by a son. Survivors include his wife; three children, Jerry Northcutt of Broadview, Wanda Page of Grady and Tom Northcutt of Houston; a sister, Gladys Polk of Clovis; a brother, Bob Northcutt of Lubbock, Texas; six grandchildren; and 14 greatgrandchildren. The family request memorials be to Christian Children's Home in Portales, New Mexico Boys and Girls Ranch or the Grady Alumni Scholarship Fund. Oklahoma Joseph Walter Campbell GUYMON, Okla. - Joseph "Jay" Walter Campbell, 89, died Friday, April 10, 1998. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Bunch-Roberts Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Chris Trent of First Baptist Church officiating. Burial will be in Elmhurst Cemetery. Mr. Campbell was born near Adams. He graduated from Guymon High School with the class of 1929. He was a postal clerk in Guymon from 1929 to 1947. He was an independent insurance agent until retiring in 1980. He was a member of First Baptist Church. He married Eva May Strickland in 1936 at Shawnee. They moved to Amarillo in 1983. Mrs. Campbell died in 1984. Mr. Campbell moved to Fort Worth, Texas, in 1995. Survivors include four sons, John Patrick Campbell of Ridgefield, Wash., George Douglas Campbell of Mansfield, Texas, Paul Strickland Campbell of Colleyville, Texas, and Edward Franklin Campbell of Denver; a sister, Eula Herzerg of Stillwater; and four grandchildren. Apolonia Costilla GUYMON, Okla. - Apolonia "Paula" Costilla, 92, died Thursday, April 9, 1998. Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Sunday in Bunch-Roberts Funeral Home Chapel. Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday in St. Peter's Catholic Church with the Rev. Scott Adams officiating. Burial will be in Elmhurst Cemetery. Mrs. Costilla was born in Iyende Quiulla, Mexico. She owned and operated the Acapulco Restaurant in Levelland, Texas, for several years before retiring in 1966. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Peter's Catholic Church. She moved from Levelland to Guymon in 1967. She married Gabino R. Costilla in 1920 at Del Rio, Texas. He died in 1950. She also was preceded in death by a son, Guilde Costilla, and a daughter, Ninfia Costilla. Survivors include two daughters, Margie Olivas of Hugoton, Kan., and Mary Barrientes of Johnson City, Texas; four sons, Juan Costilla of Ravenna, Ohio, and Vincent Costilla, Raul Costilla and Manuel Costilla, all of Guymon; two brothers, Manuel Torres and Salvador Torres, both of Del Rio; 38 grandchildren; 83 greatgrandchildren; and 14 great-great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to St. Peter's Catholic Church. Memorials will be accepted at the church office or Bunch-Roberts Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1112, Guymon, Okla., 73942. Elsewhere Flora Marie Julian FORNEY - Flora Marie Julian, 78, died Friday, April 10, 1998. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Jerry Griffin and Dr. Jimmy Pritchard officiating. Burial will be at 3:30 p.m. in Thompson Cemetery at Copeville. Arrangements are by Anderson-Clayton Brothers Funeral Home. Mrs. Julian was born in Copeville. She was a teacher in the Pampa and Lefors public schools. She was a member of First Baptist Church, the Forney Garden Club and the Order of the Eastern Star. She was preceded in death by a son, James Conner Julian. Survivors include her husband of 52 years, Jerrel Julian; a son, Jerrel H. Julian of Round Rock; two sisters, Azline Montgomery of Forney and Annie Mae Skelton of Nashville, Tenn.; and a brother, Claude W. Thomas of Garland. Area Ted Lewis DUMAS - Ted Lewis, 72, died Thursday, April 9, 1998. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Scott Willingham, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Dumas Cemetery by Morrison Funeral Directors. Mr. Lewis was born in White Deer and had been a Dumas resident since 1955. He was a Navy veteran of World War II, having served in the Pacific Theatre on the battleship USS Colorado. In 1987, Mr. Lewis retired after 31 years as an operator for Diamond Shamrock. He was a member of First Baptist Church. He married Lucille Jackson in 1947 at Perryton. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Mary Lynette Larsen of Amarillo; a son, George Lewis of Dumas; a sister, Wanda Arfsten of Sun City West, Ariz.; five grandchildren; and a great-grandson. The family will be at 1318 Phillip Drive. Nancy L. Blocker SUNRAY - Nancy L. Blocker, 73, died Wednesday, April 8, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in the Church of Christ with Jim York, pastor, and Bobby Hise of Sunset Church of Christ in Lubbock officiating. Burial will be in Lane Memorial Cemetery by Morrison Funeral Directors. Mrs. Blocker was born in Geary, Okla., and had been a resident of Sunray for 30 years. She attended West Texas State University, Hunter College in New York City, Panhandle State University at Goodwell, Okla., and Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. She was a homemaker and a member of the Church of Christ, where she served as secretary. She was a seamstress and owned and operated Nancy's Handicraft Shop for 18 years. She also taught kindergarten at the Kiddie Kollege and did the Sunray Bulletin Board on radio station KDDD. Mrs. Blocker served with the Navy WAC during World War II for about a year. She was a member of the Golden Belles, the Extension Homemakers and the Garden Club. She also was a Texas 4H leader and president of the Moore County Fair Board. She married Charles A. Blocker in 1945 at Pensacola, Fla. He died in 1981. Survivors include a son, James Blocker of Addison; two daughters, Mona Dunlap of Pocatello, Idaho, and Eri LaNea Thomas of Chillicothe, Ohio; a brother, Russell Owen Kitson of Oklahoma City; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. The body will not be available for viewing. The family will be at 203 Avenue O. They request memorials be to a favorite charity. Ella Lee Stewart BORGER - Ella Lee Stewart, 91, died Thursday, April 9, 1998. A private family prayer service will be at 11 a.m. today in Panhandle Cemetery. Arrangements are by Minton/Chatwell Funeral Directors. Mrs. Stewart was born in Fort Worth. She had lived in Borger intermittently for 62 years. She also lived in Ardmore, Okla., and Las Vegas for several years. She was a homemaker and a member of First Christian Church. Mrs. Stewart was preceded in death by her husbands, Ernest Lewis in 1932, G.M. Singleton in 1974 and John Stewart in 1993. She also was preceded in death by a son, Bob C. Lewis, in 1996. Survivors include a daughter, Betty Gallaway of Borger; two brothers, Eugene McNellis and Jack Howard McNellis, both of Long Beach, Calif.; two sisters, Shirley Bebe Moore of Amarillo and Myrtle Stottlemyre of Borger; and three grandchildren. James Felton South CANADIAN - James Felton "Jim" South, 53, of Glazier, died Friday, April 10, 1998. Graveside services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday in Glazier Cemetery with Daryle Perry officiating. Arrangements are by Stickley-Hill Funeral Directors. Mr. South was born in Canadian and had been a lifelong resident of the Canadian area. He graduated from Miami High School in Miami in 1963. He married Terry Langkeit in 1964 at Canadian. They moved to Glazier in 1985. Mr. South worked on ranches around Canadian. He then started a horse shoeing business in 1976. For many years, he participated in rodeo events. He was preceded in death by a son, Justin South, in 1993. Survivors include his wife; his parents, Toots and Lazelle South of Miami; and two brothers, John South and Lloyd South, both of Weatherford. The family requests memorials be to the Canadian Golf Course, P.O. Box 1, Canadian, Texas 79014; the Canadian Rodeo Association, P.O. Box 311, Canadian, Texas 79014; or Hemphill County Hospice, 1020 S. 4th, Canadian, Texas 79014. The body will be available for viewing at the funeral home from 9 a.m. to noon Monday.