Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 11 July 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, July 11, 1998, 3:45 AM Amarillo Virgil Elgin Dowell Virgil Elgin Dowell, 99, of Amarillo, died Wednesday, July 8, 1998. Services will be at 10 a.m. today in Memorial Park Funeral Home, Chapel of Memories, 6969 E. Interstate 40 with Jerry Davey of Pleasant Valley Christian Church officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Mr. Dowell was born in Sugar Grove, Ky., and moved to Amarillo in 1942. He served with the Army during World War I in France. He worked for Watkins Products as a dealer in 1942. In 1951, he went to work for Potter County in road and bridge construction, retiring in 1970. He was a member of Palo Duro Lodge 1239 and Pleasant Valley Christian Church. He married Linnie Akers in 1955 at Tucumcari, N.M. He had been married to Hassie Johnson and Rhea Lunt Murray, both of whom preceded him in death. Survivors include his wife; a son, Robert "Bob" Dowell of Vista, Calif.; two stepdaughters, Doris Oliver and Marian Bingham, both of Amarillo; a sister, Thernon "Pat" Conway of Pampa; eight grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Pleasant Valley Christian Church Glory Hall Fund. They will be at 712 Fairlane and 4101 Harmony. Ruthelma Koller Kone Ruthelma Koller Kone, 85, of Amarillo, died Friday, July 10, 1998. Services will be at 1 p.m Tuesday in St. Peter's Episcopal Church with the Right Rev. George Quarterman, retired bishop of Northwest Texas, as celebrant. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle. Mrs. Kone was born in Ponca City, Okla. She attended Oklahoma A&M University where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority. In 1951, she moved to Amarillo from Tulsa. She and her husband established James S. Kone and Co., where she was the bookkeeper. Mrs. Kone was a member of the Junior Antique Club, Junior Travel Club, the European Club, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and its Altar Guild. She supported many charitable organizations and was active in many bridge clubs. She married James S. Kone in 1946 at Greenwich, Conn. He died in 1996. Survivors include a son, James S. Kone Jr.; and two grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Baptist St. Anthony's Hospice and Life Enrichment Center, P.O. Box 950, Amarillo, Texas, 79176-0001. Harry Reed Harry Reed, 89, a former Amarillo resident, died Thursday, July 9, 1998, in Lubbock. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. today in Llano Cemetery followed by chapel services at 2 p.m. in Schooler-Gordon Funeral Directors, Bell Ave. Chapel, 5400 Bell St., with the Rev. Kay Reed and Joe Marshall officiating. Mr. Reed was born in Sayre, Okla., and moved to Amarillo in 1913. He retired from sales with AgChemical. He was a Baptist. He married Tommie Flake Wilbanks in 1928 at Amarillo. She died in 1985. He also was preceded in death by a son, George Reed, in 1991. Survivors include Carl Reed of Amarillo; two daughters, Tommie Ruth Haines of Lubbock and Carolyn Reed Wright of Amarillo; 10 grandchildren; and 10 greatgrandchildren. The family requests memorials be to National Arthritis Foundation, Amarillo Chapter or Fort Worth Chapter; or High Plains Children's Home and Family Services, P.O. Box 7448, Amarillo, Texas, 79114. Harry Henson Harry Henson, 77, of Amarillo, died Friday, July 10, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in N.S. Griggs & Sons Funeral Directors, Pioneer Chapel, 2615 Paramount Blvd., with the Rev. M.O. Garner, retired Baptist minister, and the Rev. Gordon Cox of Grace Baptist Church in Canyon officiating. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery. Mr. Henson was born in Keo, Ark. He served in World War II with the Coast Guard in the South Pacific. From 1958 until the time of his death, he owned Henson Drywall and was the first drywall contractor in the Amarillo area. Mr. Henson had been an Amarillo resident for 52 years. He was a member of Central Baptist Church, Elks Lodge No. 923 of Amarillo and a lifetime member of both the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1475 and Disabled American Veterans. He married Mary Frances Burch in 1944 at Canyon. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Sharon Burney of Amarillo; two sons, Van Henson of Amarillo and Jim Henson of Farmersville; three brothers, Royce Henson of Little Rock, Patrick Henson of Royal, Ark., and Wayne Henson of Oil Through, Ark.; three sisters, Dorothy Lovett of Little Rock and Luann Ferris and Mildred Allen, both of Conway, Ark.; six grandchildren; and two greatgrandchildren. The family requests memorials be to American Cancer Society or Baptist St. Anthony's Hospice and Life Enrichment Center. New Mexico Eddie Luera SAN JON, N.M. - Eddie Luera, 43, died Tuesday, July 7, 1998. Vigil services were at 7 p.m. Friday in Dunn Funeral Home Memorial Chapel at Tucumcari. Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 3:30 p.m. today in St. Anne's Catholic Church at Tucumcari by the Rev. John C. Daniel. Mr. Luera was born in Amarillo and recently moved to San Jon from Tucumcari, where he had been a longtime resident. He was a driver for Groendyke Trucking Co., and was a Catholic. For many years, he served on the Tucumcari Volunteer Fire Department. Survivors include his wife, Cecilia; a son, Marcus Luera, of San Jon; three daughters, Macrecia Luera, Bonnie Luera and Linda Luera, all of San Jon; his mother and stepfather, Josie and Bill Schmidt of Tucumcari; his father, Marcus Luera of Amarillo; four brothers, Jesse J. Luera of Tucumcari, Daniel Luera of Amarillo, Michael Luera of North Carolina, and Jerry Rivera of Tucumcari; and five sisters, Linda Apodaca and Dorothy Jimenez, both of Tucumcari, Brenda Schmidt of Nevada and Tina Luera Escoto and Babette Luera Toler, both of Amarillo. Staff Sgt. David J. O'Brien PORTALES, N.M. - Staff Sgt. David J. O'Brien, 28, died Monday, July 6, 1998, at Fairfax, Va. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. today in the Portales Cemetery with the Rev. Edward Kieran officiating. Arrangements are by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales Inc. Staff Sgt. O'Brien was born in Lowell, Mass., and moved with his family to Alta Loma, Calif., when he was a young boy. He grew up in California and graduated from Etiwanda High School in 1988. He was a Catholic. Staff Sgt. O'Brien enlisted in the Air Force in 1989 and was assigned to Zweibruken Germany. He served at several duty stations including Germany, Las Vegas and Korea. He was reassigned to the 57th Fighter Wing at Nellis Air Force Base in 1990. He was stationed with the Fifth Reconnaissance Squadron at Osan, Korea, at the time of his death. Staff Sgt. O'Brien was recognized by his superiors as "The Best" Electro-environmentalist Specialist troubleshooter assigned to the Thunder Aircraft Maintenance Unit (AMU). He qualified on 171 of the 180 A-10 aircraft specific tasks in five months and earned Specialist of the Month honors four times. His work enabled his unit to earn AMU of the Month honors 15 times, culminating with the AMU being selected as The Best Aircraft Maintenance Unit in the Air Combat Command for 1995. Sgt. O'Brien was promoted to E-4 below the zone and earned his fourth stripe in less than 5 years. He held the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal with oak leaf cluster and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf Clusters. He married Mary Jane Spoor in 1997 at Farwell. Survivors include his wife; two stepsons, James Michael Martin of Portales and Jasen Martin of Tampa, Fla.; his parents, Sondra L. and William D. O'Brien of Alta Loma, Calif.; and a sister, Malia L. Taylor of Redmond, Wash. Rod Neal ARCH, N.M. - Rod Neal, 37, died Wednesday, July 8, 1998. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Emmanuel Baptist Church with the Rev. Burt Melancon officiating. Burial will be in Eiland Cemetery by Wheeler Mortuary of Portales Inc. Mr. Neal was born in Portales and raised in the Arch community. He graduated from Portales High School in 1979. He farmed in the Arch community until his death. For several years, he was active as an EMT and firefighter on the Arch Volunteer Fire Department. He married Betty Smith in 1979 at Portales. Survivors include his wife; four sons, Jeremy Neal, Jules Neal, Justin Neal and Jim Neal, all of the home; two daughters, Johanna Neal and Jillian Neal, both of Arch; his parents, Christine and R.C. Neal of Portales; his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Smith of Portales, L.D. Woolf of Sydney, Neb., Ivy Gunther of Clovis, R.B. Knowles of Portales and Mr. and Mrs. Terrell Smith of Portales; four sisters, Valeri Wright of Alamogordo, Dora Neal of Portales, Sara Neal of Arlington, Texas and Ellen Neal-Eakin of Dallas, Texas. Oklahoma Ricky Duane Jordan OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Ricky Duane Jordan, 32, a former Amarillo resident, died Sunday, June 21, 1998. Memorial services were held Friday, June 26, 1998 in Oklahoma City. As per Mr. Jordan's wishes, his body was donated to Oklahoma Health Science Center in Oklahoma City for medical research and will be cremated at a later date. Arrangements were by Bill Eisenhour Funeral Home of Oklahoma City. Mr. Jordan was born in Portsmouth, Va., and had lived in several states as his family was with the Navy. He lived in Amarillo in the 1980s before moving to Oklahoma City. Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Jill O. and Wiley Rogers of Amarillo; his father, Jack C. Jordan of Oklahoma City; a brother, Darryl Jordan of Tacoma, Wash.; a sister, Kristie Clark of Bedford; and his grandmother, Mildred Thompson of Arkansas City, Kan. The family requests memorials be to the National Kidney Foundation of West Texas, 3801 19th St., Lubbock, Texas, 79410. Hilda Elizabeth Honeman HOOKER, Okla. - Hilda Elizabeth Honeman, 90, died Thursday, July 9, 1998, in Liberal, Kan. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in St. John's Lutheran Church in Hooker with the Rev. J. Robert Herrod officiating. Burial will be in Lutheran Cemetery by Roberts Brothers Funeral Home. Mrs. Honeman was born and raised in Lowry City, Mo. She graduated from high school in Pittsburg, Kan., and received her teacher's certificate from Central Missouri State University. She taught school in her home district until moving to a farm near Optima after her marriage. In 1950, she moved to Hooker. She was a homemaker and member of St. John's Lutheran Church, where she taught Sunday School. She was a member of Lutheran Women's Missionary League and held offices at both the zone and Oklahoma district levels. An avid quilter, she was a member of the Sunshine and Sew and Sew Clubs. She married August H. Honeman in 1935. He died in 1990. She also was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Suzanne, in 1937. Survivors include a daughter, Barbara Little of Tucson, Ariz.; three sons, Ray Honeman of New Ulm, Minn., Van Grant Honeman of Tucson and Douglas Honeman of Hooker; nine grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to the Lutheran Hour-Russian Ministry, the LWML or the Hooker Firefighters Association. Memorials may be left in care of the Roberts Brothers Funeral Home, Box 745, Hooker, Oklahoma, 73945. Elsewhere C.C. Wagley LITTLEFIELD - C.C. Wagley, 79, died Friday, July 10, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday MST in Forrest Community Church in Forrest, N.M., with the Rev. Fred Caton officiating. Burial will be in Beevers Cemetery in Forrest by Hammons Funeral Home of Littlefield. Mr. Wagley was born in Quay County, N.M. For 50 years, he farmed and ranched near Forrest before moving to Littlefield in 1980. He was a member of Melrose Baptist Church. He married Lyneve Bryan in 1945 at Clovis, N.M. She died in 1991. Survivors include a daughter, Carlin Gates of Bledsoe, Texas; four sons, James Wagley, Buzz Wagley and Scott Wagley, all of Forrest, and John Wagley of Littlefield; a brother, Leon Wagley of Las Cruces, N.M.; two sisters, Marie Hull of Las Cruces and Pearl Journigan of Clovis; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Beevers Cemetery, c/o Dorothy Beevers, Quay Road AF, Melrose, N.M., 88124. Viewing will be from 11:30 MST until time of service Sunday in Forrest Community Church. Area Robert Wayne Johnston CANADIAN - Robert Wayne Johnston, 48, died Monday, July 6, 1998, at Lubbock. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Borger with Bishop Roger Roundy of Pampa and Dean Looper officiating. Burial will be in Westlawn Cemetery at Borger by Brown Funeral Directors of Borger. Mr. Johnston was born in Borger. He was a graduate of Phillips High School and Amarillo College. He received a bachelor's degree in police science from Wayland Baptist College and attended the Amarillo Police Academy. Mr. Johnston served as a lieutenant and narcotics investigator for the Amarillo Police Department, as a Potter County Deputy Sheriff, and later as a detective in the Borger Police Department. He was an instructor of law enforcement at Levelland Junior College and Reese Air Force Base. He was a member of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Survivors include his wife, Janet; four sons, Jared Johnston of the home, Mike Williams of Ogden, Utah, and Robert Johnston and Aaron Johnston, both of Borger; two daughters, Dena Johnston, of the home and Genise Shertz of Phoenix; his mother, Bernice Johnston of Borger; a sister, Tina Taylor of Borger; and eight grandchildren. The family will be at 138 E. Ocla in Borger. Ruby S. Free SHAMROCK - Ruby S. Free, 90, died Thursday, July 9, 1998. Graveside services will be at 10:30 a.m. today in Shamrock Cemetery with the Rev. Joe G. Jernigan, pastor of Calvary Christian Fellowship Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Wright Funeral Directors. Mrs. Free was born in Ardmore, Okla. She moved to Shamrock in 1936 where she was a motel manager. In 1996, she moved to Pampa. She was a member of First Baptist Church. She married O.C. Free in 1926 at Childress. He died in 1972. Survivors include two sons, Ray Free and Everett Free, both of Pampa; a daughter, Beatrice Furgerson of Lefors; seven grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and four great-great grandchildren. Henry Lee Shaller CLARENDON - Henry Lee Shaller, 94, died Friday, July 10, 1998. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday in First United Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Smiley Johnson, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Citizens Cemetery by Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc. Mr. Shaller was born and raised in Canadian. He moved to Clarendon in 1949 from Jericho. He was a farmer and rancher. He had held various offices with the Donley County Farm Bureau and was recipient of the Texas Farm Bureau Pioneer Award. Mr. Shaller was a member of the First United Presbyterian Church where he had served as an elder, church secretary and moderator session chairman. He also served on many church committees. He married Bradis Carter Ballew in 1990 at Clarendon. His first marriage was to Sarah May Shaw in 1937 at Canyon. She died in February 1990. Survivors include his wife; a son, Ted Shaller of Clarendon; a sister, Fleda Studer of Lubbock; two grandsons; and a great-granddaughter.