Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 17 May 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; Sunday, May 17, 1998, 10:01 AM Amarillo Kenneth Virl Lax Kenneth Virl Lax, 67, of Amarillo, died Friday, May 8, 1998. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in Memorial Park Cemetery with the Rev. Allen Norris officiating. Arrangements are by Memorial Park Funeral Home, 6969 E. Interstate 40. Mr. Lax was born in Shamrock and had lived in Amarillo most of his life. He served in the Army in the late 1940s. Survivors include three children; three brothers; three sisters; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Beatrice Hunt Peek Beatrice Hunt Peek, 74, of Amarillo, died Wednesday, May 13, 1998. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in Hillcrest Cemetery at McLean with the Rev. James Martindale of First Baptist Church of McLean, officiating. Arrangements are by BlackburnShaw Funeral Directors, Memorial Chapel, Fifth Avenue and Pierce Street. Mrs. Peek had lived in Amarillo all her life. She was a Protestant. Survivors include two sons, Floyd "Ches" Peek of the home and Kenneth J. Stanton of Odessa; a brother, Troy Stanton of Lefors; and two grandchildren. Bob Jesse Bob Jesse, 61, of Amarillo, died Tuesday, May 12, 1998. There will be no services. Arrangements are by Memorial Park Funeral Home, 6969 E. Interstate 40. Mr. Jesse was born and raised in Amarillo. He was a truck driver. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rita Jesse, and a daughter, Echo Jesse, both in 1990. Survivors include two sons, Mike Jesse of Amarillo and Johnny Jesse of Germany; a daughter, Margaret Green of Amarillo; and five grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Make-A-Wish Foundation or to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. William L. Kitsman William L. Kitsman, 84, of Amarillo, died Wednesday, May 13, 1998. Private Masonic graveside services were at 2 p.m. Friday in Llano Cemetery with Dr. Murray Gossett officiating. Arrangements were by Schooler Funeral Home, 4100 S. Georgia St. Mr. Kitsman was born in East Jordan, Mich. In 1943, he graduated from Michigan College of Mining and Technology with a degree in mining engineering. He was a World War II veteran of the Army Corps of Engineering and served in China, Burma and India, building roads and airstrips. At the time of discharge, he was a major. Mr. Kitsman worked for various companies in Oklahoma before joining the Research Department of Phillips Petroleum in 1939. He later transferred to Exploration and Production. He worked in Texas, Kansas, Canada, Australia and Kuwait. In Kuwait, he managed the Wafra field in the neutral territory between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. He returned to Borger in 1967 where he was production manager for the Panhandle region. He directed the first successful deep drilling program for natural gas in Hemphill County and retired in 1977. Mr. Kitsman was a member of Fidelity Masonic Lodge in Eureka, Kan., the Scottish Rite in Wichita, Kan., and Al Azhar Shrine Temple in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. When he lived in Borger, he was a member of St. Peter's Episcopalian Church. He moved to Amarillo in 1994 and was a member of First Presbyterian Church. He married Molly C. Armstrong in 1940 at Joplin, Mo. Survivors include his wife, two sons, William P. Kitsman of Santa Fe, N.M., and Charles B. Kitsman of Amarillo; two sisters, Isabel Wagner of Dearborn, Mich., and Kathryn Saxton of Lansing, Mich.; and a grandson. The family requests memorials be to Opportunity School, 1100 S. Harrison, Amarillo, Texas. Hixie Hall Harrison Hixie Hall Harrison, 87, of Amarillo, died Thursday, May 14, 1998. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Schooler-Gordon Funeral Directors, Bell Avenue Chapel, 5400 Bell St., with Dr. Ron Sumter of First Christian Church officiating. Burial will be in White Rose Cemetery in Bartlesville, Okla. Ms. Harrison was born and raised in Bartlesville. She moved to Amarillo in 1935. She retired in 1969 as secretary for Phillips Petroleum. She was employed by Mesa Petroleum from 1975 until 1979. She was a member of First Christian Church and the Amarillo Chapter of the Desk and Derrick Club. Survivors include her cousins, Judith Lankford and Helen Mathewson, both of Amarillo. The family will be at 6306 Ridgewood. They requests memorials be to First Christian Church, 3001 Wolflin, Amarillo, Texas; or a favorite charity. Donald M. Beyer Donald M. "Bullethead" Beyer, 44, of Amarillo, died Friday, May 15, 1998. Memorial services will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Pinnacle Community Church, 4400 S. Washington, with Kurt Oheim, pastor, officiating. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle. Mr. Beyer was born in Wyandotte, Mich. He had been an Amarillo resident since 1981. He had been employed in the landscaping and irrigation business for 15 years. He had been employed for two years as a utility operator for the city of Amarillo. He was a member of the Pinnacle Community Church. He married Debra Tortella in 1995 at Las Vegas. Survivors include his wife; two sons, Otto Ely Beyer and Arlo Ean Beyer, both of Amarillo; a daughter, Jennifer Beyerdar Hill and James H. Hutson of Claremore, Okla.; a daughter, Martha Huston of Dallas; four brothers, Marion Hutson of Tyler, Leonard Hutson of Panhandle, Jimmie Hutson of Long Beach, Calif., and Donald Hutson of Wilmington, Calif,; two sisters, Ruth McGinty of Moreno Valley, Calif., and Opal Bartlett of Argyle; 10 grandchildren; and a great grandchildren. Family visitation will be from 6 until 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Area Virginia Hensley Howell PLAINVIEW - Virginia Hensley Howell, 75, died Thursday, May 14, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in the chapel at Wood-Dunning Funeral Home with the Rev. Wayne Horton of Snyder officiating. Arrangements were by Lemons Funeral Home in Plainview. The burial will be at the convenience of the family in Dallas. Mrs. Howell was born in Emit, Okla. She married Warren G. Hensley in 1942 and lived in Bartlesville, Okla., and Wichita, Kan., before moving to Carlsbad, N.M., in the 1950s. After her husband's death in 1973, she moved to Lubbock, where she served as executive director of The Sherick Home. In 1976, she married Shelby Howell Jr. They had lived in Plainview since that time. Survivors include her husband; a son, Hal Warren of San Antonio; a daughter, Presha Simmons of Dallas; a stepson, Richard L. Howell of Dallas; three sisters, Neva Lee Mohler, Presha Rains and Patti Quinn; a brother, Monte Turk; and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be to the Alzheimer's Disease Education Program, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Room 3A-116, Lubbock, Texas 79409, Attn: Kena Dubberly, or with a note of remembrance to her family, P.O. Box 1969, Plainview, Texas 79073. Royce Cantrell SHAMROCK - Royce "Bill" Cantrell, 77, died Thursday, May 14, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m todayin First United Methodist Church with the Rev. John Dorn, pastor, and the Rev. Joe G. Jerigan, pastor of Calvary Christian Fellowship Church, officiating. Burial will be in Shamrock Cemetery by Wright Funeral Directors of Shamrock. Mr. Cantrell was born and raised in Shamrock. He served on the Shamrock school board for many years and on the board of trustees at the First National Bank in Trust in Shamrock. He was a member of the Rotary Club, the Masonic Lodge, where he was a 32nd Degree Mason, and a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church. He married Violette Parrish in 1942 at Shamrock. Survivors include his wife; two sons, R. Michael Cantrell of Oklahoma City and W. Patrick Cantrell of Houston; two daughters, Mollie Davis of Southlake and Kathie Rushing of Lubbock; a brother, C.G. Cantrell of Palm Springs, Calif.; a sister, Ruth Dugger of Elk City, Okla.; 12 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to First United Methodist Church. Stonie Dee Ferguson BORGER - Stonie Dee Ferguson, 59, died Thursday, May 14, 1998, in Oklahoma City. Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in First Assembly of God Church with the Rev. Calvin Newton, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in the Garden of Serenity in Westlawn Memorial Park by Minton / Chatwell Funeral Directors. Mr. Ferguson was born in Hatfield, Ark., and had been a longtime resident of Borger. He was employed as a bail bondsman and owner of A-1 Furniture and Appliances. He was a member of the Assembly of God Church. He married Joyce Greenwood in 1955. Survivors include his wife; two sons, Rocky Dee Ferguson of Fitch and Sandy Dale Ferguson of Borger; two daughters, Kaylene Dale of Muleshoe and Annadon Keys of Borger; three brothers, Neil Ferguson of Borger and John Ferguson and Clyde Ferguson Jr., both of Pampa; five sisters, JoAnn Durham of Matador, Sue Yohn, Margaret Graham, Tommie Parkhurst and Kathy Armstrong, all of Borger; 15 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. The family requests memorials be to Cal Farley's Boys Ranch or the American Cancer Society. Corwin Barlow McCall SUNRAY - Corwin Barlow McCall, 89, died Thursday, May 14, 1998. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in Highland Cemetery in Minneapolis, Kan., with the Rev. Gene Langhofer officiating. Arrangements are by Shields Funeral Home in Minneapolis. Mr. McCall was born in Culver, Kan. He moved to Hutchinson, Kan., in 1942, then to Salina, Kan., in 1962. In 1967, he moved to Sunray. He was employed as a welder for Western Ag Sales until his retirement. He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Sunray. He married Edith M. Harris in 1927 at Salina. She died in 1997. He also was preceded in death by two daughters, Nona Mae Phelps and Janette Ray Alishe. Survivors include a son, Corwin Donald McCall of Anderson, S.C.; a daughter, Janice Kay Bahr of Tucson, Ariz.; four brothers, Dan McCall of Culver, Duane McCall of Bavaria, Kan., Darwin McCall of New Cambria, Kan., and Dale McCall of Pittsburg, Pa.; a sister, Erma Nelson of Minneapolis; 12 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. The family will be at 800 S. Wilhelm in Stinnett. Visitation will be from 4 until 9 p.m. Sunday and 8:30 until 10 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Eugene F. Morrow WELLINGTON - Eugene F. "Gene" Morrow, 78, died Friday, May 15, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Brian Adams, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery by Adams Funeral Home. Mr. Morrow was born in Wood County and moved to Collingsworth County in 1938 with his family. He graduated from Samnorwood High School in 1940. He was a Army Air Corps veteran of World War II. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with several clusters and six sets of wings. Mr. Morrow operated Morrow Flying Service for 20 years and the Wellington Delinting Plant from 1974 until 1979. He had been employed by the city of Wellington for more than 10 years as night watchman and landfill attendant. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, First United Methodist Church and was a former member of the Kiwanis Club. He married Mary Peters in 1945 at Wellington. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Geney Gulley of Wellington; and three grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to the First Christian Church Building Fund or First United Methodist Church.