Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 19 Feb 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; Thursday, February 19, 1998, 6:25 AM Area Lorene A. Smith DALHART - Lorene A. Smith, 95, died Monday, Feb. 16, 1998. Services will be at 10 a.m. today in Hass Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jerry Davis, pastor of Peoples Church, officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Mrs. Smith was born in Bridgeport. She moved with her family to Sedan, N.M. She married Clarence Smith in 1916 at Sedan. They moved to Dalhart in 1965. Mr. Smith died in 1968. She also was preceded in death by two sons, William Smith in 1994 and Clarence Smith Jr. in 1991. Mrs. Smith was an Assembly of God minister in Capulin, N.M. She was a member of First Assembly of God Church in Dalhart. Survivors include a son, Robert Smith of Dumas; five daughters, Etheline Hendershot of Noel, Mo., Virginia Spriggs of Longmont, Colo., Oneta Dye of Lillian, Ala., Oleta Davenport of Eureka, Calif., and Bonnie Roland of Dumas; a sister, Violet Powell of Overland Park, Kan.; 32 grandchildren; 61 great-grandchildren; and 32 great-great-grandchildren. Bobby Capps PERRYTON - Bobby Capps, 50, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Victory Family Church with Bill Sparks officiating. Burial will be in Ochiltree Cemetery by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home. Mr. Capps was born in Clovis, N.M., and had lived in the Perryton area most of his life. He was a consultant in the oil field and a member of Victory Family Church. He married Lynda Shults in 1993 at Perryton. He was preceded in death by a son, James Green. Survivors include his wife; six daughters, Bobbie Capps, Aimee Capps, Jaimie Jones and DeTina Cawyer, all of Perryton, Christine Thayer of Coahoma and Liz Cormier of Bryan; two sons, Tracy Green of Coal Strip, Mont., and Randy Green of Corpus Christi; two sisters, Mary Eisenman of Perryton and Carolyn Van Story of Tucson, Ariz.; and 13 grandchildren. Claud C. Smith WELLINGTON - Claud C. Smith, 83, a former Wellington resident, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998, in Pampa. Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Church of Christ with Tom Anderson, minister of the Memphis Church of Christ, officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Gardens Cemetery by Adams Funeral Home. Mr. Smith was born in Munday and was a longtime Collingsworth County resident. He was a retired farmer and a member of the Church of Christ. He was an Army veteran of World War II. He married Joe Anna Pease in 1976 at Wellington. They recently had moved to Pampa. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Judy Young of Scottsdale, Ariz.; a stepson, Larry Flint of Oklahoma City; a stepdaughter, Pat Lee of Pampa; a half brother, Jerry Leon Smith of Erick, Okla.; a half sister, Kay Arkie of Kansas City, Mo.; two granddaughters; and four greatgrandchildren. The family will be at 812 W. 25th St., Apt. 131, in Pampa until Saturday morning. C.O. Wilkerson WELLINGTON - C.O. Wilkerson, 77, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in Memorial Gardens Cemetery with Joe Martin officiating. Arrangements are by Adams Funeral Home. Mr. Wilkerson was born in Windom. He was an auto mechanic and was employed at Clark Chevrolet for more than 30 years. He married Bama Rogers in 1939 at Hugo, Okla. She died in 1993. Mr. Wilkerson was a lifetime member of the Assembly of God Church. Survivors include a son, Billy Wilkerson of Wellington; two daughters, Nell Phipps and Patsy McDonald, both of Amarillo; a brother, Mac Wilkerson of Chicota; a sister, Nell Kelley of Amarillo; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to the Wellington Cemetery Association. Gerda Rouse HEREFORD - Gerda Rouse, 74, died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday in Church of the Nazarene with the Rev. Ted Taylor officiating. Burial will be in Rest Lawn Memorial Park by Parkside Chapel. Mrs. Rouse was born in Hamburg, Germany. She attended business college in Germany and served for two years as a secretary for the German military. She came to the United States on Christmas in 1951. She married Oran Rouse in 1981 at Hereford. She was a homemaker and won the Hereford Christmas window and door display award for three consecutive years. Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Rita Thompson of Corona, Calif.; a brother, Kurt Galle of Hueckelhoven, Germany; a sister, Christa Neumann of Hamburg; and three grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Crown of Texas Hospice, 1000 S. Jefferson St., Amarillo, Texas 79109; or the American Cancer Society, 3915 Bell, Amarillo, Texas 79109. William B. Smith GRUVER - William B. "Bill" Smith, 84, died Monday, Feb. 16, 1998. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday in Hansford County Cemetery with the Rev. Jerry Moore, pastor of Gruver United Methodist Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home of Spearman. Mr. Smith was born in Zulu. He was raised on the Cator Ranch and left at the age of 16 to work for several years on the Turkey Track Ranch. In 1932, he moved to California to work in the orchards and later in the steel mills. He eventually became a foreman for the Atomic Energy Commission until 1974, when he moved back to help his uncle work the ranch. In 1993, Mr. Smith was honored for the continuation of the family ranch by the Family Land Heritage program sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture for a century or more of continuous ownership and operation as a family agricultural enterprise. Mr. Smith was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanne Smith, in 1991. Survivors include two sons, William Martin Smith of Seattle and Ronald B. Smith of Duarte, Calif.; a daughter, Darleen DeLeo of Covina, Calif.; two brothers, Jack Smith of Perryton and Pat Murphy; eight grandchildren; and six greatgrandchildren. Amarillo Virginia C. Lawrence Virginia C. Lawrence, 72, of Amarillo, died Monday, Feb. 16, 1998. Services were at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Directors Memorial Chapel, Fifth Avenue and Pierce Street, with Dr. Howard Batson of First Baptist Church officiating. Graveside services were in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Pampa with the Rev. Dale Moreland, associate pastor of First Baptist Church of Pampa, officiating. Mrs. Lawrence was born in Bristow, Okla. She grew up in Lefors and graduated from Lefors High School in 1942. She worked as a bookkeeper for Royal Glass and J.B. Coe Lumber Company in Amarillo. She married Walter W. Lawrence Jr. in 1946. Survivors include her husband; two sons, Daniel W. Lawrence of Dallas and Curtis D. Lawrence of Amarillo; a daughter, Denise A. Vaughn of Carthage; a brother, Dee B. Coleman of Borger; and three grandchildren. The family will be at 3323 Ault Drive. They request memorials be to the American Lung Association, 3520 Executive Center Drive, Suite G-100, Austin, Texas 78731-1698; or to Baptist St. Anthony's Hospice and Life Enrichment Center, P.O. Box 950, Amarillo, Texas 79176-0001. J.O. Alton J.O. "Jim" Alton, 83, of Amarillo, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in SchoolerGordon Funeral Directors Bell Avenue Chapel, 5400 Bell St., with Dr. Norman Grigsby of St. Paul United Methodist Church officiating. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery. Mr. Alton was born in Moody. He moved to Amarillo in 1954 from Enid, Okla. He was a longtime employee of Furr's grocery stores. He was a salesman for Amarillo Packing before retiring. He was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church. He was active with the Amarillo Senior Bowling League and had placed fifth in the National Mixed Senior Bowling Championship League in St. Louis. Mr. Alton married Maxine Bynum in 1939 at Ada, Okla. She died in 1987. Survivors include two sons, Ron Alton of Huntsville and Mike Alton of Tyler; a daughter, Jan Pell of Bedford; two brothers, R.L. Alton of Garland and Otha "Candy" Alton of Temple; two sisters, Gladys Elkins Jackson of Ada and Eunice Perryman of McGregor; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials in lieu of flowers be to the American Cancer Society or the American Lung Association. Stella B. Carver Stella B. Carver, 92, of Amarillo, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Central Church of Christ with Paul Sneed and relatives officiating. Services will conclude in Llano Mausoleum. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery. Arrangements are by Schooler-Gordon Funeral Directors, 5400 Bell St. Mrs. Carver was born in Wheeler. She moved to Amarillo in 1928 from Wildorado. She was a homemaker and a member of Central Church of Christ and the Ladies Bible Class. She married Edgar Roy Carver in 1925 at Wheeler. He died in 1996. She also was preceded in death by a daughter, Stella Marie Sherwood, in 1994. Survivors include three sons, Leroy Carver of Temple, Russel Jay Carver of Dallas and Charles Carver of San Diego; a daughter, Fern Chester of Austin; two sisters, Bonnie King of Waco and Margaret Arnett of Amarillo; 14 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to High Plains Children's Home or a favorite charity. Alta Meadows Alta Meadows, 95, of Amarillo, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. today in Memorial Park Cemetery with Merrill Gilbert officiating. Arrangements are by Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Directors, Memorial Chapel, Fifth Avenue and Pierce Street. Mrs. Meadows was born in Indian Territory and moved to Amarillo in 1931. She worked in the cafeteria for the Amarillo public schools. She married William Robin Meadows in 1918. He died in 1964. She also was preceded in death by two sons, Billy Robin Meadows in 1990 and Durrard Alton Meadows in 1941. She was a member of Buchanan Street Methodist Church, the Goldstar Mothers, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary and the American Legion Auxiliary. Survivors include a daughter, Doris Kulow of Amarillo; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and two greatgreat-grandchildren. The family will be at 4433 Cline. They request memorials be to Goldstar Mothers c/o Edna Berry or Baptist St. Anthony's Hospice and Life Enrichment Center. LaDona Averill LeFevre LaDona Averill LeFevre, 92, of Amarillo, died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998. Private services will be at a later date. Cremation arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle. Mrs. LeFevre was born in Payette, Idaho, and had lived in Amarillo for 12 years. She had a band and retired as a musical arranger. She married Hal LeFevre in 1926 at Boise, Idaho. Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Joan Kohler and Babett Bovee, both of Amarillo; seven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and two greatgreat-grandchildren. The family will be at 3200 Fleetwood, A-1. The body will not be available for viewing. Gust Hielscher Gust Hielscher, 67, of Amarillo, died Monday, Feb. 16, 1998. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. today in Llano Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle. Mr. Hielscher was born in Wisconsin and had lived in Amarillo for eight years. He was retired. He was a veteran. Survivors include a brother, Joe Hielscher. Oliver Kennedy Oliver "Steve" Kennedy, 79, of Amarillo, died Monday, Feb. 16, 1998. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday in Rector Funeral Home Chapel, 2800 S. Osage St., with Dr. Stan Coffey, pastor of San Jacinto Baptist Church, officiating. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. in Hillcrest Cemetery in McLean with the Rev. James Martindale, pastor of First Baptist Church of McLean, officiating. Military rites will be by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 1657. Mr. Kennedy was born in Alanreed. He graduated from McLean High School in 1938 and attended North Texas Agricultural College. He was an Army veteran of World War II. He received the Philippine Liberation Ribbon, the Bronze Star and the Bronze Service Arrowhead. He was a member of the American Legion. Mr. Kennedy moved to Amarillo in 1961 from Glendale, Calif. He opened his first carwash in 1961. He owned and operated a Kerr-McGee service station for 28 years. After retiring, he worked for Archie's Texaco. Survivors include two daughters, Cynthia Lee of Amarillo and Carol Kennedy of Chandler, Ariz.; a son, James Stewart of Amarillo; and a grandson. New Mexico Pedro Burciaga PORTALES, N.M. - Pedro Burciaga, 68, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998, in Lubbock, Texas. A prayer service will be at 7 p.m. today in Wheeler Mortuary Chapel. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Wheeler Chapel with the Rev. Jesus Espinoza officiating. Burial will be in Portales Cemetery. Mr. Burciaga was born in San Antonio Del Bravo, Mexico. He moved to Portales from Mexico in 1968. He worked on farms in the Portales area until retiring in 1991. He was a member of Iglesia Bautista Bethel in Portales. He married Nicolasa Sanchez in 1949 at San Antonio Del Bravo. Survivors include his wife; two sons, Pedro Burciaga Jr. and Saul Burciaga, both of Portales; four daughters, Dulces Valdez, Olaya Espinoza and Elida Lopez, all of Portales, and Stella Rodriguez of Muleshoe, Texas; four sisters, Eulalia Baltazar, Juana Jimenez and Maria de Jesus Martinez, all of Portales, and Tomasa Baltazar of Monahans, Texas; and 12 grandchildren. Vera Wall PORTALES, N.M. - Vera Wall, 84, a former Elida resident, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998, in Las Cruces. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Elida Methodist Church with the Rev. Fred McDonald and the Rev. Curtis Miner officiating. Burial will be in Elida Cemetery by Wheeler Mortuary. Mrs. Wall was born in Wellington, Texas. She moved to Elida when she was a girl and graduated from Elida High School. She married Kary Wall in 1931 at Carlsbad. They lived in Elida until 1974, when they moved to Ruidoso. Mr. Wall died in 1988, and Mrs. Wall moved back to Elida. She moved to Las Cruces in 1993. She was active in the Order of the Eastern Star in Elida for many years and had served as Worthy Matron. She was a Rainbow Mom, a member of the Elida Women's Club and a volunteer librarian at the town library. Mrs. Wall also was a volunteer on the Black Water Draw archaeological dig and reported the news of Elida to the Portales News Tribune for 15 years. She was a member of the Methodist church in Elida and of the Wesleyan Guild. Survivors include a son, Kary Darrell Wall of Las Cruces; two sisters, Oleta Salopek of Las Cruces and Geneae Daughrity of Elida; nine grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Elida Methodist Church. Oklahoma Margaret Conklin GUYMON, Okla. - Margaret Conklin, 89, a former Guymon resident, died Tuesday, Feb. 10, 1998, in Winter Haven, Fla. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Henson-Novak Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Mike Chaffin, pastor of Victory Memorial United Methodist Church, officiating. Mrs. Conklin was born in Larned, Kan. She moved to Texas County with her parents in 1916. They settled on a farm five miles south of Guymon. She married Robert "Bob" W. Conklin in 1928 at Guymon. They lived in Texas for a while before returning to Guymon, where they were involved in farming until 1970. They then moved to Connecticut. Mr. Conklin died in 1975, and Mrs. Conklin returned to Guymon, where she was a resident until moving to Winter Haven in 1985 to live with her daughter. Mrs. Conklin was a longtime member of Victory Memorial United Methodist Church and of Guymon Chapter No. 419 of the Order of the Eastern Star, where she had been a member for more than 50 years. She also was preceded in death by a son, Willard D. Conklin. Survivors include a daughter, Bobbie Gonzalez of Winter Haven; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild. The family requests memorials in lieu of flowers be to a Margaret Conklin Memorial that has been established for the Alzheimer's Association. Memorials will be accepted at Henson-Novak Funeral Directors, P.O. Box 1306, Guymon, Okla. 73942. Albertha R. McKee ALVA, Okla. - Albertha R. McKee, 92, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998. Services will be at 3 p.m. Friday in Otterbein United Methodist Church with Mark Davis officiating. Burial will be in Short Springs Cemetery by Wharton Funeral Chapel. Mrs. McKee was born east of Alva. She attended the Elmdale rural grade school. She married Lester McKee in 1925 at Alva. They lived in Ashley before moving to Follett, Texas, in 1935. Mrs. McKee gave piano and organ lessons while in Follett. They moved to Alva in 1963 to make their home. Mr. McKee died in 1986. In 1989, Mrs. McKee moved to Wichita, Kan., to live at Sandpiper Bay Health Care Center. She was a member of and organist for Otterbein United Methodist Church. She also was a member of UMW and the Golden Circle Club. Mrs. McKee also was preceded in death by an infant twin son, Edward Lee, in 1926; and by the other twin, Edwin Lester, in 1997. Survivors include a daughter, Mary E. Garren of Wichita; two grandsons; and four great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Otterbein United Methodist Church or the Wood County Senior Citizens Center.