Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 28 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; Tuesday, April 28, 1998, 7:07 AM Area Jim Stewart PLAINVIEW - Jim Stewart, 84, died Saturday, April 25, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Wood-Dunning Funeral Home Chapel with T.A. Williams of Ash & Carver Church of Christ officiating. Burial will be in Plainview Cemetery. Mr. Stewart was born and raised in Dallas. In 1941, he moved to Olton, where he farmed. In 1948, he moved to Dimmitt and retired from farming in 1989. He moved to Plainview in 1997. He was a member of 4th & Bedford Street Church of Christ in Dimmitt and of Ash & Carver Street Church of Christ in Plainview. Mr. Stewart married Lillian Sterling in 1940 at Kauffman. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Belinda Stewart Chance of Plainview; two sons, Pete Stewart of Dalhart and Jimmy Stewart of Dimmitt; 13 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a great-greatgrandchild. Edith Kunce BORGER - Edith Kunce, 87, died Saturday, April 25, 1998. Services will be at 11 a.m. today in Brown Funeral Directors Chapel of the Fountains with the Rev. Ricky Griffin, pastor of First Baptist Church at Sanford, officiating. Burial will be in Highland Park Cemetery. Mrs. Kunce was born in Lake Village, Ark., and had been a Borger resident for 50 years. She was a homemaker and a member of First Christian Church and Rebekah Lodge No. 286. She was preceded in death by her husband, Adrian D. Kunce Sr., in 1994. Survivors include two sons, Adrian Kunce Jr. of Fritch and Gary Kunce of Colorado Springs, Colo.; a sister, Merle Waldrep of Rogers, Ark.; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild. Santos Gonzales PLAINVIEW - Santos Gonzales, 75, died Sunday, April 26, 1998. Rosary was recited at 7 p.m. Monday in San Jose Catholic Church of Lockney. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. today in San Jose Catholic Church by Monsignor Tim Schwertner. Burial will be in Lockney Cemetery at Lockney by MooreRose-White Funeral Home of Lockney. Mr. Gonzales was born in Sequin. He moved to Lockney, where he farmed and worked for Floyd Jackson before retiring. Survivors include two daughters, Rosa Villa of Sequin and Gloria Garcia of Lockney; two sisters, Jovita Gonzales and Cruz Rodriguez, both of Plainview; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Janice E. Baker SILVERTON - Janice E. Baker, 46, died Sunday, April 26, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in New Fellowship Baptist Church with the Rev. Matthew Veals, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Silverton Cemetery by Myers-Long Funeral Home. Ms. Baker was born in Silverton and attended Silverton schools. She was a member of New Fellowship Baptist Church, where she was a Sunday school teacher and the choir director. Survivors include a daughter, LaToya Baker of Amarillo; a son, Clifton D. Baker of Silverton; her mother, Dorothy Baker of Silverton; four brothers, Kelsie Baker Jr. of Amarillo, Bill Baker of Kress, Jerry Baker of Plainview and Eddie Baker of Seattle; and two sisters, Erma Mitchell and Ann Baker, both of Amarillo. Sheila Sue Brewster FRITCH - Sheila Sue Brewster, 41, died Saturday, April 25, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Faith Baptist Church with the Rev. Don Rice, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Stinnett by Minton / Chatwell Funeral Directors. Mrs. Brewster was born in Borger and had lived in Fritch for the past eight years. She was a graduate of the Hospice Training Course and was involved with home health care. She was a member of Faith Baptist Church and the Xi Pi Sorority. Survivors include her husband, Frank J. Brewster; a son, Stephen Brewster of Fritch; two daughters, Tracy Hughes of Borger and Nikki Foster of Amarillo; her father and stepmother, Roy and Mary VanLoon of Borger; her mother, Sue Crowell of Pierce, Mo.; four brothers, Wilson VanLoon of Odessa, Kelly VanLoon and Wade Pettit, both of Borger, and Bobby Mayberry of Hobbs, N.M.; a sister, Tammy Pettit of Colorado; and two grandchildren. Fairrie Parker FRIONA - Fairrie Parker, 94, died Sunday, April 26, 1998. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. today in 6th Street Church of Christ with Leon Talley and the Rev. Waide Messer officiating. Burial will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday in South Park Cemetery in Pearland with the Rev. Geary Brogden officiating. Arrangements are by Ellis-Blackwell Funeral Home. Mrs. Parker was born in Bonham. She moved to Friona in 1984 from Bells. She was a member of 6th Street Church of Christ in Friona and the Order of the Eastern Star in Houston. She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Winchester, in 1963. She married Charlie Parker in 1965. He died in 1982. She also was preceded in death by a son, Alton Winchester, in 1980. Survivors include two daughters, Marlene Drake and Alva Dean Bedgood, both of Friona; a brother, Jack Bellows of Gorman; a sister, Lucille Manor of Denison; five grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Prairie Acres Nursing Home in Friona. Amarillo Luke Thomas Priolo Luke Thomas Priolo, 9-month-old son of George and Leah Deann Priolo of Amarillo, died Sunday, April 26, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Schooler-Gordon Funeral Directors Bell Avenue Chapel, 5400 Bell St., with the Rev. Kevin Deckard of First United Methodist Church of Canyon officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Luke was born June 28, 1997, in Amarillo. Survivors include his parents; two sisters, Lainie Priolo and Lisa Priolo, both of the home; and grandparents, Tom Priolo of San Antonio, Carolyn Shelton of Amarillo and Jim Shelton of Amarillo. Charles Dean Hoover Jr. Charles Dean "Goob" Hoover Jr., 81, of Amarillo, died Saturday, April 25, 1998. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday in First Christian Church Robison Chapel with Dr. Ronald Sumter, interim senior minister, officiating. Private committal services for the family will be in Llano Cemetery by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home, 2820 Virginia Circle. Mr. Hoover was born in Amarillo and lived in Amarillo most of his life. He was in the insurance business for more than 50 years. He worked for American General Life and was affiliated with the Vineyard and Gower insurance agencies. Mr. Hoover served on the board of Goodwill Industries and was a member of First Christian Church. He was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II. He married Jane Skillman in 1943 at St. Louis. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Kaki Hoover of Dallas; and a niece and nephew. The family requests memorials be to the Children's Home, 3400 S. Bowie, Amarillo, Texas 79109; Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, P.O. Box 1890, Amarillo, Texas 79174-0001; or Goodwill Industries, P.O. Box 2926, Amarillo, Texas 79105. Oklahoma Grace Marie Tyson HOLLIS, Okla. - Grace Marie Tyson, 95, died Thursday, April 23, 1998. Services were at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Patterson Greer Funeral Home Chapel with Roger Grice officiating. Burial was in McKnight Cemetery. Mrs. Tyson was born in Gould. She was a homemaker and a member of the Hollis Church of Christ. She married Johnnie Rice Tyson in 1920 at Denison, Texas. He died in 1992. She also was preceded in death by two sons, Lemmie Joe "Buck" Tyson and Leo Tyson. Survivors include a daughter, Elizabeth Gooch of Amarillo; a son, Robert "Dude" Tyson of Hollis; a sister, Lady Jane Brown of Mulvane, Kan.; six grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. True Vance Leatherman BIXBY, Okla. - True Vance Leatherman, 79, a former Gruver, Texas, resident, died Saturday, April 11, 1998, in Tulsa. Services were April 15 in Leonard & Marker Funeral Home Chapel. Memorial services were at 1 p.m. Saturday in First Baptist Church at Gruver with Scott Curry officiating. Mr. Leatherman lived in Gruver for many years. He worked as an irrigation farmer, raising primarily wheat and milo. He retired in 1982. He was an Army veteran of World War II in the ordnance and supply division overseas. He was a former member of Gruver First Baptist Church and recently had joined New Beginnings Baptist Church at Bixby. Mr. Leatherman married Frankie Wallin in 1942 at Liberal, Kan. They recently moved to the Bixby community. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Phyllis Tolle of Broken Arrow; four sons, Wayne Edward Leatherman of Killeen, Texas, Gene Austin Leatherman and Jerry Joe Leatherman, both of Amarillo, and Gary Ray Leatherman of Cedar Hill, Texas; three sisters, Joy LaTour of Mesa, Ariz., and Eva Cowan and Ollie Mae Friesen, both of Balko; three brothers, Lester Leatherman of Perryton, Texas, Paul Leatherman of Tahlequah and Kenneth Leatherman of Vici; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. New Mexico Elvira Orta CLOVIS, N.M. - Elvira Orta, 68, died Sunday, April 26, 1998. Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today in Muffley Funeral Home Chapel. Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Community by the Rev. Tobin Hitt. Burial will be in Mission Garden of Memories. Mrs. Orta was born in Fort Sumner and moved to Clovis in 1984. She married Henry Orta in 1991 at Texico. She was a homemaker. She was Catholic. Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Carmen Robles of Sudan, Texas; two sisters, Emma Sena and Rosa Lucero, both of Clovis; two half sisters, Cathlena Vigil and Rosita Salazar, both of Fort Sumner; a brother, Dario Lopez of Clovis; two granddaughters; and five great-grandchildren. Ray Reed TUCUMCARI, N.M. - Ray Reed, 60, died Sunday, April 26, 1998. Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Lupe Ramierez American Legion Post No. 77 with the Rev. Jim Witcher, minister of First Christian Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Dunn Funeral Home. Mr. Reed was born in Ottawa, Kan. He worked at the Hercules Power Plant in Kansas. He moved to Clovis in 1989. He married Wanda Roberts in 1993 and moved to Logan. Survivors include his wife; his mother and stepfather, Irene and Ballard Wood of Ottawa; a sister, Joan Morgan; three sons, Tony Ray Reed, Jeffery Allen Reed and Randy Lee Reed, all of Ottawa; two stepdaughters, Sarah Benard of Clovis; a stepdaughter, Lori Ann Myers of Lawrence, Kan.; four stepsons, Jimmy Roberts and Marvin Roberts, both of Portales, and Russell Roberts and David Roberts, both of Lovington; 20 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. The body will not be available for viewing. The family requests memorials be to the American Cancer Society, 3915 Bell St., Amarillo, Texas 79109. Annie May Higgins TUCUMCARI, N.M. - Annie May Higgins, 96, a former Tucumcari resident, died Sunday, April 26, 1998. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in Tucumcari Memorial Park Cemetery with the Rev. Bob Miller, minister of South Georgia Baptist Church in Amarillo, officiating. Arrangements are by Dunn Funeral Home. Mrs. Higgins was born in Scottsboro, Ala. She was a longtime resident of Tucumcari until the early 1980s. She was a member of First Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert L. Higgins, in 1980. For the past several years, Mrs. Higgins had lived in Albuquerque. Survivors include a daughter, Geraldine VanderMolen of Albuquerque; a son, Robert Higgins of Amarillo; a sister, Alma Paradise of Yucca Valley, Calif.; four grandchildren. The body will be available for viewing at the funeral home until 1 p.m. today. Elsewhere Barnett Geisert WICHITA FALLS - Barnett Geisert, 80, died Friday, April 24, 1998. Services will be at 1 p.m. today in Hampton Vaughan Downtown Chapel with the Rev. Garth Wilcoxson, chaplain of the hospice center, officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery. Mr. Geisert was born in Whitesboro and had lived in Wichita Falls many years. He worked for Pantex in Amarillo for 20 years, retiring as a tool and die maker. He had been a member of the AFL-CIO for 50 years. He married Ola Blanche Caywood in 1935. Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Dolores Sue Thompson of Wichita Falls, Linda Lynette Ayres of Holliday and Rebecca LeAnn Morehead of Amarillo; a son, Jerry Wayne Geisert of Wichita Falls; three sisters, Grace Laverne Dunn and Mary Lynn Welborn, both of Wichita Falls, and Jimmie Erline McGlashan of Boston; 14 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Hospice of Wichita Falls or the American Cancer Association. Johnny Norfleet COTTON CENTER - Johnny Norfleet, 37, died Sunday, April 26, 1998. Services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday in First Baptist Church of Cotton Center with Randy Land, minister, officiating. Burial will be in Hale Center Cemetery by Freeman-Abell Funeral Home of Hale Center. Mr. Norfleet was born in Hale Center. He graduated from Cotton Center High School and South Plains College. He was employed at Struve's Implement in Abernathy for 15 years before becoming a farmer. He also was a pilot. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Cotton Center. Survivors include his parents, Charles and Shelby Norfleet of Cotton Center; two sisters, Catherine Simmons of Hobbs, N.M., and Beverly Hendon of Hale Center; his grandmother, Bonnie Claycomb of Plainview; and his companion, Wilma Barclay. The family requests memorials be to the Hale County Farm and Ranch Museum, P.O. Box 834, Hale Center, Texas 79041. Ione Willis FORT WORTH - Ione "Nanny" Willis, 90, died Monday, April 27, 1998. Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Western Hills Church of Christ. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Park by Thompson's Harveson & Cole Inc. Mrs. Willis was a former resident of Silverton, Amarillo and Runaway Bay. She retired as a baker for the Amarillo school system. She was a member of Western Hills Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Willis, and by a son, Denny Willis. Survivors include three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The family requests memorials be to Cal Farley's Boys Ranch or the Maverick Club, both in Amarillo. Rosalind Odette Hines-Beatty DALLAS - Rosalind Odette HinesBeatty, 50, died Friday, April 24, 1998. Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. today in Wildwood Chapel at Restland Memorial Cemetery. Arrangements are by Black & Clark. Mrs. Hines-Beatty was born in Amarillo. She attended North Heights and Hilltop elementary schools. At the age of 16, she was presented as a debutante during the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Cotillion in 1964. She graduated from Carver High School in 1966. She then began studies at Amarillo Junior College, majoring in communications. She also began a career at Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. In 1968, Mrs. Hines-Beatty received an associate's degree and entered West Texas State University. She graduated from WTSU in 1975 with a bachelor of science degree in communications. She was transferred to Dallas, where she became a supervisor and later public relations manager. She retired in 1994 after 30 years of service. While living in Amarillo, Mrs. HinesBeatty was a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church, where she was a pianist for the junior choir. She was involved with the Girl Scouts and became a senior Scout representing the Amarillo Girl Scout Council Region at the International Round-Up in 1965. She also was a member of the Amarillo Music Conservatory and Hines School of Music. She was confirmed as a Catholic at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas in 1997. Survivors include a daughter, Lauren Odette Beatty of Dallas; a son, Charles Brandon Beatty of Dallas; her mother, Cordie R. Hines of Dallas; her father, Herman Alvin Hines of Oklahoma City; a sister, Alison Hines-Boney of Dallas; and her former husband, Charles Beatty of Waxahachie.