Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 14 Oct 1999 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, October 14, 1999, 6:44 AM Area Billie Juanita Thompson HEDLEY - Billie Juanita Thompson, 48, died Monday, Oct. 11, 1999. Services will be at 1 p.m. today in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Bruce Howard, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Rowe Cemetery by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon. Mrs. Thompson was born in Memphis and was a Hedley resident most of her life. She was a homemaker. She married Raymond Eugene Thompson in August at Wellington. Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Rhonda Smith of San Antonio; a son, Alvin Carpenter of Amarillo; her mother, Lillian Fowler of Hedley; three sisters, Mary Kathleen Collier of Waco, Betty Louise Shelton of Tehuacana and Neva Jean Vidlar of Lloyd, N.M.; and four grandchildren. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Riley M. Thompson VEGA - Riley M. Thompson, 87, of Wichita Falls, died Sunday, Oct. 10, 1999. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. today in Memorial Park Cemetery at Vega with the Rev. Johna Campbell, pastor of Vega Methodist Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Lunn's Colonial Funeral Home of Wichita Falls. Services in Vega will be by Vega Funeral Home. Mr. Thompson was born in Wildorado and moved to the Wichita Falls area in 1966 from Vega, where he was a longtime resident. He graduated from West Texas State University where he played football. He was employed for Sheppard Air Force Base, retiring in 1976. He had been a civil service training manager for 10 years. He was a member of First Methodist Church of Iowa Park and also of the Lions Club. Survivors include two sons, David Thompson of Irving and Tommy Thompson of Columbus, Miss.; two grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. They request memorials be to the American Cancer Society. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Joy Stagner HEREFORD - Joy Stagner, 79, died Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999. Graveside services will be at 4 p.m. today in West Park Cemetery followed by church services at 4:30 in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Terry Cosby officiating. Arrangements are by Parkside Chapel Funeral Home of Hereford. Mrs. Stagner was born in Sioux City, Iowa. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority of Iowa University, Young Mother's Study Club, bridge clubs and the Women's Golf Association. Since 1946, she was a member of First Baptist Church where she was secretary of the Young People's Department. She married Earl Stagner in 1945 at Sioux City. Survivors include her husband; two sons, Gary Stagner of Coppell and John Stagner of Hereford; a sister, Francis Sulzbach of Sioux City; and three grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to the Sandy Stagner Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Hereford Brand, 313 Lee St., Hereford, TX; the American Cancer Society; or a favorite charity. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Marie Vega Garcia CHILDRESS - Marie Vega Garcia, 70, died Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Calvary Baptist Church with the Rev. Tom Lewis of Fundamental Baptist Church of Wellington, officiating. Burial will be in Childress Cemetery by Johnson Funeral Home of Childress. Mrs. Garcia was born in Laredo. She married Thomas Garcia Sr. in 1945 at Laredo and was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1987; a son, John Paul Garcia in 1969; and a daughter, Gloria Tomlinson in 1997. Survivors include four sons, Tony Garcia of Dallas and Eddie Garcia, Oscar Garcia and Thomas Garcia, all of Childress; four daughters, Emma Rocha of Dallas and Carman Sullivan, Mary Ellen Baker and Gracie Cox, all of Childress; three sisters, Carmela Contreras and Francisca Flores, both of Laredo, and Amadita Ibarra of California; a brother, Mike Jimenez of Dallas; 14 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Ada Lucille Copeland SHAMROCK - Ada Lucille Copeland, 79, died Wednesday, Oct. 13, 1999. Services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday in First Baptist Church in Shamrock with the Rev. Marion Fry of Ada, Okla., officiating. Burial will be in Shamrock Cemetery by Wright Funeral Directors of Shamrock. Mrs. Copeland was born in Haleyville, Ala., and was a longtime Shamrock resident. She attended Benonine School and was a member of First Baptist Church. She married L.B. Copeland in 1935 at Erick. She was preceded in death by a son, Carrol Copeland. Survivors include her husband; four sons, Don Copeland and Steve Copeland, both of Pampa, Grant Copeland of White Deer and Johnny Copeland of Perryton; three daughters, Nancy Wright of Mena, Ark., Linda Garris of Smoaks, S.C., and Pat Jones of Stephenville; a brother, W.P. Shipman of Shamrock; two sisters, Drama Lindsey of Pampa and Daisy McAllister of Enid, Okla.; 22 grandchildren; and great-grandchildren. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Vallie Myrtle Lanier VEGA - Vallie Myrtle Lanier, 96, died Saturday, Oct. 9, 1999 in New Braunfels. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Memorial Park Cemetery in Vega with the Rev. Dean Whaleye officiating. Local arrangements are by Vega Funeral Home. Mrs. Lanier was born in St. Jo, Ark., and was a longtime Vega resident. She was a caretaker at Boys Ranch and engaged in agriculture prior to her retirement. She was a member of the Church of Christ. She married Oscar O. Lanier in 1929 at Gainesville. He preceded her in death. Survivors include a daughter, Kay Buck of New Braunfels; a son, Travis Lanier of Vega; a sister, Minnie Agee; five brothers, Riley Goldsmith, Taylor Goldsmith, Marion Goldsmith, Bob Goldsmith and Theodore Goldsmith; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Bonnie Williamson MIAMI - Bonnie Williamson, 93, of Amarillo, died Wednesday, Oct. 13, 1999. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in First Baptist Church of Miami with the Rev. Wes Wellborn, pastor, officiating. Burial with graveside rites by the Miami Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star will be in Miami Cemetery by CarmichaelWhatley Funeral Directors of Pampa. Mrs. Williamson was born in a log cabin five miles west of Miami. A longtime resident of Miami, she moved to Amarillo in 1980. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Amarillo. Mrs. Williamson was a 50-year member of the Miami Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star, the High Plains Club and the Senior Citizens Volunteers Group. She was a former member of the First Baptist Church of Miami where she served as the Sunday School secretary. She married John Clarence Williamson in 1924 at Miami. Survivors include three daughters, Juanita Berbee of Ypsilanti, Mich., Betty Yoder of Amarillo and Dorotha Stump of Arlington; a son, Carl Williamson of Arlington; a sister, Lois Addington of Amarillo; 12 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to First Baptist Church of Miami. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Kenneth Powell TULIA - Kenneth Powell, 61, died Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday in First United Methodist Church with James Wilburn, pastor, Jesse Hodges of the First United Methodist Church of Levelland and H.L. Rowell, chaplain of TDCJ of Tulia, officiating. Burial will be in Muleshoe Memorial Park in Muleshoe by Wallace Funeral Home of Tulia. Mr. Powell was born in Becton and graduated from Muleshoe High School then attended West Texas State University. For 20 years, he farmed around Muleshoe and was a spray pilot. He was working for the TDCJ Tulia Unit. He married Rose Lee Millen in 1960 at Muleshoe. Survivors include his wife; two sons, Brian Powell of Farwell and Steven Powell of Oak Park, Ill.; two brothers, Raymond Powell of Denton and Goodwin Powell of Ransom Canyon; a sister, Helen Rome of McAllen; and a grandchild. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Amarillo Winnie Odean Gilter Winnie Odean Gilter, 85, of Helotes, and a former Amarillo resident, died Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday in Schooler Funeral Home, Brentwood Chapel, 4100 S. Georgia St., with the Rev. Robert E. Field, pastor of Southeast Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery. Mrs. Gilter was born in Hooker, Okla. She retired as a dietitian. A former member of Southeast Baptist Church, she also was a member of the TEL Sunday School Class. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Gilter, in 1987. Survivors include a son, Gordon Gilter of Cleburne; a daughter, Marilyn Clark of Helotes; four sisters, Helen Hall of Claude, Cecil Psuik of San Francisco, Lillian Norton of Hemet, Calif., and Ruby Strickland of Mustang, Okla.; three grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Visitation will be from 7 until 8:30 p.m. today at the funeral home. The family suggests memorials be to a favorite charity. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Lucien B. Rogers Lucien B. Rogers, 92, of Amarillo, died Monday, Oct. 11, 1999. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday in SchoolerGordon Funeral Directors, Bell Avenue Chapel, 5400 Bell St., with Brother Anthony Pennington of Freedom Baptist Church officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Mr. Rogers was born in Apache, Okla., and moved to Amarillo in 1938 from Shamrock. He retired after 30 years as a carpenter at Asarco. He was a member of Second Baptist Church and attended Ridgecrest Baptist Church. He married Gladys Cox in 1966 at Amarillo. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Maxine Rogers, in 1932 and by a stepson, Don Hicks, in 1997. Survivors include his wife; two sons, L.R. Rogers Jr. of Shawnee, Okla., and Jack Hicks of Amarillo; a daughter, Verba Dean Hills of Deepwater, Mo.; two brothers, Kenneth Rogers of Amarillo and Frank Rogers of Plainview; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Reba Jo Cato Reba Jo Cato, 65, of Amarillo, died Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999. Services will be at 3 p.m. Friday in Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, Ivy Chapel, 2820 Virginia Circle, with the Rev. Bill Wade, associate pastor of Polk Street United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery. Mrs. Cato was born in Fort Worth and had lived in Amarillo since 1952. In 1993, she retired as account coordinator for Corporate Systems. She was a member of Polk Street United Methodist Church, the Friendship Sunday School Class, Amarillo Photographic Society and the WAGGS Travel Club. She married Joe W. Cato in 1952 at Dallas. Survivors include her husband; three sons, Robert Cato of Borger and Russell Cato and Tim Cato, both of Amarillo; a daughter, Patti Fristo of Amarillo; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. The family will be at 5815 Foxcroft. They suggest memorials be to the Polk Street United Methodist Church, 1401 S. Polk, Amarillo, TX 79101. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Richard P. Cota Richard P. Cota, 73, of Amarillo, died Monday, Oct. 11, 1999. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Memorial Park Funeral Home, Chapel of Memories, 6969 E. Interstate 40, with Joseph Cota officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Mr. Cota was born in Rutland, Vt., and moved to Amarillo in 1959 from Fort Dix, N.J. A veteran of the Army, he served in World War II and the Korean War. He was a bus driver for the City of Amarillo. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion Post 54, Moose Lodge and Panhandle Blue Grass Association. Survivors include four sons, Michael Cota, Mark Cota and Randall Cota, all of Amarillo, and Joseph Cota of Houston; two stepsons, David Michael Cota of Connecticut and Richard Paul Cota of New Hampshire; three brothers, Donald Cota, Earl Cota and Kenneth Cota, all of Rutland; a sister, Shirley Cota of Rutland; and nine grandchildren. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 New Mexico Ida Cruz CLAYTON, N.M. - Ida Cruz, 83, died Monday, October, 11, 1999. Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Friday in St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church by the Rev. George Silva, pastor, and the Rev. Jose Torres, pastor of St. Peter's Catholic Church in Guymon, Okla. Burial will be in Clayton Memorial Cemetery by Hass Funeral Directors of Clayton. Mrs. Cruz was born in Pasamonte and was a longtime resident of the Clayton area. She was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. She married Raymond Juan Cruz in 1933 at Clayton. He died in September. She also was preceded in death by two daughters and a son as infants. Survivors include six daughters, Marcella Madrid and Lena Cruz, both of Clayton, Angie Martinez and Cathy Segovia, both of Liberal, Kan., and Martha Cruz and Ernestine Duran, both of Guymon; four sons, Joe Cruz and Lawrence Cruz, both of Guymon, Okla., Frank Cruz and Raymond Cruz Jr., both of Clovis; a brother, Frank Perea of San Jose, Calif.; 27 grandchildren; 57 great-grandchildren; and nine great-great-grandchildren. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999 Bill Bell TUCUMCARI, N.M. - Bill Bell, 56, of Nara Visa, died Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999. Services will be at noon CDT Saturday in Nara Visa Community Center with the Monsignor Harold Waldow, the Rev. David Bonnell and the Rev. Cliff Miller officiating. Burial will be in the family plot at the Amistad Cemetery in Amistad by Dunn Funeral Home. Mr. Bell was born in Stigler, Okla., and moved to Nara Visa in 1961. He was a member of the Catholic Church and Tucumcari Masonic Lodge AF&AM No. 27. He was a PERA Senior for the Department of Public Safety of New Mexico. He was preceded in death by two infant sons, Billy Keith Bell and Toby Craig Bell. Survivors include his wife, Karen; a son, Darin Bell of Nara Visa; three brothers, Bob Bell of Salina, Kan., Ben Bell of Great Falls, Mont., and Houston Bell of Judsonia, Ark.; and four sisters, Betty Earl and Louise Wilson, both of Amistad, Adella Jess of Great Falls and Lucy Madsen of Frago, Okla. Viewing will be from noon today until 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. The family suggests memorials be to Olivia's Angels Hospice in Amarillo, TX; the Shriner's Crippled Children's Hospital; or the Tucumcari Helping Hands Hospice. Amarillo Daily News, Oct. 14, 1999