Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 4 March 2000 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, March 4, 2000, 8:33 AM Area Gabriel Nieves HEREFORD - Gabriel Nieves, 69, died Thursday, March 2, 2000. Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in St. Anthony's Catholic Church. Burial will be in St. Anthony's Cemetery by Gililland-Watson Funeral Home. Mr. Nieves was born in Del Rio and moved to Deaf Smith County in 1969. He was a Catholic and farm laborer. Survivors include a son, Gabriel Nieves Jr. of Fort Worth; two brothers, Jesus Nieves and Genaro Nieves Jr., both of Hereford; four sisters, Erlinda Ramirez of Hereford, Manuela Narriz of San Angelo, Trinidad Cuellar of Del Rio and Consuelo Cardenas of Chandler, Ariz.; and six grandchildren. Amarillo Daily News, March 3, 2000 Bobby Joe Rhoades PAMPA - Bobby Joe Rhoades, 67, died Thursday, March 2, 2000. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Alva Municipal Cemetery at Alva, Okla., with the Rev. Sandy Sims, pastor of Church of God at Dacoma, Okla., officiating. Arrangements are by Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors. Mr. Rhoades was born in Cherokee, Okla. He moved to Pampa in the mid1950s. He was a rancher and former rodeo bull rider. He married Phynelpha Harlan in 1951 at Clovis, N.M. She died in 1997. Survivors include a daughter, Sharlan Langley of Pampa; a son, Marty Rhoades of Amarillo; two sisters, Betty Wheat of Alva and Carol Dechant of Cheney, Kan.; two brothers, Dusty Rhoades of Pampa and Jack Rhoades of Canyon; and two grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Baptist St. Anthony's Hospice, P.O. Box 950, Amarillo, TX 79176-0001. Amarillo Daily News, March 3, 2000 Carlos Joseph Celaya HEREFORD - Carlos Joseph Celaya, 11-month-old son of Vincent and Rachel Celaya, died Monday, Feb. 28, 2000. Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Sunday in Parkside Chapel Funeral Home of Hereford. Funeral mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday in San Jose Catholic Church with the Rev. Adalberto Ramirez O.F.M. officiating. Burial will be in St. Anthony's Cemetery in Hereford. Survivors include his parents; a brother, Jesse Celaya of Hereford; a sister, Mariah Rodriguez of Hereford; and his grandparents, Evelyn Casias and Linda Celaya, both of Hereford, and Carlos Casias of Seminole. Amarillo Daily News, March 3, 2000 Eual Allen DALHART - Eual "Buck" Allen, 85, died Friday, March 3, 2000, in Dumas. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in Stratford Cemetery in Stratford with Ray M. Guy, senior minister of First Christian Church of Dalhart, officiating. Arrangements are by Hass Funeral Home Inc. Mr. Allen was born in Farwell and raised in Stratford where he graduated from Stratford High School. He attended business college then entered the Army Air Corps in 1942. He was a technical sergeant. Mr. Allen worked for Canadian River Gas. He lived in Amarillo for six years and renovated the Dr. Walker pioneer home. In 1951, he traded the property for farm and ranch land in Coldwater community where he lived before moving to Dalhart. He married Aldah Hevron in 1946 in Amarillo. She died in December. Survivors include two brothers, William "Bill" Allen and George H. Allen, both of Stratford; and a sister, Winnie M. Simons of Boulder, Colo. Amarillo Daily News, March 3, 2000 Billy Roy Blackman SPEARMAN - Billy Roy Blackman, 71, died Friday, March 3, 2000. Services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday in First United Methodist Church in Clarendon with the Rev. James Ivey Edwards, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon by Robertson Funeral Directors Inc. Mr. Blackman was born in Clarendon where he had lived for most of his life. He had been an insurance agent and taught at Clarendon College. He was a park ranger at Lake Meredith. Mr. Blackman was a member of First United Methodist Church in Clarendon. He moved to Spearman nine years ago. He married Klyda Fern Wilson in 1947 at Clarendon. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Peggy McCoy of Borger; a son, Monty Blackman of Spearman; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The family will receive visitors at 1 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. They suggest memorials be to Citizens Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 47, Clarendon, TX 79226-0047. Amarillo Daily News, March 3, 2000 Annie M. Pulliam STRATFORD - Annie M. Pulliam, 78, died Thursday, March 2, 2000. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in First Christian Church of Stratford with the Rev. Rob Chandler, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Stratford Cemetery by Morrison Funeral Directors. Mrs. Pulliam was born in Buckner, Ark., and formerly lived in Boise City, Okla. She taught in elementary schools in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. She moved to Stratford in 1967 where she was a member of First Christian Church. She married J.O. Pulliam in 1967 at Dallam County. Survivors include her husband; four sons, Mike Asher of Texhoma, Okla., Johnny Pullman and Tommy Asher, both of Stratford, and Sam Asher of Kerrick; two daughters, Renee Fisk of Hutchinson, Kan., and Vickie Gustin of South Padre; 11 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. The family will be at 319 S. Fulton. They suggest memorials be to First Christian Church of Stratford, P.O. Box 626, Stratford, TX 79084; or a favorite charity. Amarillo Daily News, March 3, 2000 Mary Patricia Wessner WHITE DEER - Mary Patricia Wessner, 78, died Friday, March 3, 2000. Rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Sunday and funeral mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Monsignor Kevin Hand, pastor, officiating. Arrangements are by CarmichaelWhatley Funeral Directors of Pampa. Mrs. Wessner was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was a licensed vocational nurse with the Concord County Hospital in Concord, Calif., before moving to White Deer in 1979. She was a homemaker and member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Sacred Heart Altar Society. She married William Wessner in 1938 at Brooklyn. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1989 and by a son, Matthew F. Wessner, in 1985. Survivors include two daughters, Susan Wessner and Cathy Martinez, both of White Deer; two sons, William E. Wessner of Tallahassee, Fla., and Kenneth T. Wessner of Columbus, Ga.; a sister, Peggy LaVere of Seneca Falls, N.Y.; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to White Deer Library, 200 Fourth St., White Deer, TX 79097. Viewing will be until 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home and from 4 p.m. Sunday until time of service Monday at the church in White Deer. The family will be at 607 S. Swift in White Deer. Amarillo Daily News, March 3, 2000 Marie Cornelsen DALHART - Marie Cornelsen, 93, of Altus, Okla., died Friday, March 3, 2000. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. CST Tuesday in Texline Cemetery in Texline, Texas with Wesley Sheets, sonin-law, officiating. Arrangements are by Hass Funeral Home Inc. of Dalhart, Texas. Mrs. Cornelsen was born in Coy, Okla., and attended school in the Coldwater community. After her marriage, she farmed in Coldwater until moving to Arizona in the 1930s. Later, she moved to California, then moved to Texline in 1947 to start a farming business. In 1971, Mrs. Cornelsen moved to Truth or Consequences, N.M. She moved to Altus in 1985. She married John K. Cornelsen in 1925 at Meade, Kan. He died in 1971. Survivors include a daughter, Elsie Sheets of Altus; a son, Howard E. Cornelsen of Fritch; a brother, Leonard Zielke of Amarillo; five grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-greatgrandchildren. The family will receive friends from 3 until 7 p.m. Monday at Hass Funeral HOme. They suggest memorials be to Jackson County Memorial Hospital Hospice, 1103 N. Spurgeon, Altus, OK 73251. Amarillo Daily News, March 3, 2000 Amarillo Aldemaro Garcia Aldemaro "Mario" Garcia, 63, of Amarillo, died Thursday, March 2, 2000. Rosary will be recited at 5 p.m. Sunday in Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Directors Memorial Chapel, Fifth Avenue and Pierce Street. Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Monday in Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church with the Rev. Hector J. Madrigal officiating. Burial will be in Llano East Cemetery. Mr. Garcia was born in Rio Grande City and lived in Amarillo for most of his life. He was employed as a truck driver for Hereford By-Products and was a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church. He married Helen Sarah Hernandez 43 years ago. Survivors include his wife; four sons, Juan Louis Garcia of Floresville and Mario Joe Garcia, Manuel Joe Garcia and George Eddie Garcia, all of Amarillo; two brothers, Simon Garcia Sr. of Mission and Isabel Garcia Jr. of Boyd; four sisters, Maria Baca, Chelo Nolan and Hilda Garcia, all of Amarillo, and Janie Aguilar of Saginaw; and six grandchildren. The family will be at 3809 S. Ong. Amarillo Daily News, March 4, 2000 Janice Eileen Dubois Janice Eileen Dubois, 63, of Amarillo, died Thursday, March 2, 2000. Rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. Sunday in Colonial Funeral Chapel, 1010 W. Ninth Ave. Funeral mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday in St. Hyacinth's Catholic Church, 4500 West Hills Trail, with the Rev. Pat Carathers officiating. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery. Mrs. Dubois was born in Plainview and moved to Amarillo in 1972 from Taipei, Taiwan. She worked for Affiliated Foods. She was a homemaker and member of St. Hyacinth's Catholic Church, Catholic Women's Auxiliary and the Moose Lodge. She married Raymond Dubois in 1954 at Amarillo. Survivors include two daughters, Debi Reynolds of Amarillo and Melody Waggoner of Derby, Kan.; three sons, Raymond Dubois Jr. of Phoenix, James Dubois of Walsh, Colo., and Jonas Dubois of Dumas; three brothers, Lester Prien of Lubbock, Ronald Prien of Georgetown and Larry Prien of Amarillo; 12 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Crown of Texas Hospice. Amarillo Daily News, March 4, 2000 Lesley Ramsey Allen Lesley Ramsey "Pete" Allen, 71, of Amarillo, died Friday, March 3, 2000. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Rector Funeral Home Chapel, 2800 S. Osage St., with Bill Conn, pastor of Scio Baptist Church of Scio, Ore., and Terry Foster, pastor of Greenwood, Ind., officiating. Burial will be in Llano East Cemetery. Mr. Allen was born in Dickens County and had lived in Amarillo for most of his life. In 1990, he retired after owning and operating Pete's Construction. He was a member of Grace Community Church. He married Esther Christmas in 1960 at Amarillo. Survivors include his wife; four daughters, Jenny Kelley of Hillsboro, Debbie Foster of Greenwood, Kathy Inman of Elizabeth, Colo., and Cindy Conn of Jefferson, Ore.; two sons, James Allen of Arlington and Marc Allen of Amarillo; two brothers, Borden Allen of Tucumcari, N.M., and O.D. Allen of Amarillo; two sisters, Blanche Hobson of Spur and Lillian Lee of Amarillo; and 12 grandchildren. Viewing will from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. The family suggests memorials be to Baptist St. Anthony Hospice. Amarillo Daily News, March 4, 2000 Canyon Nora Billingsley Nora Billingsley, 97, of Canyon, died Wednesday, March 1, 2000. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in First Baptist Church at Canyon with Dr. Strauss Atkinson, pastor emeritus, and the Rev. Gayle Bowen, associate pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Dreamland Cemetery by Brooks Funeral Directors of Canyon. Mrs. Billingsley was born in Whitewright and attended Martin High School near Clarendon. In 1928, she moved from Clarendon to Farwell, where she and her husband had a farming business. They retired and moved to Canyon in 1963. She taught Sunday school at Oklahoma Lane Methodist Church and was a member of First Baptist Church and King's Daughters Sunday school class in Canyon. She married James W. Billingsley in 1918 at Clarendon. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1965; and by a daughter, Mary Lucille Berry, in 1998. Survivors include three daughters, Margaret Ellen Ruthart, Jo Veta Darnell and Marian Zell Cain, all of Amarillo; a sister, Mary Jewel Sibley of Dallas; 12 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, P.O. Box 1890, Amarillo, TX 79174; First Baptist Church library fund, 1717 Fourth Ave., Canyon, TX 79015; or a favorite charity. The family will be at 96 Hunsley Hills Blvd. in Canyon. Amarillo Daily News, March 4, 2000 Winifred V. Donnell Winifred V. Donnell, 80, of Canyon, died Thursday, March 2, 2000. Memorial services will be at 4 p.m. Monday in First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Don McDonald, pastor, officiating. Private burial will be in Dreamland Cemetery by Brooks Funeral Directors of Canyon. Mrs. Donnell was born in Bemidji, Minn., and received her bachelor's degree in home economics from the University of Minnesota. She lived in Reynolds, N.D., and moved to Canyon 29 years ago from St. Paul, Minn. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church. She married Reeves Donnell in 1971. He died in 1995. Survivors include two daughters, Randy Manning of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Kristi Beirne of Austin; a stepson, Pete Donnell of Canyon; a sister, Bernice Bredvold of Green Valley, Ariz.; five grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. The family suggests memorials be to Amarillo Children's Clinic, 3501 Soncy, Suite 160, Amarillo, TX 79119; or Baptist St. Anthony's Hospice, P.O. Box 950, Amarillo, TX 79176; or American Cancer Society, 3915 Bell St., Amarillo, TX 79109. Amarillo Daily News, March 4, 2000 New Mexico Leroy Vigil CLOVIS, N.M. - Leroy Vigil, 56, died Thursday, March 2, 2000. Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. today in Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Community by the Rev. Daniel Balizan. Burial will be in Mission Garden of Memories by Muffley Funeral Home. Mr. Vigil was born in Santa Rosa and was a longtime resident of Clovis. He was a construction laborer and a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Community. Survivors include two sisters, Gertrude Tenerio and Julia Kuchta, both of Clovis. Amarillo Daily News, March 4, 2000 Glenda Sue Simicsak CLOVIS, N.M. - Glenda Sue Hill Simicsak, 59, died Wednesday, March 1, 2000, in Lubbock, Texas. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in SteedTodd Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Wayne Boydston officiating. Burial will be in Portales Cemetery at Portales. Mrs. Simicsak was born in Palestine, Texas, and grew up in Portales. She graduated from Portales High School in 1959. She had been a longtime Clovis resident. She had worked as a baker at Albertsons and Spudnut Donut Shop and also was former owner of the Cozy Closet. She was a member of Prince Street Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Simicsak, in 1997. Survivors include three sons, Wendell Hardegree and Mike Hardegree, both of Clovis, and James Hardegree of Odessa, Texas; three daughters, Brenda Lytle of Springerville, Ariz., Melinda Stacy of Amarillo and Sarah Hodson of Clovis; four brothers, William A. Hill of Clovis, Randall Hill and Gerald Hill, both of Portales, and Bobby Hill of Odessa; three sisters, Connie Deckard of Petersburg, Texas, Barbara Deckard, of Clovis and Peggy Predieri of Shelby, Ohio; and nine grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to the American Diabetes Foundation. The family will be at 1917 Grayson Court. Amarillo Daily News, March 4, 2000 Lois Maye Bada CLAYTON, N.M. - Lois Maye Bada, 78, died Thursday, March 2, 2000. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Billy Rammage, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Clayton Memorial Cemetery by Hass Funeral Directors. Mrs. Bada was born in Milton, Kan. She and her husband ranched west of Gladstone from 1946 until 1989, when they moved to Clayton. She was a member of First Baptist Church. She married Albert Paul Bada in 1946 at Winfield, Kan. He died in 1997. Survivors include two sons, Jerry Bada of Gladstone and Ronnie Lee Bada of Oklahoma City; a daughter, Colleen Neely of Jackson, Miss.; a sister, Doris Sowers of Murdock, Kan.; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to SunBridge Care and Rehab of Clayton; or First Baptist Church. Amarillo Daily News, March 4, 2000 Bennie Mae McKay CLOVIS, N.M. - Bennie Mae McKay, 83, died Thursday, March 2, 2000. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Parkland Baptist Church with the Rev. Doug Brooks officiating. Burial will be in Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens by SteedTodd Funeral Home of Clovis. Mrs. McKay was born in Spur, Texas and was a longtime resident of Clovis and Roswell. She had lived in California, then returned to New Mexico. She attended Parkland Baptist Church. Survivors include a son, Glenn Pruitt of Roswell; two brothers, R.A. Long of Los Lunas and Paul T. Long of Clovis; a sister, Robbie Wicker of Clovis; three grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Amarillo Daily News, March 4, 2000 Oklahoma Edna Christine Kuykendall GUYMON, Okla. - Edna Christine Kuykendall, 89, died Friday, March 3, 2000. Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Bunch-Roberts Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Leon Lothman, pastor of Living Word Fellowship, officiating. Amarillo Daily News, March 4, 2000