Potter Co. TX - Obits from Amarillo Online Newspapers 18 Aug 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: Darren McCathern (quohadi@quackquack.com) Thanks to the Amarillo Newspapers for allowing us to place their online obits in the USGenWeb Archives ==================================================================== Amarillo Daily News, Aug. 18, 2000 FARWELL - L.T. Utsman, 99, died Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2000, in Friona. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Richard Laverty and Gerald Bastin officiating. Burial will be in Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens at Clovis, N.M., by Steed-Todd Funeral Home in Clovis. Mr. Utsman was born in Bristol, Tenn. He moved to Farwell in 1934. He had worked as a carpenter, house painter and farmer. He was a Baptist. He married Ollie Norman in 1928 at Byers. She died in 1988. Survivors include a son, Jerry Utsman in Farwell; a daughter, Billie Blain of Farwell; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Farwell Convalescent Center; or First Baptist Church. SLATON - Sybil Hensley, 88, formerly of Slaton, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000, in Haskell. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in First Baptist Church at Guthrie with Byron Garrison of Canyon officiating. Burial will be in Guthrie Cemetery by Seigler Funeral Home of Paducah. Mrs. Hensley was born in Jayton. She moved to Guthrie and lived there until moving to Slaton 13 years ago. She moved to Haskell six months ago. She was a Baptist. She served as King County Clerk from 1948 to 1976 and also operated an abstract office in King County. She married Fred Harvie Hensley in 1936 at Seminole. They operated a cafe and service station. Mr. Hensley died in 1972. Survivors include a daughter, Kay Criswell of Guthrie; her stepmother, Cleone York of Magazine, Ark.; a half-brother, Tommy York of Magazine; a half-sister, Winston Johnson of Magazine; two grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Hospice of the Big Country, 3113 Oldham Lane, Abilene, TX 79602. BORGER - Loretta J. Fletcher, 61, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000, in Amarillo. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in Central Baptist Church with the Rev. John Denton and the Rev. Chris Riley officiating. Burial will be in Highland Park Cemetery by Brown Funeral Directors. Mrs. Fletcher was born in Wirt, Okla., and was a longtime Borger area resident. She was a secretary for Montgomery Ward and was co-owner of White Way Storage and Properties. She was a Baptist. She married Charles Fletcher in 1980 at Stinnett. She was preceded in death by a son, Timmy Ralston. Survivors include her husband; a son, Jeffery Scott Davis of Borger; three daughters, Kimberly Williams of Houston, Tracie Davis of Tulsa, Okla., and Christi Jackson of Durant, Okla.; three brothers, Bennie A. Barbour of Borger, Paul David Barbour of Duncan, Okla., and Richard Keith Barbour of Bedford; two sisters, Linda Cox of Borger and Jerri Glenna Barbour of Pampa; and nine grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to BSA Hospice, Box 950, Amarillo, TX 79176. PLAINVIEW - Birdie Cleo Fox, 84, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Wood-Dunning Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Max Browning, pastor of First United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Plainview Memorial Park. Mrs. Fox was born in Waco. She graduated from Abilene High School and McMurry University and did graduate studies at Denver University. She taught school at Stanton and Olton before moving to Plainview in 1942 from Canyon. At Plainview High School she was head of the business department and taught shorthand, bookkeeping and typing. She was a distinguished life member of the Society of Business Educators, a life member of the Texas Retired Teachers Association and an associate member of the Sheriff's Association of Texas. She a member of the First United Methodist Church, where she taught third and fourth grade Sunday school. She was a past member and officer of the Women's Club of Plainview and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Daughters of the Nile, and the Pink Ladies. She married Girard Fox in 1949 at Plainview. Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Ginger Batson of Corpus Christi; a brother, William Elmer Crabtree of Nashville, Tenn.; and two granddaughters. ESTELLINE - Thomas Howard "Tom" Seay, 83, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in First Baptist Church with the Rev. B.G. Hill, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Estelline Cemetery by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon. Mr. Seay was born in Vaughn, N.M. He had lived in Clarendon for six years before moving to Estelline 44 years ago. He was a retired agriculture teacher, teaching in public schools. He was a member of the Childress Masonic Lodge, the Childress Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, and the First Baptist Church in Estelline. He married Edith Gwendolyn Hall in 1941 at Harrold. Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Laynette Seay of Bowie and Elaine Aurwine of Pittsburg; a sister, Frances Harris of Hamilton; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. The family will receive visitors from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. today at their family home in Estelline. SHAMROCK - Carrolyn Vern Kidd, 54, formerly of Shamrock, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in Shamrock Cemetery. Arrangements are by Wright Funeral Directors. Mrs. Kidd had lived in Van Buren, Crawford County, Ark., since 1991, moving from Shamrock. She was a homemaker and a member of the Pentecostal Church. Survivors include her husband, Finis Kidd; two sons, Jackie Kidd of Canadian and Tony Kidd of Shamrock; two daughters, Sherry VanZant of Van Buren and Michelle Franks of Walnut Ridge, Ark.; two brothers, Jimmy Harbour of Great Bend, Kan., and Johnnie Campbell of Sayre, Okla.; and eight grandchildren. MULESHOE - Beth McDaniel Mims, 40, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000. Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Muleshoe Church of Christ with John Knox of Woodward, Okla., and Harry Riggs, minister, officiating. Burial will be at 4 p.m. CDT Saturday in Capitan Cemetery at Capitan, N.M., with Mike Joy of Roswell, N.M., officiating. Mrs. Mims was born and raised in Roswell. She graduated from Goddard High School in 1977 and from Lubbock Christian University in 1982 with a degree in elementary education. She taught at Midland Christian School and in the Muleshoe Independent Schools. She married Todd Mims in 1992 at Muleshoe. Survivors include her husband; and four sisters, Amy Joy of Roswell, Lynn Vandiver of Muleshoe, Jana Perkins of Brownwood and Kristy White of Farwell. The family suggests memorials be to Hospice of Lubbock, P.O. Box 53276, Lubbock, TX 79453. MEMPHIS - Paul Hiarm Ponder, 56, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in First United Methodist Church of with the Rev. Neeley Landrum, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery. Arrangements are by Moore-Rose-White Funeral Home of Lockney and Memphis Funeral Home. Mr. Ponder was born in Memphis and graduated from Lakeview High School. He served as an airman first class for the Air Force in Vietnam and was in Guam. He moved to Seymour in 1971 from Hillsboro and then to Memphis in 1999. In 1967, he entered the Department of Public Safety Academy and was a trooper for the department's license and weight division. After retiring in 1994 he was commissioned as a Special Texas Ranger. Mr. Ponder was a 32nd Degree Mason, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 7871 in Seymour and the First United Methodist Church in Memphis. He married Jone Ward in 1967 at Memphis. Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Shannon Follis of San Marcos and Krista Ferrel of Memphis; his mother, Mattie Ponder of Memphis; a brother, Harold Ponder of Austin; two sisters, Joyce Ivy of Memphis and Wyvon Seal of Wellington; and a grandchild. The family suggests memorials be to the American Heart Association, 3403 73rd St., Lubbock, TX 79423; the American Cancer Society, 3411 73rd St., Lubbock, TX 79423; or to the First United Methodist Church, 121 N. Eighth, Memphis, TX 79245. The body will be available for viewing at Memphis Funeral Home. Janice Holder Gruhlkey Hammond, 62, of Amarillo, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Palo Duro Baptist Church at Wildorado with the Rev. Phil Mercado, pastor of Trinity Fellowship Church, officiating. Burial will be in Wildorado Cemetery by N.S. Griggs & Sons Funeral Directors, 2615 Paramount Blvd. Mrs. Hammond was born in Jackson County, Okla., and graduated from Vega High School. She owned Gruhlkey Insurance Agency in Amarillo and engaged in farming in Randall, Deaf Smith and Oldham counties. She married Roger Gruhlkey in 1955 at Vega. He died in 1989. She married Jay E. Hammond in 1993 at Rapid City, S.D. Survivors include her husband; two sons, Bill Gruhlkey of Wildorado and Jim Gruhlkey of Sundown; three stepdaughters, Susan Richardson, Kathy O'Rourke and Linda Hammond, all of Amarillo; two stepsons, Lonnie Hammond of Amarillo and Larry Hammond of Houston; a sister, Charlene Richardson of Vega; and five grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to BSA Hospice and Life Enrichment, P.O. Box 950, Amarillo, TX 79176; or Wildorado Independent School District, Library Fund, Box 120, Wildorado, TX 79098. The family will be at County Road 28. LONGVIEW - W.L. "Bud" Yelton, 75, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in Chapel of Rosewood Mausoleum. Arrangements are by Rader Funeral Home. Mr. Yelton was born in Bartlesville, Okla. He attended schools in Webb City, Okla., and Shidler, Okla. During World War II, he served in the Army. He had lived in Longview since 1978. He worked as a drilling superintendent for Phillips Petroleum in several regions including West Virginia, the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles, Odessa, and overseas offshore locations. Mr. Yelton was preceded in death by a daughter, Jeanne Johnson, in 1977. Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Yelton; four daughters, Nancy Yelton of Tyler, Susan Herring of Amarillo, Kimberly Yelton of Drakes Branch, Va., and Michelle Yelton of College Station; a brother, Albert Yelton of Borger; a sister, Shirleen Garrison of Clovis, N.M.; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.