Potter Co. TX - Obits from the Amarillo newspapers 23 January 2002 Thanks to http://www.amarillonet.com/ for permission to upload their obits to the USGenWeb Archives. Copyright, http://www.amarillonet.com/ ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** All Obits - Text Only Amarillo Marcella Walker Munday Marcella Walker Munday, 99, died Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2002, in Dalhart. Memorial services will be at 4 p.m. Thursday at First Presbyterian Church. Dr. Jim Bankhead, senior pastor, and Dr. Murray Gossett, associate pastor, will officiate. A reception in the church parlor will follow the service. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle. Private burial will be in Llano Cemetery. Mrs. Munday was born Feb. 17, 1902, in Giles County, Tenn., to Marcella Bull Walker and Currey Herbert Walker. She was an early Texas resident whose life spanned the 20th century. Her father was the administrator of an elite boys' private preparatory school, but when advised to seek a drier climate for his health he seized the opportunity to go west. In 1908, her family traveled by train as far as El Paso but couldn't forget Dalhart, which they had first seen just after a rare rain shower, and turned back to settle there. At the time, herds of buffalo grazed not far west of the town. Although it was on the site of the Denver/Rock Island train crossing, there were no open roads leading to Dalhart, so to drive from Dalhart a traveler had to open gate after gate on ranch trails. C.H. Walker, whose many contributions as a pioneer are commemorated in Dalhart's XIT Museum, conceived the Good Roads movement, which changed transportation in the Panhandle area. He became postmaster of Dalhart as well as publisher and editor of "The Dalhart Texan." Mrs. Munday was an early and avid reader, and like her father became a scholar of the Bible and great literature. She was valedictorian of Dalhart High School and a 1923 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority. She did postgraduate work at Columbia University in New York and then taught debate, speech, and literature in Greenville to young veterans of World War I and at Amarillo High School. She left teaching in 1927 to marry her lifetime friend and schoolmate from Dalhart, builder, developer, and civic leader Charles Lowell Munday. Mrs. Munday lived in Amarillo over 50 years. She became a member of First Presbyterian Church of Amarillo in 1927. She served as president of the Women of the Church and taught Christian education classes for many years. The First Presbyterian Church of Amarillo was central to her life. It was her spiritual home. She was very grateful to First Presbyterian Church of Dalhart for the comfort it provided her. She was a member of the Pierian Study Club, a charter member and early president of the Junior League of Amarillo and served the Amarillo Public Library and the Park and Recreation boards for the city of Amarillo. She was, with C. Lowell Munday, a founder of the Amarillo Hearing and Speech Foundation. In 1997, after a decline in health, Mrs. Munday moved back to Dalhart to live at Coon Memorial Home, chosen for its exemplary and loving elder care. She was deeply loved by her family and friends, young and old, and will be remembered by all who knew her for her generous, accepting, gracious spirit, for her dignity and her beauty. She was predeceased by her husband, Lowell in 1971. Survivors include two daughters, Martha Estes of Amarillo and Carolyn Munday Burson and husband, Rodger, of Wimberley; a grandson, Allen Walker Estes and wife, Betha; granddaughters Jennifer Estes Schneider and husband, Jack Sedam, of Oil City, Pa.; Leigh Watson Healy and husband, John, of Crystal Beach, Fla., and Claire Watson Laub and husband, Stephen, of Water Mill, N.Y.; great-grandchildren Leslie Anne Estes and Jennifer Minyard and husband, Kendall of Baton Rouge, La., Sarah Ausmus and Alison Schneider of Oil City, Shannon Laub of Crystal Beach, Fla.; and Owen and Keaton Laub, of Water Mill; great-great-grandchildren Allen Kendall Minyard of Baton Rouge and Nicholas and Ellen Ausmus, of Oil City. The family suggests that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be to Coon Memorial Home, 210 Texas Blvd., Dalhart, TX 79027, in gratitude for the loving care Mrs. Munday received there, and to First Presbyterian Church, 1100 S. Harrison St., Amarillo, TX 70101 or to a favorite charity. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23,2002 Robert "Bob" Getman Robert "Bob" Getman, 64, of Amarillo died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at N.S. Griggs and Sons Pioneer Chapel, 2615 Paramount Blvd., with the Rev. Mark Urquhart of Grace Baptist Church officiating. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery. Mr. Getman graduated from Amarillo High School in 1956 and married Betty Conner on Sept. 14, 1956. He has been a self-employed contractor since 1959. Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Gwen Estrada and husband, Ruben, and Sissy Finley and husband, Lloyd, all of Amarillo; a son, Monty Getman and wife, Sonya, of Amarillo; two brothers, David Getman of Houston and Rod Getman of Amarillo; five grandchildren and their spouses, Mike Estrada and wife, Crystal, Misti Estrada Miles and husband, Steven, Daniel Finley and wife, Dana, Tawney Finley and Braden Getman, all of Amarillo; and three great-granddaughters, Hunter, Tyger and Cierra. The family will be at 623 Ramada Trail. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Will Mosser Will Mosser, 29, of Amarillo died Sunday, Jan. 20, 2002. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in Victory Church, with David Brown, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery by Schooler-Gordon Funeral Directors, 5400 Bell St. Mr. Mosser married Ashley Sims Mosser on Aug. 1, 2001, in Tucumcari, N.M. He was a member of Victory Church. He was born in Austin. Survivors include his wife; a son, Jacob Raymond Mosser of Amarillo; his parents, William Mosser Sr. and Mary Mosser; a brother, Doug Mosser of Amarillo; and a sister, Dawn Pascal of Dallas. The family suggests memorials on behalf of Jacob Mosser at Amarillo National Bank in care of Ashley Mosser and Terri Sims. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Viola Whitacre Viola Whitacre, 79, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in Llano Cemetery with Bob Thomas, chaplain of Crown of Texas Hospice, officiating. Arrangements are by Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Directors, 1505 Martin Road. Mrs. Whitacre was born in Blanchard, Okla. She married Harold J. Whitacre on July 20, 1943, in California. They moved to Amarillo 53 years ago from Long Beach. Mr. Whitacre preceded her in death in 1972. Mrs. Whitacre was branch manager of Petroleum Information for 22 years and was a longtime member and past president of Desk and Derrick Club. She was a volunteer for St. Anthony's Hospital Auxiliary. Survivors include a daughter, Patricia Tate of Amarillo; two sons, Harold Whitacre of Amarillo and Jack Whitacre of Garland; a sister, Juanita Houlton of Oklahoma City; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Crown of Texas Hospice, 1000 S. Jefferson St., Amarillo, TX 79101. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Dee J. McKeever Dee J. McKeever, 72, of Amarillo died Sunday, Jan. 20, 2002. Services will be at 1 p.m. today in Memorial Park Funeral Home Chapel of Memories, 6969 E. Interstate 40, with the Rev. James Burns of San Jacinto Full Gospel Church officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Mr. McKeever moved to Amarillo in 1942 from Board Camp, Ark. He was a member of San Jacinto Full Gospel Church where he served as Sunday school superintendent. He also sang and played guitar and the French harp. Survivors include a son, David Lee McKeever of Santa Paula, Calif.; a sister, Pauline Titsworth of Amarillo; and three grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to San Jacinto Full Gospel Church, 211 N. Forest St., Amarillo, TX 79106. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002. Louis McCaffree Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in N.S. Griggs and Sons Pioneer Chapel, 2615 Paramount Blvd., with the Rev. Windell Taylor officiating. Private family committal will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. The body will not be available for viewing. Mr. McCaffree was born and lived his entire life in Amarillo. He was a graduate of Amarillo High School. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and was a member of Fairview Baptist Church. Survivors include a brother, Robert "Shorty" McCaffree of Amarillo; three sisters, Juanita Evans, Jettie Koch and Delorise Shrauner, all of Amarillo; several nieces and nephews. The family suggests memorials be to American Diabetes Association or High Plains Food Bank. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Lois Garner Jones Lois Garner Jones, 96, of Amarillo died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday with Jon E. Jones and Paul Snead officiating. Burial will be at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Quanah Cemetery by Schooler-Gordon Funeral Directors, 5400 Bell Ave. Mrs. Jones was born July 11, 1905, in Center Point, Ark. She moved with her family to Quanah when she was 12. She married Robert C. Jones in 1924, and they spent 71 years together before he passed away in 1995. She was a member of Central Church of Christ. She served faithfully alongside her husband as he ministered to Churches of Christ. They served Central Church of Christ for 10 years, during which time the beautiful Gothic church building was built. They also served churches in Wichita Falls, Fort Worth and Clarendon. Her life goals were to serve God and care for her family. In midlife, Mrs. Jones became a businesswoman, building a very successful direct sales organization with Con Stan Industries. Survivors include a daughter, Bobbie McMurtry and husband, Bud McMurtry, of Amarillo; a son Jon E. Jones and wife, Joan Brooks Jones, of Fort Worth; two brothers, Luther Garner of Quanah and Otis Garner of College Station; five grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Mozelle Harper Skinner Spruill Mozelle Harper Skinner Spruill, 90, of Amarillo died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002. Services will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel, 2820 Virginia Circle, with Dr. Gil Lane Sr., pastor of Paramount Baptist Church, officiating. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Decatur. Mrs. Spruill was born in the Gilpin Community of Hall County. She was one of 12 children born to Jeff and Nancy Harper. She married Benjamin Franklin Skinner on Aug. 15, 1929. Three daughters were born into the marriage. She was a Christian and a member of the "Shut-Ins" of Paramount Baptist Church. Frank Skinner preceded her in death in 1952. She married William Stafford Spruill in 1967. He preceded her in death in 1983. She was also preceded in death by a daughter, Rita Janelle Hopkins, in 2000; and a grandson, Larry Hopkins. Survivors include two daughters, Erma "Dean" Meadows of Amarillo and Janice Yeutona Storer of Grove, Okla.; a brother, Lewis W. Harper of Amherst; a sister, Jennie Belle Fowler of Amarillo; three sons-in-law; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. Visitation will be after the services at the funeral home. The family suggests memorials be to a favorite charity. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Clara Griffith Clara Griffith, 89, of Amarillo died Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2002. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Schooler Funeral Home Chapel, 4100 S. Georgia St. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery. Mrs. Griffith was born Aug. 4, 1912, on the family farm near Darrouzett in Lipscomb County to pioneering parents Frank and Ruhama Balch. She started school at the Plains Country School in a one-room schoolhouse her father helped build. She completed high school at Follett, graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1929. She next attended Draughon's Business College in San Antonio and then returned home and worked in the Lipscomb County courthouse as secretary for the Lipscomb County agriculture agent. Later she moved to Amarillo where she worked in the U.S. Crop Insurance Office. During this period she met Lloyd Griffith of Amarillo. They were married Nov. 30, 1939. Eventually Mrs. Griffith was a secretary at Sam Houston Junior High School and later transferred to the Amarillo Independent School District administration office where she worked as a secretary until she retired in 1976 after working 20 years. She and her husband, Lloyd, were members of First Baptist Church in Amarillo for 70 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd Griffith, and an older sister, Edith Deal. Survivors include her three children, Dale Griffith of Barrington, Ill., Dr. Gene Griffith of Amarillo, and Joan Van Doren of Canyon; one sister, Alice Balch of Amarillo; a brother, Glenn Balch of Darrouzett; two grandsons; one granddaughter; one great-grandson; and one great-granddaughter. The family suggests memorials be to Baptist St. Anthony's Hospice. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 New Mexico Frutosa Cordova - Frutosa Cordova, 77, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002. Services will be at 11 a.m. (MST) Thursday in San Antonio Catholic Church with the Rev. John Daniel, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Logan Cemetery by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors of Amarillo, Texas. Mr. Cordova was born in Logan and lived there all his life. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Germany. He was employed by Burlington & Southern Pacific Railroad for 35 years, serving as a maintenance supervisor until his retirement in 1984. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2529 and American Legion Post 77. He was preceded in death by two brothers and a sister. Survivors include his wife, Amelia; two sons, Tim Casaus of Logan and Tommy Cordova of Albuquerque; a daughter, Helen Limvoratre of Korea; a brother, Julian Cordova Sr. of Logan; two sisters, Florinda Ramirez and Nicolasita Garcia, both of Logan; eight grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Elsewhere Johnnie D. Wood IRVING - Johnnie D. Wood, 62, died Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2002, in Amarillo. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in Brooks Chapel, 1702 Fifth Ave., Canyon, with the Rev. David Lowrie, pastor of First Baptist Church of Canyon, officiating. Graveside services will be at 4 p.m. Thursday at Gruver Cemetery with the Rev. Gary Gumfory, pastor of First Christian Church of Gruver, officiating. Arrangements are by Brooks Funeral Directors of Canyon. Mr. Wood was born May 6, 1939, at Wichita Falls. He was a lifetime machinist. He was an avid NASCAR fan. He loved fishing and was a loving father, grandfather, uncle and brother. Survivors include his mother, Susie Kenyon and husband, Mike Kenyon of Irving; a daughter, Liz Dean and husband, Kenny Dean of Canyon; two sons, David Wood and wife Anji Wood of Borger, and Danny Wood and wife Julie Wood of Fritch; a brother, Jess Wood and wife, Iris Wood of Gruver; eight grandchildren, Weston and Morgan Dean, Jaimi and Josh Wood and Brittney, Hailee, Cameron and Kennedy Wood; two nieces, Donna Miller of Gruver, and Susie Scott of Tucson, Ariz.; and four great-nephews. The family suggest memorials be to Baptist St. Anthony's Hospice, P.O. Box 950, Amarillo, TX 79176. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Lucile S. Bolinger SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. - Lucile S. Bolinger, 53, of Siloam Springs died Friday, Jan. 18, 2001. Services were Tuesday in Backstrom-Pyeatte Chapel in Siloam Springs. Burial followed at Oak Hill Cemetery in Siloam Springs. Mrs. Bolinger was born Feb. 6, 1948, in Hereford, Texas, to Aubrey Jackson Self and Opal Mae Anderton Self. She worked for 22 years in bookkeeping at Bynum's Furniture in Siloam Springs. Survivors include her husband, Bill Bolinger; her mother, Opal Mae Self of Chickasha, Okla.; a son, Randall Bolinger of Gentry; a daughter, Melanie Silvey of Gentry; five brothers, Leroy Self of Eloy, Ariz., David Self of Ancora, Turkey, Charles Self of Hereford, Leon Self of Norman, Okla., and Joe Self of Amarillo, Texas; a sister, Audrie Stowers of Palm Desert, Calif.; and three grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Charlie Corgill CHILDRESS - Charlie Corgill, 96, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Johnny Robertson of the church and the Rev. Don Conner officiating. Burial will be in Childress Cemetery by Johnson Funeral Home. Mr. Corgill was born June 7, 1905, in Indian Territory. He worked at Bartlett Feed Store and Beard Ranch for many years. Survivors include two daughters, Betty Parrish of Perryton and Mary Trones of Childress; five grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Daisy Allison Steele HEREFORD - Daisy Allison Steele, 86, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002. Services will be at 3 p.m. Thursday in the Eastland Cemetery in Eastland. Mrs. Steele was born July 25, 1915, in Eastland, the daughter of Marcus and Agnes Williamson. She was a homemaker. She taught Sunday school at First United Methodist Church for many years and was a member of the United Methodist Women's Association. She loved gardening and was a member of First United Methodist Church in Hereford. She was preceded in death by two husbands, Carl "Dick" Allison and Sam Steele; three brothers and three sisters. Survivors include two sons, Edward Allison of Hereford, and Charles Allison of Amarillo; a daughter, Glenda Dyess of Springfield, Va.; a brother, G.W. Williamson of Tulia; a sister, Etheridge Massingill of Grand Falls; seven grandchildren, Shane Dyess of Alexandria, Va., Allison Dyess of Brookland, N.Y., Alisha Dyess of Dallas; Kristie Tidmore of Canyon, Julie Vaughan of Plano, Abbey Allison of Amarillo and Alex Allison of Amarillo; and six great-grandchildren, Daniel, A.J. and Emma Dyess, all of Alexandria, Va., and Taylor, Lauren and Gracie Tidmore, all of Canyon. The family will receive friends at Parkside Chapel Funeral Home from 6 to 8 p.m. today. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 J.T. Maroney CHILDRESS - J.T. Maroney, 98, died Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2002. Graveside services will be at 4 p.m. Thursday at Childress Cemetery with the Rev. Johnny Robertson, pastor of First United Methodist Church, officiating. Services are by Johnson Funeral Home. Mr. Maroney was a member of Meadowbrook Methodist Church. He worked in the license tag department as deputy tax collector in Tarrant County. Survivors include a nephew, Ben W. Teague of Childress; and two nieces, Margie Consiglio of Long Beach, Calif., and Martha Louise Jordan of Desert Hills, Ariz. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Deward B. Roberson HEREFORD - Deward B. Roberson, 90, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002 in Albuquerque, N.M. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25 in Rose Chapel of Gililland-Watson Funeral Home with the Rev. Terry Cosby, pastor of First Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in West Park Cemetery with graveside rites by Masonic Lodge No. 849 AF&AM. Mr. Roberson was an oil and gas consignee for many years. Survivors include a son, Gary D. Roberson of Sandia Park, N.M.; a daughter, Sandra Roberson Rudy of Crested Butte, Colo.; and two grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to the American Cancer Society, c/o of Carla Ramirez, 5800 Lomas Blvd. N.E., Albuquerque, N.M. 87110. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Norma Gripp HEREFORD - Norma Gripp, 76, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002, in Amarillo. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church of Hereford with Dr. Tom Fuller officiating. Burial will follow in West Park Cemetery in Hereford by Parkside Chapel Funeral Home. Mrs. Gripp was born Sept. 26, 1925, in Amarillo, the daughter of Charles and Leah Franklin. She married Spicer Gripp on Oct. 28, 1944, in Panhandle. He preceded her in death in 1994. She was a retired schoolteacher, having taught more than 34 years in the Hereford and Panhandle school systems. She was a member of the Retired Teachers Association, Eastern Star and First United Methodist Church of Hereford. She was preceded in death by a son and two brothers. Survivors include a daughter, Nancy Stokes of Roswell, N.M.; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to the American Diabetes Foundation or First United Methodist Church of Hereford. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Clyde W. Neal PAMPA - Clyde W. Neal, 82, died Jan. 21, 2002. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Memory Gardens Cemetery with the Rev. Lynn Hancock, pastor of Briarwood Full Gospel Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors. Mr. Neal lived in Pampa since 1946. He retired from Cabot Corp. as a supervisor in 1981 after 35 years of service. Survivors include two sons, Gary W. Neal of Plano and Dennis Neal of Pampa; a brother, Billy Jeff Neal of Pampa; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to a favorite charity. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 with 1/2 col mug Marshall Cator: 1902-2002 Marshall Cator SUNRAY - Marshall Cator, 99, died Sunday, Jan. 20, 2002, in Amarillo. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Todd Dyess, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Pampa, and the Rev. David Purl, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Hansford Cemetery in Spearman by Morrison Funeral Directors. Mr. Cator was born April 20, 1902, in Hansford County. He was a farmer and rancher all his life. He was a Methodist. Survivors include a brother, George Cator of Amarillo; a cousin, Bessie Mitts of Gruver; and numerous nieces and nephews. The family suggests memorials be to Alzheimer's Association, 2200 W. Seventh Ave., Amarillo, TX 79106; Cal Farley's Boys Ranch and Girlstown U.S.A., P.O. Box 1890, Amarillo, TX 79174; or Don and Sybil Harrington Cancer Center, 1500 Wallace Blvd., Amarillo, TX 79106. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 22, 2002 Kathryn Sue Pickens MEMPHIS - Kathryn Sue Pickens, 60, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Memphis Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Neely Landrum officiating. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Bokchito Cemetery in Bokchito, Okla., with R.W. Breese officiating. Mrs. Pickens lived in the Memphis area 27 years. She married Grant Walter Pickens on Dec. 28, 1961 in Anadarko, Okla. Survivors include two sons, Larry Grant Pickens of Oklahoma City and Cletus Wayne Pickens of Belmont, N.C.; two daughters, Terry Lynn Lopez of Memphis and Teresa Lee Pickens of Memphis; a brother, David Ricky Hall of Bokchito, Okla.; and 11 grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to a favorite charity. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Procopio C. Aragon HALE CENTER - Procopio C. Aragon, 85, died Sunday, Jan. 20, 2002 in Amarillo. Funeral Mass will be at 2 p.m. today in St. Theresa's Catholic Church with the Rev. David Cruz of Our Lady of Grace in Lubbock officiating. Burial will be in Hale Center Cemetery by Freeman-Abell Funeral Home. Mr. Aragon married Margaret Gonzales on July 18, 1953, in Bovina. He worked for Friona Independent School District and the city of Friona. Survivors include his wife; four sons, Leo Aragon of Friona, Phillip Aragon of Duncan, Okla., Barnabe Aragon of Amarillo and Jesse Aragon of Friona; three daughters, Rosemary Madrid of Amarillo, Agnes Saiz of Kingsland and Angela Aragon of Hale Center; two brothers, Rosendo Aragon and Pete Aragon of Canyon; 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Ronald Popp DUMAS - Ronald Popp, 64, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002 in Dumas. Private family burial was conducted at Lane Memorial Cemetery in Sunray. Arrangements were by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 500 N. Maddox. Mr. Popp was a retired truck driver for the Oakland California Tribune. Survivors include a son, Paul Popp of California; and a daughter, Rebecca Garland of Sunray. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Marshall Cator SUNRAY - Marshall Cator, 99, died Sunday, Jan. 20, 2002, in Amarillo. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Todd Dyess, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Pampa, and the Rev. David Purl, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Hansford Cemetery in Spearman by Morrison Funeral Directors. Mr. Cator was born April 20, 1902, in Hansford County. He was a farmer and rancher all his life. He was a Methodist. Survivors include a brother, George Cator of Amarillo; a cousin, Bessie Mitts of Gruver; and numerous nieces and nephews. The family suggests memorials be to Alzheimer's Association, 2200 W. Seventh Ave., Amarillo, TX 79106; Cal Farley's Boys Ranch and Girlstown U.S.A., P.O. Box 1890, Amarillo, TX 79174; or Don and Sybil Harrington Cancer Center, 1500 Wallace Blvd., Amarillo, TX 79106. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Deward B. Roberson HEREFORD - Deward B. Roberson, 90, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002 in Albuquerque, N.M. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Friday in Rose Chapel of Gililland-Watson Funeral Home with the Rev. Terry Cosby, pastor of First Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in West Park Cemetery with graveside rites by Masonic Lodge No. 849 AF&AM. Mr. Roberson was an oil and gas consignee for many years. Survivors include a son, Gary D. Roberson of Sandia Park, N.M.; a daughter, Sandra Roberson Rudy of Crested Butte, Colo.; and two grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to the American Cancer Society, in care of Carla Ramirez, 5800 Lomas Blvd. N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87110. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Clyde W. Neal PAMPA - Clyde W. Neal, 82, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Memory Gardens Cemetery with the Rev. Lynn Hancock, pastor of Briarwood Full Gospel Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors. Mr. Neal lived in Pampa since 1946. He retired from Cabot Corp. as a supervisor in 1981 after 35 years of service. Survivors include two sons, Gary W. Neal of Plano and Dennis Neal of Pampa; a brother, Billy Jeff Neal of Pampa; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to a favorite charity. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Kathryn Sue Pickens MEMPHIS - Kathryn Sue Pickens, 60, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Memphis Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Neely Landrum officiating. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Bokchito Cemetery in Bokchito, Okla., with R.W. Breese officiating. Mrs. Pickens lived in the Memphis area 27 years. She married Grant Walter Pickens on Dec. 28, 1961 in Anadarko, Okla. Survivors include two sons, Larry Grant Pickens of Oklahoma City and Cletus Wayne Pickens of Belmont, N.C.; two daughters, Terry Lynn Lopez and Teresa Lee Pickens, both of Memphis; a brother, David Ricky Hall of Bokchito, Okla.; and 11 grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to a favorite charity. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Ronald Popp DUMAS - Ronald Popp, 64, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002 in Dumas. Private family burial was conducted at Lane Memorial Cemetery in Sunray. Arrangements were by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 500 N. Maddox. Mr. Popp was a retired truck driver for the Oakland California Tribune. Survivors include a son, Paul Popp of California; and a daughter, Rebecca Garland of Sunray. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Procopio C. Aragon - Procopio C. Aragon, 85, died Sunday, Jan. 20, 2002 in Amarillo. Funeral Mass will be at 2 p.m. today in St. Theresa's Catholic Church with the Rev. David Cruz of Our Lady of Grace in Lubbock officiating. Burial will be in Hale Center Cemetery by Freeman-Abell Funeral Home. Mr. Aragon married Margaret Gonzales on July 18, 1953, in Bovina. He worked for Friona Independent School District and the city of Friona. Survivors include his wife; four sons, Leo Aragon of Friona, Phillip Aragon of Duncan, Okla., Barnabe Aragon of Amarillo and Jesse Aragon of Friona; three daughters, Rosemary Madrid of Amarillo, Agnes Saiz of Kingsland and Angela Aragon of Hale Center; two brothers, Rosendo Aragon and Pete Aragon of Canyon; 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Norma Gripp HEREFORD - Norma Gripp, 76, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002, in Amarillo. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church of Hereford with Dr. Tom Fuller officiating. Burial will follow in West Park Cemetery in Hereford by Parkside Chapel Funeral Home. Mrs. Gripp was born Sept. 26, 1925, in Amarillo, the daughter of Charles and Leah Franklin. She married Spicer Gripp on Oct. 28, 1944, in Panhandle. He preceded her in death in 1994. She was a retired schoolteacher, having taught more than 34 years in the Hereford and Panhandle school systems. She was a member of the Retired Teachers Association, Eastern Star and First United Methodist Church of Hereford. She was preceded in death by a son and two brothers. Survivors include a daughter, Nancy Stokes of Roswell, N.M.; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to the American Diabetes Foundation or First United Methodist Church of Hereford. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Norma Gripp HEREFORD - Norma Gripp, 76, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002, in Amarillo. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church of Hereford with Dr. Tom Fuller officiating. Burial will be in West Park Cemetery by Parkside Chapel Funeral Home. Mrs. Gripp was born Sept. 26, 1925, in Amarillo, the daughter of Charles and Leah Franklin. She married Spicer Gripp on Oct. 28, 1944, in Panhandle. She was a retired schoolteacher, having taught more than 34 years in the Hereford and Panhandle school systems. She was a member of the Retired Teachers Association, Eastern Star and First United Methodist Church of Hereford. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1994, a son and two brothers. Survivors include a daughter, Nancy Stokes of Roswell, N.M.; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to the American Diabetes Foundation or First United Methodist Church of Hereford. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Ronald Popp DUMAS - Ronald Popp, 64, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002, in Dumas. Private family burial was conducted at Lane Memorial Cemetery in Sunray. Arrangements were by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 500 N. Maddox. Mr. Popp was a retired truck driver for the Oakland California Tribune. Survivors include a son, Paul Popp of California; and a daughter, Rebecca Garland of Sunray. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Vivienne Swope Stickley Oklahoma REYDON, Okla. - Vivienne Swope Stickley, 91, died Monday, Jan. 21, 2002, in Cheyenne. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Reydon Methodist Church with the Rev. Andy Taylor of the church and the Rev. Daryle Perry of Trinity Fellowship Church in Sayre, Okla., officiating. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Edith Ford Memorial Cemetery in Canadian, Texas, by Stickley-Hill Funeral Directors. Mrs. Stickley was born to William Chauncey and Celia Burke Swope. She married David Houston "Hoot" Stickley on Sept. 7, 1932, in Sayre. Survivors include a daughter, Ellen Wesner of Reydon; a granddaughter; and a grandson. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 23, 2002 Click here to return to story: http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/012302/obi_allobits.shtml Pioneer cattleman Marshall Cator dies Pioneer cattleman Marshall Cator died Sunday, Jan. 20, at Baptist St. Anthony's Hospital in Amarillo. He was 99. Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Todd Dyess, pastor of First United Methodist Church of Pampa, and the Rev. David Purl, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Hansford Cemetery in Spearman by Morrison Funeral Directors. Born in a sod house on Palo Duro Creek near Morse in 1902, Cator lived near Sunray, about 20 miles west of where he was born. "I've lost the best friend I've got," said Perryton oilman Harold Courson. "He was probably the biggest influence in the Panhandle in regard to cattlemen. He probably owned more Hereford cattle than anyone else." Courson said Cator had battled pneumonia for about a week. Cator's uncles, James and Bob Cator, were sent in 1871 to strike it rich farming in Kansas by their father, John Bertie Cator, administrator of the Port of Hull, England. Finding farming different in Kansas than in England, the brothers became buffalo hunters, a profession they continued until 1877. The next year they began ranching along North Palo Duro Creek in Hansford County. They built a house and started a store they called the Zulu Stockade because they considered their territory as wild as the Zululand of Africa. Marshall Cator's father, Bert O. Cator, arrived at Zulu Stockade in 1879. Bert Cator was Hansford County Sheriff from 1893-95 and again from 1900-09. Marshall Cator began riding horses at age 3. By the time he was 11, his uncles paid him with a heifer calf for working their cattle. That was the start of his career in the ranching business. At one time Cator held leases on such historic ranches as the LX, XL, Kilgore, Coon, Nance and Lipps. Although all the leases didn't run concurrently, some overlapped, and his cattle and farm operations spread into seven states. "He probably had half a million acres leased at one time," Courson said. "The reason Marshall got the leases was because he didn't overgraze the land,"' Courson said. "He took care of it." Cator always worked alongside the cowboys of his ranches during branding, weaning and shipping. In the Panhandle, Cator is perhaps the most acclaimed heeler ever to drag calves to the branding fire. "He's the best heeler I've ever seen. There's some other boys that are awful good, but he's got to be the ultimate," Kent Cartrite of Sunray said in March 2000. "I learned pretty quick that if there were two draggers and Marshall was one of them, you got on the other side if you wanted to rest." Asked about his well-known skills and achievements, Cator said he is "just a man who spent a lot of time minding my own business." In 1995, Cator donated $275,000 to build a new 4,800-square-foot home at the Cal Farley's Family Program campus near Borger. Courson, a member of the Boys Ranch board of directors, said Cator wrote another $15,000 check to buy furniture for the home. "He was an extremely good friend to Boys Ranch," Courson said. The D.B. and Virginia Hawpe Home opened in July 1995. The home was named after Cator's partners, with whom he teamed in 1926. When asked to say a few words at the dedication ceremonies, Cator said, "I just hope the kids like it. I hope this makes the kids a good home, and that's all I have to say." Courson fondly recalled a similar speech when Cator was honored with the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Awards during the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center's annual Western Heritage Awards on April 1, 2000, in Oklahoma City. "There were 1,000 people there for a black-tie dinner, and Red Steagall did the presentation," Courson said. "Marshall said, 'I really don't deserve this award, but I sure do want to thank you, and I guess that's all I have to say.' A thousand people stood up immediately and gave a five-minute standing ovation." And his generosity wasn't limited to Boys Ranch. "He wouldn't want me telling this, but we had a lady hurt on horseback two or three months ago," George Brown of Dumas said in March 2000. "He sent her a check for $5,000. He'll do anything he can to help people. Nobody knows what he does because he doesn't tell anybody." For many area cattlemen, Cator personified honesty and integrity. "I followed him around and helped him a little. Hell, every boy in the Texas Panhandle followed him around," Pat McDowell of Dumas said in March 2000. "He's a pretty damn good feller. You don't have enough time for me to tell you about him." Cator's secret of longevity was simple. "If you sit down in that rocking chair, you get to where you can't get around," he said prior to receiving the award. "If you keep going, you'll keep going." Survivors include a brother, George Cator of Amarillo; a cousin, Bessie Mitts of Gruver; and numerous nieces and nephews. Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 22, 2002 Click here to return to story: http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/012202/obi_catordies.shtml