Potter Co. TX - Obits from the Amarillo newspapers 20 February 2003 Thanks to http://www.amarillonet.com/ for permission to upload their obits to the USGenWeb Archives. Copyright. All rights reserved. Amarillo Globe-News http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ------------------------------------------------------ All Obits - Text Only Area Roger Gower DUMAS - Roger Gower, 58, died Monday, Feb. 17, 2003. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Life Tabernacle Church with the Rev. Mark Wallis, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Dumas Cemetery by Morrison Funeral Directors. Mr. Gower was born Oct. 4, 1944, in Paris, Texas. He was a Dumas resident since 1952. Survivors include his wife, Wanda; two daughters, Terry Phillips of Dumas and Sheila Marlene Gower of Lubbock; three sons, Gary Griffin of Dumas, Roger D. Gower Jr. of Wisconsin and Ronnie Gower of Dallas; five sisters, Pat Martinez of Dallas, Sandra Morehead of California, Janet Cookenour of Amarillo, and Sharon Davis and Joyce Ortez, both of Dalhart; and 12 grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Gertrude Lawrence BORGER - Gertrude Lawrence, 83, died Monday, Feb. 17, 2003, in Amarillo. Memorial services will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday in Trinity Vineyard in Borger with Martha Elston officiating. Arrangements are by Brown Funeral Directors. Mrs. Lawrence was a resident of Amarillo for 12 years, before moving to Borger a year ago. She was a homemaker. Survivors include a son, David Lawrence; a daughter, Janet Tullos of Katy; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Delbert Smith PERRYTON - Delbert Smith, 72, died Monday, Feb. 17, 2003, in Amarillo. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. today in Ochiltree Cemetery with the Rev. Jeff Staton officiating. Memorial services will be at a later date. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home. Mr. Smith was a barber in Perryton for 47 years. He was a member of Key Heights Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Ellen; three sons, Gary Smith and Ron Smith, both of Amarillo, and Rick Smith of Waycross, Ga.; a brother, Olen Smith of Perryton; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to a favorite charity. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Robert Saenz Jr. TULIA - Robert Saenz Jr., 21, died Monday, Feb. 17, 2003. Services will be at 10 a.m. today in Church of the Holy Spirit with the Rev. Scott Raef, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery by Wallace Funeral Home. Mr. Saenz was born Sept. 21, 1981, in Tulia. He was a correctional officer at the Formby-Wheeler Unit in Plainview since 2001. Survivors include his mother, Cris Evans of Tulia; his father, Robert Saenz Sr. of Tulia; a son, Manual Saenz of Tulia; a brother, Luis Saenz of Tulia; and two grandmothers, Fidela Saenz and Alicia Saldana, both of Tulia. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Martha Lou McKee CHILDRESS - Martha Lou McKee, 90, died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003, in Lubbock. Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday in First Baptist Church Chapel with the Rev. Randy Wilson of Carey Baptist Church officiating. Burial will be in Carey Baptist Cemetery in Carey by Johnson Funeral Home. Mrs. McKee was born June 5, 1912, in Carey. She was a Sunday school teacher at Carey Baptist Church. Survivors include a daughter, Beth Gore of Lubbock; two sons, Dwayne McKee and Bill McKee, both of Childress; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Jim Mack Skinner CHILDRESS - Jim Mack Skinner, 75, died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in First Baptist Church with Michael Dietrich of Lockney officiating. Burial will be in Childress Cemetery by Johnson Funeral Home. Mr. Skinner was born Oct. 13, 1927, in Leonard. He was a member of Elks Club and First Baptist Church of Paducah. Survivors include two sons, Ronald Mack Skinner of Paducah and Randall Dee Skinner of Amarillo; two daughters, Patricia Katherine Belyeu of Plainview and Glynda Sharon Woods of Childress; three brothers, Jack Skinner and Charles Skinner, both of Childress, and Bill Skinner of Clarksville; a sister, Leona May Smith of Bonham; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Kenneth Foster "Pop" Black GROOM - Kenneth Foster "Pop" Black, 80, died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003. Services will be at 3 p.m. Friday in First Baptist Church of Groom with David Kelly of the church officiating. Burial will be in Groom Cemetery by Schooler Funeral Home of Amarillo, 4100 S. Georgia St. Mr. Black was born July 22, 1922, to Samuel Newton and Mae Gibbins Black. He was raised in Groom. He joined the Army Air Corps in October 1942 and became a member of the 55th Reconnaissance Squadron Long Range Weapons Unit. His military occupational specialty was airplane armorer gunner. He was a belly gunner on a B-24 which flew long-range weather missions over Japan during the last six months of World War II. He was awarded the American Theater Service Ribbon, Asiatic Pacific Theater Service Ribbon, Air Medal, Good Conduct Medal and Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged at Fort Bliss in November 1945. As he served his country, he often said if he ever got back home to Groom he never wanted to leave again. He served as a deputy sheriff for Carson County from 1952 until 1963. In 1963, he became a rural mail carrier for the Groom area and held that position until he retired in 1982, when he began farming and ranching near Crawford, Okla. Kenneth married Nadine Keahey in 1942 at Temple. He then married Betty Lewis in 1989. He was a former member of Groom Volunteer Fire Department, an FFA Honorary Chapter Farmer and a member of First Baptist Church of Groom. He was preceded in death by his first wife in 1986; a sister, Jackie Nepper Bichsel; and a brother, Donnie Black. Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Doyla Bell of Amarillo and Connie Fulton of Pampa; three sons, Dr. Keith Black and wife, Debbie, of Miami, Kyle Black and wife, Veretta, of Amarillo and Kris Black and wife, Gay, of Crawford; two stepdaughters, Debra Long and husband, Ronald, of Borger and Carla Brooks and husband, Gary, of Amarillo; a stepson, Donald Lewis and wife, Barbara, of Thurmont, Md.; two sisters, Maxine Quick of Amarillo and Sybil Brown of Groom; three brothers, Doug Black and wife, Sandra, of Amarillo, and Herschel Black and wife, Ruth, and Chubby Black and wife, Nita, all of Hereford; 17 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Groom Ambulance Service; or Groom Cemetery Association. Visitation will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home in Amarillo. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Amarillo Larry Burrell Larry Burrell, 88, of Amarillo died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Dreamland Cemetery of Canyon with David Rindlisbacher officiating. Arrangements are by Brooks Funeral Directors of Canyon. Mr. Burrell was born May 22, 1914, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, to Walter and Augusta Mayne Burrell. He was veteran of the Navy, serving from 1939 to 1955. He received the Purple Heart in 1943 as a member of the aircraft carrier Wasp. He married Cleva Lutz in Virginia in 1941. He was a Mason. He was preceded in death by eight siblings. Survivors include his wife; two sons, Lawrence Marvin Burrell Jr. of Jupiter, Fla., and William Miles Burrell of Canyon; two sisters, Maxine Phipps and Leona Swenson, both of Iowa; four grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Craig Methodist Retirement Home in the name of his wife, 5500 W. Ninth Ave., Amarillo, TX 79106. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Dorothy Marie Courchene Smith Dorothy Marie Courchene Smith, 80, of Amarillo died Monday, Feb. 17, 2003. Rosary will be at 7 p.m. today in Schooler Funeral Home Brentwood Chapel, 4100 S. Georgia St., with Monsignor Francis Smyer officiating. Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday in St. Mary's Catholic Church with Monsignor Harold Waldo officiating. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery. Mrs. Smith was born Jan. 30, 1923, in Wolf Point, Mont., at the house of her parents, Philip and Sarah Courchene. Wolf Point is on the Fort Peek Indian Reservation for the Assiniboine Sioux Tribes of which she was a member. She then attended Haskill Indian School in Haskill, Mont. Native Americans could not attend public schools at that time, but the practice was changed by the time she went to Wolf Point High School. She was elected the school's first "Indian Girl" cheerleader during her senior year. She married Joe Day of Wolf Point and they had one son, Stuart Day. After graduating high school, she was recruited by the War Department due to speaking four languages and her secretarial skills. During World War II, she worked as a secretary in Washington, D.C., and also worked at Walter Reed Army Hospital. While in Washington, she met and later married John David Smith who was in the Army. John David went to work for Southwestern Bell and after the war, they moved to St. Louis, where Arlene Marie was born, and then to Wolf Point, where Charles David was born; then back to St. Louis, where Daniel James was born. J.D. transferred to Amarillo with Southwestern Bell where Dorothy attended Amarillo College and was an active member of St. Laurence and St. Mary's Catholic churches. Rebecca Ann, John Ralph and Diane Ruth were born in Amarillo. Dorothy was an advocate and supporter of getting the name of Custer's Battlefield changed. Through hers and others efforts, the name was changed to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument and the role of Native Americans was finally recognized. She was also a grass roots member and supporter of the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She will always be loved by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as her many friends. It will be impossible to fill the void that her passing leaves us until we are all together again. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Arlene Green of Amarillo. Survivors include her children, Stuart Day of Queen Creek, Ariz., Charles D. Smith of Scottsdale, Ariz., Daniel Smith, Rebecca Yarbrough and Diane Hernandez, all of Amarillo, and J.R. Smith of Palm Springs, Calif.; 14 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Crazy Horse Memorial, Avenue of the Chiefs, Crazy Horse, SD 57730-9506. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Ruth Arlene Stanley Miller Ruth Arlene Stanley Miller, 83, of Amarillo died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. today in Llano Cemetery with the Rev. Marvin James, minister of Family Life at First Christian Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle. Mrs. Miller was born May 15, 1919, in Sumner, Mo. She graduated from Sumner High School and St. Vincent's School of Nursing in Kansas City, Mo. She worked as a nurse in Los Angeles. She married Fred Miller on Oct. 31, 1943, in Los Angeles, and they moved to Amarillo in 1951. She worked as an office manager for Brannen Transfer and Storage. Mrs. Miller had lived at Ware Memorial Care Center for five years. She was a member of First Christian Church and Eastern Star Bonita Chapter No. 184. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1992. Survivors include a niece, Janice Brady. The family suggests memorials be to First Christian Church, 3001 Wolflin Ave., Amarillo, TX 79109; or Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children, 2222 Welborn St., Dallas, TX 75219. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Winnie Doris Baker Winnie Doris Baker, 56, of Amarillo died Sunday, Feb. 16, 2003. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Mount of Blessings Seventh-day Adventist Church with the Rev. James Roberts officiating. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery by Warford-Walker Mortuary, 509 N. Hughes St. Mrs. Baker was born May 19, 1946, in Amarillo. She was a member of Mount Blessings Church and was an Amarillo resident for 56 years. Survivors include her mother, Macy Richardson of Amarillo; a daughter, Lisa Baker of Amarillo; a son, Kelsie Baker III of Amarillo; five brothers, Melvin McQueen of Las Vegas, and Kelvin Richardson, Michael McQueen, Kirby McQueen and Stefon McQueen, all of Amarillo; two sisters, Geraldine Green and Jocelyn McQueen, both of Amarillo; and eight grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be sent to the Winnie Baker family, 1201 Pecan St., Amarillo, TX 79108. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Leah Humber Leah Humber, 84, of Amarillo died Monday, Feb. 17, 2003. No services are scheduled. Arrangements are by N.S. Griggs and Sons Funeral Directors, 2615 Paramount Blvd. Mrs. Humber was a public accountant for 33 years. She married G. Lewis Humber in November 1969 in Stockton, Calif. They moved to Amarillo three years ago after living in Gainesville and Possum Kingdom for many years. She was of the Catholic faith. Survivors include her husband; a sister, Irma Margaret Parks of Anchorage, Alaska; two stepdaughters, Cindy Warren and husband, David, and Annette Covington and husband, Larry, all of Amarillo; a stepson, Gary Humber and wife, Luisa, of Amarillo; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Amarillo Area Parkinson's Association, P.O. Box 19721, Amarillo, TX 79114. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Oklahoma O.E. "Dooly" Allen ELK CITY, Okla. - O.E. "Dooly" Allen, 85, died Monday, Feb. 17, 2003. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday in First Baptist Church with Dr. Russell Duck officiating. Burial will be in Fairlawn Cemetery by Martin Funeral Home. Mr. Allen was born Feb. 6, 1918, in Blanchard. He married Wynona Hill on March 30, 1945, in Sayre. Survivors include two children, Gary Allen of Amarillo, Texas, and Nyda Perkins of Dacula, Ga.; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Rachel Gwartney of Oklahoma City and Juanita Shelton of Elk City; and two brothers, Raymond Allen of Tahlequah and Elvin Allen of Hammon. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Lola Blanche "Sing" Bevers WOODWARD, Okla. - Lola Blanche "Sing" Bevers, 89, died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003, in Enid. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Zwanziger Funeral Home Chapel with John Knox and James Rucker officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery. Mrs. Bevers was born Aug. 21, 1913, in Shattuck. She married Grover Allen Bevers on Oct. 15, 1934, in Alva. Survivors include two daughters, Jennine Bevers and Jeannice Bevers, both of Amarillo, Texas; a sister, Ann Williams Richardson of Woodward; and a brother, Bill Singhiser of Woodward. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Canyon Clell Bonifield Clell Bonifield, 93, of Canyon died Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2003, in Amarillo. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in First Baptist Church of Claude with the Rev. Howard Rhodes officiating. Burial will be in Claude Cemetery in Claude by Brooks Funeral Directors. Mr. Bonifield was born Dec. 19, 1909, in Delhi, Okla., to S.K. and Cora Bonifield. He was the second of eight children. He moved with his family from Delhi to Wilson, Okla., where his dad and a friend had a general store. The family moved back to Delhi during the depression and he graduated from high school there. He and his brothers went from Delhi to Claude, where they put in a crop on a farm. The rest of the family came later. He had lived in Claude, Shamrock, Borger, Canyon, Dimmitt and Amarillo. He had farmed, worked for Pantex, U.S. Rubber, B.F. Goodrich and Phillips Petroleum Co. Clell is Baptist and accepted the Lord in Delhi when he was 16. He had been a member of a Baptist church wherever he lived. He married Bertha Faye Head on June 14, 1934, in Delhi. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary together. He was preceded in death by his wife; his older sister, Nettie Waggoner; four brothers, Elmo Bonifield, Murray Bonifield, Knox Bonifield and Dyer Bonifield; a sister-in-law, Judy Bonifield; a grandson, Randy Atkins; and a great-granddaughter, Brittany Atkins. Survivors include two daughters, Faye Mohon and husband, Wayne, of Dimmitt and Clella Atkins of Spring; five grandchildren, Beth Raper and husband, Joe, David Mohon, Deborah Huseman and husband, Bruce, Gordon Atkins and wife, Dayne, and Sheri Rogers and husband, Robert; and seven great-grandchildren, Andrew Raper, Brian Raper, Kaile Huseman, Jill Huseman, Breann Atkins, Andrea Rogers and Amber Rogers. The family suggests memorials be to Alzheimer's Association; BSA Hospice: or the Cottage at Quail Creek, 6811 Plum Creek Drive, Amarillo, TX 79106. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 Elsewhere Wanda Fouse LUBBOCK - Wanda Fouse, 65, died Sunday, Feb. 16, 2003. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Resthaven Funeral Home Abbey Chapel with Cleve Haley officiating. Burial will be in Resthaven Memorial Park. Mrs. Fouse was born Nov. 21, 1938, in Pampa. She married Alvin Fouse on Oct. 10, 1996, in Roswell, N.M. Survivors include her husband; two sons, Kevin Williamson of Ardmore, Pa., and Darrell Williamson of Dumas; three stepdaughters, Sharon Kosechequetah and Vickie Conley, both of Lubbock, and Sarahjoe Stinebaugh of Amarillo; a stepson, Timothy Stinebaugh of Amarillo; a grandchild; 10 stepgrandchildren; and six step great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 20, 2003 This story printed from the Amarillo Globe-News Online at amarillonet.com: http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/022003/obi_ob022003-18.shtml