Potter Co. TX - Obits: Amarillo Globe-News - February 28, 2004 =================================================================== 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 =================================================================== Amarillo Globe-News Obituaries Saturday, February 28, 2004 Elsewhere Dr. George Wilson Smith MARLIN - Dr. George Wilson Smith, 85, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2004. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in First Christian Church with the Rev. Jimmy Phillips officiating. Burial will be in Houston National Cemetery by Adams Funeral Home. Dr. Smith was born in Chico on Dec. 24, 1918, to John Henderson Smith and Katie Skaggs Smith. Upon graduation from Memphis High School, he earned a B.A. degree in 1940 from Texas A&M, where he was editor-in-chief of the yearbook and a proud member of the Aggie Band. Other honors at A&M included Distinguished Student, Scholarship Honor Society, president of Press Club and Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. During World War II, he served as field grade officer, artillery, retiring after 54 months as lieutenant colonel. George was married to his college sweetheart, LeVerne Simmons of Sherman, for 47 years until her death in 1988. He was associated with Aetna Casualty and Surety Co. after college and owner/manager of General Insurance Agency in Sherman until 1951. During those years he was director of Sherman Chamber of Commerce and an officer of the Sherman Rotary Club. George received his M.D. degree from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 1955, where he was president of his class each of the four years. He was a family physician in Clarendon from 1956 to 1973, where he also served as administrator of Adair Hospital and as County Health Officer. He took an abandoned physical plant, built in 1910, in a town which had no hospital for many years, and brought it into compliance with all state and federal regulatory agencies, including Medicare, and then established a fully accredited school of vocational nursing. He was president of Clarendon Chamber of Commerce, president of Donley County Industrial Foundation and president and chariman of the building committee of Clarendon Country Club. After 17 years of family practice in Donley County, Dr. Smith was recruited to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Amarillo by the Texas Tech University School of Medicine. He was the driving force in establishing the Amarillo VA as the primary site for Texas Tech's clinical rotations. His presence in organized medicine at local, state and national levels served the VA well, as he was chief of staff of Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in Amarillo, El Paso and Marlin, where he retired in 1994. Dr. Smith served in the Texas delegation to the American Medical Association from 1983 to 1995. Professional credentials include diplomat, American Board of Family Practice; and fellow, American Academy of Family Physicians. A longtime member of the House of Delegates of the Texas Medical Association, he was elected to the council on member services, 1982 to 1994. The family would like to thank Jewel Jones, Shari Humphrey, Ollie Leonard, Lorene Weatherspoon, Drewsy Hughes, Amy Raborn, Mary Jo Smith and the Providence Hospice for their special care and loving support. Survivors include his wife, Bettye; a son, Charles Vernon Smith and wife, Cheryl, of Houston; three daughters, Sharon Reynolds and husband, George, and Janis Elmore and husband, Jerry, all of Houston, and Laurie Becker and husband, Walter, of New Orleans; seven grandchildren, Melissa Leigh Reynolds, Scott Henderson Elmore, Jefferson Fontayne Elmore, Lindsey Le Becker, Hailey Simmons Becker, Andrew Marshall Smith and Matthew Jordan Smith; a brother, Harold Winston Smith and wife, Bettye, of Memphis; their children, Karyn Nicolaou, Russell Smith and Matthew Smith; and his wife's family, John Norris of Dallas, Natalie and John DeFrees and daughter, Taylor, of Pflugerville, and Elaine and Randy Wilhelm, daughter, Julie, and son, Jeffery, of Houston. The family suggests memorials be to a favorite charity. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 28, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Area Ernest Daniel Archer SPEARMAN - Ernest Daniel Archer, 91, died Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in the Church of Christ with Leonard Harper officiating. Burial will be in Holt Cemetery by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home. Mr. Archer graduated from Amarillo High School in 1930. He married Louise Harvey on June 2, 1935. He was a retired farmer and rancher and a member of the Church of Christ. He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents, Joseph Daniel and Lena Sheets Archer; a brother, John M. Archer; and his stepmother, Ruby Cole Archer. Survivors include a son, Earl Archer and wife, Darlene, of Memphis; a daughter, Nancy Sharp and husband, Al, of Albuquerque, N.M., and Norma Payne and husband, Buddy, of Idalou; a sister, Maurine Travis of Amarillo; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to the Children's Home in care of Spearman Church of Christ, Spearman, TX 79081. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 28, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gladys Cleo Poling CHILDRESS - Gladys Cleo Poling, 83, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2004. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Johnson Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Norman Rushing, pastor of First Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Arlie Cemetery. Mrs. Poling was born Oct. 9, 1920, in Paris. She married Ted Poling in 1939 in Hollis, Okla. Survivors include a son, David Poling of Childress; a daughter, Patsy Sledge of Woodway; a sister, Marie Phillips of Domiphan, Mo.; a brother, Garland Radford of Downey, Calif.; and four grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 28, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Opal Parker DALHART - Opal Parker, 90, died Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004. Services will be at 11 a.m. (CST) Monday in First Baptist Church with Dr. Clifford Dane, minister of senior adults at the church, officiating. Burial will be at 3 p.m. (CST) in Tucumcari Memorial Park in Tucumcari, N.M., by Horizon Funeral Home. Mrs. Parker was born June 27, 1913, in McAlister, N.M. She married Robert W. Parker on May 6, 1935, in Tucumcari. Survivors include a son, Bill Parker of Phoenix; three daughters, Nita Baca and Lynda Moore, both of Dalhart, and Tommie Martinez of Albuquerque, N.M.; a sister, Ann Salsbury of Las Cruces, N.M.; a brother, Lawrence Young of Portales, N.M.; 11 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and seven great- great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 28, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fern Pope SPEARMAN - Fern Pope, 94, died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004. Services will be at 4:30 p.m. today in Spearman Church of Christ with Leonard Harper officiating. Burial will be in Ochiltree Cemetery by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home. Mrs. Pope was a farmer. She was a member of the Church of Christ in Spearman. She was preceded in death by her husband, C.U. "Tosy" Pope in 1970; and a son, Kenneth Pope. Survivors include a sister, Imogene Hammer of Deway, Okla.; two granddaughters, Brandy Ketchum of The Woodlands and Annette Widner of North Carolina; and three grandsons, Ken "Brad" Pope of Costa Mesa, Calif., Dan Pope of Lubbock and David Pope of Spearman. The family suggests memorials be to Hansford Manor, 707 S. Roland St., Spearman, TX 79081; or the Church of Christ, 121 S. Haney St., Spearman, TX 79081. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 28, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alene Catherine Nowell QUANAH - Alene Catherine Nowell, 73, died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jesse Dea and the Rev. Howard Quiett of Vernon officiating. Burial will be in Quanah Memorial Park by Smith Funeral Home. Mrs. Nowell was born Nov. 23, 1930, in Windthorst. She loved to travel, read and work puzzles. Survivors include her husband, Bill; her children, Janice Nowell of Tulsa, Okla., Max Nowell of Quanah and Anna Heppard of Canyon; two granddaughters; and her brothers and sisters, Clyde Morbitzer of Scotland, Lorinda Nanasco of Weatherford, Velma Filippone of El Cajon, Calif., and Dennis Morbitzer, Floyd Morbitzer and Donald Morbitzer, all of Fort Worth. The family suggests memorials be to Thompson-Sawyer Public Library; or First United Methodist Church. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 28, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guadalupe Davila Soliz HEREFORD - Guadalupe Davila Soliz, 71, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2004. Prayer vigil will be at 7 p.m. today and Sunday at Rix Funeral Directors Chapel. Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday in St. Anthony's Catholic Church with the Rev. David Contreras of St. Ann's Catholic Church of Bovina officiating. Burial will be in St. Anthony's Catholic Cemetery. Mrs. Soliz was born in Knippa. She was a homemaker. Survivors include her husband, Jose; two daughters, Sylvia Soliz Reyes of Roswell, N.M., and Edna Soliz of Hereford; a son, Victor Soliz of Amarillo; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 28, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oklahoma Thyra Tyler Fajen GUYMON, Okla. - Thyra Tyler Fajen, 96, died Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. today in First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Jim Jacobson, pastor, officiating. Arrangements are by Henson-Novak Funeral Directors. Mrs. Fajen was born Nov. 2, 1907, in Alfalfa County. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church. Survivors include two sons, Owen Tyler of Granbury, Texas, and Byron Tyler of Lindale, Texas; three stepsons, Stanley Tyler of Amarillo, Texas, Don Fajen of Guymon and Fred Fajen of Santa Barbara, Calif.; 18 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to the Presbyterian Church and may be sent to the funeral home, P.O. Box 1306, Guymon, OK 73942. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 28, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amarillo Harriet Nail Harriet Nail, 83, of Amarillo died Friday, Feb. 27, 2004. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in Llano Cemetery with the Rev. Scott Schlofelt officiating. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd. Mrs. Nail was born in Amarillo. She graduated from Amarillo High School in 1938 and attended Amarillo College. She married Jimmie A. Nail in 1941. She was preceded in death by her husband on Jan. 3, 2001; and a son, David L. Nail of Amarillo in 1986. Survivors include a granddaughter, Mary Margaret Girty of Amarillo; two great- granddaughters; and a cousin, Colleen Lokey of Amarillo. The family suggests memorials be to a favorite charity. Amarillo Globe-News, Feb. 28, 2004 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------