Potter Co. TX - Obits: August 27, 2005 ============================================================== 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, August 27, 2005 Amarillo Jerry "Rebel" Bumgarner Jerry "Rebel" Bumgarner, 61, of Amarillo died Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are by Cox Funeral Home, 4180 Canyon Drive. Mr. Bumgarner was born in Prescott, Ark., and lived most of his life in Amarillo. He attended Tascosa High School and Palo Duro High School. He married Judy Byee in 1965 in Amarillo. He owned J&J Poultry and was a truck driver for R&C Truck Lines for 13 years. He was preceded in death by his father, Maurice Bumgarner; a brother, Ronnie Bumgarner Sr.; and a sister, Donna Kirby. Survivors include his wife, Judy; three daughters, Tammie LaRue, Kelly Bumgarner and Kira Little, all of Amarillo; a son, Ronnie Bybee; a sister, Joan Bumgarner Hadder of Amarillo; his mother, Millowee Bumgarner of Amarillo; a nephew, Ronnie Bumgarner; and six grandchildren, Wayne Little, Nathan Little, Kendra Little, Glenn Kirkman, Cash Bumgarner and Justin Roberson, all of Amarillo. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beverly Fern Johnson Beverly Fern Johnson, 77, of Amarillo died Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005. Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. today in Llano Cemetery with Jeff Raines of First Baptist Church officiating. Arrangements are by Memorial Park Funeral Home, 6969 E. Interstate 40. Mrs. Johnson was born Nov. 17, 1927, in Amarillo to Ray H. and Fern Elizabeth Johnson. She was a very faithful mother while raising her children. After her children grew up and left home, Beverly went back to school to get her LVN and went to work at Northwest Texas Hospital. She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Johnson; and a son, Kenneth E. Johnson. Survivors include a son, Frank Johnson of Bronxville, N.Y.; a daughter, Fern Wood of Amarillo; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Area Lola Oleta Smith WHEELER - Lola Oleta Smith, 90, died Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. today in Wheeler Cemetery with the Rev. Dennis Williams, pastor of First Baptist Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Wright Funeral Home. Mrs. Smith was born June 6, 1915, in Whitesboro. She was a member of First Baptist Church. Survivors include a niece, Maurita Pitman of Pampa; and two nephews, J.W. Turner of Matador and Davie Turner of Pampa. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oklahoma Reford Allen Starbuck SLAPOUT, OKLA. - Reford Allen Starbuck, 49, died Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005. Services will be at 11 a.m. today in Shackelford Hall of the Laverne Schools with Carol Reich officiating. Burial will be in Madison Cemetery in Slapout by Clarkson-Wilkinson Funeral Service. Mr. Starbuck was born July 12, 1956, in Shattuck. He married Lola Gibson on Oct. 6, 2001, in Boiling Springs. Survivors include his wife; a son, Daniel Welty of Laverne; a daughter, Alicia K. Geionety of Woodward; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Don Starbuck of Slapout; three brothers, John Wesley Starbuck of Elk City, Kelly Starbuck of New Castle, Colo., and Charlie Starbuck of Grand View, Idaho; three sisters, LaDona Roddy of May, LaCinda Miller of Southport, N.C., and Ramon Willoughby of Edmond; and two grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Laverne EMS or Slapout Fire Department. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canyon Mary Elizabeth Cornette Mary Elizabeth Cornette, 95, of Canyon died Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005. Private graveside services will be today in Dreamland Cemetery with Dr. David Lowrie Jr., pastor of First Baptist Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Brooks Funeral Directors. Mrs. Cornette was born Sept. 9, 1909, in Logan County, Ky., to John Henry and Hallie (Brister) Lawson. She attended public schools in Russellville, Ky., and received her baccalaureate degree from Bowling Green Business University and her master's degree from Western Kentucky University. She taught at Bowling Green Business University from 1932 to 1944 and was the longtime owner of the Canyon Art Gallery. Mary Elizabeth married James P. Cornette on Feb. 26, 1930. Three sons were born and raised in early childhood while both parents were full-time instructors and each received two college degrees. They moved to Waco in 1945, where James was dean of Baylor University, and to Canyon in 1948 where James became president of West Texas State College. Wherever she lived, Mary Elizabeth was involved in family and community responsibilities. At Waco and Canyon she enjoyed entertaining the faculty at monthly coffees and hosting frequent social affairs for students and university guests. Encouraging the arts and the spread of various cultures through them was a lifelong commitment. In 1965, with strong support from James, Mary Elizabeth established the Canyon Art Gallery, a major cultural institution for the Texas Panhandle with international influence reaching from the Panhandle to England, France and Japan. She was instrumental in extending the Panhandle culture to those countries and incorporating the cultures from those countries into the Panhandle. Because of these endeavors, she was awarded the West Texas Chamber of Commerce "Cultural Award for Outstanding Achievement" in 1972. She was herself an artist, but seldom showed her work, even to family. Nevertheless, she received recognition, including two second place oil awards, for paintings that she entered in the Gallery-La Luz National Miniature shows in La Luz, N.M., during 1979-1984. She was preceded in death by her husband in 1986; and a sister, Mildred Irene Lawson in 1993. Survivors include three sons, Marvin Brister Cornette and wife, Wilma, of Canyon, James Lawson Cornette and wife, Carolyn, of Ames, Iowa, and William Richard Cornette and wife, Sylvia, of Forsyth, Mo.; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and two stepgreat-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials be to Cornette Library at West Texas A&M, WTAMU Box 60748, Canyon, TX 79016; or a favorite charity. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. today at the funeral home. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elsewhere Sage Gibson BIG SPRING - Sage Gibson, 13, died Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005. Services will be at 2 p.m. today in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Dennis Teeters, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Trinity Memorial Park by Nalley-Pickle and Welch Funeral Home. Sage was born Aug. 9, 1992, in San Angelo. Sage was a vibrant young man who loved the Lord and his family. Survivors include his parents, Tommy and Robbie Gibson of Big Spring; his sister, Madison Gibson of Big Spring; a brother, Austin Gibson of Big Spring; his grandparents, Don and JoAnn Ritchey of Big Spring, James and Carolyn Gibson of Polson, Mont., and Phil and Susan Guinn of Meridian; and his great- grandmothers, Geneva Howard of Lamesa and Edith Guinn of Stephenville. The family suggests memorials be to Relay for Life in care of Diane Woods, P.O. Box 254, Coahoma, TX 79511. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------