Today's Obituaries (July 22, 1998)

Wanda Christeen Jordan

Wanda Christeen Jordan, 69, of Hawley, died Friday from injuries received in an automobile accident in El Paso.

Graveside services will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Central Cemetery in Hawley with the Revs. David Wells and Roy Mauldin officiating, directed by Allen-Korzenewski Funeral Home, 1443 N. 2nd.

Mrs. Jordan was born in Graham and worked as a lunch counter manager for Woolworth Co. for 15 years and G.C. Murphy Co., also for 15 years. She was a Primitive Baptist.

Survivors include one son, Tommy Brewster of Eula; two daughters, Ruby Reeder and Reba Thayer, both of Hawley; her mother, Ruby Lee Adams of El Paso; two brothers, Glen Adams of El Paso and Terry Brown of Dallas; four sisters, Izell Davis of Houston, Janie Holder of El Paso, and Helen Baggett and Sharon Menix, both of Dallas; 16 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to Hendrick Home for Children, 2758 Jeanette, Abilene 79605.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today in the funeral home.

Patricia Ann Loney LaPorte

Patricia Ann Loney LaPorte, 74, of Smyrna, Ga., and formerly of Abilene, died Monday in Smyrna.

Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Elmwood Memorial Park with the Rev. Rosemary Thomas officiating, directed by North's Funeral Home, 242 Orange.

Mrs. LaPorte was born in New Kensington, Pa., and graduated from high school and college in Detroit. She worked for Helen Perkins Real Estate Inc. in Fort Worth before moving to Abilene in 1953. She then was employed in sales by Lone Star Gas, in accounting by Dunigan Tool, and as operations manager by Curtis Surgical Supply, Surgical Medical Supply and Convaquip Industries. She moved to Smyrna, Ga. in 1997.

Survivors include her husband, Dick LaPorte of Smyrna, Ga.; one daughter, Michelle Hailey of Smyrna, Ga.; and one grandchild.

Memorials may be sent to a favorite charity.

The family will be at 3718 High Meadows after the service.

Elsie Opal Files Echols

Elsie Opal Files Echols, 92, died Saturday in a local nursing home.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday in University Church of Christ Chapel with Eddie Sharp, Roy Willingham and Henry Speck officiating. Graveside services will be at 4 p.m. in Oakland Cemetery in Comanche County with David Echols officiating, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory.

Mrs. Echols was born in Comanche County, where she attended school, and moved to Abilene in 1925 from Gorman. She taught the Cradle Roll and worked in the Ladies Workday for several years at University Church of Christ, and was the widow of Aubrey Quillin Echols, whom she married in 1925 in Gorman.

Survivors include three daughters, Marjorie Coffman of Oklahoma City, and Elizabeth Bradford and Virginia Schmittou, both of Abilene; three brothers, J.R. Files of La Feria, Wylie Files of College Station and Marcell Files of Dallas; one sister, Pearl Wallis of Clarendon; nine grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be sent to Christian Village, 633 E.N. 19th, Abilene 79601; or Christian Service Center, 901 Mesquite, Abilene 79601.

Roy Alford

Roy T. Alford, 68, died Tuesday in a local hospital.

Services will be at 4 p.m. Thursday in North's Funeral Home Memorial Chapel, 242 Orange, with the Rev. John Risse officiating. Burial will be in Masonic Cemetery.

Mr. Alford was born in Abilene and graduated from Abilene High School in 1948. He served with the U.S. Air Force. He worked for Lowe's Automotive for several years and as a greeter at Wal-Mart from 1988-97. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Survivors include one sister, Betty Fowlkes of Abilene; two nephews; and two great-nephews and one great-niece.

W.V. 'Tuffy' Youngblood

W.V. "Tuffy" Youngblood, 71, lifelong Abilene resident, died Monday in a local hospital.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home Chapel of Memories, 542 Hickory, with Wayne Heinze officiating. Burial will be in I.O.O.F. Cemetery.

Mr. Youngblood was born in Abilene and graduated from Abilene High School. He owned and operated Youngblood Bait Store until retiring and was a member of the Church of Christ.

Survivors include one brother, Claude A. Youngblood of Abilene; three sisters, Mary Keesee of Abilene, Alene Pugh of El Paso and Pauline Passmore of Buffalo Gap; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

Walter Harrison Nugent

Walter Harrison Nugent, 78, died Sunday in a local hospital.

Services will be at 1 p.m. today in Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home Chapel of Faith, 5701 U.S. Hwy 277 South, with the Rev. Mark Woodruff officiating. Entombment will be in Elmwood Memorial Park Mausoleum.

Mr. Nugent was born in Converse, La., and graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1943. He served with the U.S. Naval Reserves during World War II and later was a lieutenant commander with the Maritime Service until 1947. He married Mathilde "Tillie" Waguespack in 1947 in Kilgore. He worked in log interpretation for Schlumberger Well Surveying Corp. for 31 years until retiring in 1979. While with Schlumberger, he received five Wildcatter awards and authored <I>A Revolutionary Interpretation Technique of Carbonate Rocks.<I> After retiring, he became an independent oil operator and log analyst and consultant. He was a charter member and past president of the Abilene chapter of the Society of Professional Well Log Analysts and also was a member of Petroleum Club, American Institute of Mining and Metalurgical Engineers, Geological Society, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Kappa Sigma Alumni Association and Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Survivors include his wife, of Abilene; one daughter, Michelle Bauman of Amarillo; one son, Jim Nugent of Abilene; two sisters, Lala Guttry of Kilgore and Etoile Ailstock of Many, La.; two brothers, George Sutherland of Kilgore and John Nugent of Florida; three grandchildren; two step grandchildren; and three nephews and two nieces.

Memorials may be sent to American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 41, Abilene 79604; American Heart Association, 149 N. Willis, Abilene 79603; or West Texas Rehabilitation Center, 4601 Hartford, Abilene 79605.

William Pierce Jr.

William S. Pierce Jr., 12, formerly of Abilene, died Wednesday in Aurora, Ill.

Services will be at 10 a.m. today in Crossroads Church with the Rev. Kevin York officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood Memorial Park, directed by Elmwood Funeral Home, 5750 U.S. Hwy 277 South.

William was born in Abilene. He made the honor roll as well as having perfect attendance last year at Smith Elementary School in Aurora, Ill.

Survivors include his parents, William and Rosamaria Pierce Sr. of Aurora, Ill.; two sisters, Cherie M. Pierce and Gwendolyn A. Pierce; his paternal grandparents, Raymond A. and Betty M. Pierce of Abilene; his maternal grandmother, Lidia Ramirez of Puebla, Mexico; his great-grandparents, James "Bill" and Violet Burnam of Abilene; and many aunts and uncles.

Larry Rayford

GRAND PRAIRIE - Larry Rayford, 42, formerly of Abilene, died Friday at his home.

Services were Tuesday in Golden Gate Funeral Home St. Mary Chapel in Dallas. Burial was in Southland Cemetery.

Mr. Rayford was born in Abilene and graduated from Cooper High School in 1975 and Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Miss., in 1979. He also graduated as a second lieutenant in 1979 from the U.S. Army Reserve Officers Training Corps and served with the Army Infantry. He worked for the Texas Department of Health in Fort Worth and Dallas and Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation as a surveyor for 18 years.

Survivors include three sons, Diriki Rayford of Hattiesburg, Miss., Jabari Rayford of Grand Prairie and Emmanual Rayford of Chicago; one daughter, Kendra Dennice Rayford of Chicago; his parents, Wallace and Elma Rayford of Abilene; six sisters, Wynell Williams, Marcelle Robinzine and Gloria Jackson, all of Abilene, Willie Davis and Teresa Baptiste, both of San Antonio, and Vernon Lee of Fort Worth; three brothers, Wallace Rayford Jr. and Jimmy Rayford, both of Pomona, Calif., and George Rayford of Abilene; one grandchild; three aunts and one uncle; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

J.P. 'Pete' Davidson

WINTERS - J.P. "Pete" Davidson, 86, died Monday in a local nursing home.

Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. today in Fairview Cemetery with the Rev. Glenn Shoemake officiating, directed by Winters Funeral Home.

Mr. Davidson was born in Fullbright and moved to Winters as a child. He was a self-employed ginner and also farmed and ranched. He was a 32nd degree Shriner and was a member of Masonic Lodge and First Baptist Church.

Survivors include one son, Jay Davidson of Abilene; three daughters, Nona Burton of Ballinger, Robbie Puckett of Plano and Marta Dunn of Galveston; a companion, Marvel Henslee; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Walter Evans

PETROLIA - Walter C. Evans, 79, brother of an Abilene resident, died Monday in a Wichita Falls care center.

Services will be at 4:30 p.m. today in Davis Funeral Home Chapel in Henrietta with the Rev. Bob Webb officiating. Burial will be in Petrolia Cemetery.

Mr. Evans was born in Elbert and was captured in North Africa and held as a prisoner of war for 26 months during World War II. He was a retired mechanic and was a Petrolia city councilman for eight years. He was a member of Throckmorton First Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife, Bobbie Evans of Petrolia; six sons, Lanny Evans of Hurst, Dennis Evans of Reno, Nev., Jimmy Evans of Waurika, Okla., Walter C. Evans Jr. of Petrolia, Marvin Holloman of Little Rock, Ark., and Dee Green of Springfield, Mo.; three daughters, Pat Jinks of Waurika, Okla., and Anita McCloud and Jenny Enox, both of Wichita Falls; two brothers, Rube Evans of Whitesboro and J.B. Evans of Houston; three sisters, Sybil Miller of Abilene, Leo McWhorter of Megargel and Ima Dene Pemberton of Mineral Wells; 16 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to Bobbie Evans, c/o First National Bank, Byers.

Herman Elkins

COLEMAN - Herman A. Elkins, 90, of Gainesville and formerly of Coleman County, died Monday in Gainesville care center.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in Stevens Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Chris Elkins officiating. Burial will be in Coleman Cemetery.

Mr. Elkins lived in Coleman County most of his life. He farmed in the Santa Anna area for many years before moving in the early 1950s to Missouri, where he worked for Rienhart REA Construction Co. He moved to Muldrow, Okla. in 1956 and was a rancher until retiring in 1972. He moved to Gainesville in 1995 from Coleman. He was a Baptist and was the widower of Amelia Blumel Elkins, whom he married in 1925 in Burkett.

Survivors include two daughters, Ora Faye Henderson of Fort Gibson, Okla., and Patsy Medley of Lake Kiowa; two sons, Merle Elkins of Cloudcroft, N.M., and Melvin Elkins of Bisbee, Ariz.; four brothers, Wilbur Elkins, Winston Elkins and Thelbert Elkins, all of Coleman, and Sam Elkins of Bisbee, Ariz.; 10 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to Jerome E. Wallace Benefit Fund, c/o Guaranty National Bank, Box 667, Gainesville 76241.

Visitation will be from 4:30-6 p.m. today in the funeral home.

Robert Werneburg

MINEOLA - Robert D. Werneburg, 73, formerly of Rotan, died Tuesday at his home.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today in English Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. James Renfro officiating. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Belvieu Cemetery in Rotan.

Mr. Werneburg was born in Rotan and served with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He was president of Werneburg Construction Co. and moved to Mineola nine months ago from Georgetown. He was a Baptist.

Survivors include his wife, Lou Bradley Werneburg of Mineola; and many cousins.

Marie Clark

COLEMAN - Marie Clark, 88, died Monday in a local hospital.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in Coleman First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Reed Justus officiating. Burial will be in Coleman Cemetery, directed by Stevens Funeral Home.

Mrs. Clark was born in Muskogee, Okla., and attended school in Oklahoma and Idaho. She graduated from Draughon's Business College and worked at City National Bank in Wichita Falls. She moved to Coleman in 1933 and, with her husband, owned and operated Clark's Auto Parts. She was a member of Overall-Morris Hospital Auxiliary, Garden Club, Rodeo Association, chamber of commerce and American Association of Retired Persons. She was a charter member of the Nichols Bible Class at First United Methodist Church and also was a member of United Methodist Women and Bettie Morris Circle. She formerly taught the Young Adult Sunday School Class and Methodist Youth Fellowship for high school girls. She was the widow of Tommy Clark, whom she married in 1932 in Wichita Falls.

Survivors include two daughters, Marianne C. Kirk of Dyersburg, Tenn., and Carolyn C. Buck of Coleman; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 6-9 p.m. today in the funeral home.

Joseph 'Joe' Kubena

MUNDAY - Joseph "Joe" F. Kubena, 91, died Monday in an Abilene hospital.

Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in SPJST Cemetery in Seymour with Dr. Ed Hart officiating, directed by McCauley-Smith Funeral Home.

Mr. Kubena was born in Hallettville and moved to Baylor County as a child from Lavaca County. He farmed in Baylor County for many years until retiring.

Survivors include several nieces and nephews.

Edwin Lee 'Chief' Reese

GRAHAM - Edwin Lee "Chief" Reese, 81, formerly of Baird, died Sunday in a local nursing home after a lengthy illness.

Services were Tuesday in McMillan-Satterwhite Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in Ross Cemetery Annex in Baird.

Mr. Reese was born in Young County and graduated from Tarleton Agriculture College in 1938. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1940 and master's degree in 1959, both from Texas A&M University. He taught agriculture in the Cherokee school system for one year and San Saba school system for two years. He moved to Baird in 1945 and then taught at Baird High School until 1961. He owned and operated Chief's Texaco in Baird until retiring in 1982. He was a Mason. He was a member of Baird First Baptist Church and was the widower of Estelle Cox Reese.

Survivors include his wife, Viola Reese of Graham; one son, Bryan Lee Reese of Mesquite; one daughter, Edwina Corn of Corrales, N.M.; one brother, Earl Parker; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

William Edward Hepner

BALLINGER - William Edward Hepner, 76, died Tuesday in Ballinger. Services are pending with Rains-Seale Funeral Home.

G.B. 'Red' Harding

COAHOMA - G.B. "Red" Harding, 80, died Monday at his home. Services will be at 4 p.m. Thursday in Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home Rosewood Chapel in Big Spring.

Douglas Anderson Phillips

BALLINGER - Douglas Anderson Phillips, 82, of San Angelo and formerly of Ballinger, died Tuesday at his home. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Garden of Memories Cemetery, directed by Rains-Seale Funeral Home.

Clifton Coffman

COAHOMA - Clifton Coffman, 47, died Monday in Garza County after a sudden illness. Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Myers & Smith Funeral Home Chapel in Big Spring.

Clyde Basques Escobar

BALLINGER - Clyde Basques Escobar, 85, died Tuesday in a local nursing home. Rosary will be said at 7 p.m. today in Rains-Seale Funeral Home Chapel. Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Doris Nadine Williams

KNOTT - Doris Nadine Williams, 67, died Monday at her home. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in Trinity Memorial Park in Big Spring, directed by Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home of Big Spring.

Orlene Horton Robinson

ODESSA - Orlene Horton Robinson, 84, formerly of Abilene, died Friday at her home. Services were Monday in Sixth & Jackson Church of Christ, directed by Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home.

Lisa Marie Sandoval

SNYDER - Lisa Marie Sandoval, 24, died Sunday in a local hospital from injuries received in an automobile accident. A prayer service will be at 7 p.m. today in Wright-Colonial Funeral Home Chapel. Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.

Gerard Sisneros

SNYDER - Gerard A. Sisneros, 24, died Sunday in a local hospital from injuries received in an automobile accident. Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Thursday in Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, directed by Wright-Colonial Funeral Home.

Eva Mae Bilton Thornal

LAMPASAS - Eva Mae Bilton Thornal, 96, mother of a Stephenville resident, died Tuesday in a Killeen hospital. Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in School Creek Baptist Church, directed by Briggs-Gamel-Wilcox Funeral Directors.

Leona Welch

RISING STAR - Leona Welch, 80, died Tuesday in a Brownwood hospital. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. today in Little Saline Cemetery in London, Texas, directed by Higginbotham Funeral Home.