Today's Obituaries (Sept. 6, 1998)

Pedro Ramirez

Pedro P. Ramirez, 74, died Thursday in a local hospital.

A prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Monday in Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home Chapel of Memories, 542 Hickory. Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Tuesday in St. Francis Catholic Church with the Rev. Joe Uecker officiating. Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Ramirez was born in Lockhart and married Minnie Jimenez in 1944 in Sinton. He moved to Abilene in 1968 from Sinton. He worked as a grocery store meat cutter for many years until retiring in 1987 and was a member of St. Francis Catholic Church.

Survivors include his wife, of Abilene; one son, Roy Ramirez of Dallas; two daughters, Janie Ramirez of Abilene and Celia Singleton of Maryland; one brother, Jesse Ramirez of Abilene; three sisters, Mary Ramirez and Josie Gonzales, both of Abilene, and Julie Buckner of Florida; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Wayne McBride

Wayne W. McBride, 51, died Thursday at the Abilene State School.

Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Abilene State School Cemetery with Chaplain Ray Bingham officiating, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory.

Mr. McBride was born in San Antonio and lived at the Abilene State School.

Survivors include his parents, Clifton and Lillian McBride of St. Hedwig; one brother, Clifton W. McBride of Rogers, Ark.; and one sister, Charlaine Brown of St. Hedwig.

Edith Loleita Donaldson

COMANCHE -- Edith Loleita Donaldson, 84, of Abilene and formerly of Comanche County, died Saturday in an Iowa Park nursing home.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday in Comanche Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Edwin Young officiating. Burial will be in Stag Creek Cemetery in Comanche County.

Mrs. Donaldson was born in McCulloch County and married Oren Clifton Donaldson in 1936 in Comanche County. She worked as a cook at Knox City Hospital and was a member of the Church of Christ.

Survivors include two sons, Bill Donaldson of Tye and Larry Donaldson of Wichita Falls; one daughter, Wanda Donaldson of Iowa Park; two brothers, Derrell Franklin of San Antonio and Merl Franklin of Hale Center; one sister, Ann Jones of Lake Brownwood; eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Pearl Pauline Strickland

HASKELL -- Pearl Pauline Strickland, 82, died Friday at her home.

Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in Rochester Cemetery with the Rev. David Page officiating, directed by Holden-McCauley Funeral Directors.

Mrs. Strickland was born in Olney and was a homemaker. She was a Baptist and was the widow of Marion Strickland, whom she married in 1939.

Survivors include two sons, Edward Doyle Strickland of Rochester and Derryl Strickland of Clyde; three daughters, Iris Monk of Balch Springs, Evelyn Nichols of Abilene and Regenia Lane of Haskell; one brother, Ira Hargrove of Goree; three sisters, Irene Teaff of Littlefield, Christene Phillips of Wichita Falls and Angie Sundstrom of San Diego; 20 grandchildren; and 27 great-grandchildren.

William Garlon Sampson

CLYDE -- William Garlon Sampson, 69, lifelong Callahan County resident, died Saturday at his home.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Huckabay Church of Christ with Gary Williams officiating. A second service will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday in Clyde Church of Christ with Rick Cunningham and Wes Gorman officiating. Burial will be in Clyde Cemetery, directed by Bailey Funeral Home.

Mr. Sampson was born near Putnam and graduated from Baird High School. He worked for the Texas Department of Transportation for 30 years until retiring in 1977. He also retired in 1991 as a self-employed concrete contractor. He was the minister at Huckabay Church of Christ for six years until retiring in 1998 due to ill health. He was a member of Clyde Church of Christ, where he was a Bible class teacher, and was the widower of Elsie Louise Gorman Sampson, whom he married in 1948 in Baird.

Survivors include one son, Tommy Sampson of Clyde; two daughters, Patsy McCall of Las Vegas, Nev., and Vickie Hudson of Asheville, N.C.; one brother, C.J. Sampson of Cleveland, Texas; two sisters, Eva Jane Robbins of Baird and Marge Arnett of Umatilla, Fla.; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Memorials may be sent to Tipton Home for Children, Tipton, Okla. 73570.

The body will be at Huckabay Church of Christ starting at 11 a.m. Monday.

Ozro 'Shep' Sheppard

MERKEL -- Ozro "Shep" Sheppard, 80, died Friday in an Abilene hospital.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Merkel Church of Christ with Mike Tackett officiating. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery, directed by Starbuck Funeral Home.

Mr. Sheppard was born in Willow Point in Wise County and married Margie Lee Douglas in 1942 in Wichita Falls. He served with the U.S. Navy during World War II and was a chief petty officer in submarine service for 20 years. He was captain and pilot of the Sam Houston for the Port of Houston for 13 years until retiring in 1980. He then moved to Merkel from Houston. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Church of Christ.

Survivors include his wife, of Merkel; two daughters, Rhoda Allen and Linda Cravens, both of Merkel; one brother, Allen Sheppard of Temple; one sister, Christine Norton of Bryan; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be sent to Key to the Kingdom, c/o Merkel Church of Christ, P.O. Box 336, Merkel 79536.

Nathalia Grace Mata

Thalia Monique Mata

WINTERS -- Nathalia Grace Mata and Thalia Monique Mata, infant twin daughters of Adam and Cynthia Mata of Winters, died Friday in a San Angelo hospital.

Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. today in Lakeview Cemetery with the Rev. Austin Hermann officiating, directed by Winters Funeral Home.

Other survivors include one brother, Adan Mata of Winters; one sister, Athena Davina Mata of Winters; their grandparents, Ramon and Mary Mata, Benito Cruz Sr., and Lilia and Frank Mata, all of San Angelo, Larry Ramirez of Coleman and Rosalinda Ramirez of Winters; their great-grandparents, Jimmy and Jacinta Ovalles of Winters and Larry Ramirez Sr. of Coleman; and their great-great-grandparents, Rosa Flores of Houston and Maggie Ovalles of San Antonio; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

James Ralph Payne

BROWNWOOD -- James Ralph Payne, 88, died Saturday in a local hospital.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Davis-Morris Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Bill Anderson and Sonny McGinn officiating. Burial will be in Bangs Cemetery.

Mr. Payne was born in Sulphur Springs in Hopkins County and married Mary L. Ogles in 1933 in Hugo, Okla. He moved to Brownwood in 1969 from Lubbock and was a Baptist.

Survivors include his wife, of Brownwood; two sons, Ray Payne of Brownwood and Larry Payne of Early; two daughters, Geri Murray of Early and Ann Hughes of Bangs; 11 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

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

Fowler Sutton

EARLY -- Fowler Sutton, 87, died Friday in a Brownwood hospital.

Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. today in Greenleaf Cemetery with the Rev. Bill Swindler officiating, directed by Heartland Funeral Home.

Mr. Sutton was born in Pottsville and moved to Brown County in 1928. He served in the U.S. Navy and was a retired brick mason. He was a Pentecostal and was the widower of Hestel Freeman Sutton, whom he married in 1931 in Carlsbad, N.M.

Survivors include one son, Bill Sutton of Early; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Billy Stewart Honeycutt

BROWNWOOD -- Billy Stewart Honeycutt, 69, died Friday at his home after a lengthy illness.

Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Heartland Funeral Home Chapel in Early with the Rev. Ruben Packer officiating. Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. in Bellwood Memorial Park in Temple with the Rev. Donald Lee Robinson officiating.

Mr. Honeycutt was born in Temple, where he attended school, and served in both the U.S. Air Force and Navy. He formerly worked as a conductor for Santa Fe Railroad and moved to Brownwood in 1978 from Temple. He married Mary Evelyn Hibbs in 1978 in Comanche and was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Victory Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife, of Brownwood; two sons, John Wigle of Portland, Ore., and Gary Doud of Brownwood; two daughters, Cindy Conn of Grand Prairie and Deborah Dawson of Brownwood; and six grandchildren.

Eula Snively

Eula T. Snively, 90, died Saturday in a local care center. Services are pending with Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory.

Ellen Marie Snyder

TUSCOLA -- Ellen Marie Snyder, 72, died Saturday in an Abilene hospital. Services are pending with Fry-Bartlett Funeral Home.

Carl Allan Sims

Carl Allan Sims, 33, formerly of Abilene, died Wednesday. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Elmwood Memorial Park, directed by Elmwood Funeral Home, 5750 U.S. Hwy 277 South.

Garland Andress

DE LEON -- Garland Andress, 82, died Saturday in a local nursing home. Services will be at 4 p.m. today in Nowlin Funeral Home Chapel.

Annie Bell Floyd

SNYDER -- Annie Bell Floyd, 86, died Saturday in a local care center after a long illness. Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in 37th Street Church of Christ, directed by Wright-Colonial Funeral Home.

Ann Tharp

BALLINGER -- Ann Tharp, 90, died Saturday in a local care center. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Old Runnels Cemetery, directed by Rains-Seale Funeral Home.