Today's Obituaries (Oct. 19, 1998)

Dr. Ralph Hester

Dr. Ralph G. Hester, 80, of Abilene died Saturday at a local hospital.

Graveside services with military honors will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Highland Memorial Park in Lawton, Okla., with the Rev. Bill Todd officiating, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 5701 U.S. Hwy. 277 South. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the McMurry University chapel in the United Methodist Campus Center.

Dr. Hester was born in Denton and graduated from Denton High School. He graduated from the University of Texas with a doctoral degree and moved from Denton to Abilene 31 years ago. He was a professor at McMurry, retiring after 17 years. He was a Baptist, a member of Lions Club and a past board member of the Parks and Recreation board. He was a member and past president of the Kiwanis Club in Sherman and was an Army veteran of World War II. He married Hazel Elaine Jordan in 1942 in Lawton.

Survivors include his wife, of Abilene; two brothers, Lanier "Shorty" Hester of El Campo and Robert L. Hester of Phoenix, Ariz.; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to the donor's favorite charity.

The family will be at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m. today.

Ellen 'Bea' Miller

HASKELL - Ellen "Bea" Miller, 80, died Saturday in Haskell.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church in Weinert with the Revs. Ross Anderson and Joel Rister officiating. Burial will be in Weinert Cemetery in Weinert, directed by Holden-McCauley Funeral Directors.

Mrs. Miller was born in Rule and lived in Haskell County all her life. She was a member of First Baptist Church and a homemaker. She married Hugh Miller in 1941 in Haskell.

Survivors include her husband, of Haskell; one son, Tommy Miller of Tulia; two daughters, Wanda Hester of Weinert and Patsy Norris of Abilene; three brothers, R.N. Wilson and Lee Roy Wilson, both of Rule, and Billy Wilson of Petersburg; four sisters, Maudie Morris of Dallas, Bertha Wilson and Cleo Gann, both of Rule, and Elizabeth Byrd of Rochester; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to West Texas Rehabilitation Center, 4601 Hartford, Abilene 79602; or the Weinert Cemetery Association.

The family will be at the Wanda Hester home.

Elwanda Bruce

COMANCHE - Elwanda V. Bruce, 72, died Saturday at a Brownwood hospital.

Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. today in Clyde Cemetery in Clyde with the Rev. Jerry Joplin officiating, directed by Comanche Funeral Home.

Mrs. Bruce was born in Amherst and was past county chairman for the Salvation Army in Comanche County. She was a homemaker. She married W.D. Bruce in 1968 in Dallas.

Survivors include her husband, of Comanche; two sons, Rickey Bell of Converse, La., and Roddy Bruce of Abilene; two brothers, Bennie King of Sonora and Bobby King of Utah; and four grandchildren.

Lonnie Turner

BANGS - Lonnie B. Turner, 78, of Bangs and formerly of Kentucky, died Saturday at a Brownwood hospital after a sudden illness.

Services will be Wednesday at Johnson-Vaughn Funeral Home in Bowling Green, Ky. Burial will be in Plano Cemetery. Local arrangements were handled by Heartland Funeral Home in Early.

Mr. Turner was born in Allen County, Ky., and moved to Bangs from Kentucky 16 years ago. He was a salesman and truck driver for a lumber yard in Kentucky and was a farmer. He was a member of the Pentecostal church. He married Dottie Miller in 1941 in Tennessee.

Survivors include his wife, of Bangs; four sons, Lonnie David Turner and Jimmy Leon Turner, both of Indiana, Bobby Richard Turner of Bowling Green and Darrell Wayne Turner of Bangs; five brothers, Herschel Turner, Raymond Turner and Brice Turner, all of Kentucky, and Roscoe Turner and Cecil Turner, both of Indiana; two sisters, Dollie Miller and Ruth DeWeese, both of Kentucky; 17 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

The body will be at Heartland Funeral Home until Monday afternoon.

MSgt. (ret) Richard Greene

STAMFORD - MSgt. (ret.) Richard L. Greene, 59, died Saturday at his home.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Tankersley Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Ted Miller officiating. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Henson Cemetery in Baylor County.

Mr. Greene was born in Putnam, Conn. He was a lifetime member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2012 in Abilene and a member of Assembly of God Church. He married Juanita Cheek in 1982 in Weatherford.

Survivors include his wife, of Stamford; two sons, Richard Leo Green Jr. of Wichita, Kan., and Joseph Thomas Greene of Clarksville, Tenn.; two stepsons, James Smith of Houston and Bobby Boutwell of Paris, Tex.; one daughter, Joan Marie Inchel of Wichita; one brother, Alan Greene of New Jersey; and seven grandchildren.

John Jacob Astor Adams

TUSCOLA - John Jacob Astor Adams, 86, died Sunday in Afton, Okla.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church. Burial will be in Tuscola Cemetery, directed by Fry-Bartlett Funeral Home.

Mr. Adams was born and attended school in Bradshaw. He worked for El Paso Natural Gas for 26 years and lived in Pecos, Jal, N.M., Kermit and Goldsmith before retiring and moving to Beaver, Okla., in 1961. He was a member of First Baptist Church. He married Margarette Gladden in 1934 in Abilene. He married Chesta Long in 1995 in Winters. Both preceded him in death.

Survivors include one son, Don Adams of Dallas; one daughter, Holly Phelps of Afton; one sister, Beatrice Blankenship of Lawn; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Tuscola Cemetery Association, Box 293, Tuscola 79562.

The family will be at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m. today.

Betty Marie (Mrs. H.D.) Davis

HAWLEY - Betty Marie (Mrs. H.D.) Davis, 68, died Sunday at an Abilene hospital.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Bethel Baptist Church in Funston with the Rev. Jesse Morton officiating. Burial will be in Bethel Cemetery, directed by Lawrence-Adams Funeral Home.

Mrs. Davis was born in Hale County and moved to the Stamford area as a child. She graduated from Stamford High School in 1947 and was a telephone operator and supply technician for Southwestern Bell, retiring in 1986. She lived in Lorenzo for 10 years before returning to Jones County in 1966. She was a member of Temple Baptist Church in Stamford. She married Harold Davis in 1950 in Stamford.

Survivors include her husband, of Hawley; one daughter, Anita Davis of Hawley; four sons, Dennis Davis of Lubbock, Joe Carl Davis of Henderson, Louis Davis of Hawley and Ross Davis of Anson; three sisters, Ruby Richards and LaVerne Anderson, both of Throckmorton, and Nelda Davis of Lubbock; one brother, Claude Green of Stamford; and 10 grandchildren.

Audie Clark

STEPHENVILLE - Audie B. Clark, 92, died Saturday at a Decatur hospital. Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Stephenville Funeral Home Chapel. Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

Lena Otella Cox

DUBLIN - Lena Otella Cox, 89, died Saturday at a local nursing home. Services will be at 3 p.m. today at Harrell Funeral Home Memorial Chapel.

Jo Vetta Hardin

CORPUS CHRISTI - Jo Vetta Hardin, 65, formerly of Rotan, died Saturday at a local hospital. Services are pending with Weathersbee Funeral Home in Rotan.

Ray Blackburn

SAN ANGELO - Ray P. Blackburn, 82, died Sunday at a local hospital. Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Robert Massie Funeral Home Riverside Chapel. The family will be at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m. today.

Lois Elizabeth 'Peggy' Young

BIG SPRING - Lois Elizabeth "Peggy" Young, 89, died Sunday at a local hospital. Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home Rosewood Chapel.

Gayle Scott McDonald

SNYDER - Gayle Scott McDonald, 82, died Saturday in Snyder. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Wright Colonial Funeral Home Chapel. The family will be at the funeral home from 7-8 p.m. today.

Kathryn Woods

STAMFORD - Kathryn Woods, 79, died Sunday at a local nursing home. Services are pending with Tankersley Funeral Home.

Donald Sandefur

Donald C. Sandefur, 56, of Abilene died Sunday at a Dallas hospital. Services are pending with Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory.

Sylvia Polanco-Cerda

SNYDER - Sylvia Polanco-Cerda, 46, died Saturday in Lubbock. Rosary will be said at 7 p.m. today at Wright Colonial Funeral Home Chapel. Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Wright Colonial Funeral Home Chapel.

Arnie Meyer

LILBURN, Ga. - Arnie J. Meyer, 94, formerly of Abilene, died Sunday in Lilburn. Services are pending with Buescher Memorial Funeral Home in Jefferson City, Mo.