Archives for December 2004

Funeral services for Opal Faye Monroe Messer, age 85, were held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 8, 2004, in the First Baptist Church with Bro. Jack Hutson, son-in-law, officiating.  Burial was held at Rowe Cemetery in Hedley under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mrs. Messer died Monday, December 6, 2004.  She was born March 1, 1919, in Temple, Oklahoma, and moved from the McKnight Community in Donley County to Clarendon in 1941.  She married Alvin Andrew “P.C.” Messer on October 28, 1939, at McKnight.  For most of her life, Mrs. Messer was a child care provider to many, many Clarendon children who lovingly knew her as “Nano.” She was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church in Clarendon.

She was preceded in death by her husband on November 19, 1987, and by a grandson, Michael Messer, in 1977.

Survivors include one daughter, Katrina Hutson of Vanderbilt, Texas; one son, Tom Messer of Claude; two sisters, Jo Ann Felder of Sunray and Mary Lou Keisling of Dumas; three grandchildren, Clay Messer, John Mark Hutson, and Holly Hassialis; and a great grandson, Hunter Messer.

Funeral services for Melvin Ray Housden, age 64, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1, 2003, in the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon with Rev. Bryan Knowles, Pastor, officiating.  Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Housden died Sunday, November 28, 2004, in Houston.  He was born June 20, 1940, in Clarendon and lived for a time in Borger before moving to Houston 34 years ago.  He had worked much of his life as an oil and gas broker and had served in the National Guard.  He was an active volunteer in some community groups in the Houston area.  He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Clarendon.

Survivors include one daughter, Tonya Housden of Houston; a son, Eric Housden of New Orleans, LA; a brother, Kenneth Housden of Eastland; and one grandson, Holden Housden.

Casket bearers were Johnny Davis, Larry Davis, Jack Eads, Eddy Eads, Darrell Leffew, Jimmy Johnson, John Tom Morrow, and Weldon Steen.

Graveside services for Elmer Lester Venable, age 93, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 7, 2004, in the Claude Cemetery with Kent Watson, Minister of the Claude Church of Christ, officiating. Arrangements were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Venable died Sunday, December 5, 2004, in Claude.  He was born June 1, 1911, in Huckaby, Erath County, Texas.  He was a resident of Bovina before moving to Claude almost 30 years ago.  He married Viola Lee “Polly” Malone on November 24, 1930, in Lovington, NM.  He had worked much of his life as a trucker, and he had worked for Parmer County for several years as a heavy equipment operator before his retirement.  He was a member of the Claude Church of Christ.

He was preceded in death by his wife on December 4, 2002; a daughter, Patricia Ann Venable in 1933; a son, Elmer Stanley Venable in 1995; two brothers, Vester Cleatus Venable in 1976 and Chester Cirby Venable in 1994.

Survivors include a daughter, Betty Jean Salmon and husband Don of Claude; a daughter-in-law, Dannie Lovina “Tessie” Venable; one brother, Elton Radford Venable of Bovina; two sisters, Vila Mae Wilkerson of Corpus Christi and Sara Marie Wilkerson of Amarillo; five grandchildren; nine great grandchildren; and two great great grandchildren.

Memorial services for Billy Jack Jordan, age 74, were held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 2, 2004, at Washington Avenue Christian Church in Amarillo with James McElroy, son-in-law, officiating.  Cremation and arrangements were under the direction of Cox Funeral Home in Amarillo.

Mr. Jordan died November 29, 2004.  He was born January 14, 1930, in Donley County, where he was raised.  He graduated from Clarendon High School and attended Clarendon College.  He married Patricia L. Pittman in Clarendon in 1949.  She passed away in 2002.  He was a resident of Amarillo for over 50 years.  He transferred to Belen, New Mexico, in 1980 with Santa Fe, where he retired in 1993 after forty years of service.  He returned to Amarillo in 1993.  He was Chairman of the Local Carmen’s Union for many years.  He was a member of the Washington Avenue Christian Church since 1950, where he served as an Elder and Treasurer.  In the past year, he participated in Cowboy Church at Craig Methodist Retirement Center.

He was preceded in death by two sisters, Cora Lee Robertson of Pampa and Geraldine Norton of Bakersfield, California.

Survivors include one son, Kim Jordan and his wife Pauline of Canyon; one daughter, Karla McElroy and her husband Jim of Lynnwood, Washington; one brother, Perry Jordan of Glendale, Arizona; four grandchildren, Charise McElroy and Jared McElroy of Seattle, Washington; Billy Jack Jordan II of Canyon; and Jerrica Jordan of Houston.

The family requests memorials be to Puget Sound Christian College for Team Macedonia, 15414 35th Ave W. #61, Lynnwood, Washington 98037.

Funeral services for Velma Eureda Mays, age 76, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2004, in the Martin Baptist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Darrell Burton, Pastor, and Rev. Bryan Knowles, Pastor of Community Fellowship Church, officiating.  Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon under the direction of Robertson Funeral Home in Clarendon.

Mrs. Mays died Wednesday, December 1, 2004, in Clarendon.  She was born October 15, 1928, in Memphis and had been a Clarendon resident much of her life.  She married Marva Lee Thomas Mays on June 5, 1945, at Memphis.  He preceded her in death on January 27, 1991.  She had earned her Master’s Degree and had taught school.  She had also worked at the Clarendon Community Action Center as a day care provider, worked for Planned Parenthood, and had served for several years on the Donley County Child Welfare Board.  She had also worked in the JPTA at TSTI and had been active in Phi Theta Kappa. She was a member of the Martin Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, three daughters, one son, and two brothers.

Survivors include two daughters, Mae Hill and Lori Lea Mays, both of Clarendon; two sons, John William Mays of Amarillo and Gary Thomas Arnold Mays of Clarendon; ten grandchildren; and 13 great grandchildren.

Shirley Jean McAbee Clifford – the first woman to be mayor of Clarendon – died last Wednesday, November 24. She was 69.

Services were held Saturday in the First United Methodist Church with former pastor Rev. Terry Tamplen officiating. Burial followed in Citizens Cemetery with arrangements by Robertson Funeral Directors.

Clifford was praised during the memorial for her friendliness and her service to her community.

“Even though we all knew Shirley in many ways, we all knew her as a friend,” Tamplen said.

She was born November 17, 1935, in Memphis to Mr. and Mrs. Ode McAbee. She moved during her early childhood to Childress, where she was raised by her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Paul Thigpen. She attended school for seven years at the River Camp School north of Childress, she graduated from Childress High School, and she enrolled in Clarendon College in the fall of 1953.

She met Jack Clifford during her first semester at CC, and they were married six months later on March 28, 1954, in Hereford. Shirley continued her schooling in 1958 and 1959 in Germany at the University of Heidelberg while Jack served in the US Army.

The couple returned to Clarendon in 1959, where Jack was raised, and took over the family grocery business. The Clifford family owned and operated The Grocery Store, a long time mainstay of downtown Clarendon, until its closure in 1998.

Clifford worked a number of odd jobs at City Hall and a local furniture store before turning her attention to raising her three children – Virginia, John, and Benjamin. When the children began school, she assisted in the family business, utilizing her cookingskills taught to her by her grandmother at a very early age.

“Her grandmother had had stroke when Shirley was in the sixth grade,” Jack recalled, “and while lying in bed she would tell Shirley how to cook. She was a great cook.”

Clifford was an avid reader; and when she saw the need for a permanent dwelling for the city library, she ran for the Board of Aldermen, winning handily and becoming the first woman to serve on that board.

After two terms as alderman, Clifford made history again in 1981 by being elected as Clarendon’s first woman mayor, running on the platform, “Clarendon – Athens of the Panhandle, and we don’t even have a library.”

During her administration, two buildings on Kearney Street were obtained, remodeled, and furnished to house the Burton Memorial Library. This was accomplished through donations and the tireless efforts of patrons and many interested parties.

“She was the smartest person I’ve ever known and read everything there is to read in the way of classical literature,” Jack said. “And she knew more about books than anybody you would ever meet. She ran for office because she felt that Clarendon had to have a library.”

Clifford was a member of the First United Methodist Church and was involved in many aspects of the church’s operation. She taught elementary Sunday school and also organized the Christmas pageants at the church for many years. She hand-stitched all the pageant costumes using her excellent sewing abilities.

She was a member of the 1929 Book Club of Clarendon, and she had earned her pilot’s license alongside her best friend, Anton Riggs.

Survivors include her husband, Jack of Clarendon; one daughter, Virginia Ann Patten and husband Briton of Clarendon; two sons, John Walter Clifford of Ft. Worth and Benjamin Paul Clifford of Little Rock, Ark.; two granddaughters, Abigail Michelle Patten and Annie Marie Patten of Clarendon; two grandsons, John Ray Clifford and Robert James Clifford of Ft. Worth; and one sister, Carol Cary of Leoti, Kansas.

The family suggests memorials be made to the Burton Memorial Library, PO Box 783, Clarendon, TX 79226.