Obituaries

Jo Anne Johnson, 73, died June 20, 2007, at Shamrock.  Services were held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2007, in the First Baptist Church in Hedley, with Rev. Bruce Howard, Pastor, and Rev. Bill Hodges, Pastor of the First Church of the Nazarene in Clarendon, officiating. Burial was at Rowe Cemetery in Hedley. Services were under the arrangement of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Mrs. Johnson was born June 10, 1934, to John and Minnie Wilson Reeves at Hall Summit, Red River Parish, Louisiana. She married Virgil Dale Johnson on June 24, 1960, in Donley County. She had been a resident of Hedley and Donley County since 1960. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Hedley. She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Mrs. Johnson was preceded in death by her husband on March 26, 2004; her parents; two brothers; and a sister.

Survivors include three sons, Jesse Reynolds and wife Dianne of Shamrock, Johnny Reynolds and wife Sharon of Graham, and Bobby Johnson and wife Carla of Clarendon; two daughters, Sue Britten and husband Jimmy of Groom, and Beckie Torres of Amarillo; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren.

The family requests memorials be to the Rowe Cemetery Association or Odyssey Hospice.

Dr. James Frank Howell, Jr., 87, died Friday, June 22, 2007, in Claude.

Graveside services and burial were held at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, June 25, 2007, at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo with Bright Newhouse, Church of Christ Minister from Clarendon, officiating. Services were under the arrangement of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Dr. Howell was born in Sherman to James Frank Howell, Sr. and Mamie Gunn Howell. He married Dikki Poe on February 4, 1950, in Ft. Worth. He served his country in World War II and the Korean War with the Army and the Air Force. He received his Doctorate of Dental Science from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a dentist for many years in Amarillo and Clarendon. He was Catholic.

Dr. Howell was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Zachary John Howell on December 18, 1973.

Survivors include his wife, Dikki Howell of Clarendon; four sons, James Howell and wife Leanne of Midland, Tim Howell and wife Teresa of Amarillo, Joe Howell and wife Rhonda of Clarendon, and Pete Howell and wife Vonna of Amarillo; a daughter, Tessie Robinson and husband Jim of Clarendon; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren

The family requests that memorials be to Palo Duro Nursing Home, PO Box 786, Claude, Texas 79019.

Ellen Jane Arnold Owen, 84, died Sunday, June 24, 2007, in Amarillo.   Services were held at 10:00 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2007, in Robertson Chapel of Memories with Rev. Lance Wood, Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Clarendon, officiating. Burial was held at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, 2007, at Fairlawn Cemetery in Chickasha, Okla., with Johnny Wray, Life Line Hospice Chaplain, officiating. Services were under the arrangement of Robertson Funeral Directors.

Mrs. Owen was born March 28, 1923, in Lindsay, Okla., to Harvey and Ruth Tooten Arnold. She was a resident of the Chickasha and Verden, Okla., area most of her married life and had lived in Clarendon since July 2005. She married Wesley Odell “Shorty” Owen on October 6, 1938, in Lawton, Okla.. He was a contractor in the Chickasha area most of his life. Mrs. Owen had been an active volunteer in the Girl Scout and Brownie organizations much of her life. She was a member of the Verden Senior Citizens Association and was very involved in most of their activities. She was a homemaker and a member of the Baptist Church in Verden, OK.

Mrs. Owen was preceded in death by her husband on December 7, 1995; a daughter, Jean Arnold on September 7, 2002; and her sister, Norma Taylor in 2005.

Survivors include a daughter, Susie Dale and husband Frank of Howardwick; four grandchildren, Joe Kerby of Salado, Karla Fowler of Oklahoma City, Sherry Lyons of Amarillo, Frankie Dale of Amarillo; ten great grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild.

The family requests memorials be to the American Cancer Society.

Diane Marie Jacobson, 47, died , June 20, 2007, in Goodnight.

Memorial services were held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, June 25, 2007, in the Westover Fellowship in Amarillo with Michael Beckworth, officiating.

Diane was born February 8, 1960, in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, to Ernest and Cecil White Jacobson. She grew up in Wisconsin before moving to the Panhandle in 1980. She was a Christian.

She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Ronald Jacobson; one brother-in-law, Jack Kazmierkoski.

Survivors include a daughter, Brandy Jacobson of Amarillo; a son, Terry Hardy of Lubbock; four brothers, Gary Jacobson and wife Nancy of Illinois, Ken Jacobson and wife Carol of Minnesota, Duane Jacobson of Wisconsin, and Randy Jacobson of Wisconsin; two sisters, Linette Kazmierkoski of Wisconsin and Judy Brown and husband Dale of Arizona; a sister-in-law, Marilyn Jacobson of Wisconsin; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

The family requests that memorials be to Special Olympics or a favorite charity.

Billy Lynn Rampy, 65, died Saturday, June 16, 2007, in El Paso, Texas.

Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, 2007, in the Robertson Chapel of memories with Rev. Lance Wood, Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Clarendon, officiating.  Interment will be held at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.  Services are under the arrangement of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Mr. Rampy was born September 27, 1941, in Clarendon to James Freeman and Clara Mae Webb Rampy.  He was struck with polio at the young age of eight.  He was a graduate of Hedley High School and worked on several ranches before receiving his master’s degree from Texas Tech University.  He taught at several schools in Texas and New Mexico as an ag teacher.  He was a Christian.

Mr. Rampy was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Don Rampy & Delbert Rampy; two sisters, Jo Beth Warner & Onita Thomas.

Survivors include his wife, Clara Rampy of La Mesa, NM; a son, James Datis Rampy of Oklahoma City; two step sons, Rumaldo Camacho & Carlos Camacho; a step daughter, Nancy Mitchell; two brothers, Troy Rampy of San Jose, California, and Aubrey Rampy of Ingram; two sisters, Janette Baumberger of Amarillo and Willa Bolin of Texoma, OK; five step grandchildren; and sever nieces and nephews.

The family will be at 511 West Barcus Street in Clarendon.

The family requests that memorials be to a favorite charity or any Polio Organization.

Ethan Russell Veale, 4, of Amarillo, passed away on June 11, 2007, at Lake Greenbelt.

Services were at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 16, 2007, at Southwest Baptist Church.  Pastor Don Weemes with Victory Church officiated.  Burial was in Llano Cemetery.  Arrangements were by Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Directors Martin Road Chapel.

Ethan was full of life and a very happy child.  He loved Spiderman.  He loved each and every one of his family members very much.

He is survived by his father, David Veale of Del City, Oklahoma; and his mother, Aja Foster of Amarillo; three brothers: Dakota Allen Veale, David Michael Veale, and Justice Alexander Veale; one sister, Savannah Bree Foster; grandparents Yoby Hollis Henthorn and David Allen Henthorn of Alaska; great-grandparents Russell and Linda Hollis of Pampa, Willis Arthur Veale of Amarillo and Mary Orr Griffin of Canyon; and great-great grandmother, Dorothy Herd of Pampa.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to a trust fund in Ethan’s name at Wells Fargo and Amarillo National Bank.

Elise Price McMahan Binks, died February 20, 2007, in Tucson, AZ.

Memorial services were held Friday, June 8, at 9:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Wheeler.

She was born July 17, 1918, on a ranch 15 miles east of Wheeler to John Riley Price and Cora Jane Wood Price. Later her family moved into town. After her father was elected sheriff and tax collector of Wheeler County, they lived at the jail, and that experience provided the material for many family stories. Elise married John F. McMahan in July 1938. The couple had four children.

After receiving her beautician’s license, she ran her own salon. Always a talented seamstress, she enjoyed craft projects and later built a sewing and alterations business in Arizona.

She was preceded in death by her husbands John McMahan and Harold Binks as well as a brother Ronald Price.

Survivors include her brothers Neel and Lee Price and her children Nanda Twaweek and husband Jack, Don McMahan and wife Kathy, Danny McMahan and wife Cheryl, Rebecca Mendoza and husband Frank, loving grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a great-great grandchild.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be given in her name to the United Methodist Church, 704 Main, Wheeler, TX 79096, or a charity of your choice.

Sue Newman Ballard, 65, died Wednesday, May 30, 2007, in Amarillo.

Services were held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 1, 2007, in the First Baptist Church in Claude with Rev. Jess Little, Pastor, and Rev. Jim Brown, officiating. Burial was in Claude Cemetery. Services were under the arrangement of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.

Mrs. Ballard was born October 3, 1941, in Wheeler to Johnny and Lilly Marie Panel Newman. She married Ben W. Ballard on August 5, 1962, at Mobeetie. She had been a resident of Claude since 1962. She was a member of the Le Temps Club. She went on to receive the Citizen of the Year Award in 1976, being the first female in Claude to receive this honor.

She was an active member of the First Baptist Church, where she was involved with the youth and went on many church trips and attended other functions. She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother.

Mrs. Ballard was preceded in death by her parents.

Survivors include her husband, Ben W. Ballard of Claude; two daughters, Belinda Perez and husband Harvey of Hart, Whitney Saul and husband Kirk of Canadian; four brothers, Waylan Newman and wife Nelda of Lubbock, Kenneth Newman and wife Irma of Memphis, Don Newman and wife Georgia of Garland, and Jim Newman and wife Jeannie of Mesquite; seven grandchildren, Jonathan Aduddell, Janey Aduddell, Shadden Lanier, Samantha Lanier, Morgan Saul, Ballard Saul, and Shelby Saul.

The family requests that memorials be to the First Baptist Church of Claude Youth Group.

Services for Billy Jo Barbee, 81, of Memphis were held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 1, 2007, at the First Baptist Church in Memphis, with Rev. Daniel Downey, officiating. 

Burial followed in Fairview Cemetery under the direction of Hughs Funeral Home in Memphis.

Mrs. Barbee died on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 in Amarillo.

Jo was born on August 22, 1925 in Memphis to the late Mr. Elmer T. Prater and Mrs. Willie Martindale Prater.  She was a 1942 graduate of Memphis High School.  Then she went on and graduated from TCU in 1946 with a business degree and a geology degree. 

She married J.H. Barbee, Jr., on November 27, 1947, in Amarillo.  He preceded her in death on February 26, 1994.  She was a lifelong resident of Memphis.  She worked for GTE for 30 plus years in the business office as a supervisor. She was a member of the TCU Alumni, Red River Hatters Club, Hospital Auxiliary, and the First Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by two sisters, Winifred Davis and Genevieve Pate.

She is survived by one daughter, Melissa Hatley and husband Kirby of Clarendon; three grandchildren, Wes Hatley and wife Christi, Jeff Hatley and wife Sarah; Jennifer Robinson and husband Zack all of Clarendon; five great-grandchildren, Bryce Hatley, Jensen Hatley, Brock Hatley, Emeri Robinson and Kasen Hatley all of Clarendon.

The family suggests memorials be made to a favorite charity.

Services for Britney Upton Rodriguez, 19, of Memphis, will be at 2 p.m. Friday, June 8, 2007, at the First Baptist Church in Memphis with Rev. Randall Ator, officiating.  Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery under the direction of Hughs Funeral Home in Memphis.

Mrs. Rodriguez died Sunday, June 3, 2007, in Childress. Britney was born on September 18, 1987, in Amarillo, to Tim Upton Sr. and Jackie Wilson Upton.  She attended grammar school in Memphis, and was a graduate of Hedley High School in May of 2006. 

She married Gus Rodriguez on September 2, 2006, at the Travis Baptist Church in Memphis. 

She was a life long resident of Memphis, and a member of Plum Creek Fellowship Church in Amarillo.  She was preceded in death by her brother, T.J. Upton Jr. on May 5, 1997, her grandfather, Jimmy Wilson, her two cousins, Justin Casey and Michael Eidemiller and an aunt, Janean Eidemiller.

She is survived by her husband, Gus Rodriguez, her son, Timothy Jose Rodriguez, her parents, Tim and Jackie Upton and her grandparents, J.C. and Mary Upton all of Memphis, and Claire Kester of Amarillo.  She will also be missed by many friends and family.

The family suggests memorials be made to a favorite charity.