Obituaries

The woman who sparked new interest in restoring historic places in Donley County passed away last Wednesday, December 27. Zell Rodgers SoRelle was 95.

Burial was December 28 at the James Pinkney Rodgers Bird Sanctuary south of Clarendon. Memorial services are pending.

In addition to being influential in Clarendon, Mrs. SoRelle was a professor emeritus of what is now West Texas A&M University and an Amarillo civic leader. She was listed in the World List of Phoneticians, the Distinguished Scholars of America, and the Outstanding Educators of America.

She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from West Texas State University and a Ph.D. in phonetics from the University of Denver. Her distinguished teaching career at WTSU lasted from 1962 to 1977. She was awarded recognition as Professor Emeritus for Education and twice selected to give a paper for the Phonetic Society of Japan in that country. In 1977, she received the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Award.

During her university career, Zell was a member of the Texas Speech Association, the Speech Communication Association of America, the International Society of Phonetic Sciences, the Phonetic Society of Japan, the Linguistic Society of America, the American Dialect Society, the Southern Speech Association, Pi Kappa Delta, Alpha Psi Omega, and Chi Omega. She was selected to the Outstanding Educators of America and the Directory of International Biography. She received a Women’s Forum Award.

Born in Clarendon, Mrs. SoRelle was the daughter of Beulah Clara Simmons and James Pinkney Rodgers. She graduated from Clarendon High School and attended Clarendon College. In the early 1930s, Mrs. SoRelle began her teaching career at the Bairfield one-room schoolhouse on the JA Ranch at the age of 17. She was mentioned in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” when during one year she had only one student and there were only five taxpayers for the school. The schoolhouse was later moved to Texas Tech University’s Ranch Heritage Center. When the school was dedicated there, officials had Zell SoRelle – the school’s last teacher – to come ring the school bell.

In 1937, Zell married Seth Augustus “Jack” SoRelle. They lived in Borger for several years. In 1942, she obtained a pilot’s license, one of the first women in the Texas Panhandle to complete such training. During World War II, she was asked by Jacqueline Cochran to join the Women’s Army Corps but declined due to impending motherhood.

In the 1940s, the SoRelles moved to Amarillo, and Mrs. SoRelle was a member of the Amarillo Symphony Board for more than 20 years. Working with Becky Reeder Arnold and Katherine and Horace Wilson, research was done and plans were made to for the Amarillo Symphony Guild. Continuing civic efforts to support the symphony, Mrs. SoRelle and Mrs. T.J. Wagner, Jr., worked with others to institute the Symphony Ball.

As the musical drama “TEXAS” was conceived, Mrs. SoRelle helped fundraise and was an underwriter for the new endeavor. She served on the musical’s board for a number of years.

Returning to Clarendon with her husband in 1982, Mrs. SoRelle undertook a new project – the restoration of a 1904 Queen Anne Victorian home, known as the S.W. Lowe House.

With the advice of architects and a consultant, Mrs. SoRelle oversaw the meticulous work to refurbish the home and make it look as closely as possible to what it did when it was new, and she obtained historical markers from the State of Texas and the National Register of Historic Places.

Zell loved to share her beautiful home with the public by opening it for Victorian teas and tours and musical and poetry reading programs. She presented stories of her art collections accumulated during her world travels for all ages – from Clarendon College’s Elderhostel groups and civic clubs to high school home economic classes to elementary school students.

In a 2000 interview with the Enterprise, Mrs. SoRelle said she particularly enjoyed school children visiting her home. The kids would bring maps with them. As they toured the house, Zell would show them various mementos from her travels around the world, tells them where they came from, and had the students find the countries on the map.

She usually started with a piece of ivory from Iran which had very small horses painted on it, she recalled.

“I’ll say, ‘Can you see those little tiny, tiny lines there? What do you think that artist used to paint those?’ When I tell them a cat’s whisker, oh, I’ve got them in the palm of my hand,” she said.

Starting with her home, Mrs. SoRelle revitalized the whole idea of the historic mission in Clarendon. Attention grew and spread to the Donley County Courthouse, which has since been the subject of a glorious restoration.

Her dedication was for the whole area, and it involved everything that she had grown up with. She did so much for Clarendon to get people inspired just by being herself, recounting her love of Clarendon, and talking about her own interests. She was responsible for the recognition of two cemeteries – one at Goldston and the other at Jericho.

Since returning to Clarendon, Mrs. SoRelle was a member of the Donley County Historical Commission, Les Beaux Arts Club, and the First United Methodist Church and was a strong supporter of the activities of Clarendon College, the Saints’ Roost Museum, and the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce.

Zell’s last years were spent in close proximity with the outdoors. In 1993, assisted by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the Texas Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Services, and the Donley County Soil and Water Conservation District, she established the James Pinkney Rodgers Bird Sanctuary on 110 acres on the outskirts of Clarendon. This is the only bird sanctuary in the 26-county area of the Texas Panhandle, and it is listed on the Panhandle Plains Wild Life Trail.

She observed, listened, and marveled at the wonder of the natural environment; and she considered the sanctuary to be some of her most important work, noting that the monarch butterfly and several varieties of birds fly right through this area when migrating from Mexico to Ottawa.

“I didn’t think there was anything I could leave [the Panhandle] that would mean more than that shelterbelt,” she said in 2000. “And, of course, birdwatchers are the biggest bunch of travelers that there are. They come from Japan [to the United States].”

Mrs. SoRelle was preceded in death by her husband, Jack, in 2000. She is survived by a daughter, Sara SoRelle.

The family suggests memorials be made to the Amarillo Panhandle Humane Society, the Audubon Society, any no-kill animal shelter, the Amarillo Symphony, or the Texas Heritage Foundation.

Lucille Marie Case, 92, died Monday, December 11, 2006, in Claude, Texas.

Services were held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 13, 2006, in the First United Methodist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Jerry Hopkins and Rev. Jeff Matsler, officiating.  Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon. Services were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mrs. Case was born April 28, 1914, in Decatur to Raymond and Mary Emma Beach Carter.  She graduated from Amarillo High School in 1931.  She had been married to O’Dell Holland, Bill West Jr., and J.L. Case, all of whom preceded her in death.  She had been a resident of Groom before becoming a resident of Palo Duro Nursing Home in Claude five years ago.  She was a Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star in Groom.  She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Mrs. Case was preceded in death by her parents; her three husbands; one brother, James Carter; and one grandchild, Bret Sargent.

Survivors include 5 daughters, Jerlene Morrison of Lorenzo, Emma Kay Sargent of Dallas, Janet Listen of Greeley, Colorado, Mary Dell Burke of Amarillo, and Billie Ruth Lewis of Panhandle; 14 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

The family requests memorials be to Olivia’s Angels or BSA Hospice of Amarillo.

Malinda Lou Tubb Brown, 60, died on Wednesday, December 6, 2006, in Clarendon.

Services were held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 11, 2006, in the Clarendon Church of Christ with Roger Todd, Church of Christ Minister from Mangum, OK, and Don Stone, Church of Christ Minister from Clarendon, officiating. Burial was in Citizens Cemetery. Services were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mrs. Brown was born July 23, 1946, in Needles, California, to Woodrow and Lois South Tubb. She married Jerry Brown on April 16, 1965, in Oildale, California. Malinda and Jerry made Amarillo their home for the next 30 years and were residents of Stroud, OK, before moving to Donley County four years ago. Besides being a loved wife, mother, grandmother, and daughter, Malinda enjoyed quilting, sewing, cooking, gardening, and serving others. Throughout her life and illness, Malinda never wavered in her faith and love of Jesus. She was an active member in the Church of Christ in both Amarillo and Clarendon. Malinda was an inspiration to all who knew and loved her. Malinda’s family would like to thank the Veterans Administration Oncology Department and the BSA Hospice.

Mrs. Brown was preceded in death by her father.

Survivors include her husband, Jerry Brown of Clarendon; her mother, Lois Tubb of Amory, Mississippi; a daughter, Bobbie Renee Gallegos and husband Carlos of Amarillo; two sons, Michael Lynn Brown and wife Lynne of Slaton, Jeremy Tait Brown and wife Alyssa of Minneapolis, Minnesota; two sisters, Charlotte Gann of Amory, Mississippi, Carolyn Gaskell of Fayetteville, Arkansas; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Malinda was also a mom to 23 foster children.

Pallbearers were nephews of Mrs. Brown.

The family requests memorials be to High Plains Children’s Home or the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Ralph Burk Grady Jr., 87, died Sunday, December 3, 2006, in Memphis.

Graveside services were held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 5, 2006, in Citizens Cemetery with Rev. Eddie Helms, Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Wellington, and Rev. Bill Hodges, Pastor of the Clarendon Church of the Nazarene, officiating.  Services were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Grady was born February 18, 1919, in Donley County to Ralph Burk Grady Sr. and Roberta Eldridge Grady.  He had lived in Hall County most of his life before moving to Clarendon in 2001.  He married Jo Ann Ritter on January 17, 1954, at Clovis, New Mexico.  She preceded him in death on January 26, 1992.  He then married Dorothy Irene Boswell Helms on January 3, 1993 at Clarendon.  He was a US Army veteran of World War II and a member of the VFW.  He had been a farmer and rancher most of his life.  He was a member of the Clarendon Church of the Nazarene.

Mr. Grady was preceded in death by his first wife, his parents, 5 sisters, and 1 brother.

Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Grady of Clarendon; 2 daughters, Connie Pitts of Grandview, TX, Missy Kidd of Clarendon; 2 sons, Mickey Joe Grady and Ike O’Neal both of Clarendon; 9 grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren.

Laura Ann Green, 13, died Monday, November 27, 2006, in Amarillo.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, December 4, 2006, at Memory Gardens Mausoleum Chapel in Amarillo with Daniel Shaeffer officiating. Burial was in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Amarillo. Services were under the direction of Blackburn-Shaw Memorial Chapel, 5th and Pierce.

Laura was born in Amarillo and had lived here all of her life. She was a “Gift from God”. The family wishes to express their special thanks to the medical staff at Northwest Texas Hospital and to Dr. Veggeberg for the special care given to our special Angel and to Blackburn-Shaw for their gracious help with Laura’s funeral.

Survivors include her parents, Patrick and Rachel Green of Howardwick; two brothers, David and Robert Green of Howardwick; grandparents, Lonney and Diana Castleberry of Amarillo; Benjamin Reed; aunts, uncles, and many other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations to defray the funeral cost be made to Blackburn-Shaw Memorial Chapel, P.O. Box 2247, Amarillo, Texas 79105.

Lila Kate Monroe, 19 months, died Friday, December 1, 2006, in Amarillo.

Services were held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, December 4, 2006, in the First United Methodist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Tom Garmon, Pastor, officiating. Burial was in Rowe Cemetery in Hedley. Services were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Lila Kate was born April 11, 2005 in Childress to Troy and Katherine Hoobler Monroe. She had been a resident of Hedley since birth. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Clarendon.

Survivors include her parents, Troy and Katherine Monroe of Hedley; maternal grandparents, Tom and Lila Hoobler of Childress; paternal grandparents, Edgar W. and Sandra Monroe of Hedley; Maternal great-grandmother, Flossie Holman of Childress; two sisters, Devon Monroe of Mangum, OK, and Kylie Monroe of Hedley; and four brothers, Paul Monroe, William Monroe, Caylor Monroe, and Collin Monroe all of Hedley; several aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The family requests memorials be made to Lila Kate’s Fund for Children’s Ministries / c/o First United Methodist Church / PO Box 157 / Clarendon, Texas 79226-0157, or to the Donley County State Bank, Clarendon.

William Nathan Ellis, 91, died Saturday, November 25, 2006, in Childress.

Graveside services were held Tuesday, November 28, 2006, in Rowe Cemetery in Hedley with Lloyd Riddlespurger, officiating. Services were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Ellis was born January 17, 1915, in Mill Creek, Oklahoma, to Richard Preston and Mary Lillie Pitman Ellis. He married Buel Christine Allen on June 25, 1938, in Bromide, Oklahoma. He was a resident of Shamrock before moving to Memphis in 1979. He was employed by the City of Shamrock and was a farmer prior to his retirement. He was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Memphis.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, William Wayne Ellis; one daughter, Elsie Juanell Garrett; and several brothers and sisters.

Mr. Ellis is survived by his wife, Buel of Memphis; four daughters, Dorothy Brummett of Canyon, Juanita Newton of Canyon, Merlene McDermott of Memphis, and Perlene Riddlespurger of Memphis; one brother, James Ellis of Ralls; one sister, Ellen Loper of Portland, Indiana; 20 grandchildren; and many great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

Oval Chester Hill, 90, died Sunday, November 26, 2006, in Lefors, Texas.

Services were held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 30, 2006, in the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon with Rev. Roger Smith, Pastor, officiating.  Interment was held at 3:00 p.m. at Lefors Cemetery in Lefors.  Services were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Hill was born February 15, 1916, in Wagon Mound, New Mexico, to Edgar and Stella Bain Hill.  He was a resident of Hedley before moving to Lefors in 1955.  He had worked as a carpenter and as the custodian at the Lefors schools for much of his life prior to his retirement.  He married the former Thelma Saunders on August 22, 1996.  He was a member of the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon.

Mr. Hill was preceded in death by his first wife of 59 years, Beatrice; his parents, two brothers, one sister; and a grandson, O. C. Akines.

Survivors include his wife, Thelma of Lefors; three daughters: June Thacker of Pampa, Marie Skaggs of Memphis, Beneva Adams of Pampa; one son, James E. Hill of Lefors; two step-sons, Joe Watson Wetumpka, Alabama, Eddie Watson of Enterprise, Alabama; a sister, Ouida Leikauf of Anaheim, California; nine grandchildren; 18 great grandchildren; and 13 great great grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Family members, Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Koontz.

Paul Cecil Rhinehart was born September 12, 1926, in Fonde, Kentucky.  He died on Monday, November 20, 2006, at the age of 80.

During World War II, he was a Combat Air Crewman (CAC) in the United States Navy serving in the Pacific, European, and American Theaters.  He earned seven battle stars and the Navy Air Medal.  His Patrol Squadron VP-15 received a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions during the Saipan campaign.  His patriotism was of the highest order.

He was a self-employed businessman for most of his life and lived at various times in Wallins Creek, Loyall, and Sukey Ridge, Kentucky; Detroit, Michigan; Alamogordo, New Mexico; and Lake Sam Rayburn, Texas.  He and Ruth and their family came to Amarillo in 1962.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Lillian Ruth Howard Rhinehart, who died in 1996, and by his five brothers.  Cecil was born from above shortly after he married his beloved Ruth.

Those surviving include a daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Thomas Moss of Amarillo; two sons and daughters-in-law Michael and Suzie Rhinehart of Clarendon, Texas: and John and Leslie Rhinehart of Alta Loma, California; eight grandchildren, Shawn, Bryan, Gannon, Amanda, and Ethan Rhinehart, Sage Jackson, and Jason and Jaret Moss.

Sharon and Thomas Moss and family members can be reached at 5143 Kirk Drive, Amarillo.

https://www.clarendonlive.com/2006/11/4757/

Rev. Baldwin J. “Strib” Stribling died Friday, November 24, 2006, in Amarillo at age 83.

Memorial Services were held at 4 p.m. on Monday, November 27, 2006, at the First Presbyterian Church with Rev. Don Stribling, First Presbyterian Church of Lamesa, and Rev. Pat Kennedy, St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Amarillo, officiating. Burial was at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, November 27, 2006, at Dreamland Cemetery. Services were under the direction of Brooks Funeral Directors.

Rev. Stribling was born March 28, 1923, in Lawton, Oklahoma to Warren Webb and Elizabeth Baldwin Stribling. Following graduation from Abilene High School, he attended McMurry College for two years and North Texas A&M at Arlington for a year, where he majored in pre-engineering before being drafted. Each day in his ROTC uniform, he would hitchhike the thirteen miles to class in Arlington; he was never late.

During his service in the military, Strib served in the Army Engineering School—radar and was sent to Naples, Italy, where he was assigned to the 79th Fighting Groups. He was first a Chaplain’s Assistant, then became Chaplain until his discharge from the service. While in Italy, he studied Greek at a local university with an Italian professor, speaking with poor English, using a Spanish text. Before returning to the States, he traveled around Israel by jeep.

After the war, he returned to school and later graduated from Oklahoma City University with a degree in philosophy. Strib worked for several years with his father, selling dairy equipment and occasionally filling vacant pulpits. With four couples he started a church in Midwest City, Oklahoma. They met in one couple’s home until a building was constructed. Here he met his wife, Kay, who played the piano and helped lead singing. He finally recognized the call the ministry, and with wife and daughter went to McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. In August 1954, he was ordained by Oklahoma City Presbytery.

He was called by Central Presbyterian Church in McKinney, Texas, and served that congregation six years before moving to Amarillo and Northminster Presbyterian Church, which he pastored for two years. In 1960 he moved his family to Clarendon, Texas. During his stint there, he organized a yoked ministry between First Presbyterian Church, Clarendon, and First Presbyterian Church, Memphis. In 1967, he again received a call to move, this time to Canyon, Texas, a church looking for healing and reconciliation. After almost 18 months of study by church members and a decision not to cut mission spending, the congregation instituted a building program for its current structure.

Committed to the connectional church, he attended General Assembly as a commissioner, served as a member of Regional Synod Design Committee and Presbyteries Boundaries Committee as the church resolved to reunite its north and south divisions. In Plains Presbytery, predecessor to the current Palo Duro Presbytery, he was a member of General Council. He served many times on the presbytery Commission on Ministerial Care, a term on the Finance Task Group, and as moderator in 1980. He was also instrumental in the implementation of the Presbytery Lay Preaching Workshops. Officer training and preparation of laypersons to better equip church leaders for ministry became a passion for him. He co-authored A Manual for Church Officer Development and wrote A Guide to Excellence: A Manual for Congregational Committees. In addition, he penned A Process for Dialogue Preaching, designed a confirmation-commissioning curriculum for youth communicants, and drafted A Manual for Congregational Nominating Committees.

He was co-founder and board member of many agencies, including United Campus Ministry at WTSU, Amarillo Presbyterian Community, and Reformed Center of the Southwest. He also served on the boards of Amarillo Presbyterian Children’s Home, Samaritan Pastoral Counseling Center, and Amarillo Habitat for Humanity.

He believed that ministry was not contained within the walls of a church building, so he participated in the community on the Panhandle Regional Planning Health Services committee, the Canyon Family Services Board, the Salvation Army Board, and in the Kiwanis Club. He also provided counseling to recovering alcoholics.

As a single parent with some help from Lizzie Maw Evans, he raised four successful children. In 1979, he married Pamela Price Jaggers, and they celebrated their 27th anniversary in September 2006.

In 1988 after 35 years in the ministry, he retired and was named Pastor Emeritus of First Presbyterian Church, Canyon. In retirement, he found more time for puttering in his shop creating many items for family members, tending his yard and gardens, reading and studying, and working crossword puzzles.

He was preceded in death by grandchildren David Stribling and Melanie Metzger.

He is survived by his wife; daughters Lee E. Stribling of Canyon, Sheri Wilcox and husband Kevin of Canyon, Pam Metzger-Vorwald and husband Mel of Pueblo, Colorado; son the Rev. Don E. Stribling and wife Denise of Lamesa; stepsons Brian McMinn and wife Sandi of Austin; and Steve McMinn of Houston; granddaughters Shannon, Kelsey, and Jessica McMinn of Austin; and sister Mary E. Gassaway of Chickasha, Oklahoma.

  The family suggests memorials be made to First Presbyterian Church Choir Scholarship Fund, 1904 19th Street, Canyon, Texas 79015; or Baldwin J. Stribling Scholarship at McCormick Theological Seminary, 5460 S. University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615-5108.