Obituaries

Graveside services for Frank Donald Payton, age 75, were held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 14, 2002, in Citizens Cemetery with Don Stone, Church of Christ minister from Clarendon, officiating.  Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon. 

Mr. Payton died Wednesday, September 11, 2002, in Amarillo.  He was born August 5, 1927, in Goes Station, Ohio, and had lived in Clarendon since May 2001.  He was a US Air Force Veteran. 

Survivors include one daughter, Josephine Webb of Clarendon; two sons, Kenneth Payton of Groom and Rickey Payton of Woodward, Oklahoma; five grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.

Funeral services for Harvie Newton Price, age 82, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 12, 2002, in the First Baptist Church in Clarendon with Rev. Truman Ledbetter, Pastor; Rev. James Ivey Edwards, Pastor of the First United Methodist Church; and David Wilson, Pastor of Body of Christ Church in Pampa, officiating.  Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Price died Tuesday, September 10, 2002, in Clarendon.  He was born April 1, 1920 in Emmett, Navarro County, Texas, and was a resident of Amarillo before moving to Clarendon in 1954.  He married Nannie June Davis on October 8, 1947, at Wellington.  He owned and operated Price’s Truck Stop in Clarendon from 1954 until 1986 and then Price’s Tire Service from 1986 until retiring in 1999.  He was a US Army Air Corps Veteran of World War II and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Clarendon.

Survivors include his wife, June Price, of Clarendon; two daughters, Cindy Caldwell of Pampa and Susie Shadle of Clarendon; two sons, Bill Price of Clarendon and Rick Price of O’Donnell; four sisters, Vernon McCullough of Lancaster, Norma Dee McKelvy of Abilene, Joyce Bettis of Amarillo, and Bettye Baumgardner of Wellington; ten grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.

Casket bearers were Kenneth Youngblood, Alan Stanley, David Baumgardner, Joe Baumgardner, Troy Cow, Bob Havens, Larry Rothwell, and Dennis Davis, and nephews of Mr. Price.  Honorary bearers were the Harley Riders.

Graveside services for John Anderson “Johnny” Conatser, Jr., age 81, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, 2002, in Rowe Cemetery in Hedley with Rev. Bruce Howard, Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Hedley, officiating.  Burial was held in Rowe Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., in Clarendon.

Mr. Conatser died Saturday, September 7, 2002, in Amarillo.  He was born July 5, 1921 in Dumas, Moore County, Texas, and was a resident of Canyon before moving to Hedley in 1960.  He married Edith Dorine Word on January 7, 1948, at Wheeler.  He had worked for much of his life for Greenbelt Water Authority before his retirement.  He was a former long-time member of the Hedley Lions Club, was a member of the American Legion, and was a US Army Veteran of World War II, having received the Purple Heart.

Survivors include his wife, Dorine Conatser of Hedley; a son and daughter-in-law, John L. and Diane Conatser of Memphis; two sisters, Margaret Ruthardt of Ordway, Colorado, and Jane Lowe of Pampa; two brothers, A.L. Conatser of Delta, Colorado, and Albert Yake of Ordway, Colorado; three grandchildren, Jason, Bradley, and Skyler Conatser of Memphis; and a great granddaughter, Jaycee Conatser of Lawton, Oklahoma.

Graveside services for Mary Catherine Pafford, age 95, were held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 11, 2002, in Claude Cemetery with Rev. Janet Edwards, Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Claude, officiating.  Burial was held in Claude Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., in Clarendon.

Mrs. Pafford died Sunday, September 8, 2002, in Claude.  She was born October 18, 1906, in Martin, Tennessee, and came from Fulton, Kentucky, to Claude in 1908.  She married Hermon Crystal Pafford on September 14, 1924, at Claude.  He preceded her in death on March 8, 1975.  She was a charter member of the Malden Harmony Club in Claude and a charter member of the Claude Alumni Association.  She was a member of the Claude Business Women’s Club and joined the First United Methodist Church in 1920 where she was a member of the Phoebe K. Warner Sunday School Class.  She was a homemaker.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Mary Louise Lockhart, on August 6, 1981.

Survivors include one daughter, Kay Ann Chester of Kingsland, Texas; one son, Joe Pafford of Mahomet, Illinois; two sisters-in-law, Lily B. Bagwell of Claude and Darlene Ledbetter of Vega; five grandchildren; and ten great grandchildren.

Honorary casket bearers were Nace Baggerman, Bob Byrd, Ivan Chauveaux, John Chauveaux, Wilbur Cobb, Carl McElroy, and Wade Watson.

Memorial services for Johnny Michael Pricer, age 60, were held at 5:00  p.m. on Saturday, September 7, 2002, at John’s house in Howardwick.  Arrangements were under the direction of N.S. Griggs and Sons Funeral Directors in Amarillo.

Mr. Pricer died September 1, 2002, in Amarillo.  He was born in Galveston and was a cook in the US Navy as well as Northwest Texas Hospital.  He was also a member of the Clarendon VFW Post 7782 and a member of Fleet Reserve.

Survivors include a brother, Robert Pricer of Waco; a brother-in-law, Graham Phillips of New Orleans, LA; and a nephew, Adrian Phillips of North Carolina.

Funeral services for Jessie Mae Roland, age 78, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, 2002, in Robertson Chapel of Memories in Clarendon with Don Stone of Clarendon, officiating.  Burial was held in Rowe Cemetery in Hedley under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., in Clarendon.

Mrs. Roland died Sunday, September 1, 2002, in Claude.  She was born June 1, 1924, in Dixie, Texas, and had been a resident of Hedley most of her life.  She married Robert Henry Roland on May 24, 1941, at Durant, Oklahoma.  She was a member of the Hedley Lioness Club and a member of the Hedley Church of Christ.  She was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband, Bob Roland of Hedley; and a son and daughter-in-law, Bobby and Pat Roland of Amarillo.

Casket bearers were Daine Roland, Don Ray, Paul Bivens, Harold White, Keith Roland, Connie DeBord, Bill Paschal, and Doyle Messer.

Graveside services with military honors for Robert Dean Elkin, age 71, were held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, August 26, 2002, in Citizens Cemetery with Rev. Bryan Knowles, Pastor of the Community Fellowship Church, officiating.  Burial was held at Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Elkin died Friday, August 23, 2002, in Wichita Falls, Texas.  He was born April 4, 1931, in Oskaloosa, Iowa, to Garrett and Mamie Lester Elkin.  His birthdate fell on Easter that year, and his mother told his siblings the Easter Bunny brought him.  He enlisted in the military in December 1949 and was stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio with squadron 3731 – flight 4487.  He was later transferred to Reese AFB in Lubbock, where he was an MP.  His squadron, the 514th Air Force Brigade, stood as honor guard for the President who landed at Lubbock in the President’s plane, the famous “Sacred Cow.”  On September 2, 1950, he was married to Pernie Phillips at Lubbock.  They moved to Springfield, Missouri, in 1957, and through the years they owned and operated three furniture and appliance stores, a concession trailer, and an ice cream shop.  In 1995, they moved to Vernon to retire.

He was preceded in death by his parents; five brothers, Kenneth, Lester, Ross, James, and Everett; and by two sisters, Freda and Bessie.

Survivors include his wife, Pernie Elkin of Vernon; one daughter, April Coble of Phoenix, Arizona; two brothers, Leland Elkin of New York, Paul Elkin of Oskaloosa, Iowa; and two grandchildren, Sunshine Coble of Surprise, Arizona, and Summer Coble of Springfield, Missouri.

Funeral services for Bettie Jeanne Phillips, age 61, were held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 22, 2002, in the First Baptist Church with Rev. Charlie Floyd, Pastor of the Texola Baptist Church in Texola, Oklahoma, and Rev. Bryan Knowles, Pastor of the Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon, officiating.  Burial was held at Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mrs. Phillips died Tuesday, August 20, 2002, in Clarendon.  She was born October 23, 1940, in Clarendon and had been a resident of Clarendon most of her life.  She married Donald Wayne Phillips on January 3, 1964, in Clarendon.  He preceded her in death on December 30,1999.  She had been a secretary at various places for much of her life.  She was a homemaker and a member of the Martin Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Tambra Phillips, in May 1983.

Survivors include a daughter, Shonda Phillips of Clarendon; a son, Todd Phillips of Abilene; her mother and step-father, Bob and Judy Thieme of San Antonio; two sisters, Barbara Hewett of Clarendon and Gale Putnam of San Antonio; three grandchildren, Brayden Phillips of Clarendon, Tennessee Phillips and Brandie White, both of Blair, Oklahoma; and many special friends.

Casket bearers were John Mangum, Chris Harrison, Jon Ivey, Terrel Tucek, Todd Stavenhagen, Burl Hollar, Jeff Mills, and Bud White. Honorary bearers were Gene Elmore, Donnie Hall, and Crown of Texas Hospice staff.

The family requests that memorials be to Crown of Texas Hospice or Harrington Cancer Center.

Funeral services for Marrion “Jake” Smith, age 83, were held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 27, 2002, in Carmichael-Whatley Colonial Chapel with Ken Burkett, officiating.  Burial was held in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Pampa under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors in Pampa.

Mrs. Smith died Saturday, August 24, 2002, in Pampa.  She was born on January 17, 1919, in Roberts County.  She married Creed Smith on December 31, 1949, at Pampa.  She was a resident of Pampa from 1946 until 1983.  She worked as a bookkeeper for Brooks Electric from 1946 until 1956 and G.E. Jones Electric from 1956 until retiring in 1982.  She lived in Clarendon from 1983 until moving back to Pampa in 1999.  She was a member of Central Church of Christ.  She was preceded in death by five brothers and three sisters.

Survivors include one son, Kirk Smith of Hooker, Oklahoma; four grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.

Services for Ronald Steve Stevens, age 54, of Marietta, Oklahoma, were held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, 2002, at the First Baptist Church in Marietta with the Rev. Tommy Higle officiating. Interment was held in Lakeview Cemetery.

Mr. Stevens was born April 7, 1948, in Gainesville, Texas, to W.T. and Alma Faye Westmoreland Stevens.  He died Aug. 21, 2002, in a Sherman, Texas, hospital.

He was preceded in death by his father, W.T. Stevens, on June 30, 1991, and his mother, Alma Faye Stevens, on Oct. 23, 1998.

A 1996 graduate of Marietta High School, he attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman for five years, where he received a pharmacy degree. After working as a pharmacist for several years, he attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where he received an M.D. degree.

He worked as a pharmacist in several towns in Texas and was a member of Phi Delta Chi fraternity for pharmacists. He was a resident of Denton, Texas, before returning to Marietta in 1998 to make his home.

A member of Marietta’s First Baptist Church, he was an avid reader and enjoyed yard work, which included caring for a variety of flowers.

Survivors include a sister, Katheryn Stevens Faulkenberry, of Norman; an uncle, Coy Stevens of Clarendon; an aunt, Viola Pratt of Marietta; a niece, Suzanne Faulkenberry, of Stillwater; and two nephews, Steven Faulkenberry and Michael Faulkenberry, both of Norman.

Bearers were Jackie Barnes, Rick Lane, Junior Westmoreland, Jim Greenwood, Benny Coyle and Jim Pratt.