Obituaries

Funeral services for Guy Lynn Tatum, age 69, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 28, 2002, in Robertson Chapel of Memories in Clarendon with Rev. Truman Ledbetter, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, officiating.  Burial was held at Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Tatum died Sunday, August 25, 2002, in Claude.  He was born January 30, 1933, in Clarendon and had lived in Houston for twelve years before returning to the area one month ago.  He worked as a horse trainer and handler in California for approximately 35 years before his retirement.  He was a member of the First Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by a son, Mike Tatum, on May 22, 2002.

Survivors include two sisters, Layma Vee Jenkins of Amarillo and Jean Semrad of Joplin, Missouri.

Dr. Richard Gilkey, 72, of Amarillo died Wednesday, August 14, 2002.  Services were held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 16, 2002, at the First United Methodist Church in Clarendon with Rev. James Ivey Edwards, Pastor, and Rev. Terry Tamplen, Pastor of Kingswood United Methodist Church in Amarillo, officiating. Interment was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Home in Clarendon.

Dr. Gilkey was born in Garnett, Kansas, and was raised in Topeka.  He attended Kansas University in Lawrence and the University of Kansas Medical School in Kansas City, Missouri.  He interned at Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas, and practiced medicine for over 33 years in Clarendon and 5 years in Waxahachie, Texas.  He was also associated with BSA as consulting physicians for rural health clinics in the Panhandle.

For over four decades, Dr. Gilkey has served the people of Donley County and surrounding areas as their physician, their friend, their church leader, and their public servant.  In 1997, the Clarendon/Donley County Chamber of Commerce named Dr. Gilkey recipient of the Saints’ Roost Lifetime Achievement Award.  He was on the Board of Regents of Clarendon College for 22 years and served as president for four years.  He also served as mayor for twelve years and was very active in the First United Methodist Church of Clarendon ,where he served as Chairman of the Administrative Board and in many other capacities.  One of his favorites was the Kairos Prison Ministries.

Beyond his devotion to his family, he enjoyed the passion of piloting airplanes.  He served as a flight surgeon in the Navy and was assigned to the Marines.  He also was a member of the Texas Flying Physicians Association, serving as Secretary-Treasurer.

Survivors include his wife, Jane, of 39 years; four children, Melinda McAnear and husband, Ronnie, of Clarendon; Tina Putnam and husband, David, of Austin; Jim Moore and wife, Karen, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; and John Moore and wife, Cathy, of Waxahachie, Texas; nine grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.

Casket bearers were Alex Putnam, Todd McAnear, Mathew Moore, Blake Moore, Brooks Moore, Tony Lindsey, and Kevin Overstreet.  Honorary bearers were Clarendon College Board of Regents, Jim Shelton, Willard Skelton, Kenneth Vaughn, Bill Lowe, and Chuck Deyhle.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggest memorials be made to Clarendon College or the First United Methodist Church in Clarendon .

Funeral services for Johnnie Lorena Strickland, age 88, were held at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, 2002, in the First Christian Church in Clarendon with Leonard Holt, minister, officiating.  Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., in Clarendon.

Mrs. Strickland died Wednesday, August 14, 2002, in Clarendon.  She was born August 23, 1913, to Arthur Bethel and Lillian Cooper Bethel in Flomont, Texas.  She married Vernon Lyle on October 1929.  He died January 12, 1938.  She married Ray Strickland in 1975 in Center, Texas.  He died August 25, 2001.  She had lived in Tenaha, Texas, for the past 26 years, moving back to Clarendon following the death of Mr. Strickland last year.

She was preceded in death by a son, Ray Lyle, in January 1940.

Survivors include two daughters, Eva Lee Swinney of Clarendon and Carolyn Hayes of LaPorte; three sons, Clinton Webb of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Jimmy Webb of Morton, Texas; and Doyle Webb of Goldthwaite, Texas; 13 grandchildren; 37 great grandchildren; and 14 great great grandchildren.

Casket bearers were Sean Barnes, Derek Mears, Bradley Swinney, Adam Lamberth, Terry Webb, and Rick Webb.

Funeral services for Virginia Mae Kelley Estes, age 84, were held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 9, 2002, at San Jacinto Church of Christ in Amarillo with Mike Suiter, Bret McCasland, and Eddie Messer officiating.  Arrangements were by Rector Funeral Home in Amarillo.

Mrs. Estes died Tuesday, August 6, 2002, in Amarillo.  She was born November 23, 1917, in Quanah.  She graduated from Quanah High School as salutatorian.  She married James L. Estes in 1937 at Quanah.  She has lived in Amarillo for 50 years.  She was a homemaker and did volunteer work at Heritage Convalescent Center for 30 years.  She was a member of the Ladies Bible Class at San Jacinto Church of Christ.  She and her husband have been longtime members there.

She was preceded in death by a brother, V.W. Kelley, in 1959.

Survivors include her husband, James L. Estes; two daughters, Barbara Smith Messer of Amarillo and Donna Corder of Clarendon; one son, James R. Estes of Amarillo; two sisters, Nancy Behrends of Dallas and Monte Prude of Midland; two brothers, Dr. Charles Kelley of Plano and Roy Kelley of Pensicola, Florida; eight grandchildren; and eleven great grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Crown of Texas Hospice or High Plains Children’s Home.

Maci Shae Judd, age nine months, died Wednesday, July 31, 2002, in Clarendon.

Services were held Friday, August 2, 2002, in the Clarendon Church of Christ with Eddie Stegall, pastor, officiating. Burial was in Citizens Cemetery with arrangements by Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Judd was born October 1, 2001, in Amarillo and was a Clarendon resident since birth. She was a member of the Clarendon Church of Christ.

She is survived by her parents, Kyle and April Judd of Clarendon; one sister, McKayla Judd of Clarendon; her grandparents, Eddy and Linda Judd of Clarendon, Rodney Neuhalfen of Minot, ND, Wanda Lillejord of Lakeside, MT; great-grandparents, Willene Judd of Clarendon, Ernestine Christopher of Clarendon, and Harold Hartke of Del City, OK.

Casket bearers were Vance Collamor, Jeff Lykens, Mike Moss, and Katrina Marlow. Honorary bearers were members of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department.

Ellen T. Long, age 77, a longtime Raton resident and retired nurse for Miners Colfax Longterm facility, passed away Monday July 29, 2002, in Raton.

Mrs. Long was born March 21, 1925, in Framington, Mass., the daughter of Otto and Helen Mangher, Rogers.  She was a member of the Church of Christ in Raton.

She was preceded in death by her husband C.H. Long, Jr. 

She is survived by five sons Clarence H. Long and wife Judy of Canadian; Roger H. Long and wife Angela of Raton; Walter H. Long and wife Cindy of Canadian; Grant H. Long and wife Margie of DesMoines, New Mexico; and John H. Long and wife Barbara of Canadian; one sister Janice Kelcovrse of Quinsy, Massachusetts; seventeen grandchildren; and twelve great grandchildren.

Funeral Services were held July 31, 2002, at 9:00 a.m. at the Yaksich-Long Funeral Home Chapel.  Burial took place at 3:30 p.m. at the Edith Ford Memorial Gardens in Canadian under the direction of the Yaksich-Long Funeral Home.

Graveside services for Beverly Jo Wright, age 68, of Arlington, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 19, 2002, at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo under the direction of Thompson’s Harveson & Cole Funeral Home in Fort Worth.

Mrs. Wright died Wednesday, July 17, 2002 in Arlington.  She was born September 7, 1933, in Borger. She was a member of the Methodist Church and the American Legion.  An amateur artist, she has a sculpture on display in the Smithsonian.  She was a retired office manager for a medical doctor’s office.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Gwendolyn.

Survivors include a daughter, Gwendolyn Henderson; two grandchildren; her father, John. S. Stone of Hot Springs, Village, AR; and her brother, John S. Stone, III, of Berkeley, CA.

Graveside services are being held for Lloyd Leon Molder, age 75, at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 25, 2002, in Citizens Cemetery with Rev. Bryan Knowles, Pastor of Community Fellowship Church in Clarendon, officiating.  Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., in Clarendon.

Mr. Molder died Monday, July 22, 2002, in Clarendon.  He was born April 15, 1927, in Haskell, Oklahoma, and had been a resident of Donley County most of his life.  He married Betty Jo Armstrong on October 20, 1951, at Clarendon.  He was employed by the Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District for several years before his retirement and had been a farmer most of his life.  He was a US Marine Corps Veteran of World War II.

Survivors include his wife, Betty Molder of Clarendon; five daughters, Geneva Mays of Clarendon; Kay McDaniel of Hugoton, KS; Julie Molder of Clarendon; Rita Mills of Electra; and Susan Woody of Gordonville; one sister, Faye Mobley of Amarillo; 16 grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren.

Deborah “D.K” Parker, age 47, of Tulia died Friday, July 12, 2002.

Services were held at 2 p.m. on July 15 in College Heights Baptist Church with the Rev. Gene Cannon of Vigo Park Baptist Church, officiating.  Burial was in Kress Cemetery under the direction of Wood-Dunning Funeral Home of Plainview.

Mrs. Parker was born November 14, 1954, in Seminole.  She moved to Tulia in 1955. She grew up in Tulia and Kress and graduated from Tulia High School in 1972.  She attended Clarendon College and was a beauty operator.  She was a Baptist.

Survivors include a daughter, Kristy Rothwell of Kansas City, Mo.; her father, David Criswell of Olton; her mother and stepfather, Totsy and C.R. Byrd of Olton; a sister, Misty Dorman of Lubbock; a granddaughter, Hailey Rothwell of Kansas City; and a nephew, Dylan Criswell of Olton.

Funeral services for Edith Gwendolyn Seay, age 82, were held at 10:30 a.m. on July 16, 2002, in the First Baptist Church in Estelline with Rev. B.G. Hill, Baptist Minister from Clarendon, officiating.  Burial was in Estelline Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors.

Mrs. Seay was born January 27, 1920, in Haslet, Texas, and was a resident of Clarendon for six years before moving to Estelline 46 years ago.  She married Thomas Howard Seay on July 27, 1941, in Harrold, Texas.  He preceded her in death on August 16, 2000.  She had been a teacher in the Estelline Schools for much of her life before her retirement.  She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Estelline.

Survivors include two daughters, Laynette Seay of Bowie and Elaine Arnwine of Pittsburg, Texas; one sister, Faye Hawkins of Galveston; six grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.