Obituaries

Funeral services for Stephen Wayne Harmon, age 49, were held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 22, 2001, in the First Baptist Church in Hedley with Rev. Bruce Howard, Pastor, officiating.  Entombment was held at 2:30 p.m. in Memory Gardens Cemetery Mausoleum in Pampa under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Harmon died Thursday, October 18, 2001, in North Richland Hills, Texas.  He was born July 8,, 1952, at Matador.  He was a former resident of Pampa and lived in New Jersey prior to moving to Richland Hills ten years ago.  He married Cheri Lou Lenning on November 1, 1970, at Pampa.  He was retired from the US Air Force and had served in Panama, Granada, and Desert Storm.  He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and of the American Legion.

He was preceded in death by an infant son, Kenneth Bryan Harmon, in 1972.

Survivors include his wife, Cheri Lou Harmon, of Richland Hills; three daughters, Karen Tucker and her husband Joe of Fort Hood, Terry Metzger and her husband Kirby of Wapakaneta, Ohio, and Lisa Harmon of Richland Hills; a brother, Tommy L. Harmon of Amarillo; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Harmon of Hedley; his mother and father-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Lenning of Liberty City; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services for Imogene Doyle Kerr, age 76, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 23, 2001, in the First Baptist Church in Claude with Rev. Gerald Aalbers, Pastor, and Rev. Jim Brown of Lubbock, officiating.  Burial was held in Claude Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mrs. Kerr died Friday, October 19, 2001, in Amarillo.  She was born October 30, 1924, at Thornberry, Texas, and had lived in Claude since 1930.  She married Billy Joe Kerr on September 6, 1948, at Claude.  He preceded her in death in 1988.  She was a member of La Tomps Club from 1948 until 1963, the First Baptist Church and the Searchers Sunday School class, and the Claude Duplicate Bridge Club.  She worked for Palo Duro Nursing Home as a certified nurses’ assistant from 1972 until 1977 and in the packaging department of Levi-Strauss and Company from 1978 until 1983.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Shorty Doyle; and two sisters, Mary Lucille Thomas and Mildred Frances Taylor.

Survivors include one daughter, Gwen Dene Kerr of Oklahoma City, OK; two sons, Ronald Joe “Ronnie” Kerr of Amarillo and Dale Lynn Kerr of Claude; 12 grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren.

Casket bearers were Fred Irby, P.J. Lemons, Kevin Simmons, and Jerry Morris.  Honorary bearers were Kern Kerr, Chris Montgomery, Tim Roberts, Jason Collins, Mark Smith, and Stacy Ozeretny.

The family requests that memorials be to the Claude First Baptist Church; BSA Hospice in Amarillo; or the American Cancer Society.

Funeral services for George Lewis Stone, age 91, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 19, 2001, in Robertson Chapel of Memories in Clarendon with Don Stone, Minister of the White Deer Church of Christ, officiating. Burial was held in Silverton Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Stone died Wednesday, October 17, 2001, in Amarillo.  He was born June 16, 1910, in Blue, Oklahoma, and was a resident of Silverton before moving to Clarendon in 1929.  He was a rancher and general laborer much of his life before his retirement.  He was a US Army veteran of World War II and a member of the Clarendon Church of Christ.

Survivors include two sisters, Louise Riley of Clarendon and Sue Hardage of Altus, Oklahoma; two brothers, Ken Stone of Howardwick and Jay Stone of Clarendon; and five nieces and nephews.

Casket bearers were Jim Riley, Mac Stavenhagen, U.G. Swinney, Orsbain Perkins, Jim Owens, and Brent Riley.

Graveside services for Donald Matheson, age 87, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 12, 2001, in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon with Bright Newhouse, Minister of the Hedley Church of Christ, officiating.  Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Matheson died Wednesday, October 10, 2001, in Amarillo.  He was born February 13, 1914, in Paradise, Texas, and was a resident of Claude from 1974 until moving to Amarillo earlier this year.  He married Jimmie Lee Cole on December 22, 1936, at Childress.  He was a law enforcement officer, a cattle rancher, and heavy equipment operator much of his life before retiring in 1966.  He was a charter member of the Elks Lodge in Sierra Vista, Arizona, and a member of the Cochise County Sheriff’s Posse in Arizona.  He was a Baptist.

Survivors include his wife, Jimmie Lee Matheson of Amarillo; a son and daughter-in-law, Donald W. and Lynn Matheson of Arlington, TX; three grandchildren, Debra Gorkowski of Tucson, AZ; Dwayne Matheson of Landry AFB, VA; and Dannie Lee Alvarez of Tracy, CA; six great grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services for Ruth Matheson, age 88, were held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 17, 2001, in the First Baptist Church in Claude with Rev. Charles Davenport, of Tulia, officiating. Burial was held at Claude Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mrs. Matheson died Monday, October 15, 2001, at Hurst, Texas. She was born July 22, 1913, in Ashtola, Donley County, and lived in Armstrong County for more than 80 years. She married J.P. Matheson on January 29, 1937, at Goodnight. He preceded her in death in 1995. She was also preceded in death by a son, Larry Matheson, in 1993. The Matheson family ranched and farmed in the Goodnight and Claude area.  She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Claude.

Survivors include a daughter, Marilyn Matheson Beverly of Fort Worth; a granddaughter, Kerri Falkenberg and husband Randy and their children, Emily and Brent of Plainview; a granddaughter, Deanna Loiselle and husband Lance and their children Lane and Logan of Ponder, Texas; three sisters, Maude Talley of Amarillo, Cressie Baily of Houston, and Verna Massie of Claude.

A special music presentation was given by Peggy Shores during the visitation and funeral.

The family requests that memorials be to Claude Emergency Medical Services or the Claude Volunteer Fire Department.

A graveside ceremony for Betty Lewis Slick Young Bourland will be held at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon on Saturday, October 6 at 5:00 p.m. 

Mrs. Bourland was born in 1917 in Dallas and died on September 25, 2001, at her home.  However, it was her summers on the family RO Ranch near Clarendon which shaped the rest of her life.  Her ranch summers were spent on horseback, picnicking by the Salt Fork of the Red River, swimming in the spring, and above all, learning the ranch business by osmosis, stuck to her father, W.J. Lewis, every day he went to the ranch.

After her father died in 1960, Betty, with her sister, Anne, sold some parcels of ranchland, sold some of the breeding herd, and took on debt to pay the inheritance taxes and kept the core of the ranch. 

When she decided accounting firms didn’t know enough about ranching business to keep the books properly, she went back to school and learned to keep her own ranch books.  Ten years ago she put a plan into effect to transfer the ranch intact to her children and grandchildren.  Inheritance taxes were not going to diminish the ranch a second time.

Three years ago, Betty reached back to her teenage years and found George Bourland, her sweetheart before his naval career and World War II separated them.  Her marriage to George was a comfort and a closing of a ranch bounded life.

Betty is survived by her husband, George Bourland, originally of Clarendon and now of Dallas; her sister, Anne Lewis David of Houston; her children, William Slick of Las Vegas, NM; John S. Young, Jr. of Seattle, WA; Anne Young Shelton of Clarendon; and Susan Young Levanas of Dallas; her grandchildren, Erin, Tara, Dave, John, James, and Will; and her great grandchild, Sean Michael.

Memorials may be made in her name to St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, PO Box 1078, Clarendon, Texas 79226.

Services for May Ellen Huntley, age 78, of Lubbock were held at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, September 24, 2001, at the First Christian Church with the Rev. Michael Passmore officiating.

Mrs. Huntley died Thursday, September 20, 2001. She was born January 22, 1923, in Weinert and married Henry J. Huntley on September 5, 1942, in Lubbock.  He died in 1991.  She graduated from Plainview High School in 1939 and taught at Draughon’s Business School.  She later worked in the office at Gibson’s Discount Store and retired from the US Postal Service.

She had been a member of First Christian Church in Lubbock since 1947 and was a member of the Harvesters’ Sunday School class.

A daughter, Helen Joan, died in 1970.

Survivors include a son, Henry J. Jr. of California; a daughter, Mary Evelyn Shapiro of California; a sister, Joyce Combs of Clarendon; and one grandchild.

Graveside services for Walter A. “Cotton” Nelson, age 80, were held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 2, 2001, in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon with Don Stone, Minister of the White Deer Church of Christ, and Mike Suiter, Minister of the San Jacinto Church of Christ in Amarillo, officiating. Burial was held at Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Nelson died Saturday, September 29, 2001, in Claude. He was born February 3, 1921, in Wellington. He was a member of the 1939 Wellington Skyrocket State Championship Football Team and went on to play football as a Texas Tech Red Raider. His education was interrupted by World War II during which he served in the US Navy from 1941 to 1945. He returned to Texas Tech where he completed his degree and met and married his wife of 53 years, Mary Beth Dupree, on March 20, 1948. They moved to Amarillo in 1951 where he worked for National Gypsum Co. for 11 years and then the Amarillo ISD for 14 years. They moved to Clarendon in 1978 where he farmed and retired. He was a member of the Clarendon VFW Post 7782 and a member of the Clarendon Church of Christ.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John Rufus and Nona Ingram Nelson; a brother, Claude Nelson; and a son, Michael Walter Nelson.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Beth Nelson of Clarendon; three daughters, Janis Dudley of Hereford, Sharon Martin of Amarillo, and Jill Christal of Baton Rouge, LA; two sons-in-law, Mike Christal and Russell Martin; nine grandchildren; and seven great grandchildren.

Casket bearers were grandsons Jared Christal, Todd Dudley, Tim Dudley, Tige Tackett, Chris Paddock, Anthony Mendez, Gabe Marinez; and sons-in-law, Mike Christal and Russell Martin.

The family requests that memorials be to Clarendon VFW Post 7782 or BSA Hospice.

John T. Tucker, 68,  died Sunday, Sept. 30, 2001, in Azle.

Services will be Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in Greenwood Chapel. Burial will follow in Greenwood Memorial Park.

Visitors were received Wednesday at Greenwood Funeral Home.

Tucker, a retired truck driver, was born Feb. 25, 1933, in Parker County. He is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Vera Tucker of Weatherford; daughters, Lori Morelock and husband, David, and Valerie Shaeffer all of Weatherford; grandchildren, Jeanna Morelock and George Shaeffer both of Weatherford; brother, James C. Tucker and wife, Martha, of Weatherford; numerous nieces, nephews, and other extended family; special friends, Bill and Mo Dillingham of Azle and Bob and Betty Rogers of Weatherford.

Funeral services for Elmer “Skeet” Brown, age 84, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 18, 2001, in Groom Cemetery in Groom with Todd Gresham, grandson, officiating.  Burial was held in Groom Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Brown died Sunday, September 16, 2001, in Clarendon.  He was born February 12, 1917, in Goodnight, Texas, and had lived in Carson, Donley, and Potter Counties most of his life.  He married Frances Eileen Rhoades on April 9, 1938, at Clarendon.  He had been a rancher most of his life and had worked at various ranching jobs including 40 years at the T.L. Roach Ranch and 11 years at the Charlie McMurtry Ranch.  He was a Baptist.

Survivors include his wife, Eileen Brown of Clarendon; two daughters, Charlotte Trostle of Lubbock and Betty Gresham of Tulsa, OK; one son, Wayne Brown of McKinney; one brother, Marvin Brown of Amarillo; one sister, Helen Smith of Los Angeles, CA; seven grandchildren, Gary Davis of Groom, Eddie Finck of Groom, Todd Gresham of Hopkinton, MA, Mandi Smith of McKinney, Michelle Hassell of Tulsa, OK, Fred Frinck of Lubbock, and Debbie Parks of Colorado Springs, CO; and 11 great grandchildren, Carrie Sue Davis and Kris Anne Davis of Groom, April Finck and Adam Finck of Lubbock, Kelvin Finck of Nebraska, Jacob Smith and Morgan Smith of McKinney, Joshua Hassell and Madelyn Hassell of Tulsa, OK, and Cameron Gresham and Zachary Gresham of Boston, MA.