Obituaries

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.

Graveside services for Alfred “Tuffy” Reynolds, age 84, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday at Memory Gardens Cemetery with Pastor Lonny Robbins of Trinity Fellowship Church, officiating.  Arrangements were under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors.

Mr. Reynolds died September 19, 2001, in Pampa.  He was born July 29, 1917, in Eufaula, Oklahoma.  He married Alta Holt on December 23, 1950, in Pampa.  She preceded him in death in 1991.  He worked for Cabot Carbon Black for 30 years, retiring as a foreman.  He had been a resident of Howardwick from 1975 until 1998 when he moved to Pampa.  He was a Baptist.  He was a member of the Pampa Lions Club and the VFW.  He was a veteran of the US Army, serving during World War II where he was awarded the Purple Heart.  He was preceded in death by one son, Alfred Lee Reynolds in 1997, and two daughters, Sandra Morris in 1983 and Diana Logan in 1991.

Survivors include one son, Ricky Reynolds of Pampa; two daughters, Sherrill Cloud of Plainview and Betty Reames of Pampa; two sisters, Dee Dalton and Lillie Chamberlain, both of Pampa; 15 grandchildren; and 16 great grandchildren.

Funeral services for Clarence Francis Garman, age 89, were held at 10 a.m. on Monday, September 17, 2001, in Robertson Chapel of Memories with Rev. James Ivey Edwards, Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Clarendon, officiating. Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc.

Mr. Garman died Thursday, September 13, 2001, in Amarillo. He was born August 6, 1912, in Greensburg, Kansas, and was a resident of Donley County much of his life. He was married to Blanchie Juanita McCrary, who preceded him in death on December 6, 1983. He was a cobbler in his early life and owned and operated his own business for several years. Later he was employed by the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad, then by Western Pacific Railroad for many years before retiring. He was a US Army Veteran of World War II and was a member of the Amarillo Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.

Survivors include one son, Duane Garman of Clarendon; two daughters, Oveta Nielsen of San Antonio and Derenda Garrett of Lubbock; 16 grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; and two great great grandchildren.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be to Medical Center Nursing Home or Associated Ambulance Authority.

Graveside services for Ruth Elvira Chapman, age 94, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 25, 2001, in Llano Cemetery in Amarillo with Paul Sneed officiating. Arrangements were under the direction of N.S. Griggs & Sons Funeral Directors in Amarillo.

Mrs. Chapman died Thursday, August 23, 2001, in Amarillo. She was born in Eldorado, Oklahoma. She grew up in Miami, Pampa, and Lefors. She married Alexander M. “Bud” Chapman on August 24, 1938, in Clayton, NM.

Mr. Chapman preceded her in death on March 5, 1985. Mrs. Chapman had ranching interests at Endee, MN, and Broken Bow and Tryon, Nebraska. She was the owner of Orchid Beauty Salon. She had been a beautician for more than 50 years with salons in Shamrock, Vega, and Amarillo. She was a member of the Central Church of Christ.

Survivors include four daughters, Roxie Thomas Brownlee of Clarendon, Clara J. Chapman Driggs of Denver, Victoria E. Grogan of Fritch, and J. Rose Chapman Ballard of Phoenix; a sister, Rose Hall of Clarendon; 23 grandchildren; 24 great grandchildren; and 28 great great grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials be to High Plains Children’s Home and Family Services, 11451 S. Western St., Amarillo, TX 79118; or to a favorite charity.

Rev. Horace Burdett Hitt of Cisco died Monday, July 30, 2001, at Eastland, Texas. Services were conducted at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 2, 2001, at Pioneer Baptist Church at Pioneer, Texas. Rev. Lane Franks officiated, assisted by Rev. Dwaine Clower. Burial was held in Crossroads Cemetery near Ranger under the direction of Kimbrough Funeral Home.

Mr. Hitt was born on Jun 10, 1925, south of Tell in Childress County. He was the son of Horace Water and Emma Lee Johnson Hitt. He attended the Tell School for several years and graduated from Lelia Lake High School in Donley County in 1943.

Mr. Hitt was a farmer, rancher, and a Baptist minister after the war. He served in mission churches in New Mexico, Utah, Southside Baptist Church at Tell, and several churches in the Eastland County area, Farmington, New Mexico, and Andrews, Texas. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Pioneer Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife, the former Frances Rushing of Cisco; three sons, Bobby Hitt of Austin, Stanley Hitt of Dallas, and Bill Hitt of Breckenridge; four daughters, Shelia Cabe of Denver, Colorado, Debbie Stoltzfus of Morgantown, Penn., Carla Griffith of Ephrata, Penn, and Shala Rodgers of New Holland, Penn.; a sister, Louise Hitt Copeland Sexton of Palestine; a brother, Don Hitt of Farmington, New Mexico; 15 grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. He is also survived by several cousins and other relatives in the Childress area.