Obituaries

Funeral services for Ethel Mann Dingler, age 95, were held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 2, 2001, in the First Baptist Church with Rev. Truman Ledbetter, pastor, officiating. Burial was held at Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc.

Mrs. Dingler died Friday, June 29, 2001, in Clarendon. She was born February 13, 1906, in Hale Center and was a lifetime resident of Donley County. She attended Donley County schools and was married to Gilbert Mann, Sr. He preceded her in death in 1955. She then married Richard Dingler who preceded her in death in 1986. She was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church in Clarendon.

Survivors include two sons, Gilbert Mann, Jr., of Amarillo and Jiggs Mann of Clarendon; six step-daughters, Ruby Jewell Hardin of Clarendon, Frances Grimland and Catherine Cosper both of Amarillo, Joyce Watkins of Midland, Joe Ellen Cowan of Tulia, and Glenna Cash of Topeka, Kansas; 26 grandchildren and step-grandchildren; many great grandchildren and step great grandchildren; and several great great grandchildren and step great great grandchildren.

Casket bearers and honorary casket bearers were employees and staff of Medical Center Nursing Home in Clarendon.

Funeral services for Fred Lee Patterson, age 82, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 28, 2001, in Adams Funeral Chapel in Wellington with Brian Gochenour, minister of the Clarendon Church of Christ, officiating.  Burial was held at the Dobson Cemetery under the direction of Adams Funeral Home in Wellington.

Mr. Patterson died Tuesday, June 26, 2001, in Clarendon.  He was born in Batesville, Arkansas.  He came to Dodson in 1924.  He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II in Guam, New Guinea, and the Philippines.  He graduated from Dobson High School in 1936. He moved to Clarendon in 1991 to be near family. He was a retired farmer and a member of the Church of the Nazarene. 

Survivors include a sister, Betty White of Clarendon; a brother-in-law, Elvis White of Clarendon; and a sister-in-law, Ruby Patterson of Wellington.

Pallbearers were Jerry Lewis, Tommy Lewis, Eddie Davis, Tim Harris, Kendall Harris, and Lanny Ford.

Memorials may be made to Dodson Cemetery.

Funeral services for Lillie Ruth Messer, age 97, were held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, 2001, in the Hedley Church of Christ with Bright Newhouse, Minister, officiating.  Burial was held in Rowe Cemetery in Hedley under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mrs. Messer died Wednesday, June 20, 2001, in Clarendon.  She was born September 17, 1903, in Hess, Greer County, Oklahoma, and came to Texas at age 2.  She had been a lifetime resident of the Hedley area.  She married Olen Ferral “Pete” Messer on October 6, 1921, at Memphis.  He preceded her in death in 1985.  She was a wonderful cook.   She was a homemaker, a farmer, and was a member of the Hedley Church of Christ.

She was preceded in death by her parents; five sisters; one brother, and a daughter-in-law.

Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Nelda and Jim Hudson of Amarillo; one son, Doyle Messer of Hedley; five grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; and many wonderful friends.

Casket bearers were Max Hudson, Lyndon Messer, Stuart Messer, Mike Hines, Ashton Hines, and Aaron Hines.

The family requests that memorials be to Rowe Cemetery Association in Hedley.

Funeral services for Gennielle Cherry, age 67, of Amarillo, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, 2001, in Schooler-Gordon Funeral Directors Chapel in Amarillo with Rev. Terry Tamplen, pastor of Kingswood United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Schooler-Gordon Funeral Directors.

Mrs. Cherry died Wednesday, May 30, 2001. She was a member of the Kingswood United Methodist Church and a Sunday school class member. She also was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Widows Club, and past president and zone chairman of the Lions Club 2T1. She was a homemaker and a volunteer of the High Plains Eye Bank.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lynn Cherry, in 1992 and a grandson, B.J., in 1997.

Survivors include a daughter, Debbie Lynn Hamilton of Clarendon; a son, Douglas Lee Cherry of Silverton; and four grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials be to Crown of Texas Hospice.

Services for Floyd C. Crofford, age 98, of Amarillo were held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 20, 2001, at South George Baptist Church with Rev. Bob Miller, officiating.  Burial followed at Rowe Cemetery in Hedley at 2:00 p.m. under the direction of Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors in Amarillo.

Mr. Crofford died June 17, 2001.  He was born July 17, 1902, in Rule, Texas.  His family later moved to Kelton, Texas.  He married Gracie Lorene Williams at Claude on November 27, 1923.  They were married 70 years before her death in 1993.

Mr. Crofford was a farmer, having farmed at Hedley, Clarendon, Hereford, Colorado, and Bushland before retiring in 1976.  He was a deacon emeritus at South Georgia Baptist Church where he had served for 29 years.  Mr. Crofford was a member of the church choir and the Sunshiners.  He loved singing and playing his fiddle.  He also served on the Board of Trustees for Martin School located near Clarendon in the 1940s.

Mr. Crofford was preceded in death by his loving wife, Gracie; a daughter, Bobbie Lademan; his mother, father, three sisters, and two brothers.

Survivors include one daughter, Margie Crofford Phillips, and her husband, Billy M. Phillips of Amarillo; one son, F.G. Crofford and his wife, Bonnie, also of Amarillo; three granddaughters; one grandson; eight great grandchildren; one great great grandson; and many wonderful friends.

The family suggests memorials to be to United We Build Fund at South Georgia Baptist Church, 5209 S. Georgia, Amarillo, TX 79110.

Jerry Wayne Moore, age 68, passed away on Monday, June 11, 2001.  Services were held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 14, 2001, at Elmwood Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Wayne Lenz officiating with burial following at Elmwood Memorial Park under the direction of Elmwood Funeral Home.

Mr. Moore was born September 23, 1932, to Andrew Hayden and Lois Phillips Moore. He served our country in the Armed Services Division from 1953 to 1955 where he received a Medal of Good Conduct. He proceeded to attend West Texas State University, where he graduated with a degree in Business. Wayne was employed by Texas Employment Commission as a Tax Supervisor from his graduation until his retirement in 1993. Following his retirement, he began devoting his life to what he loved doing, volunteering his time with a loving commitment to helping anyone in need. He was honored by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in the years 1998 and 2001 for over 1,000 hours of community service as an RSVP volunteer. He also received the Volunteer of the Year Award in 1999 and 2000 from Meals on Wheels, with the 2001 award bringing him recognition during Meals on Wheels’ 25th anniversary celebration. Wayne spent countless hours each day building wheelchair ramps, providing transportation, and helping out the community of Abilene in any way he could. His presence will be missed by all whose lives he touched.

He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Kelly and Tim Goupil of New Berlin, NY; Jerri and Greg James of Alpharetta, GA; sisters and brothers-in-law, Jacqueline and Doyle Wells of Floydada, Linda and Dwight Blair of Lubbock; brothers and sisters-in-law, James and JoAnne Moore of Canyon Lake, Gorgon and Wanda Moore of Vega, Jack and Sue Moore of Lubbock; and three grandchildren, Cody Goupil, Casey Goupil, and Olivia James.

The family requests that memorials be made in his memory to Meals on Wheels, PO Box 903, Abilene, TX 79605.

Memorial services for Berkeley Gentry Ryan Neece, age 84, will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, 2001, in St. John The Baptist Episcopal Church in Clarendon with Rev. Ned Creswell, Retired Episcopal Minister of Amarillo, and Rev. Jim Aveni, St. John The Baptist Episcopal Church Deacon, officiating. Cremation was on Wednesday, June 20, 2001, at Memorial Park Crematory in Amarillo with private committal services to be held on Friday, June 22, 2001, at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mrs. Neece died Tuesday, June 19, 2001, in Clarendon. She was born February 4, 1917, in Clarendon and was a lifetime Clarendon resident. She married Lawrence Chester Neece on April 4, 1943, at Clarendon. He preceded her in death on November 16, 1994. She was a homemaker and a member of St. John The Baptist Episcopal Church in Clarendon.

Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law, Emily Neece Wilson and husband Rev. Charles A. Wilson of Amarillo; one son and daughter-in-law, Lawrence G. “Larry” Neece and wife Barbara of San Diego, California; six grandchildren, Nomi Ryder of Lake Elsinore, CA; David Davis of Dayton, TX; Kathryn Miller of Amarillo; Kevyn Bobo of Huntsville, TX; Brian Wilson of Spring, TX; and Kevin Wilson of The Woodlands, TX; and 8 great grandchildren, Crystal Murry of Houston; Jill Davis of Dayton, TX; Tina Richards of Amarillo; Mercedes Miller of Amarillo; Richard Miller of Amarillo; Alison Wilson of The Woodlands, TX; Skylar Lucas, deceased; and Kelsey Wilson of The Woodlands, TX.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be to St. John The Baptist Episcopal Church, Donley County Senior Citizens Association, Citizens Cemetery Association in Clarendon, or to Catholic Family Services in Amarillo.

Funeral services for Stephanie Yolanda Wilson, age 25, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, 2001, in the True Church of God in Christ in Clarendon with Rev. Grover Neal, Pastor of the St. John Baptist Church in Amarillo, officiating. Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Miss Wilson died Friday, June 8, 2001, in Amarillo. She was born July 21, 1975, in Memphis, Texas. She was preceded in death by her grandmother, Stella Alexander and one brother, Terance Wilson.

Survivors include her mother, Gloria Wilson of Memphis; her father, Charles Sessions; her grandfather, Clifford Alexander of Clarendon; two sisters, LeNettie Wilson of Liberal, KS, and Angela Wilson of Banning, CA; and two brothers, Benjamin Wilson of Clarendon and Danny McCampbell of Queensboro, KY.

The family suggests that memorials be to Community Options, in Memory of Stephanie Wilson, 801 South Fillmore, Suite 230, Amarillo, TX 79101.

Joe C. Arthur, 85, a retired account executive, died Monday, June 4, 2001, in Granbury.

Memorial services were held at 2 p.m. June 6, 2001, at Gambrell Street Baptist Church.

Mr. Arthur was born June 6, 1915, in Crowell and moved to Southland at the age of six months. He graduated from Southland High School and attended Wayland Baptist University, where he played football, basketball and tennis.

He was in the Merchant Marine during World War II and in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and served as music and education minister for Baptist churches in Dalhart, Clarendon, Amarillo, Mineola, Littlefield and Lubbock. He was a deacon at Gambrell Street Baptist Church and served on various boards of Wayland Baptist University and Round Rock Children’s Home. He retired from A.B. Culbertson Co. as an account executive. He lived in Dallas for 15 years and then in Fort Worth for 20 years.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnye Huff Arthur, in 1992. Survivors include sons, Lynvol of Glen Rose, D’Nard of Lubbock, and David Huff of Saginaw; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one sister, Madeline Weeks of Wichita Falls; and Violet Dawes Arthur, the mother of sons, Lynvol and D’Nard.

Memorials may be to the general scholarship fund at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Office of Development, 1900 West 7th Street, Box 621, Plainview, Texas 79072.

Funeral services for Oley J. Milham, age 99, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, 2001, in Robertson Chapel of Memories in Clarendon with Brian Gochenour, Minister of the Clarendon Church of Christ, officiating. Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mr. Milham died Thursday, June 7, 2001, in Shamrock. He was born October 1, 1901, in Mena, Arkansas, and was a resident of Clarendon before moving to McLean in 1957. He married Nora Arlene Jackson on September 5, 1960, at Wellington. He was a farmer, rancher, and carpenter much of his life before his retirement. He was a member of the McLean Church of Christ.

He was preceded in death by a son, Tomas Milham, and a daughter, Joy Milham.

Survivors include his wife, Nora Milham of McLean; one son, Larry Milham of Dallas; two daughters, Oleta Fay Williamson of Smithville, OK, and Betty Trice of San Antonio; ten grandchildren; and several great grandchildren.