Obituaries

Funeral services for David Alan Wood, age 43, were held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, January 19, 2001, at Resthaven Mortuary in Wichita, Kansas.  Arrangements were under the direction of Resthaven Mortuary in Wichita.

Mr. Wood died January 16, 2001 in Wichita.  He was born in Clarendon.

Survivors include his mother, Helen Parsley of Wichita; and two brothers, Patrick Wood of Gails Ferry, Conn; and Steven Wood of Haysville, KS.

Rosary services for Ella Verkamp, age 89, of Idalou were held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, 2001, in Englunds Chapel with the  Msgr. Roland Buxkemper, pastor of St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church of Idalou officiating. Resurrection Mass Services were held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 56, 2001, in St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church of Idalou with Msgr. Roland Buxkemper officiating. Burial was held in Englewood Cemetery under the direction of Englunds Funeral Service.

Mrs. Verkamp died Sunday, June 3, 2001, at 2:52 p.m. in Convenant Medical  Center after an extended illness. She was born June 26, 1911, in Nazareth, Texas, and had briefly lived in Lockney before moving to Slaton in 1913. She was in the first class of Slaton’s St. Joseph Catholic School when it opened. She married Edwin H. Verkamp on November 24, 1932, in Slaton, and he preceded her in death on June 24, 1972. They moved to Idalou in January of 1954. She was a member of St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church and the Altar Society.

She was preceded in death by a son, Marvin Verkamp, on May 1, 2001.

Survivors include one son, Robert Verkamp of Nazareth; two daughters, Lucille Verkamp of Lubbock and Norma Jean Schwertner of Clarendon; two brothers, Tony and Bernard Steffens, both of Slaton, Texas; one sister, Lena Respondek of Slaton; 14 grandchildren; and 16 great grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials to St. Joseph Catholic School, 205 S. 19th Street, Slaton, Texas 79364 or Idalou Meals on Wheels, PO Box 885, Idalou, Texas 79329.

Graveside services were held for Wesley Merle Ashcraft, age 60, at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 13, 2001, in Citizens Cemetery with Rev. Bill Hodges, Pastor of the Clarendon Church of the Nazarene, officiating.  Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc.

Mr. Ashcraft died Thursday, January 11, 2001, in Amarillo.  He was born October 29, 1940, in Clarendon and was a lifetime Clarendon resident.  He was employed at various places in Clarendon before his retirement.  He was a member of the Clarendon Church of the Nazarene.

Survivors include one son, Jesse Ashcraft of Amarillo; his parents, Woodrow and Corene Ashcraft of Clarendon; one brother, Jimmy Ashcraft of Kileen; three sisters, JoVeta Sasser of Odessa, Nancy Watson of Clarendon, and Judy Haire of Clarendon; and four grandchildren.

Creed Smith, age 83, died January 15, 2001, in Pampa.

Services for Mr. Smith were pending at press time with Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors in Pampa.

Mr. Smith was born September 6, 1917, in Roxton, Texas.  He was reared in Estelline.  He was a member of the Texas Defense Guard from 1941 until 1943.  He joined the US Navy in 1943, serving during World War II as a Seabee.  He was discharged in 1946.  He married Marrion “Jake” Clesta Anderson in 1949 at Pampa.  He began working for Skelly Oil Co. in 1946 and retired as plant superintendent from Getty Oil in 1982.  He moved to Clarendon in 1983 when he bought a farm.  He returned to Pampa in 2000.  He was a member of the Central Church of Christ and the Pampa Masonic Lodge #966 AF & AM.

Survivors include his wife, Jake, of the home; one son, Kirk Smith of Hooker, Oklahoma; four grandchildren; and six great grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the West Texas A&M University Music Department, 2501 4th Ave, Canyon, Texas 79015.

Graveside services were held for Jennette Moore Campbell, age 78, at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 5, 2001, in Claude Cemetery with Dr. Charles Davenport, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Tulia, officiating.  Burial was held in Claude Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc.

Mrs. Campbell died Tuesday, January 2, 2001, at Claude.  She was born July 9, 1922, in Gainesville, Texas, and was raised in White Deer.  She moved from White Deer to Claude 55 years ago.  She married LeRoy Campbell on March 9, 1947, at Claude.  She was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church in Claude where she taught the ladies’ Sunday school class for 16 years.

Survivors include her husband, LeRoy Campbell of Claude; three daughters, Debra Vincent of Claude, Dianne Ollinger of Claude, and Leslie Skelton of Amarillo; two sons, Edwin Campbell of Clarendon and Wayne Campbell of Plano; her twin sister, Geneva Reed of Claude; 14 grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.

Casket bearers were Brandon Vincent, Jerrid Vincent, Jeremy Vincent, Chad Campbell, Orry Skelton, and Heath Skelton.

Graveside services for Virginia Lee Taylor, age 55, were held at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 8, 2001, in Citizens Cemetery with Rev. Bryan Knowles, Baptist minister, officiating.  Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc.

Mrs. Taylor died Saturday, January 6, 2001, in Memphis.  She was born March 6, 1945, in Rigley, Maryland, and was a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, before moving to Clarendon in 1964.  She married Kenneth Abner Taylor on May 10, 1960, at Cincinnati, Ohio.  She was a homemaker.

Survivors include her husband, Kenneth Taylor of Clarendon; two sons, Eddie Taylor of Amarillo and Rick Taylor of Amarillo; and two brothers, Harold Middleton of Amarillo and Johnny Middleton of Memphis.

Funeral services for Bill Chilton, age 70, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3, 2001, in Carmichael-Whatley Colonial Chapel, with Dr. Randy White, pastor of First Baptist Church, officiating.  Burial was held at Memory Gardens Cemetery under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors of Pampa. 

Mr. Chilton died Sunday, December 31, 2000, in Pampa.  He was born on July 18, 1930, in Clarendon where he was reared on a ranch and was active in rodeo.  He came to Pampa in 1981 from Amarillo.  He married Robbie Messinger on May 29, 1970 at Greenbelt Lake.  He was a self-employed electrician and was a member of the First Baptist Church.  He was a member of the Pampa Rifle Club and the Pampa Amateur Radio Club with the call number W5EEF.  He was an avid hunter and sportsman.

Survivors include his wife, Robbie Chilton of the home; four sons, Charles Patrick Chilton of Oklahoma City, Michael Alfred Chilton of Purcell, OK, Jesse Steven Chilton of Pampa, and James Lynn Chilton of Lubbock; one stepdaughter, Jeanine Russell of Dallas; two sisters, Shirley Hargrove of Pampa and Opal Yount of Oklahoma City; 14 grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church Renovation Fund, 203 N. West., Pampa, TX 79065.

Graveside services for Letha Ora Denney, age 97, were held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2, 2001, in Pleasant Grove Cemetery #3 in Chico, Texas, with Rev. Jerry L. Miller, Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Decatur, Texas, officiating.  Burial was held in Pleasant Grove Cemetery #3 in Chico under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc. of Clarendon.

Mrs. Denney died Sunday, December 31, 2000, in Clarendon.  She was born September 6, 1903, in Collin County, Texas, and was a resident of Decatur before moving to Clarendon in 1993.  She married T.S. Denney on May 2, 1926, at Decatur.  He preceded her in death in 1970.  She was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church in Hobart, Oklahoma.

Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law, Virginia and Nelson Christie of Clarendon; one sister, Lizzie Mae Jones of Decatur, Texas; two grandchildren, Mike Christie of Gallup, NM, and Jane Roanhorse of Chinle, AZ; and three great grandchildren.

Funeral services for Rittie Louise White Jeffers, age 84, were held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 4, 2001, in the Martin Baptist Church with Rev. Bryan Knowles, Baptist Minister from Clarendon, and Rev. Darrell Burton, Pastor, officiating.  Burial was held in Citizens Cemetery under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc., of Clarendon.

Mrs. Jeffers died Monday, January 1, 2001, in Temple, Texas.  She was born March 20, 1916, in Oklahoma City.  She had been a long time resident of Clarendon before moving to Temple three months ago.  She married Robert Austin White on October 30, 1934, at Clarksville, Texas.  He preceded her in death on November 13, 1971.  She married Raymond Jeffers in 1978 at Clarendon and he preceded her in death on November 14, 1997.  She was employed for several years at the Clarendon Public School Cafeteria before her retirement.  She was a Baptist.

Survivors include three daughters, Joyce Neal of Clarendon, Jane Hall of Holland, Texas, and Charlene Mills of Gladewater, Texas; one son, Bud White of Clarendon; one sister, Betty Powell of California; one brother, Sonny Covington of Detroit, Texas; ten grandchildren; 22 great grandchildren; and five great great grandchildren.

Memorial services for Wesley Carroll Knorpp, age 92, were held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 30, 2000, in Robertson Chapel of Memories with Dr. Buddy Hudson, family friend from Hurst, officiating.  Cremation took place at Memorial Park Crematory in Amarillo, on Friday, December 29, 2000.  Arrangements were under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors, Inc. of Clarendon and Rector Funeral Home in Amarillo.

Mr. Knorpp died Thursday, December 28, 2000, in Amarillo.  He was born May 18, 1908, in Clarendon and was a lifetime resident of Donley County.  He married Gertrude Dorris Parr on May 19, 1932, at Long Beach, California.  She preceded him in death on May 11, 1994.  He was employed at the Donley County State Bank in Clarendon from 1928 until retiring in 1995 and was a bank officer.  He was one of the persons instrumental in the building and development of Lake Greenbelt.  He was a long-time member of the Clarendon Lions Club and the Clarendon Masonic Lodge #700.  He was also a member of the First United Presbyterian Church in Clarendon.

Survivors include one daughter, Dorris Bliss Knorpp of Clarendon; one son, Wesley Parr Knorpp of Rowlett, Texas; three grandchildren, Niki Walker of South Lake, Texas, Laurie Shafield of Santa Barbara, California, and Michele Davis of Palestine, Texas; and ten great grandchildren including Kesley, Logan, and Miranda Walker of South Lake, Texas.

The family respectfully requests that memorials be made to BSA Hospice, PO Box 950, Amarillo, Texas 79176-0950.