1945-49
Salla Bradshaw, BA ’45, of Celina, TX, died Dec. 30 at age 101.
Salla Bradshaw’s life was sprinkled with S’s. Starting with her birth 101 years ago in the small southern community of Swink, Oklahoma, she was the only one of six siblings born in the Sooner State. At age three, her Gammill parents packed up the family and moved across the Oklahoma border to Arbala, a small community in Hopkins County, Texas.
Her story jumps back and forth across the Red River for many decades. At 98, she was still living at her home three miles outside of Celina, Texas. Salla surrendered her driver’s license when she sold her Chevy Malibu at the age of 97. “I wanted to sell it before my family asked me to hand over the keys,” she said sassily. Salla’s life was a love story. Outliving two husbands and her son John Stephens, she shared her love with her two daughters, Kay and Judy, her two “ornery” sons-in-law, Larry and John, seven grandchildren Karli, Kirk, Don, Josh, Katie, Johnie, Adam and 16 great-grandchildren. “Ray Stephens was the love of my life,” Bradshaw said upon reflecting on her marriage with her first husband and father of her three children. She married at age 17 on December 27, 1933, to her “preacher” husband.
On September 1, 1934, with $20 and not much else, she and Ray moved to Plainview, Texas to enroll at Wayland Baptist College. In the Spring of 1937, the young couple transferred to Baylor University and later graduated with Bachelor’s degrees, of which she was most proud. After Ray’s death, Salla taught school in Frederick, Oklahoma and raised her children in that wonderful small town that embraced and supported this single mom and family. Education was so important to Salla; she encouraged all her children and grandchildren to earn a college degree. The Salla Stephens Bradshaw and John Ray Stephens Endowed Scholarship at Wayland Baptist University is a continuance of their story… a couple who completely surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ, reaped his many wonderful blessings, and shared them with others. With this endowment, her dollars are still educating four to five college students each year.
From Salla’s experiences, she understood the struggles and challenges it took to get an education. After Ray’s death, Salla remarried and enjoyed 20 years with second husband, Lewis Edward “Blue” Bradshaw, a 57-year-old bachelor from Baytown, Texas. He introduced her to golfing as the two traveled the world playing golf as part of a group of mature golfers with low handicaps. “I don’t have a favorite place. It just all depended on the people we were traveling with,” she said. “I really enjoyed the Holy Land tour with my church, First Baptist of McKinney, though.” “I’ve done everything I ever wanted to do.” Bradshaw was a fountain of youth…spry and splendid, yes, a couple more S’s. She couldn’t promise where she’d be for more than a few days at a time. But she had places to go and people to see. Now off to Heaven, her greatest trip yet, her eternal everlasting home! We love you, Gia!
Those who so desire may make memorial donations in memory of Salla to The Salla Stephens Bradshaw and John Ray Stephens Endowed Scholarship at Wayland Baptist University, 1900 W 7th St, Plainview, TX 79072 or https://give.wbu.edu/
Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 4, 2018 at Matthews Funeral Home Chapel with interment on Friday, January 5,2017 at 1:00 p.m. at the Yantis Cemetery, Yantis, Texas.
Willie Merle “Billie” Clifton, BA ’45, of Portland, OR, died Jan. 26 at age 93.
Willie Merle “Billie” Harding Clifton, 93, passed away quietly Jan. 26, 2018 in Happy Valley, Ore. She is survived by three children, Carol, Lee (Dianne) and Lloyd (Ellen); 11 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her youngest brother, C. B. Harding (El Rose). Her other brother, Kirby Harding (Charldeen) died last year.
A graduate of Waco High School, Billie attended Baylor University before marrying Elliott Smith “Clif” Clifton, an Air Force Navigator, who was stationed in Waco. While her husband worked on his doctorate at Iowa State University, Billie studied home economics to further her dream of being a good wife and mother.
During their marriage, they lived in Kentucky, Iowa, Florida, Michigan and Arkansas. Billie made lifelong friends in all of those states which she maintained throughout her life. After her husband’s death in 1987, she moved back to Waco where she eventually started to work at the age of 72 as a greeter at the Stanley Compton Funeral Home. She also served on the Board of Directors for Rosemound Cemetery in Waco, Texas where she will be buried with her husband in the near future.
Mary Eleanor Marstaller, ’45, of Waco died Jan. 30 at age 95.
Mary Eleanor Leggott Marstaller went to her heavenly home on Tuesday, January 30, 2018. The Memorial service will be 1:30 p.m., Saturday, February 3, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, with the Rev. Tim Jarrell officiating. Visitation will follow the service. Mary Eleanor was born September 11, 1922, in Waco, Texas, to Arthur and Myrtle Leggott. A Waco native her entire life, she attended Waco schools, Baylor University, and 4-C Business College. On September 11, 1942, she married R.L. “Buster” Marstaller. For many years, she supported Buster in the family grocery business. Mary Eleanor was an active member of Austin Avenue United Methodist Church. For many years she honored and praised our Lord as she played beautiful hymns for her Sunday School class. The Scripture “Whatsoever you have done unto the least of these, you have done unto me,” guided her. She was always there to visit friends in the hospital, retirement centers, and shut-ins at home.
She was a doer and was known for delivering tons of homemade cookies and delicious chicken salad sandwiches when there were illnesses, deaths, or other needs. Mary Eleanor also loved playing bridge and was a member of several groups. She was devoted to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. After she learned of her aneurysm a few years ago, she elected to live life to the fullest. She continued to attend church, visit friends, enjoy family, exercise and play bridge. The Scripture “This is the day that Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it,” was how she lived.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and brothers, Bob Leggott and wife, Bobette, and Arthur “Red” Leggott, Jr., and wife, Carol. She is survived by her daughter, Lynda Conner and husband, Scott, of Naples, Florida; son, Bill Marstaller and wife, Karen, of Waco; grandson, Matt Marstaller and wife, Lindsey, of Waco and Clif Marstaller and wife, Beth, of Burleson, Texas; and seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother, D. T. Leggott and wife, Cecile, of Waco; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. Memorials may be made to Providence Hospice, Meals on Wheels, or Austin Avenue United Methodist Church. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.
Faith Lambrides Kaminski, BA ’46, of Jupiter, FL, died Jan. 31 at age 88.
Faith Maria Lambrides Kaminski, age 88, passed away on January 31, 2018, she was predeceased in death by her beloved husband, Arthur Charles Kaminski. Faith was most recently a resident of Allegro Jupiter for the past 4 years. Previously a longtime resident of Palm Beach Gardens since 1983, she served as the Senior Citizen Coordinator and Recreational Director for the City of Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Well known to many residents there, Faith planned and organized regular trips and outings in Florida, the USA and throughout the world for over 25 years. An avid game player, Faith was a regular poker, blackjack, bridge player, backgammon and a nationally recognized Scrabble player. Faith was both a parishioner, a Daughter of the King of Saint Mark’s Church, Palm Beach Gardens and member of their hospital chaplaincy program. Prior to her duties with the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Faith and Arthur were on Long Island in Brightwaters, NY where they raised their 2 children, Diane Kaminski Tice (David Tice) of Palm Beach Gardens, FL and Ronald Arthur Kaminski (Carrie Jean Weekley Kaminski) of Lighthouse Point, FL.
While in Long Island, Faith served the community in numerous capacities. Specifically, she was a Girl Scout Brownie Troop Leader for 30 years, Altar Guild Member of Saint Peters Church, Bay Shore, NY and Saint Mark’s Church, East Islip, NY, and many other community groups as well. Fluent in Spanish, Faith received her undergraduate degree (B.A.) from the University of Maryland in Psychology and Spanish. Prior colleges included Baylor University in Waco, TX, and Howard Payne University in Brownwood, TX. Faith was born in New York City to Victoria Elizabeth Lambrides and Army Chaplin John Lambrides. Her father’s ministry work moved the family from Laurel, MD, Columbia, SC and Austin, TX where she attended and graduated high school.
Faith is survived by her brother, Lt. Colonial (Ret.) Paul David Lambrides of Poinciana, FL. Faith had 5 grandchildren, Trevor Tice (Jillian Tice) of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Timothy Tice (Angela Tice) of Mount Pleasant, SC, Tara Tice Bell (Jason Bell) of Perrysburg, OH, Nicholas Kaminski of Denver, CO, and Andrew Kaminski of Arlington, VA. She also had 4 great-grandchildren, Declan, Gibson, Graham and Liam Tice. Funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 10th at 11:30AM at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 3395 Burns Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Hospice Foundation, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407.
(Published in The Palm Beach Post)
Margaret Uzzell Kerrick, BA ’46, of Owensboro, KY, died Jan. 12 at age 93.
Margaret U. Kerrick, 93, passed away Friday, January 12, 2018, while under the care of Hospice of Western Kentucky. Born October 19, 1924, to Wasson and Neva Taylor Uzzell, she grew up in Paris, TX, and graduated from Baylor University. In 1946, the city girl married a Daviess Countian, the late Fay W. Kerrick, and began learning the skills of a farm wife.
After ten years near Panther, they relocated to the Pleasant Ridge area and joined Friendship Baptist Church. She taught at Whitesville Elementary School from 1957 to 1985, then became active in the Daviess County-Owensboro Retired Teachers Association. Even after moving to the east side of Owensboro in 1991, she remained a faithful church member at Friendship.
Margaret loved spending time with her grandchildren and doing genealogy research with her late sisters, Drunell Summers and Georgianna Shipman. An avid reader and puzzle-solver, she also enjoyed singing and playing the piano, autoharp, and harmonica; traveling; and her work as a volunteer recording textbooks for the blind. She was a skilled seamstress and quilter, a prolific canner and freezer of fruits and vegetables, and had a wonderful sense of humor.
She is survived by her sons, Clyde Kerrick of Easley, SC, and Wasson (Jennifer) Kerrick, of Philpot; her daughter, Aleta Kerrick (Peter Schwarz) of San Jose, CA; and her grandchildren, Kendra and Wesley Kerrick and Maddy Schwarz. Her family is very grateful to those who visited and in other ways helped make her days more enjoyable during the last few years and months.
Services will be 2 p.m., Wednesday, January 17, 2018, at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday and after 12 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Owensboro Memorial Gardens.
Memorial contributions may take the form of donations to Meals on Wheels, c/o the Munday Activity Center, 1650 West 2nd Street, Owensboro, KY 42301.
Messages of condolence may be offered online at www.glenncares.com. (Published by Glenn Funeral Home)
Dr. Frankie Nell Nations Forist, BS ’47, MD ’50, of San Antonio died Nov. 26 at age 91.
On Sunday, November 26, 2017, Dr. Frankie Nell Nations Forist passed away at her home peacefully. She was 91 years young. Dr. Nations was born August 1, 1926 in Goldfinch, Texas to John Carroll Nations and Frankie Avant. She was Baptist, a proud mother of her children and will be missed by all of her family and friends.
The family she leaves behind to cherish her loving memory is her daughter Renelle; son-in-law Kelly Sellers; grandchildren Morgan, Chloe, and Austin. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband John William Forist; son John Blake Forist; brother Carroll Nations; sister’s Evelyn Smith Noble, and Mary Ross.
Funeral services will be celebrated on Friday, December 8, 2017 with a viewing at 2:00 p.m. and service at 2:30 p.m. at the Fred J. Tips Mausoleum Chapel in Mission Burial Park North Cemetery.
(Published in Express-News)
Patsy Creekmore Oates, BSN ’47, of Beaumont, TX, died Nov. 17 at age 92.
Patsy Ruth Creekmore Oates, born April 29, 1925, in Dean Springs, Arkansas, died peacefully at her daughter’s home in Houston, Texas on Nov 17, 2017. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Griffith Oates, her parents, Golda and Alton Creekmore, and her siblings, Gwendolyn Buddy, Bill Creekmore and Tom Creekmore. She is survived by her four children, Jay Oates and wife Jenny of Houston, William Oates and wife Cindy of Scottsdale Arizona, Scott Oates and wife Kathleen of Corpus Christi and Laurel Gonzalez and husband Ozzie of Houston. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Will Oates and wife Laura of Houston, Mary Polan and husband Parker of Austin, Leanne Vanecek and husband Peter of Los Angeles, Elizabeth Orr and husband Dan of Greenfield, Indiana, Rosser Oates of Dallas, Sam Gonzalez of Los Angeles, Nick Gonzalez of Houston, Suzanne Gonzalez also of Houston, and 7 great-grandchildren. While attending nursing school at Baylor in Dallas, Pat met Griff, a student at Baylor Dental School, and they married Dec. 21, 1947.
They moved to Beaumont, Texas, where Griff set up his practice in orthodontics and remained there for over 50 years. Patsy was a member of the Junior League of Beaumont and the Sabine District Dental Society Auxiliary. She volunteered at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, Planned Parenthood, and as a conflict mediator. After her children were grown, she became a realtor, which, as a people person, she really loved. Pat’s childhood during the Great Depression and the kind spirit of her parents created in her humility and empathy for all throughout her life. She was a lifelong learner and shared her joie de vivre with her family and friends. Pat was always open for a new adventure, a scintillating conversation, and a glass of wine. She will be remembered with love and respect. The family wishes to thank Michelle Evans for her excellent care of Pat over the past several years as she struggled with Alzheimer’s disease and Houston Hospice for their support in Pat’s final days. Funeral services will be private and a celebration of life will be held December 9. Memorial Remembrances may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Planned Parenthood of Houston.
(Published in the Beaumont Enterprise)
Helen Welch, BA ’47, of Dallas died Jan. 6 at age 91.
Helen Virginia Welch was born on September 16, 1926 in San Benito, Texas. She departed her earthly home and was welcomed into her eternal home at the age of 91 on January 6, 2018. She attended Baylor University, where she was a Baylor Beauty and a member of Athenean Sorority (now Kappa Kappa Gamma). Fred Eugene (Gene) Welch returned after his service in World War II where they met and fell in love. They were married on June 6, 1947 and celebrated 53 years of life together until Gene’s death on August 27, 2000. Gene and Helen moved to Dallas in 1947. Helen, after raising her family to school age, became a master teacher in two DISD schools for over 35 years. Helen’s life was a living testimony to her unwavering faithfulness and trust in her Lord. She and Gene joined the growing First Baptist Church of Dallas in 1947. Helen taught Sunday school in the junior division and for over 45 years touched the lives of hundreds of children.
Preceded in death by her husband seventeen years ago, she is survived by her four children: daughter Debe and her husband Scott Brakefield; daughter Linda and her husband Duke Jimerson Jr.; son Brad Welch and his wife Debbie; and daughter Tami Welch Schwarz. Eleven grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews and loving friends also survive her. We are grateful for her devoted caretakers: Evelyn, Berlin, Erika and Precious. A visitation will be held from 9AM - 8 PM at Restland Funeral Home on Thursday, January 11, 2018. A memorial service will be held at 10 AM on Friday, January 12, 2018 at The Wildwood Chapel at Restland Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her name to First Baptist Church Dallas 1707 San Jacinto St., Dallas, TX 75201. (Published in Dallas Morning News)
Charles Marion White Jr., BA ’47, of Cypress, TX, died Nov. 17 at age 96.
Charles M. White, Jr. age 96, entered into rest on November 17, 2017 in Cypress, Texas. He was born January 7, 1921 in Macon, Georgia to the late Lois & Charles M. White, Sr. He was preceded in death by his wife and the mother of his children, Doris Jean White. He is also survived by his second wife, Doris Wayne.
He is survived by his children, Robert L. “Bob” White and wife Judy and his daughter Linda Howell, his grandchildren Jason and his wife Laurie White, Jamie and her husband Reuben Soto and Hannah and her husband Trevor Contella, and 4 beautiful great grandchildren with one little girl on the way.
Charles was a US Navy veteran and devoted Christian, husband, father and grandfather.
In his life, he loved many things, golf, tennis, hunting and fishing and Baylor University where graduated and later he worked as a development officer for many years. He was a CPA and entrepreneur and held many positions as well as several self-employed businesses. His greatest business accomplishment was starting National Mail Advertising, which became one of the largest mail advertising processing companies in the south. He later became a Real Estate Agent and sold homes until he was in his 90’s.
All services will be held Monday, November 20, 2017 at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home & Cemetery. Visitation 1:30-2:30 pm. Graveside Service at 3:00 pm with Rev. Larry Bertrand Officiating. (Published by Dignity Memorial)
Anna Smith Wright, BA ’47, of Vernon, TX, died Nov. 23 at age 92.
At home, surrounded by her family, Anna Lois Smith Wright, 92, peacefully passed away into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on Nov. 23, 2017. She was born in Alcoa, Tenn. to Willie Mae Isbill Smith and James Fred Smith on May 10, 1925. Because of her father’s health, her family moved across the country and homesteaded west of Phoenix, Ariz., when she was eight years old. Anna grew up in the Tonopah desert and loved playing and exploring with her young brothers, sisters and friends. Throughout her life, she drew strength and purpose from experiences in her childhood and moved among us encouraging, inspiring and spreading hope and love to so many of the lives that she touched.
Her family eventually moved to Phoenix, where she graduated from Phoenix Union High School (Class of 1943). She then attended Phoenix Junior College and after two years, transferred to Baylor University in Waco, Texas where she met a handsome Texan, Bob Wright, when the Baylor student bus broke down on the way home from the Baylor/Texas football game in Austin. It was love at first sight, and they married three months later. They both shared a great love for Robert Browning and became close to their English professor and Browning collector, Dr. A. J. Armstrong. This was a passion they shared throughout their lives.
Anna believed that education was very important and after graduation from Baylor, she and Bob taught school in Taft, Texas and then moved to Bob’s hometown of Vernon where she taught elementary school in Chillicothe while Bob joined his father and brother in the family meat packing business, Wright Packing Company.
She and Bob soon started their family, and as a wife and mother, Anna’s first priority and greatest joy always included those activities involving Bob and her three children, Cheryl, Kelly and Gail, and later, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Nothing gave her greater pleasure than orchestrating a family get-together, a family summer vacation, a one-on-one trip with one of her children or grandchildren, and with tender regard for both family and friends, Anna made use of her remarkable gift for keeping her family connected.
As her children began leaving home, Anna enrolled at Midwestern University to earn her Masters degree in Education, and in 1972, when Vernon College first opened its doors, she joined the faculty as the first Sociology Instructor and became a mentor to the students in her classes. She is also a founding member of the Vernon College Foundation on which she served until 2006.
Inspired greatly by their college professor, Dr. A. J. Armstrong, Anna and Bob became lifelong philanthropists who determined to encourage others to reach their unique potential. They have been enthusiastic supporters of The Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor University and Vernon College.
Throughout her life Anna was actively involved with many civic and church groups. Her interest in local community work included countless volunteer hours in the company of like-minded friends, and her boundless energy was directed toward such organizations as the Boys and Girls Club of Vernon, Vernon College and Vernon College Foundation, Red River Valley Museum Guild, Republican Party of Wilbarger County, Vernon Musicians Club, Vernon Community Concert, Vernon Beautification Committee, Golden Wings Hospice Foundation and AAUW. She was also very active in First Presbyterian Church of Vernon where she was an Elder and sang in the choir.
Anna and Bob loved beautiful music, especially opera, which led Anna to become involved on The Southwestern Hospitality Board of the Metropolitan Opera and the Dallas Opera Board. She was also a dedicated and loyal sports fan and especially faithful to the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers. During her 12 plus years in bed after her stroke in 2005, each game she watched became the highlight of the day!
Anna was awarded as A Woman of Distinction by the AAUW of Texas at the Centennial Biennium Convention in 2006, and she and Bob were awarded the 2012 Benefactor of the Year Award by the Council for Community College Resource Development in Washington, D. C.
We would like to extend a very special thank you to the two Caregivers who have taken incredible care of our sweet Anna for over ten years, Betty Piper and Dale Jackson, as well as several other kind and loving caregivers who have given her exceptional care along the way; Gussie Allmer, Tomeka Murray, GayLynn Samson, Larissa Bradley, Mary Gaines, Teresa Serrano, Ashley Gordon, Jennifer Trinidad, Rhonda Gordon, Lupe Turaville, Angie Garza and Michelle Moore. We would also like to thank the many friends and family members who have taken part in Anna’s care and encouragement over the past twelve years: Angels Care Home Health of Vernon; Doctors and nurses at Wilbarger Memorial Hospital; and Hospice of Wichita Falls
Anna was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband of 64 years, Bob Wright; brothers, Fred Smith and French Smith, and sisters, Sarah Sears and Barbara Pierce, of Phoenix, Ariz.
She is survived by her three children: daughter, Cheryl Henry and her husband, Billy Don of Dallas; son, Kelly Wright and his wife, Carol of Albuquerque; and daughter, Gail Wright and her spouse, Pam of Fort Worth. Cherished grandchildren: Brooke Henry Drake, Meredith Henry Ladd, Laurie Henry Hunter, Jonpaul Wright, Michael Wright and Emily Wright; precious great- grandchildren, Morgan Ladd, Kate Ladd, Lauren Ladd, Ali Ladd, Kelly Paul Wright and Marin Wright; two sisters, Dorothy Smith Zobel of Denver, Colo., and Patricia Smith Williams of Phoenix, Ariz., many close cousins, nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service to celebrate Anna’s life will be held on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017 at 3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 2001 Yucca Lane, Vernon, Texas, under the direction of Sullivan Funeral Home. A private Graveside Service will be held for the family. Visitation will be Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Sullivan Funeral Home.
Some of Anna’s favorite charitable organizations are listed below for those wishing to make a memorial gift in memory of Anna:
The Bob and Anna Wright Scholarship Fund - Vernon College - 4400 College Drive Vernon, Texas 76384 - 940-552-6291
The Red River Valley Museum - P.O. Box 2004 - Vernon, Texas 76385 940-553-1348
Boys and Girls Club of Vernon - 2015 Yamparika St, Vernon, TX 76384 940-552-2961
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.sullivanfuneralhomevernon.com.
(Published in Vernon Daily Record)
Anthony V. Banes Sr., BA ’48, of Huntsville, TX, died Nov. 17 at age 97.
Anthony (Tony) Vincent Banes, Sr, age 96, formerly of Huntsville, Texas, died November 17, 2017, in Round Rock, TX. He was born in Braddock, PA to Stanislovas and Lydia Banis. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois, but left to serve in the Army during World War II with the Tank Destroyer Division at Camp Hood. He met and married the love of his life, Verna, in Waco, Texas.
Tony received degrees from Baylor University and Oklahoma State University, and did further graduate work at the University of Texas and the University of California at Los Angeles. He taught mathematics at Trinity University before moving to Los Angeles, California, where he worked in the computer analyst and programming areas at Thompson-Ramo Wooldridge, Bissett-Berman, Litton Industries, Teledyne Corporation and as the founding Vice-President of Macrodata Corporation. Later he worked at Tracor in Austin, TX and then taught briefly at Sam Houston State University in the Mathematics department.
He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Huntsville. He also was once active in the Walker County Genealogical Society, AARP Tax Aide and 55-Alive Safe Driving Programs and also assisted in the publication of the Walker County Cemetery Book. Tony also worked with several Walker County elections.
Tony was proceeded in death by his wife of nearly 70 years, Verna Banes, and sisters Josephine Survillas and Alice Banis. He is survived by his son Stanley Banes and wife Beth of Garland, TX, and son Anthony Vincent, Jr. and wife Hildegard of Silver Spring, MD, and daughter Rebecca Krohn and husband Harvey of Pflugerville, TX. Grandchildren are Robert, Scott, Matthew and Micah Banes, Natalie Meyers, John Mauk, Brian and Marcus Krohn and Rachel McDown. His great-grandchildren are Colton Banes, Hunter and Katie Banes, Blake and Madison Meyers, Mia and Ayla Mauk, Riley Krohn and Zachary McDown.
A celebration of his life and burial will be held at the Vaughan Cemetery near Hillsboro in Hill County, Texas on Friday November 24, 2017 at 11:30 AM.
Condolences and memories may shared with the family at www.beckchapels.com
(Published in The Huntsville Item)
Edward G. Bashara, ’48, of Waco died Feb. 5 at age 92.
Ed Bashara, 92, of Waco, died Monday, February 5, 2018 at St. Catherine Center in Waco. Ed was born October 5, 1925 in Waco to Adele and George F. Bashara. He attended Waco schools and was a clarinetist in the band programs as well as leading the band at North Junior High as drum major. Upon graduation from Waco High School, he attended Texas A&M University before being drafted into the Army during World War II. After serving his country with an honorable discharge, he attended Baylor University.
He assisted his father in the contracting and construction business, being involved with the building of their own home, and many commercial projects, among which included work for the new Lake Waco Dam at that time. After many years in the construction business, in February of 1954 he joined Texas Life Insurance Company, a locally owned independent agency in the insurance industry. Throughout his career, Ed received numerous honors recognizing his accomplishments during his over 50 years with the company. Ed married Mary Anne Nalley July 5, 1952 at Austin Avenue Methodist Church in Waco. Their union was blessed by the birth of their two sons Edward Greg and Gary Wayne. He was very proud and grateful for his family and was a loving husband and father, and took great pride in watching his family grow. On July 5, 2017, Ed and Mary Anne celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.
He was also so very proud of his two granddaughters Meagan Elizabeth and Lauren Adele, as he watched them grow into the beautiful and talented young women they are today. He enjoyed boating and playing golf with his many friends at Ridgewood Country Club, and along with Mary Anne going to numerous dances, forging life-long relationships with many wonderful friends. Ed was an enthusiastic spectator of golf, baseball and football, being an avid supporter of Baylor athletics for many years. He was a Master Mason, a member of Karen Shrine, and a life-long member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Adele and George F. Bashara; a sister, Vivian Weisberg; a brother, George Bashara; his nephew, Steve Weisberg; and a son, Gary Wayne Bashara. He is survived by his wife, Mary Anne Nalley Bashara; son, Greg Bashara; daughter-in-law, Mary Elizabeth Horne Bashara and daughters, Meagan Elizabeth and Lauren Adele; niece, Brenda Bashara Kanuch and husband, Tom of Dallas; nephew, Doug Bashara of Colorado; nephew, Mick Weisberg of Dallas; nephew, Dick Weisberg and wife, Lynn of Issaquah, WA; nephew, Mark Nalley and wife, Karen and son, Mark Alan of Belton; niece, Suzanne Nalley Merritt and husband, Nelson of Houston and son, Christopher and wife, Courtney, son, Hunter, and daughter, Skylar of Rogers; and son, Brice and wife, Dominique and daughter, Naomi of Riverside, CA. The family wishes to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to St. Catherine Center for their care. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, St. Paul’s Day School of Waco or to Shriner’s Children Hospital. Honorary pallbearers will be Mark Nalley, Mark Alan Nalley, Dick Weisberg, Doug Bashara, Joe Bashara, Mick Weisberg, Tom Kanuch, Nelson Merritt, Christopher Merritt and Brice Merritt. (Published by Lake Shore Funeral Home)
Dr. Jimmie Coker Holland, BA ’48, MD ’52, of Scarsdale, NY, died Dec. 24 at age 89.
Dr. Jimmie Holland, who rose from rural Texan roots to pioneer the field of psycho-oncology — treating the emotional distress of cancer patients while their medical symptoms are addressed — died on Dec. 24 at her home in Scarsdale, N.Y. She was 89.
Her husband, Dr. James F. Holland, a chemotherapy specialist, said the cause was complications of cardiovascular disease. With several colleagues in the mid-1970s, Dr. Holland established a division of psychiatry at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. She became the first woman to head a clinical department there and was credited with creating the first full-time psychiatry service in a major cancer hospital.
Born to high school dropouts in a farming hamlet east of Dallas, Dr. Holland was one of only three women in her 1952 medical school class. She originally hoped to be a nurse.
“In the small community in rural Texas where I grew up, I knew of no women who had become doctors,” she said.
Then her ambitions widened — she planned to be a country doctor or a pediatrician — before she gravitated to what would prove to be a groundbreaking psychiatric specialty.
She recounted several reasons for doing so: Her uncle had been institutionalized for a mental breakdown when she was 9; her first husband committed suicide when she was 27; and she was frustrated that her second husband’s oncology colleagues were focusing solely on medical treatment and not on the state of mind of patients facing an unpredictable prognosis.
In treating cancer patients’ mental well being, Dr. Holland rejected what she called “the tyranny of positive thinking.”
A good attitude was one thing, she argued, and the idea of mind over matter might be like chicken soup — it couldn’t hurt, as long as it was coupled with competent medical care. But pep talks were not enough, she said.
“It’s bad enough to have cancer,” she told the website Medscape.com in 2015, “but when all of your family and friends are saying that you have to be positive and you have to fight this thing, and the patient is exhausted and beaten up by the treatments — it seemed to me that adding that burden to be positive was just ridiculous.”
In a letter to The New York Times in 1985, Dr. Holland and a colleague, Morton Bard, wrote of cancer patients, “Should they be viewed as weak or as somehow having contributed to their own demise?”
Dr. Holland treated depression in patients undergoing treatment and anxiety in survivors, sometimes over body image after the loss of a breast or a testicle.
She urged doctors to screen for emotional distress as a vital sign, just as they do for temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure and pain. Physiological symptoms, she said, could often be relieved by antidepressants, anxiety medicine, meditation and other treatments.
In her book “The Human Side of Cancer,” written with Sheldon Lewis and published in 2000, she quoted a patient of hers as saying: “They have measured everything but my thoughts and mind. Somehow, my mental attitude, the stress, the anguish should be analyzed and studied the same as my physical condition.”
Dr. Holland was the founding president of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society and the International Psycho-oncology Society. She also taught at Weill Cornell medical school.
“For more than 40 years, Jimmie made an essential question — ‘How do people with cancer feel?’ — the center of her work,” her husband said in an email.
Dr. William Breitbart, chairman of the psychiatry and behavioral sciences department at Memorial Sloan Kettering, described Dr. Holland in a statement as “a once in a generation influencer.”
She was born Jimmie Coker born on April 9, 1928, in Forney, Tex., a hamlet of about 100 people, to Clifford Coker, a cotton farmer, and the former Mary Velma Cox.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in Waco, Tex., where she found a mentor in a female biology professor. She graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in a class of 85 students.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by six children, Diane, Steven, Mary, Sally, Peter and David Holland; and nine grandchildren.
Dr. Holland taught psychiatry at the State University of New York at Buffalo from 1956 to 1973; practiced at Edward J. Meyer Memorial Hospital (now the Erie County Medical Center) in Buffalo from 1958 to 1972; served in 1972 as a consultant on a joint Soviet-American schizophrenia research study in Moscow; and returned the next year to teach and practice at Montefiore Hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx.
She joined Memorial Sloan Kettering in 1977. There, she was chief of the psychiatry service until 1996 and chairwoman of the department of psychiatry until 2003.
She edited the first textbook on psycho-oncology in 1989 and was featured on the 2015 PBS documentary “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies,” based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Siddhartha Mukherjee.
Dr. Holland described her focus on how emotionally healthy individuals dealt with catastrophic disease as “the psychological care of the medically ill,” particularly those who had been stigmatized because they had cancer.
In the 1950s, she wrote, The Times rejected an advertisement for a women’s support group because it mentioned the words “breast” and “cancer.” She recalled, too, that “a taxi driver once refused to drive me to Memorial, saying, ‘No, ma’am, that place is for the Big C. I drive all the way around it.’ ”
People, she wrote, feared being fired from their jobs if they admitted to having cancer; doctors often withheld their diagnosis from their patients.
“The philosophy was that if we tell them they have cancer, they’ll give up hope, so we won’t tell them,” Dr. Holland said in 2015.
That began to change as recovery rates improved, and as prominent cancer survivors like Betty Ford and Happy Rockefeller spoke openly about their illness.
“One of the things that I’ve learned in 40 years is that our emotions are exactly the same,” Dr. Holland said. “They haven’t changed one iota over millennia. It’s fear. It’s worry. It’s what’s going to happen to me and what’s going to happen to my family. All of those fears are there.
“What the patient has always wanted and still wants is to know that this doctor cares about me,” she continued. “When you feel like your doctor cares, then you’re right there ready to help.” (Written by Sam Roberts/Published in New York Times)
Mary Margaret Ingram, BA ’48, of Waco died Dec. 30 at age 91.
Mary M. Ingram, 91, of Waco, died at home on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017. Graveside service will be 2:00 p.m., Monday, Jan. 8, at Mart Cemetery. Mary was a graduate of Baylor University where she studied radio broadcasting and education. She worked in radio and as a teacher before working as a secretary for the Army. She was a devoted sister and aunt. (Published in Waco Tribune-Herald)
Nancy Biles Miller, BM ’48, of Brownwood, TX, died Jan. 28 at age 90.
Nancy Biles Miller, long-time resident of Brownwood, Texas, died Sunday, January 28, 2018, at the age of 90. She lived to become a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, business professional, governmental leader and change agent, and civic activist. She is also remembered by friends and family as a beautiful vocalist. Nancy was born October 29, 1927, in Fort Worth, Texas. She was married to governmental and community leader Harry A. Miller, Jr. for almost 65 years who preceded her in death in 2016. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Harvey Dent Biles and Hallie Parrish Biles, as well as her brother, Jerry Dent Biles.
Nancy graduated from Baylor University in 1948 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Applied Voice/Performance. Musical performance remained a pillar throughout her life and she shared her beautiful soprano voice to the enjoyment of those around her until the end. Nancy served as a public school music teacher in Fort Worth, Texas from 1949 to 1951. She held administrative positions with General Telephone Company and Southwest State Bank in Brownwood, Texas from 1959 to 1968. Beginning in 1969 until 1972, she served as the Administrative Assistant to the President of Howard Payne University and also performed public relations work in that capacity. From 1972 until her retirement in 1988, Nancy held the positions of Director of Volunteer Services, Public Information Officer, and Student Rights Specialist for the Texas Youth Commission - Brownwood State School. Through her employment by TYC as its very first Volunteer Coordinator, she was recognized by the Commission as paving the way for the creation of an extensive network of volunteer programs in all institutions and half way houses throughout the State of Texas. In this role, she was also responsible for organizing the first TYC Community Advisory Council to develop a collaboration for the rehabilitation of Texas juveniles between TYC and the civic leaders of the communities in which TYC facilities were located. Nancy was active in professional and civic organizations such as Texas Corrections Association, Texas Employees Association, Brownwood Community Cultural Affairs Commission (Past Chairman), Rotary Ann Club (Past President), Union Presbyterian Church (Past Chairman, Board of Deacons), Community Concert Association, Mu Phi Epsilon (National Music Organization), Epsilon Sigma Alpha (National Service Organization), Brown County United Way (Chairman, Women’s Division and Board/Directors), March of Dimes Mother’s March, and Muscular Dystrophy Drive.
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Kay Miller Dodds; her son Randall Miller and his wife Suetta; her daughter Laurie Miller Qunell; son-in-law Michael Qunell; grandson Chris Miller and his wife Cassie; grandson Jason Qunell and his wife Carrie; granddaughter Lindsey Bell and her husband Michael; granddaughter Catherine Qunell; granddaughter Caitlin Day and her husband Cody; grandson Austin Miller; great-granddaughters Kelsey Miller, Kayla Miller, Avery Qunell, and Coulter Day; great-grandson Major Bell; five nieces; and three nephews. Services will be held at Union Presbyterian Church, 700 Fisk Avenue, Brownwood, Texas at 2:00 pm, Friday, February 2, 2018, under the direction of Heartland Funeral and Cremation Service. A reception will be held at the church following the service. Online condolences to the family can be left at www.heartlandfuneralhome.net. (Published by Heartland Funeral Home)
Lois Mae Nail, ’48, of Liberty, TX, died Jan. 11 at age 92.
Lois Mae “Sue” Nail, age 92 of San Antonio, formerly of Liberty, died on January 11, 2018. She was born October 20, 1925 in Onalaska, Texas, daughter of the late Fred T. Ball and Mettie Ball. Her parents moved to Liberty, in 1928 when her father became the distributor of Texaco products for Liberty County. Sue attended public schools in Liberty, and was Valedictorian of the LHS Class of 1943. Sue worked at the Liberty Chamber of Commerce for one year prior to enrolling as a Freshman at Baylor University in Waco in 1944. She graduated from Baylor in 1948 and received Bachelor Degrees in Education and Music, and in 1972 she received a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Lamar University. Sue was a member of the First Baptist Church in Liberty. She began her work career at Liberty ISD teaching third grade at Sam Houston Elementary, where she met her husband, the late George Howard Nail. Sue and Howard were married in 1952 at FBC, and spent more than fifty-two years together until his passing in 2004.
Sue taught many local children, including her two sons, at her private home school kindergarten during the years her boys were preschool age. In 1960 she returned to work at Liberty Junior High School, teaching seventh grade English until her retirement many years later. Sue was a member of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society of women educators, Liberty County Association for Retired Teachers and was active in the Woman’s Missionary Union at FBC. Sue served as Church Organist at FBC for most of her adult life. She enjoyed music, travel, reading, family and friends. Sue was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother; Emmett Ball, sister; Corky Altenburg, and granddaughter; Jennifer Nail. Survivors include her son; Steven Nail and wife Joyce of San Antonio, son; Michael Nail and wife Katherine of Austin, grandsons; Cameron Nail, Christopher Nail and wife Susan, great grandson; Michael Wyatt Nail, great granddaughter; Amelia Nail, and numerous nieces and nephews. Services for Lois Mae Nail will be held 1PM Thursday January 18, 2018 at First Baptist Church of Liberty with burial to follow in Cooke Cemetery. Visitation will be held Wednesday January 17, 2018 from 4-6PM at Allison Funeral Service, 1101 North Travis, Liberty, Texas. Condolences can be sent online at www.allisonfuneralservice.com (Published by Allison Funeral Service)
Dr. Leslie August Rasner, BBA ’48, LLB ’50, of Robinson, TX, died Nov. 22 at age 95.
Leslie August Rasner, 95, born January 19, 1922 in Groesbeck, Texas, passed away on November 23, 2017. A private family service was held on November 26, 2017. The son of Robert and Clara Rasner, Les was raised in Ben Hurr before joining the U.S. Navy in World War II. Based in Long Beach, Les taught calisthenics to the sailors and was especially proud of his contribution to the physique of his famous student, Johnny Weissmuller - the original 'Tarzan!' After his military service, Les returned to Waco, where he married Ernestine Burns. Miss Ernie passed away in July, shortly before they would have celebrated their 70th anniversary. Early in their married life, they barely survived the devastating Waco tornado in 1953. Les claimed the only headache he ever had in his life was the result of a brick building falling on top of them while in their convertible.
Les received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University, a Juris Doctorate from Baylor Law School, and a MBA from the University of Texas. After a stint with the FBI, Les became a professor at Baylor University’s School of Business, where he taught for over 42 years. There, Les was instrumental in forming the new Insurance Program, and was Chairman of the Departments of Business Law, Insurance, and Real Estate. His classes were always a favorite - especially to those who loved Baylor athletics as much as he did. Each class was likely to begin with a discussion of a recent Baylor sporting event. Les was very competitive and loved his Bears to win, not missing a game in Floyd Casey Stadium for over 40 years. The athletes in his classes knew they would have some ‘explaining’ to do to if they did not perform well, or even worse, if they did not show up for class.
Les authored a study published by Baylor urging compulsory auto liability insurance. He also wrote a thesis entitled “Insurable Interests in Texas” discussing “inconsistencies and inadequacies” of insurance laws, which was utilized by Texas Legislature in passing new insurance legislation. Les’s competitiveness carried over to the weekly games of ping pong and dominoes with his family, friends, and his brother, Gus, who lived next door. Les would rarely lose and denied, of course, allegations that the dominoes were ‘marked,’ Les was also known for the ‘quick serve’ in ping pong games after the ball bounced off the table and his opponent forgot to call ‘time out!’ If Les was not attending a sporting event, you could find him at Geneva Hall with Miss Ernie. But his dancing prowess was not limited to dance halls. If he happened to be at a restaurant and heard a tune he liked, the waitress would likely be swept up by Les and ‘two-stepped’ across the room!
Les was preceded in death by his wife, Ernestine; his parents; and his sister, Nora Hinze. He is survived by his son, Blake and wife, Diane; son, Brent and wife, Mary; grandchildren, Reid, Ross, Ryan, Brady, and Shannon Rasner. He is also survived by his brother 98-year-old brother, Gus Rasner and wife, Doris; as well as nieces and nephews Janine Duncan, Robert Rasner, Candy Jones, Charlie Rasner, and Eileen Meroney Melton. He was a lifelong member of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church. Les never scolded his sons or grandchildren, as they could do no wrong in his eyes. In the unlikely circumstance that one of them was actually guilty of some wrongdoing, it would be classified as an ‘accident’ by Les. Its been said that it is hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember. Les’s legacy of stressing the importance of education, and practicing humility, kindness, and devotion to family and friends, will never be forgotten. Memorials maybe made in his honor to Mission Waco or the Waco Humane Society. (Published in Waco Tribune-Herald)
Dr. John Warren Steen Jr., BA ’48, of Brentwood, TN, died Sept. 3 at age 91.
Author, pastor, and Christian journalist, Rev. Dr. John Warren Steen, Jr. died at Somerfield at the Heritage on September 3, at the age of 91, one day following his 65th wedding anniversary.
He was born on November 9, 1925 in Jackson, Mississippi to John Warren Steen, Sr. and Annabelle Henry Steen. He attended Mississippi College, Baylor University, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Union Seminary. A Navy veteran of WWII, he served as assistant chaplain and organist/pianist.
An active member of Immanuel Baptist Church for 47 years, he served as deacon and was involved with international missions. He was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Lipham Steen; children, J. Warren Steen (Kathy), Annell Steen Fields (Richard), Lucinda Steen Stewart (Tim); grandchildren, Dr. John Warren Steen, IV, Dr. Bart Steen (Autumn), Matthew Steen (Anna), Sarah Steen Morales (Andreas), Jim Shaffer (Stacey), Andy Shaffer (Tanesha); Benjamin Stewart, and Emily Stewart; great-grandchildren, Evan Shaffer, Jayden Shaffer, and Ryder Shaffer.
Services will be Saturday September 9 at 2:00pm at Immanuel Baptist Church, 222 Belle Meade Blvd. Nashville, TN with visitation at 1:00pm. Memorial gifts may be made to: Immanuel Baptist Church music ministry or the Nashville Symphony. Please visit our online obituary at www.marshalldonnellycombs.com. (Published in Tennessean)
Shelby C. Strickland, BBA ’48, of Houston died Jan. 23 at age 94.
Shelby Clark Strickland, 94, of Houston, passed away Tuesday, January 23, in a Houston nursing facility. Graveside services will be held Friday, January 26 at 11:00 a.m. at Walkers Creek Cemetery near Cameron, with Rev. Billy Crow officiating.
Shelby was born February 12, 1923 in Waco to Leo and Lucy Pearl (Sparks) Strickland. He was a veteran, serving his country in the United States Navy during WWII. He graduated from Baylor University with a Business Administration degree. He worked for Exxon Pipeline in Houston for more than 35 years. Shelby was a member of the Exxon Annuitant Club and a member of St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Houston.
Survivors include:
Wife: Doris Jean Strickland of Houston
Two Daughters - Sherry Hibbert of Houston and Susan Neibel and husband Steve of Carrollton
Four Grandchildren – David Neibel and wife Michelle of San Antonio, Timothy Neibel of Carrollton, Hayley Hibbert Reis and husband Kevin, and Thomas “Trey” Hibbert III, of Houston
Three Great grandchildren – Noah and Wyatt Neibel of San Antonio and Reagan Reis of Houston
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to St. Jude’s Hospital or Shriner’s Children’s Hospital.
Arrangements are under the direction of Green-Patterson Funeral Home in Cameron. Condolences for the family may be left at www.green-pattersonfuneralhome.com
(Published in Houston Chronicle)
Dr. Thomas Ezell Adams, BA ’49, of Morrison, CO, died Jan. 16 at age 95.
Thomas Ezell Adams, Sr., was born January 30, 1922 in Kosse, Texas, and passed away January 16, 2018 in Plano, Texas. Thomas begun his adult life studying at Baylor University, which was interrupted by the war, where Thomas honorably served in the U.S. Army, and was discharged as a TEC 5 in the 109th EVAC Hospital. After his honorable discharge, he returned to Baylor University; yet finished off his studies at Southwestern Seminary, and became an ordained Baptist Minister. He spent many years ministering to numerous Baptist congregations in North Texas; and spent his life living predominately in the Richardson area. Mr. Adams is survived by his son, Thomas Adams, Jr. and family; daughters, Beverly Dennett and family; and Linda Alvarez and Family. He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Mildred; son, Paul; and two daughters and their families. (Published by Williams Funeral Directors)
Barbara Gerber Butt, BA ’49, of Kerrville, TX, died Dec. 14 at age 89.
Barbara Dan Butt, wife of Howard E. Butt, Jr., and influential leader in The H. E. Butt Family Foundation, died in her home on December 14, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of 89.
She was born Barbara Dan Gerber on January 26, 1928, in San Angelo, Texas, to parents Rex Gerber and Christine Hanks Gerber. Although many of their relatives still live around San Angelo, the Gerbers moved to Corpus Christi, where Mrs. Butt’s father worked 40 years as a geologist for Humble Oil, then Exxon.
Mrs. Butt was two years older than her sister, Betty Gay Gerber Blank. The two of them attended Corpus Christi High together, where Mrs. Butt served as president of the Latin Club and the Tri-Hi-Y Club, a leadership program of the YMCA. The two sisters would remain very close throughout their lives.
During her senior year in 1945, Mrs. Butt invited her former boyfriend, Howard E. Butt, Jr., to address Tri-Hi-Y when he was on break from Baylor University. Later, he would say that her poise and confidence as president of the club made quite an impression on him.
The next semester, she joined him at Baylor, where she received the honor of Baylor Beauty, earned a degree in English, and secured the love and affection of her future husband.
On March 21, 1949, after dating for most of seven years from the age of fourteen, Barbara Dan Gerber married Howard E. Butt, Jr. In their first years of marriage, the two lived in Corpus Christi. She “held down the fort” while Howard worked as an H-E-B executive and led Christian crusades around the country on the weekends. “I would fly all night after speaking in the southeast,” Howard Butt often told people. “Barbara Dan would meet me at the plane with a clean shirt and a fresh tie, and I would go and spend the day in the grocery company.”
Mrs. Butt believed her marriage was a gift from God, once saying, “I feel like I was put on this earth to be Howard Butt’s wife.” Everyone who knew them could see that their marriage was special.
After their youngest went to college, Mrs. Butt followed her husband into leadership at The H. E. Butt Family Foundation. By 1983, she was serving as Secretary-Treasurer on the board. Ten years later, she was Vice President, attending weekly executive staff meetings and working together with the staff to operate Laity Lodge, the retreat center built on the Frio River at the 1900 acre H. E. Butt Foundation property near Leakey, Texas.
For several decades, she was instrumental in the planning and execution of the Laity Lodge Leadership Forums, which brought together Fortune 500 executives from around the country for a weekend of learning, spiritual reflection, and worship.
She made decisions on everything from the keynote speakers, to the musicians, to the invitation, to the layout of the meeting rooms. In 2007, Howard Butt said of her, “My wife is a wise woman, full of both common sense and spiritual wisdom.” After serving alongside her husband more than three decades, she retired from the board of The H. E. Butt Family Foundation in 2014.
“Her love for our dad was the mark of her life,” said their daughter, Deborah Rogers. “Theirs was a 75-year love affair, a model of marriage in our family, at Laity Lodge, and in our community.”
In 2012, Howard began having health issues, eventually diagnosed as Parkinson’s. According to her son Stephen Butt, when Mr. Butt’s Parkinson’s grew worse, “she absolutely put everything in her life on hold for him. Her devotion to our father was deep and knew no boundaries.” Mrs. Butt lost her husband on September 11, 2016.
“I still cannot fathom Mother and Dad separated,” said their son Howard Butt III. “Theirs was an exceptional marriage, and it gives us all great comfort to believe that in her passing, they are reunited in heaven.”
“After Dad died,” Mrs. Rogers said, “she would still tell our children that she loved everything about their grandfather, the way he dressed, the way he treated people, his mind, even the way he aged.”
Early in her marriage, Mrs. Butt was known to say, “There is more to life than length! You best measure life by its depth!” Surely, she was blessed with a life of great length and great depth.
Barbara Dan Butt is survived by her son Howard Butt III, his wife Pamela, and their children Howard IV married to Kristen, Hillary Butt Gromus married to Thomas, and Jeffrey married to Alexandra; her son Stephen Butt, his wife Susan, and their daughters Sarah and Shelby; and her daughter Deborah Rogers, her husband David, and their children Katherine Hanks McAlister married to Rob, Alexandra Crawford married to Patrick, and Jackson Rogers. Her sister, Mrs. Blank, now lives in Hong Kong, China. Mrs. Butt has one great granddaughter, Charley Butt, daughter of Howard IV. Memorial gifts may be sent to Trinity Baptist Church or The H. E. Butt Family Foundation.
You are invited to sign the Guestbook at www.porterloring.com
(Published in San Antonio Express-News)
Elton Eugene Dorsey, BBA ’49, of Fort Worth died Dec. 18 at age 91.
Lt. Cmdr. Elton E. Dorsey (USN, Retired) passed away Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, at the age of 91. He will be remembered by family members as “Dee” or “Uncle Dee.”
Elton was born May 21, 1926, in Golden, Texas, the fourth son and seventh child of Robert and Ollie Dorsey. He grew up in Hillsboro and served as a teenager in World War II, then later in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He married Mary Louise Cunningham in 1958 and became the father of a daughter (Sandra). He and Mary would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary next May 30th.
He began as an enlisted man in World War II, but after college (B.B.A., Baylor), attended Supply Corps School and was commissioned an Ensign. He became inactive in 1952 and worked as an Internal Revenue Agent from 1953-1956. He returned to active duty as a Lt. JG in 1956 and was promoted to Lt. Cmdr. during this tour.
Upon retirement in 1958, he and his wife and daughter became permanent residents of Fort Worth. During the early part of his retirement years, he enjoyed working as a part-time employee with tax-service companies. But he was more than content to have just a leisurely retirement, enjoying working on his home computer and watching lots of sports events on television.
(Published by Greenwood Funeral Homes)
Mary Alice Thompson Grundy, BA ’49, died Jan. 29 in Branford, CT. She was 90.
She was born in Palestine, Texas on December 25, 1927, daughter of Roy and Ona Thompson. She passed away on January 29, 2018 in Branford, Connecticut, one month after her 90th birthday, from complications after a stroke. She lived in Palestine until she attended and graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas where she met her husband of nearly 50 years, Larry A. Grundy of Memphis, Texas, who preceded her in death. She lived in nine states in the USA, and in England. She loved her family, enjoyed her cats, and became an accomplished weaver. She is survived by her daughter, Lynn Friedman, her husband, Peter Friedman, son Allen Grundy, and his wife Mary Grundy. She leaves five grandchildren Melissa Baker (husband Stephen), Scott Friedman, Matt Grundy (wife Danielle), Corey Romeo (husband Richard), Ryan Grundy, and one great granddaughter, Talia Baker. She will be laid to rest in Fairview Cemetery in Memphis, Texas on February 3, 2018.
(Published in Palestine Herald-Press)
Doris Rucker Hooks, BBA ’49, of Fort Worth died Dec. 28 at age 88.
Doris Rucker Hooks, age 88, formerly of Fort Worth, passed away December 28, 2017 in Granbury, Texas.
Doris was born in Georgetown, Texas on June 18, 1929 to William and Edna Anderson Rucker. She was the youngest of three children. She graduated from Baylor University in 1949 with a BBA in Education. She married Bentley C. Hooks, Jr. on July 4, 1953. They had three daughters, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
She loved her daughters immensely, but her pride and joy were her grandchildren. Many summers were not complete without visiting “MeeMaw” for a week. Her eyes would light up whenever she was with her grandchildren.
She loved playing tennis, and played until she reached the age of 86. She was a member of Westcliff United Methodist Church, which later became Arborlawn United Methodist Church. She moved into Waterview Senior Living in Granbury, Texas in November 2015 and loved playing Ping Pong and “Bubbleball” with the other residents. The family is very grateful for the incredibly warm and wonderful care that Waterview Memory Care employees provided for her.
She is preceded in death by her sister Mary Rucker Cole, her brother William Rucker Jr, her husband, Bentley C. Hooks, Jr., and her daughter Jane Hooks Orcutt.
Survivors: She is survived by two daughters: Kay (and Dean) Wiesmann, Carol (and Bill) Thomson; grandchildren Colin (and Leslie) Orcutt, Sam (and Amy) Orcutt, Dayna (and Casey) Norton, Rachel Thomson, Kelly (and Caleb) Newman, Jenny Thomson; great-grandson Benjamin Reed Orcutt; son-in-law Bill (and Lydia) Orcutt, and her honorary daughter Carolyn (and Kent) Moseley. (submitted)
Edwin William Makowski, BA ’49, of Robinson, TX, died Dec. 2 at age 89.
Edwin William Makowski, lovingly known as “Ed”, passed away on December 2, 2017 in Robinson, Texas at the age of 89, having succumbed to lung cancer. A memorial service is scheduled for December 27, at 11 a.m., at Central United Methodist Church, 5740 Bagby Ave in Waco. Ed was born in Lexington, TX to Edwin Walter and Bertha Florence Makowski. He attended LaVega Schools in Bellmead, TX and then Baylor University, where he received a BA degree. He served four years in the air force, then returned to Waco and joined his father in Mac’s Garage, an auto repair shop.
Ed and his first wife, Laura, were married at Sparks Memorial United Methodist Church in Bellmead, TX in 1956. He and his father became GMC Truck dealers and then started M&M Truck Lease in 1970. Ed sold the business and moved to Edinburg, TX in 1990.
He married Ann McNallen in 1991. After a few months of leisure, Ed and Ann started a new enterprise, A&E Truck Parts, which was sold seven years later. Ed then became a substitute teacher for McAllen and Mission school districts and served as Chairman of the Cimarron Homeowners Association Architectural Committee. After Ann’s death in 2015, Ed moved back to McLennan County, residing in Robinson until his death. Ed had a long and fruitful interest in the genealogy of the German Texans of which he was a part, documenting over 90,000 names in his GerTex tree on Ancestry.com. He was a master at Bridge and Scrabble but enjoyed games of all types.
Ed is survived by his son, Mike and wife, Donna, of Waco, TX; his son, Andy and wife, Carole, of Kingsport, TN; his step-children, Pam Albrecht, Karen McNallen, Dean McNallen, and Dale McNallen, along with their spouses, children, and grandchildren; his sister, Frances SoRelle of Richardson, TX; his nieces, nephews, and a host of loving friends. Memorials may be made to Central United Methodist Church Music Ministries (cumcwaco.com) or the Central Texas Choral Society (centraltexaschoralsociety.org) - organizations which Ed loved and passionately supported. Thoughts and memories may be shared at www.LakeShoreFH.com. (Published in the Waco Tribune-Herald)
Nancy P’Pool Redding, BBA ’49, of Houston died Dec. 15 at age 89.
Nancy Elizabeth P’Pool Redding passed away peacefully at Methodist Hospital on the 15th of December 2017, with loving family by her side. The beloved mother and grandmother was known to all simply as Nana. She was born in Waco, Texas to Raymond Clinton and Haloise Herring P’Pool on the 20th of January.
Nancy attended Lanier Junior High and Lamar High School, where she was a member of the school’s third graduating class. It gave her great pleasure that her children and grandchildren also attended and graduated from Lamar. She attended Baylor University, was a member of Alpha Omega Sorority, Phi Gamma Nu, a professional commerce sorority and Sigma Tau Delta, a professional English fraternity. In 1949, she graduated with a degree in Business Administration. Nancy went on to wed her college sweetheart, Jack T. Redding, and they were married for 53 years until his passing in 2004.
After a few years teaching school, Nancy took on her greatest role as mother to her three sons Bob, Ray and Rick. A member of Second Baptist Church, Nancy’s life was one of faith, family and friends. She was devoted to caring for her parents, husband and children through the years and maintained many lifelong friendships. A member of the Junior League of Houston for over 50 years, she was an avid baker and gardener, accomplished at needlepoint and an especially loyal fan of baseball, most notably little league games played by her sons and grandson.
Nana is survived by her three sons and their wives: Robert and Gloria Redding, of Corpus Christi, Raymond Sr. and Annie Redding of Houston and Richard and Susan Redding of Houston, as well as three adored grandchildren, Haloise Hudson Redding, Raymond P’Pool Redding Jr. and his wife Sydney Ackerley Redding and Rachel Camille Redding.
Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Nancy, during a visitation from half-past three o’clock in the afternoon until half-past six o’clock in the evening on Monday, the 18th of December 2017, in the parlor of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
A funeral service will be conducted at ten o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, the 19th of December 2017, in the Hankamer Chapel of Second Baptist Church, 6400 Woodway Drive in Houston where Rev. Ryan Vinzant is to officiate.
A private family entombment will take place in Memorial Mission Mausoleum at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery in Houston.
In lieu of customary remembrances, the family request memorial contributions in honor of Nancy be directed to Star of Hope Mission, 4848 Loop Central Dr., Suite 500 Houston, TX 77081 or online at www.sohmission.org (Published by Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors)
Dorothy Runnels, ’49, of Spring, TX, died Dec. 7 at age 91.
Preceded in death by parents Thomas Collie Waldrop & Mary Frances Catherine Erwin Waldrop, Dorothy Waldrop Runnels, 91, passed away after suffering a stroke and heart failure at her home in Spring, Texas, so she may be near her Granddaughter Lora. Born in Waco, Texas, Dorothy resided most of her life in Houston, Brenham, and Waco. She was in the Famous Waco High School Graduating Class of 1943. Still friends with many to this day and her best friend Milton Wilson. Then she attended Business College and saved up enough money to pay part tuition at Baylor University and take a chance at it all. While working in the Dean’s office, with a Major in journalism she made very little money. Dorothy left school and got a better job with the Veterans Administrations Contact Office. It was there that she met her future husband Olan Runnels. They married June 5, 1947, two days after Olan’s Baylor Graduation and moved to McAllen, TX. A few years later and living in Houston, Dorothy gave birth to a son, the child she dreamed of.
While Olan worked, transferring his family all over the US, Dorothy took care of the home and her son with a smile and made the most of her time by going on many adventures with lifelong friends, hosting parties, playing golf & bridge, and becoming a mother figure to many others whom dearly loved her. Once Olan retired, he and Dorothy traveled all over the world. Dorothy was a very special person that enjoyed life with respect and a sense of humor. She carried a spark in her smile and laugh that will never be forgotten and greatly missed. She is survived by her son, Robert Jeffrey Runnels and wife Belinda Ainsworth-Echarte, granddaughter Lora Runnels Sundbeck, grandsons Dale & Robert, six great grandchildren, London, Henning, Makayla, Alayna, Ethan, and Aubrey. Special Instructions/Comments: In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Cancer Fighters of Houston, P.O.B. 272641, Houston, TX 77277. (Published by Afterlife.co/us)
Henry Lee Rydel, BBA ’49, of West, TX, died Jan. 18 at age 95.
H.L. “Cob” Rydel, age 95, of West, passed away January 18, 2018 at West Rest Haven in West.
A rosary will be recited and Mass of Christian Burial celebrated 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 23, 2018 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church of the Assumption, with Rev Stephen Nesrsta as celebrant. Military Graveside Rites will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, conducted by the West Veterans Honor Guard. The family will receive visitors from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Aderhold Funeral Home. Henry was born March 8, 1922 in West, the son of the late Ernest and Minnie (Marak) Rydel. He was a 1940 graduate of West High School prior to attending Hill Junior College in Hillsboro. Henry served his country with the United States Army during World War II from 1942 to 1946 in India. Upon his return he received a business degree from Baylor University in 1949. On May 12, 1951 he was united in marriage to Pat Luckemeyer in San Marcos. He owned Hlavaty’s Gas Station from 1956 to 1962 prior to starting the Ace Auto Supply in West in 1961. Henry was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of the Assumption. He was also a member of the West VFW Post #4819. He played enjoyed playing softball and football. He loved watching sports on television, working, fishing, visiting with friends, dancing and going to the horse races in Hot Springs, AR.
Survivors include his beloved wife of 66 years, Pat Rydel of West; his children, Denise Gerik and husband Jerry of Aquilla and Mike Rydel and wife Laurie of Mechanicsville, VA; a brother-in-law, Wayne Luckemeyer and wife Sharon; grandchildren, Anne Pustejovsky and husband Cory, Joshua Gerik and wife Tara, Alicia Rydel, Tyler Rydel and Trey Rydel; great grandchildren, Camille, Ava and Luke Pustejovsky and Allison and Laura Gerik; two nieces and many other relatives and friends.
Pallbearers are Joshua Gerik, Cory Pustejovsky, Luke Pustejovsky, Trey Rydel, Tyler Rydel, Louie Webre Jr. and Bailey Warren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to West Rest Haven Disaster Relief Fund.
(Published by Aderhold Funeral Homes)
Doris Jones Scott, BA ’49, of Stillwater, OK, died Dec. 7 at age 91.
Doris Jane Jones Scott came into this world as the adored daughter of Martin and Jane Jones, and the baby sister to Martin Jr. and Preston (Bud). She left this world as the life-long love of Walter Gaylord Scott, the sweet mother of Lori Jane Scott Robertson and Gaye Lynn Scott, the gracious mother-in-law of Glenn Earl Robertson, and the doting grandmother of Joel Scott Robertson. Walter, her husband of 67 years, and Lori and Gaye Lynn were with her in her home when she passed away. She lived a life of sweetness and grace, love and kindness, and she will be missed by all who knew her.
Doris was born in Palestine, Texas on August 20, 1926 and passed on to life in Gods comforting embrace on December 7, 2017. She was cheerful and loving to the end, thanks to the constant love and devotion of Walter. She was the love of his life and the focus of his energy, passion, and compassion from the time they met at Baylor University, where they each earned baccalaureate degrees in 1949, his in Bible and hers in Spanish. She worked as a church secretary while he attended graduate school, she typed his 475-page dissertation (more than once) for his doctorate from The Johns Hopkins University, and she raised two tow-headed girls who are still referred to by many as The Girls today.
Doris loved her God and her church throughout her long life. She hosted countless wedding showers, she was active in the WMU, she worked in the church office during the Sunday School hour for many years, and she was the unofficial church historian for First Baptist Church. Doris also loved genealogy and was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
When Walter retired, they enjoyed traveling with The Girls to Europe, attending OSU baseball games, continuing their genealogy work, bickering, loving, laughing, and living out their lifetime commitment of love. God’s grace and enveloping love were present throughout their lives together as they raised their family, served their church, and loved their God, and Gods grace and love were present at the end. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the First Baptist Church Foundation.
Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church, 701 S. Duncan, Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Monday, December 11 at two o'clock in the afternoon. Interment will follow at Fairlawn Cemetery. The Reverends Tim Walker, Rodney McGlothlin, and Glenn Robertson will preside.
Strode Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Condolences may be emailed to the family and an online obituary may be viewed by visiting www.strodefh.com. (Published in Stillwater News Press)
Dr. W. Marvin Watson, BBA ’49, MA ’50, of Spring, TX, died Nov. 26 at age 93.
Marvin Watson, age 93, of Spring, Texas, passed away on November 27, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Marion, his daughter Kimberly Rathmann, two sons, Winston Lee Watson and William Marvin Watson III, a son-in-law, R. Craig Rathmann, a daughter-in-law, Kathryn Allen Watson, four grandchildren, Meredith Watson, Ashley Rowland, Austin Rathmann, and Winston Rathmann, and three great grandchildren, Ellie Rowland, Rhett Rowland and Harper Leigh Rathmann. He was graduated by Huntsville High School and received Bachelor’s of Business Administration and Master’s in Economics degrees from Baylor University. He served as an instructor in the Economics Department while at Baylor. He later received two honorary degrees, an Honorary Doctor of Law and an Honorary Doctor of Humanities. He served in the Marine Corps Air Wing during World War II and as the 61st Postmaster General of the United States of America, a Cabinet position at the time of his service. As Postmaster General, he managed the second largest budget in the American government, exceeded only by the Defense Department. He managed 762,000 Post Office employees. He also served as Chief of Staff in President Lyndon Johnson’s White House.
His business experience after graduation from Baylor included City Judge and City Manager of Daingerfield, Texas. Later he worked for Lone Star Steel Company, in Dallas, as Executive Assistant to its President, E.B. Germany. He was President of Occidental Petroleum International and Executive Vice President and a board member of the parent company, Occidental Petroleum. During his tenure, the company grew to be the thirteenth largest corporation in America. He was Chairman and CEO of Radopath Pharmaceuticals, Chairman of the Board of Polish Telephones and Microwave Corporation, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Immune Associates, Inc., Chairman of Matrix Incorporated, Chairman of AEON Solutions Corporations, Chief Executive Officer of Out of India Corporation, and Chairman of Harbinger Corporation.
He was a member of the Texas Judicial Council, Texas Industrial Council, and was on the Executive Board of the Texas Law Enforcement Foundation. He was a member of Texas State Democratic Executive Committee, and was appointed Chairman of the Committee by Governor John B. Connally. He and Marion were members of Second Baptist Church in Houston. Marvin served on the Board of Directors of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, World Impact, Inc., World Evangelism of America and was Chief Executive Officer of the Old Time Gospel Hour, based in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Executive Officer Scottish Hella Shrine of Dallas and Northeastern Texas Shrine Club. Dr. Watson was laid to rest at the Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Texas, on November 30, 2017. (Published by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Homes)
Wanda Slocum Watson, BM ’49, of Fort Worth died Oct. 23 at age 89.
Wanda Slocum Watson died peacefully Monday, October 23, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. A memorial service was held at the Fort Worth nursing home where she lived happily for the last three years. Wanda was born on May 31, 1928 in Weatherford, Texas to Ferd and Loma Slocum and was the oldest of three children. Wanda grew up on the Slocum Brothers Ranch near Cresson, Texas, which was featured in the movie “Pure Country.” She attended grade school in Cresson in a one-room schoolhouse, and Weatherford High School. Later she attended Baylor University where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Wanda moved to Midland in 1949, where she became a second grade teacher at Sam Houston Elementary School.
Wanda was always proud to have had President George W. Bush and Florida Governor Jeb Bush as her students. Wanda met Jim Watson in Midland and they were married in Cresson on August 22, 1953. Wanda and Jim lived, worked, and raised their two sons, Mark and Rob, in Midland for over 30 years. During their time in Midland, Wanda worked in the oil industry as a receptionist for the Western Company and Enron Corporation. She played piano and sang in the choir at First Baptist Church for many years, attended symphonies and musicals, and participated in the Midland Community Theater.
In the mid-1980s, Wanda and Jim moved to Fort Worth to be near family. Wanda and Jim were married for 55 years, until Jim’s death in 2009. Wanda loved people, watching her sons and grandchildren play sports, the Dallas Cowboys, cooking for the holidays, music, art, travel, and animals, as evidenced by her adoption of an abandoned kitten and dedication to feeding it every two hours for weeks. Wanda was most proud of and deeply loved her two grandchildren, Tori and Brock. Many long-time friends continue to thank Wanda for introducing them to their future spouses. She shared deep faith, love, joy, and compassion with friends and family for 89 years. Wanda is survived by her sister, Linda Tucker of Mullen, Nebraska; eldest son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Deanna Watson of Cochiti Lake, New Mexico; youngest son and wife Rob and Donna Watson, and granddaughter and grandson, Tori Layne and Brock Taylor Watson, all of Fort Worth, Texas. She is preceded in death by her parents, Ferd and Loma Slocum; brother, Ferd Taylor Slocum; and husband, Jim Watson. The family wishes to provide deep thanks to the nurses and aides of Carlylse at Stonebridge Nursing Home in Southlake, Texas, and a special thanks to hospice nurse Flomina, who provided compassionate crisis care for Wanda at the end of her life. (Published in Midland Reporter-Telegram)