Today's Obituaries (May 27, 1997)

Miguel Soto

Miguel Soto, 81, died Sunday at his home.

A prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. today at Elmwood Funeral Home Chapel, 5750 Hwy. 277 South. Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church with the Rev. David Matz officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood Memorial Park.

Mr. Soto was born in Ballinger and was a longtime farmer and a member of St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church. He married Maria Gomez in 1936 in Abilene; she preceded him in death.

Survivors include five sons, John Soto of Lubbock, Mike Soto of Odessa, Chindo Soto and Richard Soto, both of Abilene, and Raymond Soto of Huntsville; two daughters, Stella Nito and Rebecca Mendoza, both of Abilene; one sister, Frances Flores of Abilene; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Steve Hastings

Steve J. Hastings, 72, died Monday at a local hospital.

Graveside services will be at 2:30 p.m. today in Elmwood Memorial Park with Greg Sinclair officiating, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 5701 U.S. Hwy. 277 South.

Mr. Hastings was born in Hale Center and attended school in Lamesa. He moved from Lamesa to Abilene in 1948 and was employed by Abilene Linen Supply from 1952-1972 and Dickie's Work Clothes and Rental Service from 1972-1988, when he retired. He was a Methodist and a veteran of World War II. He married Jewell A. Shults in 1946 in Lamesa; she preceded him in death.

Survivors include one son, Sean M. Hastings of Abilene; one daughter, Judy (Mrs. John) Rosenfeld of Abilene; one brother, Jimmy Hastings of Fallon, Nev.; one sister, Oleta Harper of Carlsbad, N.M.; and two grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to West Texas Rehabilitation Center, 4601 Hartford, Abilene 79605.

Billy Dewayne Payne

HASKELL - Billy Dewayne Payne, 60, died Sunday at an Albuquerque, N.M., hospital.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today at First Assembly of God with the Revs. Eric Clark and J.C. Amburn officiating. Burial will be in Willow Cemetery, directed by Holden-McCauley Funeral Home.

Mr. Payne was born in Dublin and was a diesel mechanic for Haskell Tractor Service. He was a Navy veteran. He married Berdie Bowers in 1974.

Survivors include his wife; three sons, Ricky Payne of Rusk, Elvis Payne of Big Spring and Jodey Voyles of Olney; two daughters, Loretta Wyatt and Cindy Boyd, both of Abilene; six brothers, Jerrell Payne of Abilene, William Payne of Graham, Danny Payne, Claude Payne and Robert Payne, all of Haskell, and Orval Payne of Dublin; four sisters, Juanita Jordon of Georgia, Wanda Faye Walton of Slaton, Deloris Brothers of Graham and Brenda Sue Parker of Knox City; and five grandchildren.

Harvey Eugene Clark

CROSS PLAINS - Harvey Eugene Clark, 51, died Sunday in Cross Plains.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Higginbotham Funeral Home Chapel with Earnie Young officiating. Burial will be in Eastlawn Memorial Cemetery in Brownwood.

Mr. Clark was born in Brady and was a self-employed auto mechanic and a Methodist. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

Survivors include four daughters, Michelle McDonald and Gaylynne Isbell, both of Abilene, and Kelli Jordan and Marla Beasly, both of Hawley; two sisters, LaNette Young of Duncanville and Letha Black of Midlothian; and five grandchildren.

Raleigh Neff

COLEMAN - Raleigh E. Neff, 88, a former long-time resident of Burkett, died Monday at a local care center.

Services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Stevens Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Wright Price officiating. Burial will be in Burkett Cemetery.

Mr. Neff was born in Burkett and grew up and attended school in the area. He moved to Coleman in 1990 and was a retired farmer-rancher and a member of Burkett Baptist Church. He married Nell McKneely Allen in 1969 in Coleman.

Survivors include his wife, of Coleman; one stepson, Mason Allen of Coleman; one stepdaughter, Sylvia Edington of Coleman; one brother, A.R. "Buddy" Neff of Echo; three sisters, Eva Lee Adams of Bangs, Mary Hamlin of Akin and Edna Gould of Coleman; several stepgrandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will be at the funeral home from 5-7 p.m. today.

Louise Dowell Thomas

COLEMAN - Louise Dowell Thomas, 71, of Bangs died Monday at a Brownwood hospital.

Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in Bangs Cemetery with the Rev. Jimmy Allen officiating, directed by Walker Funeral Home.

Mrs. Thomas was born in Coleman County, where she lived all her life. She was a homemaker, a licensed vocational nurse and a Baptist. She married Floyd Martin Thomas in 1942 in Coleman.

Survivors include her husband, of Bangs; two daughters, Jo-Ann Rost of Mansfield and Connie Susan Smith of Fort Worth; one son, Louis "Skip" Thomas of Bangs; one sister, Ruth Marie Brownlow of Floresville; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The family will be at the funeral home from 9-11 a.m. today.

Sallie Blackburn

SWEETWATER - Sallie Blackburn, 60, of Blackwell died Sunday in Abilene.

Services will be at 10 a.m. today at McCoy Funeral Home Chapel of Memories with the Rev. David Comb officiating. Burial will be in Blackwell Cemetery.

Mrs. Blackburn was born in Sweetwater and had lived in Blackwell since 1989. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Blackwell, had worked with OutReach and was a homemaker. She married Joe Blackburn Jr. in 1962 in San Angelo.

Survivors include her husband, of Blackwell; four sons, Charles Ray Blackburn and Calvin Ray Blackburn, both of Sweetwater, Marvin Clay Blackburn of College Station and Joe C. Blackburn II of Blackwell; and nine grandchildren.

Sammie Elma Louder

CONWAY, S.C. - Sammie Elma Louder, 62, died Sunday at a local hospital.

Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Hillcrest Cemetery, directed by Goldfinch Funeral Home.

Mr. Louder was born in Comanche and was a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. He was a member of American Legion Post 186 of North Myrtle Beach, S.C., and was former manager of Pier View Motel.

Survivors include his mother, Alice Swift of Comanche; his wife, Melba Louder of Conway; one son, John Louder of Van Nuys, Calif.; and two brothers, Dick Swift of Yukon, Okla., and Ernest Swift of Comanche.

Memorials may be made to Jamestown Baptist Church, 2501 9th Ave., Conway SC 29527.

The family will be at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m. today.

Ludie Dean

BIG SPRING - Ludie Dean, 72, died Sunday at a Lubbock hospital.

Services will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday at First Baptist Church with Dr. Kenneth Patrick officiating, assisted by Stan Hanes. Burial will be in Wingate Cemetery, directed by Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.

Mrs. Dean was born in Runnels County and lived in Colorado City from 1947-1962, when she moved to Big Spring. She retired after working for Southwestern Bell Telephone for 25 years. She was a member and Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church and was vice president of Gideon's Auxiliary. She married A.J. Dean in 1943 in Ballinger.

Survivors include her husband, of Big Spring; one son, Joe Dean of Castle Rock, Colo.; one daughter, Kathy Ree Grisham of Amarillo; three sisters, Clara Alyce Robinson of Lubbock, Lila Marie Dunnam of Graham and Rhuenell Poe of San Angelo; one brother, Vernon Compton of Canyon Lake; and four grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Gideons International, Living Memorial Bible Plan, P.O. Box 133, Big Spring 79721-0133.

Tyra Warren Brown

BROWNWOOD - Tyra Warren Brown, 61, of San Angelo, died Saturday.

Services will be at 11 a.m. today at Johnson's Funeral Home Chapel in San Angelo with the Rev. Bill Arnold officiating. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Cedar Point Cemetery in Brownwood, directed by Davis-Morris Funeral Home.

Mr. Brown was born in Brownwood and graduated from Brownwood High School in 1953 and Howard Payne University in 1957. He farmed and raised sheep on the family ranch in Brown County and was a nine-year member of the Army National Guard. He worked for Southwestern States Telephone Company in Brownwood for 27 years, living in Henderson, Bryan, Memphis and Brownfield. He retired from GTE Southwest in 1987. He married Wanda Cahill in 1968 in Brownwood.

Survivors include his wife, of San Angelo; one son, Ty Brown of San Angelo; his mother, Irene Brown of Brownwood; two sisters, Maxie Sewalt and Maggie Busche, both of Brownwood; and several nieces and nephews.

Mary Goza

ANSON - Mary E. Goza, 81, died Monday in Tampa, Fla. Services are pending with Lawrence-Adams Funeral Home.

Verba Logan

SNYDER - Verba Logan, 84, of Houston and a longtime Snyder resident, died Saturday at a Houston care home. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Hillside Memorial Gardens, directed by Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home.

W.E. McMillan

SNYDER - W.E. McMillan, 89, of Hermleigh died Sunday at a local hospital after a lengthy illness. Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home Chapel.

Maurice Heath

Maurice H. Heath, 73, died Monday at a local hospital. Services are pending with Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory.

Eva Rudd

Eva Rudd, 95, died Monday at her home. Services are pending with Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory.

John Blasingame

John Blasingame, 47, died Sunday. Services are pending with Lawrence-Adams Funeral Home in Anson.

Ola Jayne Robinson

EASTLAND - Ola Jayne Robinson, 85, of Fort Worth and formerly of Eastland, died Sunday in Fort Worth. Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Christian Church, directed by Edwards Funeral Home.

Elva (Mrs. Bud) Dillingham

ALBANY - Elva (Mrs. Bud) Dillingham, 79, died Sunday at a Houston hospital. Services are pending with Godfrey-Neese Funeral Home.