Today's Obituaries (Dec. 18, 1997)

T.C. Watson

BIGELOW, Ark. -- T.C. Watson, 16, son of two former Abilene residents, died Tuesday after an illness.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday in Bigelow Baptist Church with the Rev. James Wilson officiating. Burial will be in Volman Cemetery, directed by Harris Funeral Home of Morrilton, Ark.

T.C. was born in Fort Mommoth, N.J., and was a member of Bigelow Baptist Church.

Survivors include his parents, Reece and Sharon Watson of Bigelow and formerly of Abilene; three brothers, Reece Watson III of Vilonia, Ark., Danjel P. Watson of Midland and Bobby Watson of Bigelow; one sister, Anna Cross of Bigelow; his paternal grandmother, Anne L. Watson of Bigelow; and his maternal grandparents, Dr. M.H. and Pauline Clark of San Angelo.

Belinda Miles

COLORADO CITY -- Belinda Miles, 18, senior at Colorado City High School, died Tuesday in a Snyder hospital from injuries received in an automobile accident.

Services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday in Colorado City First Baptist Church with the Revs. Robert Bracy, Chris Neal and Irma Wilson officiating. Burial will be in Mitchell County Cemetery, directed by Kiker-Seale Funeral Home.

Belinda was born in Abilene and was a lifelong Colorado City resident. She was a freshman class officer, sophomore class favorite and was a member of the student council for two years. She was active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Homemakers of America and Spanish Club, and played volleyball and basketball. She worked as a checker at Fullers Foods and was a member of Payne Chapel CME Church.

Survivors include her mother, Betty Miles of Colorado City; two sisters, Tera Williams of Loraine and Stacie Rena Miles of San Angelo; one brother, David Laron Miles of San Angelo; one aunt; one niece and two nephews; and many cousins and other relatives.

Warren Higgins

MERKEL -- Warren Higgins, 96, of Blanco and formerly of Merkel, died Monday in a Blanco nursing home.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Starbuck Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jimmy Griffith officiating. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Higgins was born in Merkel and worked as a blacksmith. He was a Baptist and was the widower of Betty Toombs Higgins, whom he married in 1923 in Abilene.

Survivors include one daughter, Betty Lu Murray of San Antonio; one brother, William J.R. Higgins of Corpus Christi; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be sent to Merkel Cemetery Association, 201 Edwards, Merkel 79536.

Peggy Dickson

ROBY -- Peggy Dickson, 49, longtime bookkeeper and secretary at the Terry Gin, died Tuesday in an Abilene hospital.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday in Roby Church of Christ with Curtis Ward officiating. Burial will be in Roby Cemetery, directed by Weathersbee Funeral Home of Rotan.

Mrs. Dickson was born in Rotan and was a lifelong Roby resident. She married Thomas Dickson in 1965 in Roby and was a member of the Roby Fire Department and Church of Christ.

Survivors include her husband, of Roby; two sons, Nick Dickson of Alpine and Heath Dickson of Westbrook; her mother, Emma Faye Terry of Roby; one sister, Marty Williamson of Rotan; and one brother, Mike Terry of Roby.

Memorials may be sent to Roby Fire Department, Roby Cemetery Fund, Roby Church of Christ or Roby Library.

Imogene Suber

MERKEL -- Imogene L. Suber, 88, died Sunday in an Abilene hospital.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Starbuck Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Greg Kennedy officiating. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Mrs. Suber was born in Fulbright and moved to the Merkel area in 1922. She attended school in Merkel. She married Hilton Suber in 1926 in Merkel and was a homemaker. She was a member of First United Methodist Church.

Survivors include her husband of Merkel; one son, G.H. Suber Jr. of Odessa; one daughter, Mary Idell Selmon of Odessa; three brothers, Fred Gullion of San Antonio, Jay Gullion of Atlanta and Norvil Gullion of Pennsylvania; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

Mary Ernestine Lott Williams

FORT WORTH -- Mary Ernestine Lott Williams, 77, of Lake Worth and formerly of Haskell County, died Tuesday in a local hospital.

Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday in Rule Cemetery, directed by Biggers Funeral Home.

Mrs. Williams was born in Haskell County, where she grew up, and moved to Fort Worth in 1976. She was a retired secretary and was a member of Lake Worth First Baptist Church.

Survivors include one son, Dan R. Williams of Lake Worth; her mother, Exa Ashley Lott of Lake Worth; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Wayne Laird

ASPERMONT -- Wayne Laird, 75, owner and operator of Laird Lumber Yard for many years, died Tuesday in an Abilene hospital.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Aspermont Church of Christ with Bob Phillips officiating. Burial will be in Haskell Cemetery, directed by McCoy Funeral Home.

Mr. Laird was born in Grandview and served with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He was a farmer and rancher.

Survivors include his wife, Adeline Laird of Aspermont; two sons, Matt Laird of Brownwood and Waddy Hills of Anson; one brother, Croft Laird of Abbott; three sisters, Norma Laird of Grandview, Corrine Henshaw of Bedford and Annette DeRosa of Mauldin, Mass.; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Mary Crofts

CISCO -- Mary Crofts, 93, died Wednesday in an Abilene hospital.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in Cisco First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Gary Turner officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, directed by Kimbrough Funeral Home.

Mrs. Crofts was born in Riverside, Calif., and graduated from Pomona College in Clairmont, Calif. She married Sutton Crofts in 1929 in Cypress Mills in Blanco County and worked as a legal secretary. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Cisco Writers Guild, Cisco Book Club, Lake Cisco Country Club, United Methodist Women and First United Methodist Church. She formerly sang in the church choir.

Survivors include her husband, of Cisco; two sons, Robert Crofts of Orange, Calif., and Dash Crofts of Nashville, Tenn.; two daughters, Carolyn Webster of Fort Worth and Dorothy "Dot" Mittel of Arlington; nine grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Myra Odom

BROWNWOOD -- Myra F. Odom, 81, formerly of the Dallas area, died Wednesday at her home.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in J.E. Keever Mortuary Chapel in Ennis with the Rev. Richard Moody officiating. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. in Grove Hill Memorial Park in Dallas. Local arrangements were made by Heartland Funeral Home of Early.

Mrs. Odom was born in Bairdstown and worked as a secretary to the chaplain of Baylor Medical Center in Dallas for 10 years until retiring in 1982. She taught the Willing Workers Sunday School Class at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Ennis for seven years and moved to Brownwood in 1997 from Ennis. She was the widow of the Rev. Randall Odom, whom she married in 1935 in Lubbock.

Survivors include one daughter, Donna Godfrey of Brownwood; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

The body will be at Heartland Funeral Home until Friday morning.

Flora Snodgrass Crook

COLEMAN -- Flora Snodgrass Crook, 83, died Tuesday in a local hospital.

Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in Coleman Cemetery with the Rev. Reed Justus officiating, directed by Stevens Funeral Home.

Ms. Crook was born in Coleman, where she graduated from high school in 1933. She lived in Corpus Christi for 20 years and worked for Southern Mineral Companies. She then moved to San Angelo and was employed by Shannon Hospital. She returned to Coleman in 1985 and was a former member of Order of the Eastern Star and National Secretaries Association. She was a member of Christian Church.

Survivors include one brother, Jim Snodgrass of Coleman; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be sent to American Heart Association, 149 N. Willis, Abilene 79603.

Benjamin Lecroy

BIG SPRING -- Benjamin Lecroy, 80, died Sunday in a local hospital.

Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio with the Rev. John Payne officiating, directed by Myers & Smith Funeral Home.

Mr. Lecroy was born in Gatesville and served with the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Survivors include one son, Tom Christopher of Corpus Christi; one daughter, Gayle Davidson of El Paso; and five grandchildren.

Donald Saunders

COLEMAN -- Donald M. Saunders, 78, lifelong local resident, died Wednesday in a local hospital.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Stevens Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Reed Justus officiating. Burial will be in White Chapel Cemetery.

Mr. Saunders was born in Coleman, where he graduated from high school in 1937, and married Margaret Weatherred in 1945 in Coleman. He was a stockfarmer and was a member of First United Methodist Church.

Survivors include his wife of Coleman; one son, Tommy Saunders of Coleman; one sister, Doris Elaine Saunders of Fort Stockton; one brother, Oplin Saunders of Coleman; one aunt; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be sent to a favorite charity.

Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. today in the funeral home.

Gearld Wayne Ables

EASTLAND -- Gearld Wayne Ables, 65, died Wednesday in an Abilene hospital.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Edwards Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jim Wright officiating. Burial will be in Eastland City Cemetery.

Mr. Ables was born in Carbon and attended Eastland High School. He started working at age 15 in the family business, Ables and Son Bit Co., which he later owned and operated until retiring in 1996. He married Shirley Ann Branton in 1952 in Eastland and played semi-professional baseball. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran and was a member of Carbon Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife, of Eastland; one son, Jerry Wayne Ables of Tennessee Colony; one daughter, Deborah Ann Cox of Eastland; two brothers, J.D. Ables of Silsbee and R.D. Ables of Elk City, Okla.; three grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Lloyd Tyree

Lloyd Tyree, 73, died Wednesday in a local hospital. Services are pending with Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory.

Verra Venna Newcomb

CARBON -- Verra Venna Newcomb, 85, died Wednesday in a Haltom City nursing home. Services are pending with Edwards Funeral Home of Eastland.

Ida Hughes

BIG SPRING -- Ida A. Hughes, 92, died Wednesday in a local nursing home. Services are pending with Myers & Smith Funeral Home.

Ethel Williams

Ethel Williams, 90, died Wednesday in a local hospital. Services are being handled by Mobley-Dodson Funeral Home of Sand Springs, Okla. Local arrangements were made by North's Funeral Home, 242 Orange.

Margaret Gallaway

BIG SPRING -- Margaret Gallaway, 84, died Tuesday in a local care facility. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in Trinity Memorial Park, directed by Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.

Grace Etier Cheves

NACOGDOCHES -- Graveside services for Grace Etier Cheves, 88, will be at 10 a.m. today in Clyde Cemetery, directed by Cason-Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors. Mrs. Cheves, formerly of Clyde, died Monday in a local nursing home.

Mary Ventura Garza

GOLDTHWAITE -- Mary Ventura Garza died Wednesday in a Brownwood hospital. Rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Friday in Stacy-Wilkins Funeral Home Chapel. Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in St. Peter's Catholic Church.

Theola Elizabeth Tatum

DUBLIN -- Theola Elizabeth Tatum, 90, died Wednesday in San Antonio. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Laurel Street United Methodist Church, directed by Harrell Funeral Home.

Lewis Wesley Conner

MULLIN -- Lewis Wesley Conner, 70, died Wednesday at his home. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Stacy-Wilkins Funeral Home Chapel in Goldthwaite.

J.B. Burditt

ROTAN -- J.B. Burditt, 87, died Tuesday in a local hospital. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in Roby Cemetery, directed by Weathersbee Funeral Home.

Billy Jack Caraway

STEPHENVILLE -- Billy Jack Caraway, 73, died Tuesday in a local hospital. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Friday in Liveoak Cemetery in Dublin, directed by Lacy Funeral Home.