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Clarence "Don" Benson
Clarence "Don" Benson, age 69, of North Port, formerly of Bradenton, died Nov. 1, 2003. He was born Jan. 29, 1934, in Bradenton. Mr. Benson was a Navy Veteran serving in WWII. He graduated from Manatee High School and then from the University of Florida. Mr. Benson retired from the U.S. Post Office in 1989. He volunteered distributing monthly commodities in Okeechobee with the Share Program in North Port and was a blood donor having donated nine gallons. Mr. Benson called Bingo at the San Pedro Catholic Church and worked part time at Publix.
Survivors include: his wife, Sadie of North Port; two daughters, Candi Bullock of Atlanta, Ga. and Dottie Lamb of Bradenton; two sons, Wesley Beasley of Bradenton and Bill Beasley of Sun City; two sisters, Margaret Rosier of Naples and Maxine Weatherly of Atlanta, Ga.; 12 grandchildren; and, five great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, at Farley Funeral Home - North Port Chapel.
Farley Funeral Home - North Port Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Douglas Keith Elkins
Douglas Keith Elkins, age 60, of Okeechobee, died Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, at Grace Health Care in Clewiston. He was born May 6, 1943, in Ceredo, W.Va. to Jack Elkins and Mildred Thompson. Mr. Elkins was employed with Waste Management in Sebring. He came to Okeechobee from Hartford City, Ind. in 1976. Mr. Elkins was of the Baptist faith. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam.
Mr. Elkins was preceded in death by his father, Jack Elkins and step-father Harry Thompson.
Survivors include: mother, Mildred Thompson of Buckhead Ridge; brother, Jack Elkins of Hartford City, Ind.; son, Douglas Elkins, Jr. of Camp Polk, La.; aunt, Sturgiel Neal of Frostproof; and, a very good friend, Bill Fox of Okeechobee.
There will be no services or visitation.
All arrangements are entrusted to the loving care of the Bass Okeechobee Funeral Home and Cremation Services.
Virginia Lee Pitt
Virginia Lee Pitt, age 67, of Okeechobee, died Saturday, Nov. 3, 2001, at Raulerson Hospital.
Born in Baltimore, Md., and formerly of Fort Lauderdale, Mrs. Pitt had been a resident of Okeechobee for 17 years.
Mrs. Pitt was preceded in death by her husband Earl and is survived by one son Earl (Rita) Pitt of Okeechobee and six daughters Judy Reichert (George), Regina Lindley (David), Virginia Derry (William), Charmine Chapman (Richard), Debbie Schriber (Robert) all of Okeechobee and Mildred Colon of Fort Lauderdale. In addition, she is survived by 17 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, two brothers, Henry Whitley (Elba) of Fort Lauderdale, Timmy Whitley (Mary) of Boynton Beach, and one sister Cookie Beard of Fort Lauderdale.
Friends may call at the Buxton Funeral Home on Tuesday, Nov. 6, from 4 until 7 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. in the Buxton Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow in Evergreen Cemetery.
All arrangements are under the direction of the Buxton Funeral Home.
Stephen Douglas Finnell
Stephen Douglas Finnell, age 71, of Buckhead Ridge, died Friday Oct. 31, 2003, in Okeechobee.
Mr. Finnell was born to Clarence and Isla Finnell on Oct. 1, 1932, in Roscoe, Ohio. He was a construction glazer by trade.
He was predeceased by his father, mother, brother and two sisters.
Survivors include: two nieces, Brenda Finnell of Baltimore, Md. and Kathy O'Steen of Livingston, Texas; nephew, Vasilias (Dino) Rallis of Okeechobee; and, his sister-in-law who was his caretaker and companion, Jean Finnell of Buckhead Ridge.
Funeral services will be conducted on Tuesday Nov. 4, at 11 a.m., graveside at the Ortona Cemetery in Moore Haven.
Arrangements are entrusted to the loving care of the Bass Okeechobee Funeral Home and Cremation Services.
Lorene B. Blankenship
Lorene B. Blankenship, age 89, of Avon Park, died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, at Avon Park.
Mrs. Blankenship was born in Talledega County, Ala. She moved from Okeechobee in 2001 to Avon Park and she was a homemaker by trade. Mrs. Blankenship was a member of the Northside Baptist Church in Okeechobee.
Survivors include: her husband of 71 years, James R.S. Blankenship of Avon Park; sons, Randall Blankenship of Newman, Ga., and James Evans Blankenship of Navarr; daughter, Gloria Andrick of Avon Park; six grandchildren; and, seven great- grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, at 2 p.m., at the Northside Baptist Church with Reverend Tommy McGee officiating.
Interment will be in Evergreen Cemetery.
All arrangements are under the direction and care of the Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, 4001 Sebring Parkway, Sebring, Florida 33870.
Shirley C. Waters
Shirley C. Waters, age 78, of Fort Meade, died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at Bartow Memorial Hospital.
Mrs. Waters was born on Sept. 30, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio. She was a resident of Fort Meade for 59 years moving from Wauchula. She was a homemaker by trade and a member of the First Baptist Church in Fort Meade.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Merle Waters; and, son, Donald Waters.
Survivors include: daughters, Barabara (David) Redden of Fort Meade, Marilyn (Tommy) Hancock of Fort Meade and Carolyn (Edward) Flood of Fort Meade; mother, Myrtice Chaney of Wauchula; brother, Ron Chaney of Arcadia; and, three grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, from 6 until 8 p.m., at the McLean Funeral Home, 306 East Broadway, Fort Meade, Florida.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, at 10 a.m., graveside at Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Meade with Reverend R.L. Polk officiating.
All arrangements are under the care and direction of the McLean Funeral Home in Fort Meade.
Mary Elizabeth Jensen
Mary Elizabeth Jensen, age 80, of Okeechobee, died Thursday, Nov. 1, 2001 at Raulerson Hospital. Born Nov. 4, 1920 in Chambersburg, Pa., Mrs. Jensen was a schoolteacher and a nurse. She moved to Okeechobee from Naples in 1954.
Preceded in death by her husband, Anton P. Jensen.
Survivors include: daughter and her husband, Susan M. and John Hanner of Okeechobee; four brothers, James Tarner and Cecil Tarner, both of Okeechobee, Joseph Tarner of Chambersburg, Pa., Ed Tarner of Nahunta, Ga.; two sisters, Ida Beard of Chambersburg, Pa. and Jane Louise Kline of Okeechobee; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation is Saturday, Nov. 3, at 4 until 7 p.m. at the Bass Funeral Home.
Funeral service is Sunday, Nov. 4, 2001, at 2 p.m. at the Bethel Assembly of God Church, with Pastor Lamb officiating.
Interment will be in Evergreen Cemetery.
All arrangements are under the direction and care of the Bass Funeral Home.
Forrest Gerald Stout
Forrest Gerald Stout, age 68, of Okeechobee, died Monday, Oct. 29, 2001 at his residence. Born July 9, 1933 in Muscle Shoals, Ala., Mr. Stout had been a resident of Okeechobee for 25 years. He was a member of the American Legion, VFW and Eagles.
Survivors include: his companion of 14 years, Betty Jean Toler of Okeechobee; children, Jimmy Stout and Kay Milligan of Muscle Shoals, Ala.; three grandchildren; and sister, Pat Stout of South Carolina.
There will be no visitation or services.
All arrangements are under the direction and care of the Buxton Funeral Home and Crematory.
Frank Barber
Frank Barber, age 67, of Okeechobee, died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at his residence.
Formally of Gatlinburg, Tenn. and the West Palm Beach area, Mr. Barber has been a resident of Okeechobee for 25 years. He Served in the U.S. Army and was well known in the Okeechobee area for land development and construction. Always having a project under way, some of his more noteworthy projects were the development of the Market Place Flea Market, Palm Plaza Liquors, the Flamingo Motel and Galaxy Warehouses.
Frank was an avid football fan and even played football for Coach Bobby Bowden while a freshman at South Georgia College. Along with working in his garden and feeding the birds, he was a lover of the outdoors, water and sunshine.
Having been preceded in death by several family members, Frank will be missed by his beloved wife of 25 years, Cathy and his 13-year-old cat, Kitty. In addition, Frank Barber will be long remembered and his presence missed by the many friends and associates he had in the Okeechobee area.
Friends may call at the Buxton Funeral Home on Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 4 until 7 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted in the Buxton Funeral Home Chapel on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. with Pastor John Keith of Oakview Baptist Church officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contribution may be made to Hospice of Okeechobee, P.O. Box 1548 Okeechobee, Fl. 33493.
All arrangements are under direction and care of the Buxton Funeral Home and Crematory.
Moseley C. Collins
Moseley C. Collins, 79, of West Palm Beach, Fla., died Wednesday Nov. 21, 2001, at the JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, Fla.,
Born in Tallahassee, he was a resident of the Palm Beach area since 1968 and a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
Mr. Collins was a direct descendent of the first elected governor of Florida, William Dunn Moseley; and, was a first cousin to former Florida governor Leroy Collins.
He was a veteran of WW II, having served as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
A graduate of Georgia Tech, Mr. Collins was a professional engineer and served as county engineer for Sarasota County, Pinellas County, the first county engineer for Martin County, and Okeechobee County. Since 1970, he has operated his private practice of Collins and Company Consulting Engineers, with offices in West Palm Beach and Okeechobee. In addition to being a professional engineer, he was a general contractor, a licensed Real Estate broker, an Eagle Scout, an inventor, a boat builder and photographer.
He is survived by his wife, Nell Collins; four children, Camelot Moseley Collins and his wife Nancy and son Brandon Moseley of Stuart, Lane Hamblen Collins and his wife Elide and daughter Nicole of Palm Beach Gardens, Tara Puc and her husband Michael and daughter Malley of West Palm Beach, and Darby Collins of West Palm Beach.
Additional survivors include his former wife, Mary Palmer; and their children, Moseley Cary Collins, III and his wife Lisa and children Rodney, Parris, Casey and Beau of Eldorado Springs, Calif., and Chris Stevenson and her children Cody and Christopher of Arcadia; and, a sister, Edith Bible of Indiana.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach with Canon James E. Rasnick, Pastor Emeritus, officiating.
The family will receive friends in the Parish hall immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mr. Collins' memory to: Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 211 Trinity Place, West Palm Beach, Fla., 33401.
Arrangements by Quattlebaum-Holleman-Burse Funeral Home.
Carolyn Ann Snow Billie
Carolyn Ann Snow Billie, 46, of the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation, died Thursday, Nov. 22, 2001, at Raulerson Hospital.
A lifetime resident of Brighton, Mrs. Billie was a member of the first Indian Baptist Church of Brighton.
She was preceded in death by her father Bob Snow, sister Jennie Chalfant and son Clayton Billie. She is survived by her husband Gary, son Jack, daughter Charlene Hunsinger, mother Alice Snow and six grandchildren, all of Brighton.
In addition, she is survived by one brother Elbert Snow, sister Smawley Holata, both of Brighton, and sister Salina Dorgan of Okeechobee. There are also a host of nieces and nephews surviving.
Friends may call at the Buxton Funeral Home on Friday, Nov. 23, 2001, from 4 until 6 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted Sunday, Nov. 25, 2001, at 8 a.m. at the First Indian Baptist Church on the Brighton Reservation with Rev. Wonder Johns officiating. Interment will follow at Ortona Cemetery.
All arrangements are under the direction of the Buxton Funeral Home and Crematory.
Raymond Edward Reuwer
Raymond Edward Reuwer, age 89, of Okeechobee, died Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2001, at the Okeechobee Health Care Facility.
Born March 10, 1912, in Baltimore, Md., Mr. Reuwer had been a resident of Okeechobee since 1983.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Julia.
Survivors include: daughter, Rose Ann (James) Slifker of Miami; son, William B. (Elsie) Reuwer of Miami; three grandsons, Michael J. Slifker of Philadelphia, Pa., Kirk Reuwer and Ed Reuwer of Miami; granddaughter, Julia Ann Moak of Santa Barbara, Calif.; and one great-granddaughter, Lauren Nicole Moak.
There will be no visitation or services.
All arrangements are under the direction and care of the Buxton Funeral Home and Crematory.
