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Shirley L. Head
ODESSA — Shirley L. Head, 65, of Odessa died Saturday, Oct. 6, 2001, at her residence.
Funeral services will be held in Knoxville, Tenn. A memorial service will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, 2001, at the family residence.
She was born Nov. 4, 1935, in Knoxville, Tenn., and married
David L. Head Sept. 20, 1957, in Knoxville. She moved to Odessa in November 1981 from Bartlesville, Okla., and was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, David L. Head of Odessa; a daughter, Carla M. Winget of Odessa; a son, Bryan M. Head of Houston; a grandson, Corey J. Winget of Denver, Colo.; and a sister, Brenda Floyd of Knoxville.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made: In Memory of Shirley L. Head, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 297153, Houston, Texas, 77297.
Arrangements are under the direction of Berry Funeral Home South in Knoxville. Local arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.
Phillip Edward Laughlin
FORT WORTH — Phillip Edward Laughlin, 80, a retired oil well drilling contractor, died peacefully Saturday, Oct. 6, 2001, at his residence.
Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Dallas-Fort Worth National cemetery Columbarium, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway in Dallas. The Laughlin family will receive friends immediately following the memorial service at 6212 Indian Creek Drive in Fort Worth.
Should friends desire, memorial donations may be made to Red Devil Squadron, VMTB-232, c/o A.E. Surtees, 2455 Shields St., La Crescenta, Calif., 91214, or a charity of your choice.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Dr. Robert Brown, Mason Bristol, John Davis, Cass O. Edwards, Dr. Albert McDowell, Dr. James Murphy, O.L. Pitts, Gene Smyers, Walter Sonneborn, George Thompson III, Angelo Spelios, Hector Yanes and Larry West.
Phillip E. Laughlin Jr. was born March 10, 1921, in London, England, the son of Loma and Philbert E. Laughlin. Shortly after his birth, the family moved back to Texas. Phil Laughlin attended Lamar High School in Houston, the University of Texas at Austin where he studied petroleum engineering and Mexico City College where he acquired his knowledge of Spanish.
His military career began in the Navy as a seaman, but through a commissioning program known then as the E-Base Program, Seaman Phillip Laughlin was commissioned as a Marine second lieutenant, learned to fly and received his wings in 1942. In 1943, Phillip Laughlin left foreign duty and headed for the Pacific theater. Flying an Avenger torpedo plane with VMTB232, Lieutenant Colonel Laughlin earned several personal decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Lieutenant Colonel Laughlin retired from the military in 1958 after 16 years of service. He returned to Texas and started his own business as an oil well drilling contractor and gas producer as president of Laughlin-Porter Drilling Co. The company’s operations reached from Mississippi to New Mexico in the United States. They also took him to Canada, French West Africa (Cote D’Ivoire), Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina, and New Zealand.
Mr. Laughlin was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, Shady Oaks Country Club, VMSM-VMTB232 and the Independent Petroleum Association of America.
Survivors: Wife, Christel Laughlin of Fort Worth; daughters, Christina Laughlin of Oak Harbor, Wash., and Erica Laughlin of Austin; son, Patrick Laughlin and wife, Gina, of Houston; brother, Gary Laughlin and wife, Sandy, of Pebble Beach, Calif.; half sister, Phyllis Mason and husband, Richard, of Naples, Fla.; grandchildren, Casey and Sean Laughlin; and numerous cousins and their families.
Oleta S. Messer
ODESSA — Oleta S. Messer, 80, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2001, at Chris’ Country Retirement Home.
Her funeral services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2001, at Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Terry Wright officiating.
Public visitation will be held from noon until 9 p.m. today at Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today.
Mrs. Messer was born Dec. 6, 1920, in Campti, La. She married
Leonard Messer Sr. on Dec. 22, 1962, in Goldsmith. She was the mother of four children, and had seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She was a Christian and faithful member of First Baptist Church in Goldsmith.
She was preceded in death by her husband and a son, Leonard Carl Messer Jr.
Her survivors include a son, Mike Smith of Odessa; and two daughters, Marcia Cox of Goldsmith and Margaret Butler of Beeville.
The family suggests memorials be made to the American Diabetes Association.
Services entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home.
Nellie Borron McDurmon Newcomb
IMPERIAL — Nellie Borron McDurmon Newcomb was born in 1909 in Butler, Mo., to Marie Elizabeth and Edward Barron Borron. They moved their family to Imperial in 1915 to become farmers when Nellie was six years old, where she resided most of her life.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Sul Ross State University and taught school in excess of 39 years, including a year in Fort Stockton, 33 years in Buena Vista/Imperial and five years in the Midland school districts, plus relieving in various vacancies in the Grandfalls school system. She truly loved every student she ever had and always saw their potential. Her students endearingly referred to her as “Miss Nellie.” She was not prejudiced; she believed Acts 17:26, that God made the whole human race from one blood and each person was special to the Creator. After retirement, she continued use of her teaching skills as adult education teacher in Imperial preparing adults for their GEDs.
As a young girl, she committed her life to Jesus Christ. For years, she has been a charter member of the First Baptist Church of Imperial.
In 1929, she was married
to “China” McDurmon, who preceded her in death in 1964. She was also preceded in death by her parents and three brothers, Merle Borron and Arthur Borron, both of Imperial, and Don Borron of Kingsland. In 1967, she married
Robert Houston Newcomb, who also preceded her in death.
She is survived by five children, and five stepchildren, Patsy Six of Plains, Gerry King of Odessa, Glenda Akins of Stanton, Ronnie McDurmon of Sherman, Marsha McDurmon of Odessa, Jim Newcomb of Oklahoma City, Robert Newcomb of Guthrie, Okla., Charlie Newcomb of Skiatook, Okla., Donny Newcomb of Yukon, Okla., and Anita Myers of Bethany, Okla. She has 27 grandchildren, 49 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
She was a very resourceful woman. She believed that work was honorable and gave a full day’s work for a day’s pay. She was very artistic; her left-handed penmanship was like a beautiful work of art. She took art lessons when she was 50 years old, leaving her family with some treasured oil paintings. Her knuckles were gnarled from arthritis, yet the touch or pat of her hand was gentle and loving and reassuring. The sweet, smiling blink of her eyes, along with the slight nod of her head at the same time was her way of giving a loving hug without invading your space. She was always kind and gracious and fair. She never tried to get something for nothing, knowing that for everything someone had to pay the price. She always focused on the good in people and the beauty in things rather than the bad and the ugly. She was humbled by an awareness that any strength she had, as well as any potential she possessed, was only a loan from God to whom she would one day give an account. When the going got tough, she got tougher. No … she wasn’t perfect, but she strove to follow God’s leading not to conform to this world but to be transformed into the likeness of His dear Son, Jesus Christ. She steered her life in that direction and never changed her course. She knew how to forgive because she had experienced God’s forgiveness. She began her talks with God as “Our gracious Heavenly Father, we come to you as humbly as we know how.” She once told her daughter when she had a hard time going to sleep she would picture in her mind the first street in town and begin to pray for each family, then move on to the next street and do the same. She trusted God in circumstances over which she had no control and in situations that she did not understand because she knew He was faithful! Thank you, Lord Jesus, for giving us such a mother!
Nellie departed from this earth and went to spend eternity with her Creator Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Oct. 6, 2001, at 3:30 p.m. from the home of her son-in-law and daughter, Bill and Glenda Akins in Stanton.
Funeral services are to be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2001, at the “Old” Community House in Imperial followed by burial at the Imperial cemetery.
Family members request that memorials in her memory be given to any of the following: First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 100, Imperial Texas, 79743, Sherwood Christian Academy, P.O. Box 13448, Odessa, Texas, 79768-3448; or Hospice of Midland Inc., P.O. Box 2621, Midland, Texas, 79702.
Arrangements are with Shaffer-Nichols Funeral Home of Crane.
Ester Polk
ABILENE — Ester Polk, 92, a retired licensed vocational nurse, died Sunday, Oct. 7, 2001, at a Fort Worth nursing home.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today, Oct. 9, 2001, at Cedar Hill cemetery in Abilene.
She was a former member of The LVN Association of Odessa.
She was preceded in death by daughter, Mary Roberta Nicholson in 1996; son, William A. “Bill” Read in 1999; and a brother, Alex W. Fincher in 2001.
Survivors: Daughters, Edna Pearl Read of Fort Worth and Catherine Haughton of Odessa; brothers, E.D. “Jack” Fincher of Raisin City, Calif., and Burt T. Fincher of Abilene; and sister, Ethylene Ledbetter of Breckenridge.
Inez B. Saunders
ODESSA — Funeral services for Inez B. Saunders, 72 years old, of Midland will be at 3 p.m. today, Oct. 9, 2001, at Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Officiating minister will be the Rev. Nick Gates.
Mrs. Saunders passed away Sunday, Oct. 7, 2001, at Heart Hospital of New Mexico.
She was born March 22, 1929, in Fort Quitman. She married
Guy Saunders on Dec. 10, 1953, in Lovington, N.M. She was a homemaker and a Baptist. She made dolls and doll clothing for 20 years. Odessa was her home since 1943, when she moved from Hatch, N.M.
Her survivors are her husband, Guy Saunders of Odessa; her sons, Micah Saunders of Godley and Robert Phillips of Brinnon, Wash.; her daughter, Gale Bailey of Hobbs, N.M.; her brothers, Floyd Hammett and Euel Hammett, both of Odessa; her sister, Elizabeth Horne of Odessa; and her two grandchildren, Clint and David.
Services entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home.
Adele Aureta Westcott
ODESSA — Adele Aureta Westcott, 80, of Odessa passed away Saturday, Oct. 6, 2001, at her residence after a sudden illness. She was born April 4, 1921, in Wisconsin.
Mrs. Westcott was a world traveler who loved and enjoyed gardening and belonged to the American Legion Auxiliary, local American Association of Retired Persons and Northside Senior Center and was a volunteer at the Ector County Library. She was a Methodist.
Her husband, Paul Westcott, whom she married
June 15, 1943, in Oklahoma City, Okla., survives her.
Memorial services will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Ector County Library.
Services entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home.
