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Marshall Benner
MUNDAY - Marshall Benner, 73, died Sunday at an Abilene hospital.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church with the Rev. John Hall officiating, assisted by Dr. H.B. Graves. Burial will be in Johnson Memorial Cemetery, directed by McCauley-Smith Funeral Home.
Mr. Benner was born in Moody and moved to Munday from Abilene in 1951. He was a lineman for West Texas Utilities for more than 40 years and a member of First Baptist Church. He married Gloria Jo Smith in 1950 in Abilene; she preceded him in death.
Survivors include two sons, Terry Benner of Cuero and Barry Benner of San Antonio; one sister, Geneva Wallace of Huntsville, Ala.; two brothers, Hershel Benner of Red Oak and Irvin "Hooter" Benner of Eva, Ala.; and two grandchildren.
(Published July 15, 1997)
Georgia Kaye Smith
CISCO - Georgia Kaye Smith, 54, of Sugar Land died Sunday at a Houston hospital.
Services will be at 4 p.m. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Gary Turner officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, directed by Kimbrough Funeral Home.
Mrs. Smith was born in Ranger, graduated from Cisco High School and received a bachelor's degree in library science from the University of North Texas. She had been employed by the Dallas Independent School District and was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church of Rosenburg. She married Homer Smith in 1963 in Cisco.
Survivors include her husband, of Sugar Land; two daughters, Meg Smith and Stacy McIlroy, both of College Station; her mother, Bonnie McCleskey of Cisco; and one granddaughter.
(Published July 15, 1997)
Margaret Bearman
CISCO - Margaret Bearman, 84, of Eastland died Sunday at an Abilene hospital.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Kimbrough Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Wesley Howard officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery.
Mrs. Bearman was born in Ramona, Okla. She was employed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as manager of Cisco Housing Authority, retiring in 1990. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Eastland. She married Richard Andrew "Dick" Bearman in 1929 in Roswell, N.M.; he preceded her in death.
Survivors include one daughter, Alice Joanne Gruble of Dallas; one sister, Ruth Atchley of Lebanon, Tenn.; three grandchildren and one great-grandson.
(Published July 15, 1997)
Jeannette Tippit Caldwell
Jeannette Tippit Caldwell, a member of a family prominent in Abilene's cultural and civic life for more than a half century, died Tuesday afternoon at her home. She was 88.
Services are pending at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory.
The widow of Guy Caldwell, longtime Abilene rancher, philanthropist, churchman and supporter of Hardin-Simmons University, Mrs. Caldwell made her own distinctive contributions to her community.
She served on the city's Park and Public Recreation Board in the '50s including three years as president, played a key role in a major building campaign for her alma mater, and was a long-time member and one-time president of the Abilene Philharmonic Association.
Dr. Jesse C. Fletcher, HSU chancellor and former president, said Mrs. Caldwell was a woman of charm and elegance who "grew up as a ranch girl, a hard riding, sharp shooting type."
She was a champion barrel racer in rodeos from Midland to Stamford, and rode in the first performance of the Fort Griffin Fandangle in 1938.
She was born, however, in the Texas coastal town of Bay City, on Sept. 28, 1908. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Tippit, moved to the Davis Mountains when she was two, and she grew up on the Mitre Peak Ranch north of Alpine.
The Tippits, like many West Texas ranch families of those days - especially Baptists - sent their daughter to Abilene's Simmons University, a young Baptist school then building a Western tradition. There, she was chosen for the prestigious Cowgirls and met Guy Caldwell. He was the son of former Stephens County Judge C.M. Caldwell, later a leader in Abilene business and philanthropy.
Jeannette and Guy Caldwell were married May 1, 1928, in Alpine. The couple ranched in the Big Bend until 1935, when they moved to Albany. In 1948, they made Abilene their home for the rest of their lives.
C.M. and Guy Caldwell later achieved a rare distinction as a father and son, serving on the HSU board of trustees at the same time.
"Guy and Jeannette just fell right into that" service to their alma mater, Fletcher explained. "They were strong supporters of the university." Together they were chosen distinguished alumni of HSU in 1981, the first couple so honored jointly.
Lee Caldwell, a son, was elected an HSU trustee in the '70s, becoming the third generation to serve on the board.
During her two stints on the parks board in the '50s, Mrs. Caldwell established herself as a woman of strong conviction unafraid to defend a cause when she happened to be in the minority. She once resigned in protest of what she saw as overly strict limits on board members' personal business activities, and scolded National Guard officials when she believed they failed to live up to a promise made when the city gave park land to build a guard armory.
"She just had a lot of that frontier independence, and yet she was very sophisticated," Fletcher said.
The First Baptist Church member was also a person of demonstrated faith, he said.
"I never failed to see her at church until she just couldn't go," he said.
Mrs. Caldwell's other loves included bridge, gourmet cooking and gardening, winning countless awards for her prize roses and earning national flower show judge status.
Survivors include two sons, Lee Caldwell of Abilene and Clifton Caldwell of Albany; one daughter, Molly Cline of Abilene; eight grandsons, two granddaughters, two step-grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
The family will be at 1441 Tanglewood.
(Published July 16, 1997)
Pat Grant
Patsy Ruth "Pat" Grant, 63, died Monday in a local hospital.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in St. Mark's Episcopal Church with the Rev. E. Clif Gardner officiating. Burial will be in Elliott-Hamil Garden of Memories Cemetery, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory.
Ms. Grant was born in Rotan and lived most of her life in Abilene. She graduated from Abilene High School in 1952 and attended the University of Texas. She worked as a food service manager in Abilene at the Kingston Club and, from 1982 until her death, Abilene Country Club.
Survivors include one son, Walter A. Grant of Abilene; one daughter, Jo Ann Vaughan of San Angelo; one brother, Jimmy Bostic of Cleburne; two sisters, Kay Hamolka of Rancho Murietta, Calif., and Sandra Vazquaz of Oklahoma City; and two grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to Meals on Wheels Plus Inc., P.O. Box 903, Abilene 79604.
(Published July 16, 1997)
Marcus LeRoy Lawson
Marcus LeRoy Lawson, 100, charter member of Belmont Baptist Church, died Monday in a local hospital.
Services will be at 3:30 p.m. today in Belmont Baptist Church with the Rev. Wayne Oglesby officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood Memorial Park, directed by North's Funeral Home, 4002 Buffalo Gap Road.
Mr. Lawson grew up in Stamford and married Maybelle Eubank in 1918 in Stamford. He moved to Abilene in 1942 from Stamford and worked as a carpenter for more than 60 years. He was a past president of Ranger Rotary Club and was a member of West Texas Rehabilitation Center Stroke Club and Abilene Regional Medical Center Senior Partners. He was a deacon at Belmont Baptist Church.
Survivors include one son, Jake Lawson of Gainesville; two daughters, Mildred Louise Rouse of Abilene and Bobbie Lee Lewis of Chandler, Ariz.; six grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to West Texas Rehabilitation Center, 4601 Hartford, Abilene 79605; or Belmont Baptist Church, 2117 Palm, Abilene 79602.
The body will be at the church beginning at 10:30 a.m. today.
(Published July 16, 1997)
Rose (Gunsim Mew) McNamee
EARLY - Rose (Gunsim Mew) McNamee, 65, died Saturday in a Brownwood hospital after a lengthy illness.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Heartland Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jerry P. Galloway officiating. Burial will be in Eastlawn Memorial Park.
Mrs. McNamee was born in Honolulu, where she attended school. She married J.F. "Jimmie" McNamee in 1955 in Honolulu and was a homemaker. She returned to Early in 1981 and was a member of First United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, of Early; three sons, William Leon Sartain of Illinois, Joel Young Sartain of Florida and Thomas Gene McNamee of Washington, D.C.; Cheryl Jean Glos of Oregon, Beverly Jean McNamee of Austin and Patricia Rose McClung of Fort Worth; five sisters; 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
(Published July 16, 1997)
Bursey Grizzard
STEPHENVILLE - Bursey Grizzard, 81, died Monday in a local hospital.
Services will be at 3 p.m. today in Stephenville Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Emil V. Becker and Dr. Dan Murray officiating. Burial will be in West End Cemetery.
Mr. Grizzard was born in Stephenville, where he lived most of his life, and married Freda Winburn in 1935 in Fort Worth. He served with the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a retired route salesman of American Bakery and Meads and also worked as a receiving clerk for Piggly Wiggly. He was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, of Stephenville; one daughter, Sharon Norcross of Stephenville; one son, Roger Grizzard of Weatherford; one brother, Horace Simmons of Stephenville; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
(Published July 16, 1997)
Laura Latrelle Huggins
BROWNWOOD - Laura Latrelle Huggins, 66, died Monday in a local nursing home.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Greenleaf Cemetery with the Rev. Kevin Hollowell officiating, directed by Davis-Morris Funeral Home.
Mrs. Huggins was born in Brownwood and returned to Brownwood in 1966. She was a retired licensed vocational nurse. She was a member of First Christian Church and was the widow of Billy Edwin Huggins, whom she married in 1948 in Thomasville, Ga.
Survivors include one daughter, Laura Frances Allene Kirkland of Brownwood; one son, William Earl Huggins of Brownwood; one brother, Earl LeRoy Foster of Brownwood; one sister, Charlotte Sides of Brownwood; two grandchildren; and one niece.
Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p.m. today in the funeral home.
(Published July 16, 1997)
