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Shirley Hallford
BALLINGER -- Shirley (Mrs. John H.) Hallford, 86, of Midland and formerly of Ballinger, died Friday at her home.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in Rains-Seale Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Ferris Akins officiating. Burial will be in Talpa Cemetery.
Mrs. Hallford worked as a teacher's aide in the Ballinger school system. She was a Baptist and was the widow of the Rev. John Henry Hallford, whom she married in 1931 in Mullin.
Survivors include two sons, Baker Hallford of Midland and Ricky Hallford of Ballinger; one daughter, Sherry Palmer of Midland; one sister, Willie Adams of San Luis Obispo, Calif.; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to American Diabetes Association, National Kidney Foundation of Texas or a favorite charity.
(Published on December 13, 1997)
Jacob Lee Espinoza
Jacob Lee Espinoza, infant, died Tuesday in a local hospital.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in Cedar Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Joe Uecker officiating, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory.
Jacob was born in Abilene.
Survivors include his parents, Rudy Espinoza and Casandra Rangel, both of Abilene; his grandparents, Ubil and Matilda Espinoza, Dora Estrada and Jerry Rangel, all of Abilene; his great-grandparents, Teresa and Juan Rangel, and Amelia Vasquez, all of Abilene; and his great-great-grandmother, Minnie Stokes of Abilene.
The family will be at 2102 N. 18th.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today in the funeral home.
(Published on December 14, 1997)
Maedell Whitley Cheairs
Maedell Whitley Cheairs, 74, died Friday in a local hospital.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home Chapel of Memories, 542 Hickory, with the Revs. Mike Patterson and Jimmy Griffith officiating. Burial will be in Iberis Cemetery.
Mrs. Cheairs was born in Roanoke and moved to Taylor County in 1926 from Denton County. She graduated from Wylie High School in 1940 and worked for Key City Vending for five years. She was a homemaker. She was a member of the PEP Club and was active in the Pairs and Spares Sunday School Class at Wylie Baptist Church. She was the widow of Granvel Cheairs, whom she married in 1940 in Abilene.
Survivors include two sons, Dale Cheairs of Combine and Carroll Cheairs of Hulbert, Okla.; one daughter, Linda Pickens of Merkel; one brother, Omer Whitley of Soso, Miss.; two sisters, Faye Glover and Inez Williams, both of Abilene; 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be sent to Hendrick Hospice Care, P.O. Box 1922, Abilene 79604.
Visitation will be from 2-4 p.m. today in the funeral home.
(Published on December 14, 1997)
Kordell Christen Lubin
Kordell Christen Lubin, infant, was stillborn Tuesday in a local hospital.
Services will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Holiday Hills Baptist Church with the Rev. D.L. Minor officiating, directed by Curtis-Starks Funeral Home, 542 E.N. 7th. Graveside services will be Thursday in Combere Cemetery in Lake Charles, La., directed by Fondel's Funeral Home of Lake Charles.
Survivors include his parents, the Rev. and Mrs. Matthew Lubin of Abilene; two brothers, Matthew Lubin and Devin Lubin, both of Abilene; and several grandparents, aunts and uncles.
(Published on December 14, 1997)
Valta Chaney
Valta (Mrs. Lum) Chaney, 92, of Tulsa, Okla., and formerly of Abilene, died Thursday at her home.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home Chapel of Memories, 542 Hickory, with the Rev. Garland Wallace officiating. Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Chaney was born in Coryell County and moved to Abilene in 1908 from Erath County. She graduated from Abilene High School and was a homemaker. She was a member of First Church of the Nazarene in Abilene and was the widow of Lum Chaney, whom she married in 1923 in Abilene.
Survivors include one son, Lawrence Chaney of Abilene; three daughters, Melba L. Bates of Dallas, Patsy Mullens of Arlington and Wynelle Holden of Tulsa, Okla.; nine grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be sent to First Church of the Nazarene Building Fund, 1389 Vine, Abilene 79602.
Visitation will be from 3-5 p.m. today in the funeral home.
(Published on December 14, 1997)
Cora Barham
WEATHERFORD -- Cora O. Barham, 84, mother of an Abilene resident, died Friday in a local nursing home.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Galbreaith-Pickard Funeral Chapel. Burial will be in Brock Cemetery.
Ms. Barham was born in Parker County, where she was a lifelong resident, and was a homemaker. She retired from the Weatherford school system and was a Baptist.
Survivors include three sons, Bill Sears of Abilene, Fred Sears of Poolville and John Sears of Weatherford; one sister, Dorothy Schindler of Mineral Wells; two brothers, W.F. Hinshaw and David Hinshaw, both of Weatherford; 13 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
(Published on December 14, 1997)
Beulah Smith
EASTLAND -- Beulah B. Smith, 90, of Tyler and formerly of Eastland, died Friday in Tyler.
Graveside services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday in Eastland City Cemetery with the Rev. Kyle Smith officiating, directed by Edwards Funeral Home.
Mrs. Smith was born in Cisco and graduated from Cisco High School, Cisco Junior College and McMurry College. She earned a master's degree from Hardin-Simmons University and married Homer O. Smith in 1930 in Cisco. She taught school for 40 years in the Eastland area, including at Eastland Elementary. She moved to Tyler in 1995. She was a member of a retired teachers association; Eastland chapter, Order of the Eastern Star; Delta Kappa Gamma, a teacher's group; and Eastland First United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, of Tyler; two sons, H. Don Smith of Tyler and Juan J. Smith of Utica, Mich.; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
(Published on December 14, 1997)
Mattie 'Bill' Wisener
STAMFORD -- Mattie O. "Bill" Wisener, 88, died Thursday in a Hamlin nursing home.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Kinney Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jesse Morton officiating. Burial will be in Belvieu Cemetery in Rotan.
Mrs. Wisener was born in Fisher County and graduated from Dowell High School. She attended Texas Tech College. She was a member of Primitive Baptist Church in Roby and was the widow of Robert Preston Finch, whom she married in 1927; and C.E. Wisener Sr., whom she married in 1933.
Survivors include five sons, C.E. Wisener Jr. of Burnet, Bob Finch of Stephenville, Leon Wisener of Grand Junction, Colo., Royce Wisener of Hobbs, N.M., and J.T. Wisener of Blue Ridge; two daughters, Hallie Sue Randall of Plains and Betty McDougal of Stamford; one brother, Tom Levens of Abilene; three sisters, Emma Louise Smith of Lubbock, Nina Blevins of Elmore City, Okla., and Charlye Pauline O'Neal of Fresno, Calif.; 20 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to a favorite charity.
The family will be at 715 E. Reynolds.
(Published on December 14, 1997)
Retired Air Force Col. Frenchy Bennett
KURTEN -- Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Frenchy Dumont Bennett, 76, a 1939 graduate of Cross Plains High School, died Friday at his home.
Services will be at noon Monday in Zion Church with the Rev. Duane DeWald officiating. Burial will be in Kurten Cemetery, directed by Memorial Funeral Chapel of Bryan.
Mr. Bennett was born in Cottonwood and married Mary Elizabeth Wilson in 1942. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1943. He was in the Air Force for 30 years and attended the Army-Air Force Navigator School. He helped start the Berlin Airlift Operation by landing a C-47 airplane at Templehof Airfield in Berlin, Germany. He was with the Strategic Air Command for 25 years and was a co-pilot on the RB-17G and RB-29A aircraft for nine years with the 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron. He was a commander of the C-54, B-29, B-47, B-52, T-38 and Blackbird SR-71 aircraft, and was both an aircraft and squadron commander for the B-52 Bomber program at SAC Headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Neb. He then became the senior officer in charge of design modifications for the B-52.
He flew the B-52 on its first non-stop air-refueling trip around the globe.
He was a test pilot for the SR-71 aircraft at the Mojave Testing Grounds at Edwards AFB in California. He then was assigned to the Pentagon as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Special Studies Group from 1968-71 and received a Legion of Merit award for this work. A graduate of the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., Bennett was an Air Force liaison to General Dynamics for design and modification work on the TFX fighter before retiring from the military in 1972. He then moved to Kurten and was a Brazos County volunteer firefighter for 18 years. He was president of the Precinct 2 Brazos County Volunteer Fire Department, and also was president of the church council for two terms at Zion Church.
Survivors include his wife, of Kurten; one son, Bradley Steven Bennett of Santa Fe, N.M.; one daughter, Dianne Holton of Tyler; two brothers, Wallace J. Bennett and John Franklin Bennett, both of Cross Plains; three grandchildren; and many cousins, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.
Memorials may be sent to Hospice of Brazos Valley, 205 E. 29th St., Bryan 77803; or Zion Church, 967 FM 2038 North, Kurten 77803.
(Published on December 14, 1997)
