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Helen Swafford
BAIRD -- Helen Swafford, 73, died Thursday in an Abilene hospital.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today in Parker Funeral Home Chapel with Bob Sweeten officiating. Burial will be in Ross Cemetery Annex.
Mrs. Swafford was born in Searcy, Ark., and married Leonard Swafford in 1948 in Yuma, Ariz. She was a homemaker. She lived in De Leon for 14 years, Baird for two years and Comanche for two years before returning to Baird in 1998. She was a member of the Church of Christ.
Survivors include her husband, of Baird; one daughter, Tracy Harris of Houston; one son, Stacy Swafford of Houston; three sisters, Betty Jean Hawkins of Wichita, Kan., Zel Glass of Sweetwater and Patsy Young of North Platte, Neb.; two brothers, Bud Poole of Denver and Bob Poole of Sacramento, Calif.; one grandchild; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be sent to American Cancer Society.
(Published October 18, 1998)
Howard Rodgers
BROWNWOOD -- Howard W. Rodgers, 74, of Lake Brownwood, died Friday in a local hospital.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Davis-Morris Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. S.L. Yeilding, Carol Nichols and Ray Ricker officiating. Burial will be in Eastlawn Memorial Park.
Mr. Rodgers was born in Brown County and worked for Walker Smith Wholesale Grocery Co. He served with the U.S. Army Air Corps in the South Pacific during World War II and was a retired accountant of Forest Oil Co. He lived in San Antonio and Denver before returning to Brown County in 1991. He was the widower of Marcella Brooks Rodgers, whom he married in 1946. He married Mary Vickry Buck in 1991 in Bangs and was a longtime volunteer at the Family Outreach Center. He also was a driver for the Road to Recovery program with the American Cancer Society. He logged more than 6,000 miles on routes in San Antonio and Brownwood. He was a member of COPAS Accounting Society and Rocky Creek Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, of Lake Brownwood; two sons, Donnie Rodgers of San Antonio and Ricky Rodgers of St. Louis; one stepdaughter, Julie Bird of Grand Prairie; two stepsons, Rex Buck of Grand Prairie and David Buck of San Angelo; two brothers, Harber Rodgers of Brownwood and Hollis Rodgers of Blanket; one sister, Opal Curb of Brownwood; five grandchildren; five step grandchildren; two step great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
(Published October 18, 1998)
Bobby Neil Weaver
COLLEYVILLE -- Bobby Neil Weaver, 53, relative of three De Leon residents, died Saturday at his home.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday in Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home Chapel.
Mr. Weaver was born in Gorman and served with the U.S. Army. He worked in the collection industry for more than 25 years and was employed, at the time of his death, by The Associates.
Survivors include his wife, Diane Weaver of Colleyville; one son, Jake Weaver of Colleyville; one daughter, Tori Weaver of Colleyville; his mother and stepfather, Ruby and Luther Burdell of De Leon; two brothers, Noel Weaver of De Leon and Kevin Weaver of Fort Worth; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.
Memorials may be sent to a trust fund for the Weaver children at First State Bank of Texas-Grapevine, P.O. Box 100, Denton 76202; acct. 5554012780.
(Published October 18, 1998)
William David Dean
BROWNWOOD -- William David Dean, 65, died Friday in a local hospital after a sudden illness.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday in Heartland Funeral Home Chapel in Early with the Rev. Ken Smith officiating. Burial will be in Zephyr Cemetery.
Mr. Dean was born in Runnels County and grew up near Winters. He lived in Brownwood most of his life and married Betty Cantrell in 1960 in Midland. He worked as a brick mason and attended Heartland Church.
Survivors include his wife, of Brownwood; five sons, William Dean of San Antonio, Ottis Dean of Arkansas, and Milton Dean, Gearld Cantrell and Steve Cantrell, all of Brownwood; four daughters, Lavonna Davis of Early, Brenda Albrof of Temple, Christine Strength of Lake Brownwood and Reba Williams of Irving; 21 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
(Published October 18, 1998)
Clarence R. Collins
Clarence R. Collins, 75, Taylor County Precinct 1 justice of the peace from 1981-89 and longtime Realtor, died Sunday in a local hospital.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Elmwood Memorial Park with the Rev. Mike Woodard officiating, directed by North's Funeral Home, 242 Orange.
Mr. Collins was born in Hawley, where he graduated from high school in 1942, and moved to Abilene in 1943. He attended Draughon's Business College and then worked for the U.S. Postal Service. He married Sue Morgan in 1949 in Abilene.
He became self-employed in 1945 and operated Collins Realty and Insurance, Collins Abstract & Title Co. and Collins Investments. He built the Collins Boat Dock at Lake Fort Phantom and operated it until 1976. He also operated Collins and Associates Auctioneers for many years. He was a past president of the Abilene Real Estate Board and was named by the group as Outstanding Realtor of the Year in 1956.
He was a former lieutenant governor of Optimist International and past president of the Abilene Optimist Club. He was a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge and was a member of Southwest Park Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Sue Collins of Abilene; two daughters, Nelda Collins Nelson of Fort Worth and Carolyn Collins of Plano; two brothers, Royce Collins of Olton and Bill Collins of Abilene; one sister, Margaret Stephenson Jones of Idalou; and one grandchild.
Memorials may be sent to American Heart Association, 149 N. Willis, Suite 10, Abilene 79603; or Meals On Wheels Plus Inc., 949 Mesquite, Abilene 79601.
Visitation will be from 6-7:30 p.m. today in the funeral home.
(Published October 5, 1998)
LaMoyne Boyd Miller
LaMoyne Boyd Miller, 72, died Sunday in a local hospital.
Graveside services will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Potosi Cemetery with the Rev. Donnie Harbers officiating, directed by North's Funeral Home, 242 Orange.
Ms. Miller grew up in Abilene and graduated from Wylie High School in 1943. She worked for physicians in Guthrie, Okla., and Wellington, Kan. She also was a credit manager for McMahan Furniture in Reseda, Calif., and a clerk for United Grocers Warehouse in San Francisco. She moved to Abilene in 1981 and was employed by the Dyess Air Force Base Hospital as a medical clerk for 16 years.
Survivors include two brothers, Archie Boyd of Abilene and Aubrey Boyd of Arlington; and one sister, Norma McKee of Potosi.
Memorials may be sent to Hendrick Hospice Care, P.O. Box 1922, Abilene 79604; or a favorite charity.
(Published October 5, 1998)
Eugenia Maud St. Clair McWilliams
Eugenia Maud St. Clair McWilliams, 92, died Sunday in a local care center.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Bethel Cemetery in Mason County near Katency with the Rev. Nancy York officiating, directed by Fry-Bartlett Funeral Home of Tuscola.
Mrs. McWilliams was born in Richland Springs and moved to Lovington, N.M., in 1946 from Katy. She lived in Central Texas and California before returning to Lovington, N.M., in 1970. She then worked as a clerk at the Lea County Clerk's Office until retiring in 1990. She moved to San Angelo in 1993 and Abilene in 1998. She was a Baptist and the widow of Henry Gay McWilliams, whom she married in 1926 in San Saba County.
Survivors include two grandchildren, Karen Clardy Aldridge of Novice and Mark Clardy of Austin; and four great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be sent to American Cancer Society, 209 S. Danville, Abilene 79605.
(Published October 5, 1998)
Lorene Cutbirth
KARNES CITY - Lorene K. Cutbirth, 89, formerly of the Big Country, died Saturday in San Antonio.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Baird City Cemetery, directed by Rhodes Funeral Home.
Mrs. Cutbirth was born in Seymour and moved to Abilene in 1942. She retired from Grissom's Department Store in Abilene and moved to Karnes City in 1992. She was a member of Elmwood West United Methodist Church in Abilene and was the widow of Roy Glenn Cutbirth, whom she married in 1927 in Baird.
Survivors include one daughter, Patsy J. Whitehead of Karnes City.
(Published October 5, 1998)
Vesta Liber Kraft
DALLAS - Vesta Liber Kraft, 89, mother of an Abilene resident, died Friday in a Tyler hospital.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Lamar & Smith Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Laurel Land Memorial Park.
Mrs. Kraft was born in Canton, Ohio, and was a member of the Yates Sunday School Class at Tyler Street United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Arthur Vernon Kraft of Dallas; two daughters, Dr. Dorothy Barnes of Abilene and Patty Tunnell of Canton, Texas; one brother, Clayton Liber of Malvern, Ohio; one sister, Marion Rainsberger of Louisville, Ohio; 10 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.
(Published October 5, 1998)
Mary Perez
BROWNWOOD - Mary M. Perez, 82, who, with her second husband, owned the city's first Mexican restaurant, El Jalisco Cafe, in the early 1940s, died Friday in a local nursing home.
Rosary will be said at 7 p.m. today in Davis-Morris Funeral Home Chapel. Mass will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in St. Mary's Catholic Church with the Rev. Larry Cyr officiating. Burial will be in Greenleaf Cemetery.
Mrs. Perez was born in Eagle Pass and attended school in Big Wells and Del Rio. She moved to Brownwood in 1935 and worked as a certified nurse's aide at Brownwood Regional Hospital, Medical Arts Hospital and Plantation Nursing Home. She was a teacher's aide for the Head Start program at the Little School House in Brownwood in 1938. She and her second husband also owned Perez Grocery Store and, later, El Chico Cafe. She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and was the widow of Juan Solis and Martin Perez.
Survivors include six children, Mary Louise Rodriguez of Brownwood, Jesse Solis of San Pedro, Calif., Martin Perez Jr. of Abilene, Delorez Ramirez of San Angelo, Marcus Perez of Galveston and John Perez of Duncanville; three sisters, Frances Bastardo and Ina Balderrama, both of Brownwood, and Vera Bendele of Hondo; one brother, Victor Gutierrez of Homestead, Fla.; 25 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
(Published October 5, 1998)
