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BESSIE W. CUNNINGHAM
Bessie W. Cunningham made the journey to heaven Wednesday, May 30, 2001, at 8:41.
She was born in Garden Valley, Texas, on March 9, 1905, to Joseph H. Glenn and Molly Capps Glenn.
She celebrated her 96th birthday with a big party surrounded by family and friends. Bessie was a member of the Church of Christ.
Bessie in her younger years grew up on several farms in East and West Texas and New Mexico. While living in Logan, N.M., she met Dick C. Cunningham. While washing dishes he took her hand underneath the water and asked her to be his wife. They were married in Tucumcari, N.M., on Sept. 10, 1921, moving to Miles. They lived there until 1944 when they moved to San Angelo, where they celebrated their life together.
Dick preceded her in death on June 3, 1984. Also preceding her in death were her parents, three brothers, four sisters, two granddaughters, one grandson and one great-granddaughter.
Bessie is survived by her children, Glenn Cunningham and his wife, Lois, Vena Benes and her husband, James, Eugenia (Jeanne) Bolz and husband, Steven, and Carolyn Jewell and husband, Wallace. She also is survived by 13 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; 15 great-great-grandchildren; several nieces, nephews and cousins; and many treasured friends.
The family would like to thank the nursing staff at Riverside and Heritage nursing facilities and VistaCare Family Hospice.
Graveside service will be at 3:30 p.m. Friday, June 1, 2001, in Miles Cemetery with Paul Shero officiating. Arrangements are by Johnson’s Funeral Home.
JOE KOZELSKY SR.
WINTERS — Joe Kozelsky Sr., 79, of Winters died Thursday, May 31, 2001, in an Abilene hospital. He was born April 15, 1922, in Lavaca County, Texas. He graduated from Moravia High School. He moved to San Angelo in 1940. He married Dorine Franke on June 2,1942, in Wall. He served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. They moved to Runnels County in 1949, settling near Hatchell and moved to Winters in 1963. He owned and operated Kozelsky Cabinet Shop. He was a member of Winters VFW Post No. 9193 and American Legion No. 0261. He was a member of Knights of Columbus 3rd degree council in Ballinger and 4th degree assembly in Rowena. He was a longtime member of the Winters Lions Club. He was a member of Mount Carmel Catholic Church.
He is survived by his wife, Dorine Kozelsky of Winters; one daughter, Deanna Lehr and husband, Stuart, of Eola; one son, Mike Kozelsky and wife, Carol of Winters; six sisters, Gertrude Heinrich of Houston, Henrietta Franke of San Angelo; Georgia Mae Pohl of Monroe, La., Anita Schaefer of Norton, Irene Braden of San Angelo and Virginia Klepac of San Angelo; eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one son, Joe Kozelsky Jr.; one daughter, Jeanie Kozelsky; and two brothers, Henry Kozelsky who was killed in action during World War II, and Julius Kozelsky.
Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 3, in Winters Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral Mass will be at 2 p.m. Monday, June 4, at Mount Carmel Catholic Church with the Rev. Obioma D. Obi officiating. Burial will be at 4:30 p.m. in Wall Cemetery in Wall.
Pallbearers will be Tim Kozelsky, Darren Kozelsky, Scott Kozelsky, John Lehr, Tommy Wright, Robert Russell, Kye Franke and Roy Schaefer Jr. Members of the VFW and American Legion will be honorary pallbearers.
Memorials may be made to Mount Carmel Catholic Church.
JEAN ASH LEE COON
WACO — Jean Ash Lee Coon, 75, of Waco died Wednesday, May 30, 2001, in a Waco hospital. Visitation with the family was Friday, June 1, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, 6101 Bosque Blvd., Waco, Texas. Memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at Our Lady of the Lake Episcopal Church in Laguna Park, Texas. Graveside service will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 2, in Norton Cemetery in Norton, Texas.
Mrs. Coon was born Sept. 13, 1925, in Norton and attended school there. She received an associate’s degree from Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, Ill. She married Robert L. Coon in 1970 in Houston. She was an accountant for McDonald’s Corp. and McLennan Community College. She was a member of Central Texas Genealogy Society, McLennan County Republican Women and a member of Our Lady of the Lake Episcopal Church.
Survivors include her husband, Robert L. Coon of Waco; daughters, Linda Holbrook and husband, Tommy, of Whitney and Vicki Goetz and husband, Herbie, of San Antonio; sisters, Joyce Beard and husband, Jim, of San Antonio and Ann Robbins of Houston; grandchildren, Terri Holbrook-Lawrence and husband, Tom, of San Francisco, Robert Holbrook and wife, Denise, of Aurora, Colo., Kimberly Stahr and husband, Richard, of Dallas, Lori Hannasch and husband, Greg, of Comfort, and Aaron Goetz of Austin; and three great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Our Lady of the Lake Episcopal Church or a charity of choice.
Arrangements are by Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home.
SAN ANGELO — Marie Baker Griffis, 67, died Wednesday, July 25, 2001, at her residence. Memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Shaffer Funeral Home Pioneer Chapel.
Survivors include sisters, Earlene Huddleston of St. Jo, Sue E. Shirley of San Angelo, Doreece Blake of Grape Creek and Imogene Schooler of Granbury.
SAN ANGELO — Jesus H. Martinez, 70, of San Angelo died Saturday, July 28, 2001, in San Jose, Calif. Prayer service will be at 7 p.m. today at Gutierrez Funeral Chapels/North. Service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home with burial in Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens.
Survivors include sons, Rodolfo Guzman of San Jose and Eduardo Guzman of Houston; brother, Andres Martinez of Crosby; and sister, Guadalupe Avalos of Alabama.
MENARD — Larry Dan Holmes, 52, died Monday, July 30, 2001. Service will be at 11 a.m. today at First United Methodist Church with burial in Truscott Cemetery in Truscott. Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home.
Survivors include his wife, Marcy Holmes of Menard; mother, Alta LaVerne Holmes of Menard; daughters, Tonya Jones of Wichita Falls and Tracy Cutrer of San Angelo; son, Neil Holmes of Fort Worth; and brothers, Robert Holmes of Los Lumas, N.M., and Ron Holmes of Los Alamos, N.M.
MONAHANS — Jeremiah Hidalgo Steele, 21, died Tuesday, July 31, 2001, at his residence. Graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Monahans Memorial Cemetery. Arrangements are by Harkey Funeral Home.
Survivors include his mother, Dulcenea Hidalgo; and brothers, Terrance Steele and Wesley Haggerton III, all of Monahans.
BIG SPRING — Irene Gutierrez Moreno, 76, of Amarillo and formerly of Big Spring, died Saturday, July 28, 2001, in Amarillo. Service will be at 10:30 a.m. today in Myers & Smith Funeral Home Chapel with burial in Trinity Memorial Park.
Survivors include sons, Adolf Moreno of Midland, Alex Moreno of Odessa and Larry Moreno of Big Spring; daughters, Janie Malena and MaryAnn Levario, both of Amarillo, Ninfa Garcia of Big Spring and Alice Robles of Odessa.
BIG SPRING — Etta Jordan, 89, died Tuesday, July 31, 2001, in a local care center. Service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Goldthwaite First United Methodist Church with burial in Goldthwaite Memorial Cemetery. Arrangements are by Stacy-Wilkins Funeral Home.
Survivors include son, Robert Dudley Jordan of Goldthwaite; daughters, Lou Etta Cummins of Odessa, Sandra Jordan of Houston and Flossie Hawbaker of Pullman, Wash.; sisters, Voidean Slape of Paducah and Bettye Fay Thacker of Midland; and brother, Willard Shavor of Paducah.
STANTON — Nora Lee Smith, 93, died Monday, July 30, 2001, in Greenwood. Service will be at 10 a.m. today at Stanton Memorial Funeral Home & Chapel with burial in Evergreen Cemetery.
Survivors include sons, Barney Smith of Odessa, Charlie Smith of Stanton, Billy Smith, Glen Smith and Bill Smith, all of Midland; daughter, Rose Pritchett of Port Aransas, Violet Thomas of Big Spring and Dorothy Anderson of Midland; sisters, Mary Toon of Waco and Myrtle Cathey of Tucson, Ariz.
FORT STOCKTON — Helen Jean Blauw, 53, died Saturday, July 28, 2001, in a local hospital. Services are pending at Memorial Funeral Home.
SWEETWATER — Rena Merritt, 79, died Tuesday, July 31, 2001, in an Arlington hospital. Services are pending at McCoy Funeral Home.
BIG SPRING — Talmadge E. Bolding Sr., 72, died Tuesday, July 31, 2001, in a local hospital. Services are pending at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.
RUSSELL BAUGH LEWIS
Russell Baugh Lewis died on July 29, 2001, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born on Feb. 18, 1926, in San Angelo to Mattie Baugh and William Arch Lewis Sr., the second of their three children.
After graduation from high school he attended Texas A&M University majoring in engineering. After one year he joined the Navy and served in the Pacific on The Lauderdale as a radar operator during World War II. After the war he moved to Austin and attended The University of Texas, earning a business degree in 1949.
Baugh was destined to be in the grocery business. His father, Arch Lewis, opened the first ‘M’ System grocery store in June 1924 with $6,000 of borrowed money and a dream. The store was located at the corner of Harris and Chadbourne and occupied an area of 20-by-80 feet with a staff of two, including Arch Lewis. This initial investment started a chain which eventually grew to 22 stores mainly in West Texas.
Baugh’s first job at ‘M’ System was at age 12 when he worked stamping cigarettes after school for which he received 5 cents a case. By age 14 he had worked his way up to a summer job earning $5 a week doing everything from carrying groceries to sorting potatoes, but it left his afternoons free to indulge in his passion for fishing. Baugh was involved in all aspects of the family business, eventually becoming president of ‘M’ System Food Stores Inc. The stores were sold in 1993 after being in the Lewis family for 69 years with Baugh maintaining the real estate ownership and management.
While managing an ‘M’ System store in Abilene he met his future bride, Helen Hale. They had a beautiful church wedding in Dallas on Aug. 18, 1951, and began a lifelong commitment which would span half a century. In due time Helen and Baugh were blessed with two sons, Russell Morgan and Mark William. The family returned to San Angelo in the early 1950s to raise their family.
Being a loving husband and father were Baugh’s top priorities but he also volunteered his time and energy to serve on the following boards: United Way, San Angelo Rotary, Board of City Development, Salvation Army, Food Market Institute, Texas Merchant Association, Bank of the West (now Bank of America) and he was also a deacon of the First Baptist Church.
Baugh had a lifelong passion for hunting and fishing. Later in life he also became an avid runner and participated in many races including two White Rock Marathons in Dallas. Although few people in his age group were able to keep up his pace, he humbly referred to himself as a “plodder.” Some of his most vivid and pleasant memories were pursuing his hunting and fishing endeavors with either his sons or his equally passionate hunting buddies. He traveled to such exotic locales as Africa, Venezuela, the Arctic Circle, the Amazon and all over Texas and Colorado.
Baugh was preceded in death by his parents, Mattie and W. Arch Lewis Sr.; his brother, Arch Lewis Jr.; and brother-in-law, Capt. Terry Hale, who was killed in Vietnam.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Helen; his son, Russell and wife, Margaret, and grandchildren, Morgan and Mattie, his son, Mark and wife, Ruth, all of Austin; his sister, Nancy and husband, Lester Smith of San Angelo; four nieces, Merriet Lewis of Dallas, Laura and husband, James Morgan and daughter, Emily, of Georgetown, Windy Smith of San Angelo and Leslie Smith of San Antonio; mother-in-law, Mary F. Campbell of San Angelo (formerly of Dallas); brother-in-law, Dan Hale and wife, Dewi, of Dallas and nephews, Stephen Hale and Roger Hale of Dallas; brother-in-law, David Hale and wife, Mary, of Virginia; nephew, Daniel Hale and niece, Elizabeth Hale of Virginia; and niece, Sherry Jerome of Michigan (daughter of Captain Hale).
A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1, at First Baptist Church. Please join the family following the memorial service for lunch and a time of remembrance in the Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are by Johnson’s Funeral Home.
Baugh’s wish was for his body to be cremated and returned to the land of his grandparents. The original Baugh Ranch was established in the 1860s, is located on the shores of Lake Brownwood, and holds special significance to the Lewis family.
Our loving gratitude to the wonderful friends who provided their prayers and support and to the Angelo Health Care Service, Inc. and Hospice of San Angelo. Your love made it possible to survive this difficult time for our family. We sincerely thank you.
Baugh’s sweet, gentle spirit and loving kindness is an inspiration to those of us who were privileged to have our lives touched by him. Thank you, Baugh.
