WOOD, D W
Longview Daily News Tuesday, 08 Dec. 1925
DISTRICT CLERK D. W. WOOD DIED TODAY
D. W. WOOD, District Clerk of Gregg County, prominent citizen of this county, died suddenly this afternoon at 3:45 o'clock, while conversing with a friend on the First National Bank corner. Mr. Wood was about 50 years old, was in apparently good health today. For many years, he has been district clerk of this county and prominent in church and fraternal circles.

Wednesday, 09 Dec 1925
 D. W. (Watt) Wood was born and reared in this county. He is survived by his widow, one son, Levis Wood and a daughter, Mrs. Earl Skinner, two brothers and many other relatives residing in this county.

Thursday, 10 Dec 1925
FUNERAL FOR WATT WOOD HELD TODAY
Funeral services for D. W. (Watt) Wood, 58 years old, who died yesterday afternoon at 3:00 o'clock, was held this afternoon at 2:30 o'clock with funeral services at the home on West South Street, and burial in Grace Hill Cemetery. The funeral services were read by Rev. John L. Whorton, pastor of the First Baptist Church, with the Knights Templar escorting the remains to the cemetery, where burial was made with Masonic honors. District clerk of this county for the past six years, he was born 4 July 1867, in Smith County, and he was reared in Gregg County. He was united in marriage to Miss Maude WATKINS at Gladewater 24 Oct. 1897. He has resided in Longview since 1904. He is survived by his widow, a son, Levis, and a daughter, Mrs. Christine Skinner, a grandson, Royce, and two brothers and one sister. One child, Royce, is dead. Mr Wood was a consistent member of the First Baptist Church. He was the first master of the Masonic Lodge at Gladewater, was past High Priest of the Longview Chapter No. 177, Royal Arch Mason and prelate of the Longview Commander No. 86. He was past district deputy grandmaster of District No. 10. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias and other fraternal orders. Active pallbearers: J. T. Terry, Dush Shaw, Oscar Wood, T. D. Campbell,E. M. Bramlette and Dr. B. H. Acker.

1998 Worldwide Church of God obit

WALTER, Margaret, 83, of Gladewater, Texas, died Dec. 10. She is survived by a son Eugene; a daughter, Janice Fraund; and a brother, John Hofner. 

Mary Lee Clark

GRAHAM, Texas Mary Lee Clark, 84, of Graham died Tuesday, Dec. 29, 1998.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Morrison Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Joe Finfrock, pastor of Oak Street Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Pioneer Cemetery.

Mrs. Clark was born May 22, 1914, in Gregg County, Texas. She and Ted Clark were married in 1940 in Gladewater, Texas. He died April 29, 1980. She was a  longtime resident of Young County and a member of Oak Street Baptist Church. She was a retired elementary school teacher.

Survivors include a brother, Pat Walker of Gladewater; and a nephew, Patrick Walker of Gladewater. 

The Morning News   Springdale AR   May 15, 2002

Lois J. Spoon
SPRINGDALE - Lois J. Spoon, 51, of Springdale died May 13, 2002, at her home. She was born Dec.10, 1950, in Gladewater, Texas, to Homer and Bobbie Perry Hilton. She was a published author with articles in many magazines nationwide, founder of the Northwest Arkansas Christian Writers Group, author of "Running as Fast as I Can Go" (a survivors guide against breast cancer), a member of Northwest Arkansas Writers Association, the Ozark Writers League, the Oklahoma Writers Federation and was a speaker for Stonecroft Ministries and for cancer support groups. She was an accomplished pianist as part of the praise and worship team at Christian Life Cathedral, where she was a member.

Survivors include her husband, Robert Spoon; one son, Robert Luke Spoon of Fayetteville; her father of Longview, Texas; two brothers, Danny and Albert Hilton, both of Longview; three sisters, Marie Thornton of El Reno, Okla., Marie Waters of West Fork and Kathy Wright of Westmoreland, Mich.; her foster mother, Colleen Anderson of Cross Plains, Texas.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Christian Life Cathedral in Fayetteville with Steve and Red Dixon officiating. Burial will be in Bluff Cemetery in Springdale. Visitation will be from noon to 9 p.m. today at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home in Fayetteville. The family will be present from 6 to 9 p.m.

Ojai Valley News   May 24, 2002

Herschel L. Corbin
Herschel L. Corbin, 96, died at his home in Ojai Thursday, May 16, 2002. He was born Aug. 28, 1905, in Gladewater, Texas, and had lived in Ojai for 30 years. Mr. Corbin was a heavy-duty equipment operator and a member of Local No. 12 Operating Engineers for 54 years. He was also a builder and farmer. He is survived by his wife, Mary Helen Corbin; son William Corbin; daughter Catherine Moore; nine grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and numerous step-relatives. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Frances Corbin, and daughter Connie Ogren. Visitation was held May 18 from 2 to 8 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home, and a memorial service was held at the funeral home May 19 at 1 p.m., with Pastor Scott Harrell officiating. Private interment was at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier. Arrangements were under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.

The Boston Globe   Aug 30, 2002

A bass player's legacy: Thomas Coleman, a bass player and pillar of Boston's freelance community for 15 years until he retired in 1993, died Aug. 16 at age 67.

Coleman, born in Gladewater, Texas, in 1934, had an unusual career. After studies at the University of Texas and Tanglewood, he joined the Buffalo Philharmonic and later became principal bass of the Princeton Chamber Orchestra.

In the late 1960s he moved to Europe, where he was a busy freelancer based in Munich before he joined the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, where he became interested in early music. In the late 1970s he moved to Boston, where he played with Emmanuel Music, Boston Baroque, the Handel & Haydn Society, the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, and other ensembles. He retired early because of health problems, sold his basses and bought a piano, which he played well, and continued to enjoy the company of his friends and cats.

This week Craig Smith described Coleman as ''a fine musician and a great spirit,'' and announced that Emmanuel Music would plan a memorial event for September. Martin Pearlman of Boston Baroque recalled his audition. ''He came in and played the Mozart bassoon concerto on the bass, on gut strings, and it was great - really solid,'' he said. ''There was a kind of solidity of intonation and of character that comes from the bass section, and he provided it - and it is not so easy to find. I think the last thing he did as a player was to finish our recording for Telarc of Bach's Bandenburg Concertos in 1993.''

Coleman's colleague, baroque bassist Ann Trout, said, ''He was a modest man, unusually self-effacing. I don't think he ever gave any conscious thought to what his contribution was. His friendship was full and complex and unique, like his music-making.''

The Bryan-College Station Eagle 

Blanche Lee Mitcham
Jan. 22, 1901 Aug. 25, 2000

ROCKDALE Graveside services for Blanche Lee Mitcham, 99, of Gladewater, Texas, are set for 2 p.m. Monday at the Sharp Cemetery in the Sharp community of Milam County. The family will officiate.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home in Rockdale.

Mrs. Mitcham died Friday.

She was born in West Point, Texas, and was a resident of the Sharp community for many years. She was a member of the Friendship Baptist Church in Gladewater.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Vivion Mitcham, and a son, Glenn Odell Mitcham.

Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Doris and James Andrews of Angleton, Texas; two sons and a daughter-in-law, J.W. Mitcham of Brazoria, Texas, and Vivion and Margaret Mitcham of Gladewater; a sister, Katie Mae Shillings of Arlington, Texas; 14 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren, nephews and nieces.

July 23, 2002
Shirley Fleming 

KILGORE — Services for Shirley A. McCullough Fleming, 66, of Overton will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Rader Funeral Home Chapel in KIlgore, where visitation is 6-8 p.m. today. Burial will be in Danville Cemetery. Mrs. Fleming, who retired as a line foreman at Consolidated Nursery, died Sunday in Longview. She was born May 14, 1936. 

July 23, 2002
‘Buddy’ Brown 

KILGORE — Services for Charles Maurice “Buddy” Brown, 70, of Kilgore are set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Rader Funeral Home Chapel in Kilgore. Burial will be in Kilgore Cemetery. Mr. Brown, who had worked in construction, died Sunday in a Tyler hospital. He was born April 6, 1932, in Junction City, Ark. He enjoyed hunting and fishing.

July 23, 2002
Daylan Latrell Jones 

Private graveside services for Master Daylan Latrell Jones will be held at 10 a.m. today in Post Oak Cemetery in Longview. Arrangements are under the direction of Bigham Mortuary of Longview. 

July 25, 2002
Michael Vincent Clark 

Memorial services for Michael Vincent Clark, 61, of Flower Mound, formerly of Longview, will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 27, 2002, at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. Burial will take place at a later date in Rosewood Park. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Longview. 

Mr. Clark was born Nov. 7, 1940, in Marshall to Leonard and Eileen Clark. He passed away Tuesday evening, July 23, 2002, in a Grapevine hospital. 

Mr. Clark, a graduate of Longview High School and Texas A&M University, was a former place kicker for the Dallas Cowboys, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also retired from Lockheed Martin. 

A loving husband and father, Mr. Clark was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Darlina Adams Clark; his sons and daughters-in-law, Michael Kyle and Cynthia Farley Clark and James Kristopher and Shawna Lynette Clark; his grandchildren, Carpenter Farley Clark, McKinley Kyle Clark and Campbell Delaney Clark; a brother, Leonard Clark; a sister-in-law, Katy Clark; a brother-in-law, Jimmy Adams; a sister-in-law, Donna Adams; his nieces, Tish Robinson, Jennifer Sadowski, Kelly Windts and Amy Miceli; and his nephews, Trey Adams and Zack Adams. 

July 25, 2002
Nathan ‘Cook’ Holland 

KILGORE — Services for Nathan “Cook” Holland of Kilgore are set for 10 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Comfort C.M.E. Church with the Rev. Marvin Taylor and the Rev. Pamela Austin officiating. Burial will be in Fredonia Cemetery, directed by Cunningham Funeral Home. Mr. Holland died Sunday. 

July 26, 2002
Irvin W. Hamilton Sr. 

Services for Irvin W. Hamilton Sr. of Longview will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 27, 2002, at St. Mark C.M.E. Church with the Rev. H.Q. Dickerson, V.R. Brown and Harvel Davis officiating. Interment will follow in Jordan Valley Memorial Park, under the direction and care of Bigham Mortuary. Mr. Hamilton expired Tuesday, July 23, 2002, in a local hospital. 

Mr. Hamilton was a very faithful member of St. Mark C.M.E. Church, a U.S. Navy veteran and a Lone Star Steel retiree. 

He leaves to cherish his precious memories a very devoted wife, C.V. Hamilton of Longview; a daughter, Linda Gray of Dallas; his sons, Merrell Hamilton of Longview and Irvin Hamilton Jr. and his wife, Tullia K., of St. Louis; a sister and brother-in-law, Zelma and George Gains of Dallas; two brothers-in-law, Arnold O’Neal Drayden and John T. Drayden; three sisters-in-law, Jean Freeman, Patsy Kellum and Brenda Gibson; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; his nieces and nephews; and a host of other relatives and friends.

July 26, 2002
Ruth Emmel Case 

Services for Ruth Emmel Case, 79, of Longview will be held at 2 p.m. today, Jul 26, 2002, at the Welch Funeral & Memorial Center Chapel, 4619 Judson Road. Burial will be in Memory Park Cemetery. Mrs. Case died Wednesday evening, July 24, 2002, in a local nursing home. 

Mrs. Case was born Feb. 25, 1923, in Caruthersville, Mo., to William H. and Della Shaw Freeman. She had resided in Longview since 1939, and she was a Baptist.

Mrs. Case is survived by her husband, Ray W. Case of Longview; two daughters, Charleene Hitt and Dorothy Gibson of Longview; four grandchildren, Della Modisette of Grand Prairie, Joe David Gibson of Henderson, Jimmy D. Hitt of Gladewater and Charles L. Hitt of Diana; six great-grandchildren, Bobby Simpson, Daniel Simpson, Courtney Hitt, Rachel Hitt, Colton Hitt and Chad Hitt; and two great-great-grandchildren, Kennedy Grace Simpson and Madison Simpson. 

July 26, 2002
Buena Porter Sparks 

Services for Buena P. Sparks, longtime resident of Longview, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Welch Funeral & Memorial Center Garden Court. Mrs. Sparks died Wednesday in Branson, Mo. She was born in Oklahoma in 1916. Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Glenda and Lon McLauchlin; a brother, Jack Dickerson; a sister, Verna Wells; three grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. 

July 26, 2002
Mae D. Waldon 

KILGORE — Services for Mae D. Waldon of Kilgore are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Kilgore Baptist Church with the Rev. Gary Walker officiating. Burial will be in Post Oak Cemetery, directed by Cunningham Funeral Home, where a wake is 7-8 p.m. today. Mrs. Waldon died Monday. She was born Feb. 9, 1925, and was a member of Kilgore Baptist Church. 

July 26, 2002
Gladys Mozelle Lockhart 

KILGORE — Services for Gladys Mozelle Clayton Lockhart of Kilgore are set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Post Oak Baptist Church with the Rev. Larry L. Washington officiating. Burial will be in Post Oak Cemetery, directed by Cunningham Funeral Home. A wake is 7-9 p.m. today at the church. Mrs. Lockhart, a member of Post Oak Baptist Church, died Saturday. 

July 26, 2002
Dora R. Chelf 

Dora R. “Dodie” Chelf, 75, passed away after a lengthy illness on Wednesday, July 24, 2002, in Longview. She was born May 20, 1927, in Jacksonville, Ark., to Claude T. and Adina Richards. Mrs. Chelf had resided in Longview since 1994, having moved from Little Rock, Ark. A legal secretary for many years in Texarkana, Mrs. Chelf had been a homemaker for the last 35 years. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Longview and a former member of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Little Rock. A loving mother, grandmother, sister and aunt, Mrs. Chelf was preceded in death by her parents and two husbands, Basil N. Pierce and Kenneth L. Chelf. 

Mrs. Chelf is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Tom and Cathy Pierce of Longview; her grandchildren, Kimberly Pierce of Austin and Thomas “Tee” and Jodie Pierce of Shreveport; her brother and his wife, Claude and Kay Richards of Beaumont; a stepdaughter, Kathy Morris of Hope, Ark.; a stepson, Kenny Chelf of Texarkana; two nieces, Susan Richards of Houston and Diane Hoffmann of Silsbee; and two nephews, Jeff Richards of Houston and Gregg Richards of Lubbock. 

Visitation is 4-6 p.m. today, July 26, at Welch Funeral & Memorial Center, 4619 Judson Road in Longview and 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, July 27, at Griffin-Leggett-Healey & Roth Funeral Home at 5800 W. 12th St. in Little Rock.  Graveside services for Mrs. Chelf will be 2 p.m. Saturday, July 27, in Pinecrest Memorial Gardens in Benton, Ark. 

July 26, 2002
Roger Steven Harris Jr. 

Funeral services for Roger Steven Harris Jr., 23, of White Oak will be held at 2 p.m. today, July 26, 2002, at Rader Funeral Home Chapel in Longview with Jack Hale officiating. Burial will follow in White Oak Cemetery. Steven died Wednesday evening, July 24, 2002, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. 

Steven was born Sept. 21, 1978, in Longview and was a lifelong resident of White Oak. A graduate of White Oak High School, he was active all his life in the White Oak Boys Baseball Association and was an avid golfer. He was currently in automobile sales. 

He is survived by his parents, Emily and Roger Harris of White Oak; a sister and brother-in-law, Melora and Jeff Carroll of Baytown; a nephew, Blake Ware of White Oak; his grandparents, R.B. and Marie Richmond of White Oak and Burton and Anna Harris of Mount Pleasant; a great-grandmother, Emily Ott of White Oak; his aunts and uncles, Joe and Bernadette Sandlin, Patti and Harvey Bostick, Goldie and Dick Zachry and Gail Harris, all of Mount Pleasant, Karen Harris of Mount Vernon and Mark and Allison Richmond of Fort Worth; and a number of cousins.

July 26, 2002
Jessie ‘Yank’ Roberson 

GLADEWATER — Services for Jessie “Yank” Roberson, 91, of Kilgore are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Saint Chapel C.O.G.I.C. in Kilgore with Supt. F.L. Mitchell officiating. Interment will follow in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Kilgore. Arrangements are by Dearion & Davis Funeral Parlor, where visitation is 6-8 p.m. today. Mr. Roberson died Wednesday. 

July 27, 2002
Robert Lee Redkey 

NEDERLAND — Robert Lee Redkey, 76, passed away on Thursday, July 25, 2002, at his residence in Port Neches. He was born March 21, 1926, in Port Arthur. He had been a lifelong resident of the area. Mr. Redkey retired from Burtons Shipyard and Britton Supply and was co-owner of Redkey Quik Stop in Nederland. 

A gathering of friends will be 6-9 p.m. today, July 27, at Broussard’s in Nederland with funeral services at 7 p.m. in Broussard’s Chapel with Dr. Rick Erwin officiating. Graveside services are set for 10 a.m. Monday, July 29, in Gum Springs Cemetery in Longview. 

Mr. Redkey is survived by his wife, Julia Redkey of Port Neches; a daughter, Diane Gallier and her husband, Charles, of Nederland and Judy Groham and her husband, David, of Longview; one son, Thomas Tutt of California; his grandchildren, Brianna and Chris Rauschuber of Carlton, Amber Grohman of Longview, Kimberly and Randy Burke of Nederland, Bryan Grohman of Longview and Julie Gallier of Nederland; one brother, Fred “Butch” Redkey of Port Arthur; and a number of nieces and nephews. 

Pallbearers will be Charles Gallier, David Grohman, Bryan Grohman, Randy Burke and Darrell King. 

July 27, 2002
Jimmie Joe Kendrick Sr. 

Jimmie Joe Kendrick Sr., born Aug. 18, 1936, in Hominy, Okla., passed away on Thursday, July 25, 2002, at his home. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, A. Joe and Effie B. Kendrick. Jim is survived by his wife, Phyllis J. Kendrick of the home; a son, Jimmie Joe Kendrick Jr. and his wife, Susan, of Saginaw; daughter Kathie Morrison and her husband, Audie, of Gilmer; and daughter Dr. D. Susan Kendrick of Emporia, Kan. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Dixie Wood and her husband, Eric, of Pensacola, Fla., Joshua D. Kendrick; Viki and Freddie Acosta of Saginaw and children, Sabrina Ward and children, A.R. Matthew C. Holcomb, U.S. Navy, and Mallory C. Holcomb of Gilmer; a sister and brother-in-law, Charlene and Don Anthony of Midwest City, Okla.; niece Kimberly Anthony of Tulsa, Okla.; and uncle, Jack Hendrick of Cushing, Okla.; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Dorman and Verna Riddles of Cleburne; brother-in-law Robert King of Fort Worth; sister-in-law Joyce Schlegel of Shawnee, Okla.; his mother-in-law, Eva Hayter of Longview; and numerous other nieces, nephews and cousins. 

In addition to his immediate family, Jim will be greatly missed by the fraternal family of the Elks and a host of friends and neighbors who shared his life on a daily basis. Jim was awarded an honorary life membership in the Elks Lodge No. 1128 and served as State Elk of the Year in 1982-83. Jim’s lifelong service to the Elks allowed him to do things he most enjoyed, which included cooking for the Elks, serving the teens and advocating love and fellowship for all mankind. 

Jim transferred to Longview from Cushing, Okla., in 1974 while working for CITGO Petroleum, retiring in 1996. He was a member of the Founders Christian Church in Longview. 

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, July 29, 2002, at Rader Funeral Home Chapel in Longview. Cremation will be accorded. 

July 27, 2002
Eric Spradlin 

Graveside services for Eric Spradlin, 21, of White Oak will be held at 10 a.m. today, July 27, 2002, in the Cathedral in the Pines Cemetery, 7825 S. Broadway in Tyler, with the Rev. Dick Stagner officiating. Rader Funeral Home of Longview is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Spradlin died Wednesday, July 24, 2002, as the result of an automobile accident. 

He was born July 30, 1980, in Tyler. Eric had resided in White Oak since 1993. He was a graduate of White Oak High School and attended Kilgore College. He was employed in sales by F.T.C. DOORS. Eric was a member of the Baptist faith. 

He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Gina and Lonnie Smith of White Oak; his father, Les Spradlin of Duncanville; two sisters, Lauren Smith of The Colony and Rebecca Smith of White Oak; his maternal grandparents, Bob and Betty Bond of Tyler; his paternal grandparents, Leslie and Reta Spradlin of Tyler; several aunts and uncles; and many friends.