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Weldon Clay Rich
March 7, 2011 - February 13, 2011
Weldon Clay Rich was born in Alvord, Texas March 7, 1933 to J C and Vera Perkins Rich. He went to be with his Lord on February 13, 2011 at the age of 77. A Graduate of Waurika High School, Weldon was married to Shirley Ann Miller September 6, 1952 in Waurika, Ok. As a teenage boy he was baptized at the First Baptist Church in Waurika and at his death he was a member of College Baptist Church in Big Spring, TX.
Weldon retired from Halliburton as a Field Supervisor in 1991 after 34 years. Following retirement he was employed by NAPA in Big Spring and upon moving to Abilene began working for Power Shack Gym. Weldon loved outdoor activities especially with his family. These include camping, fishing, boating, hiking with his brother Jimmy and football.
Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Shirley Rich of Abilene; daughter and son in law, Sherri & Kenneth Lain of Abilene; son and daughter in law, Steve and Janell Rich of Snyder; son and daughter in law, Mike & Pam Rich of Benton, LA; daughter and son in law, Eva & Mike Freeman of San Angelo; 10 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; brother and sister in law, Jimmy & Mary Rich of Saginaw; and brother Charles & Janette Rich of Littleton, Co.
Visitation for family and friends will be held Tuesday, February 15, 2011 from 6 till 8 PM at Elmwood Funeral Home, 5750 Hwy 277 South. Celebration of his life will be 2:00 PM Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at the Elmwood Funeral Home Chapel with interment following the service at Elmwood Memorial Park.
Elnor Carter
July 9, 1928 - February 9, 2011
Elnor Carter, 82, passed away Wednesday, February 9, 2011 in Abilene. Visitation will be Friday, February 11, 2011 from 6:00 till 7:30 PM at Elmwood Funeral Home, 5750 Hwy 277 South. Funeral service will be at 10:00 AM, Saturday, February 12, 2011 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 4933 South 7th Street, officiated by Reverend LaVerne Janssen. Interment will follow the service at Elmwood Memorial Park.
Elnor was born July 9, 1928 in Mound Township, IL to John and Lottie Schwerdtfeger. She graduated from Altamont High School in 1945. She married the love of her life, James Carter on April 22, 1949 and they enjoyed 41 years of marriage until his passing in 1990. She worked at Timex for several years before working at the Jones County Tax Office as a Title Clerk from 1980 till 1992. She was a founding member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Abilene and was very active in the LWML. She enjoyed spending her time volunteering for RSVP, Meals on Wheels, and being with her family and friends.
Elnor is survived by her three children, Rebecca and her life partner Sandra of Austin, Ronald and his wife Cindy of Abilene, and John and his wife Racheal of Abilene; 4 grandchildren, Tami Sooter and husband Tom, Jenny Humphrey and husband Corey, Savannah Garrett and husband Justin, and Seth Carter; 2 great grandchildren, Grant Sooter and Carter Humphrey; several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial donations are suggested to Meals on Wheels, West Texas Rehab Center or your charity of choice.
Anthony Bryan Mora
December 20, 1978 - February 7, 2011
Anthony Bryan Mora, 32, was born on December 20, 1978 in Graham, Texas and passed away on Monday, February 7, 2011. Visitation is from 3:00 to 5:00 PM Sunday, February 13, 2011 at Elmwood Funeral Home, 5750 Hwy 277 South. The funeral service will be held Monday, February 14, 2011 at 2:00 PM in the Elmwood Funeral Home Chapel with interment to follow in Elmwood Memorial Park.
Anthony was a dedicated, hard worker currently employed as a driller for Trinidad Drilling Company. He was an amazing carpenter and welder. Seasoned carpenters and welders marveled at his craftsmanship. Anthony was such a unique individual that excelled in everything he did. He attended Abilene High School and met his soul mate and best friend Candis while working at the former Outpost Restaurant of Abilene, Texas. Anthony was a man with a big heart who literally made the world a better place with his presence. He was a wonderful family man, a proud father, and a hopeless romantic to his beloved wife Candis. He lit the room with his presence and was the most charismatic, kind and loving Daddy, Husband, Son, Brother, Uncle, Nephew, Cousin, and Friend. He will be greatly and lovingly missed.
Survivors include his wife, Candis Ververs Mora; three children, Anthony Lorenzo Dean Mora, Emma Elisha Mora, and Francisco John Mora of Abilene, Texas; parents, Benjamin and Mary Ochoa of Abilene, Texas, Larry and Terry Mora of Arlington, Texas; father and mother-in-law, Dean and Jackie Ververs of Beaverton, Oregon; three brothers, Larry Mora of Abilene, Texas, Alex Mora of Kyle, Texas, and Bruce Mora of Waco, Texas; five sisters, Lanae Mora and Selena Ochoa of Abilene, Texas, Christina Mora of Arlington, Texas, Cassandra Mora of Haltom City, Texas, Josey Mora of California; twenty-one nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his paternal grandmother, Josephina Mora; maternal grandmothers, Petra Garza and Ofelia Garza; maternal grandfather, Manuel Garza, maternal great grandmother, "Abuelita" Gregoria Medina; uncle, Gilbert Garza; and aunt Lupia Martinez.
A memorial fund has been established at the Abilene Teacher's Federal Credit Union for his family.
Juanita Alvarez Rodriguez
August 24, 1926 - February 10, 2011
Juanita Alvarez Rodriguez, 84, passed away Thursday, February 10, 2011, in Abilene. Funeral Mass will be 10:00 AM on Monday, February 14, 2011 at St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church, 2525 Westview Drive, with interment following at Elmwood Memorial Park. Visitation for family and friends will be Sunday, February 13, 2011 at Elmwood Funeral Home, 5750 Hwy 277 South, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM., Rosary will begin at 6:30 with Prayer Service immediately following.
Juanita was born on August 24, 1926 in Abilene to Asencion Villalobos and Luciono Alvarez. On January 7, 1947 she married the love of her life, Francisco Rodriguez. Juanita loved singing and dancing to music. She lived life to the fullest, spending time with her precious grandchildren. Some of their fondest memories were of her making them laugh. She was a devout Catholic and a strong woman of faith as was reflected through her marriage and the way she raised her family.
Juanita was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Carmen Portillo; and great- grandson, Mathew Dominguez.
Survivors include her sons, Santos Rodriguez and wife Lucy, Albert Rodriguez and wife Sophie; five grandchildren, Rebekah Wiesner and husband Ronald, Ryan Rodriguez and wife Laurie, Melissa Avila and husband John, Jennifer Dominguez and husband Nicholas, Adria Rodriguez; ten great-grandchildren, Alexis, Makenna, Alenna, Kieron, Lennon, Ashley, Christopher, Christian, Joshua, Nicholas; and one sister, Angelita Romero.
Pallbearers for the service will be John Avilla, Christopher Avila, Ryan Rodriguez, Ronald Wiesner, Nicholas Dominguez, and Joshua Dominguez.
Helen "Jill" Lillian Holder
January 15, 1925 - February 9, 2011
Helen Lillian Ramsey Holder, 86, known best as “Jill, ” died peacefully on February 9 at Windcrest Alzheimer’s Care Center. She and her late husband, Worth Holder, made their home in Abilene in 1963.
Jill was a proud homemaker, mom, grandmother and a strong Southern woman.
Born in the Swartz community just outside of Monroe, Louisiana in 1925, she and Worth met when he was in training at Selman Field Army Air Forces Navigation School in Monroe. He became a navigator/top turret gunner in B-17s, flying missions from England over Germany. He and Jill fell in love through letters exchanged during the war years. She became a “War Bride” only two days after his return from England and boarded a train to begin their married life near his family in Greensboro, North Carolina. Their love for one another, for home, family and God grew stronger throughout their 55 years together.
Jill graduated with honors from Monroe’s Bish Mathis Institute while Worth was overseas and afterwards worked until he returned as a bookkeeper at a large tobacco company there. Later in her life, as she and Worth moved from Greensboro to Auburn, Alabama to Abilene, she also taught young people in Sunday School and hosted women’s circles at her home. She loved mentoring young Abilene Hispanic women in a Girls Auxiliary Group at a mission on Ambler Street. She and Worth were devoted members of First Baptist Church in Abilene for 37 years where she totally supported his role as a deacon. She was known for her hospitality and her cooking, and nothing brought her more joy than hosting and feeding friends and family.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Worth; both of her sons, Worth Ramsey and Rodney Tomlinson Holder; her grandson, Jonathan Worth Gordon; and her daughter-in-law Robin Kay Holder. Also preceding her in death were her parents, Harry and Lessie Ramsey and her brother, Laverne Ramsey.
Her survivors include her daughter, Jennifer Sutton Holder; daughter-in-law Annemarie Holder; grandchildren Emily Paige Gordon Moore and husband Kyle; Mark Tomlinson Gordon; Hilary Paige Holder Erfurt and husband, Scotty, and Kyler Worth Holder. She has four great grandchildren, Meredith and Henry Moore and twins Reese and Rylee Erfurt. Her younger brothers Bobby and Clifford Ramsey and sister Marilyn Ramsey Dupre also survive their sister.
The Holder family is deeply touched and forever grateful for the care she received from Pauline Sanders while living in Dallas, and, on her return to Abilene, at both Sears Methodist Center and Windcrest Alzheimer’s Center, and by the entire Sears Hospice team. Dolores Garcia, RN at Windcrest, made her last years precious, comfortable and happy in spite of advancing Alzheimer’s disease. Dolores gave her “ladybug, ” as she called Jill, reason to smile. We thank her along with the whole Windcrest staff on the Magnolia Unit for their special care and compassion for persons with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mrs. Holder’s funeral service will be held at the chapel of First Baptist Church, 1333 N. 3rd, Abilene, TX at 2 PM Saturday, February 12, officiated by Reverend C. V. Blake. Family visitation will be from 1-2 PM before the service also at the First Baptist Church Chapel. Her committal will follow the funeral at Elmwood Memorial Park under the direction of Elmwood Funeral Home.
Thomas Kamp Todsen
October 21, 1918 - December 22, 2010
Dr. Thomas K. "Tom" Todsen passed away Wednesday, December 22, 2010, at Windcrest Alzheimer’s Care Center in Abilene, Texas. A private memorial will be held in Las Cruces, New Mexico, at a later date.
Tom was born October 21, 1918, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to Lorenz K. and Ellen (Christensen) Todsen. The family moved to St. Petersburg when Tom was 12; he graduated from high school there in 1935. When he took his college entrance exams, he received the highest score in the entire state of Florida.
Tom received his Bachelor’s degree in 1939 and his Master’s in 1941, both in chemistry, from the University of Florida, Gainesville. While at the university, Tom met Margaret C. Dorsey; they married August 4, 1939.
Tom served in the U.S. Army as a Chemical Warfare Service officer during World War II (1942-1947); he was discharged as a Captain. He also served in the Army Active Reserves from 1951-1962, attaining the rank of Major.
After the war, Tom returned to graduate studies at the University of Florida, earning his Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1950. He taught at New Mexico State University (NMSU) in Las Cruces, New Mexico, until May 1950.
In June 1950, Tom was hired as Chief Chemist at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). He promoted rapidly, culminating with his installation as Director of the Army Missile Test and Evaluation Command, one of the post’s top civilian positions. He served in that capacity for many years before retiring from WSMR in 1978.
Tom then turned his full attention to pursuing his varied interests in Southwest postal history; searching the U.S., Mexico and Central America for wildflowers, particularly wild orchids; and wildflower photography. Because of his extensive knowledge of botany, he became an Adjunct Professor of Biology at NMSU. He resided in Las Cruces until late 2009, when he moved to Abilene. Tom lived at Wisteria Place Assisted Living for more than a year before transferring to Windcrest.
For all his intellect and scientific rigor, Tom was also a consummate "people person". He was well known and highly respected by the staff at WSMR and NMSU, as well as by the many people he met from around the world through his correspondence and travels. Tom was devoted to his family and friends. He was unstintingly generous with his time, talents, treasure and affection, and held a genuine interest in and appreciation of the world around him and all that inhabited it.
Tom constantly sought new places and new subjects to explore. He discovered a new species of fossil snail, and a new wildflower that bears his name: Todsen's pennyroyal (Hedeoma todsenii). He authored a book on New Mexico territorial postmarks, and coauthored one on the "travelling" (railroad) post offices of Mexico.
Tom was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church in Las Cruces, where he served as an elder and lay pastor. His warm bass singing voice was well known at the church.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Lorenz and Ellen Todsen; by his beloved wife of nearly 49 years, Margaret Todsen; and by his older brother, Birger Todsen.
Survivors include son Thomas A. Todsen of Las Cruces, NM; son William (Larry) Todsen of Abilene, TX; grandson John and his family; grandson Pete; grandson Adrian; sister Erna Harmon, and her children Ron Harmon and Bonnie Jakob and their families, of the St. Petersburg area; sister-in-law Roberta Collar of Ocala; and numerous nephews and nieces.
