Obituaries - Issue on August 9, 2007 - Memorial Services Held Aug. 4 for Donna Jean Rasberry Donna Jean Rasberry, 71, of Thornton, passed away Tuesday, July 31, 2007 as the result of an auto accident. Memorial services were conducted on Saturday, August 4 at Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Robert McDougal officiating. Mrs. Rasberry was born June 13, 1936 in Pampa, Texas to Emmery E. and Ada Olive (Montgomery) Elliott. She married Hoyle Brax Rasberry April 29, 1967 in Pasadena. She retired from Western Electric as a secretary. Survivors include her husband, Hoyle of Thornton; two daughters: Tracy Sisk and Renee Bivens, both of Houston; one son, Donald Rasberry of Rio Linda, CA; five grandchildren: Ricky Turner, Jacob Turner, Josh Bivens, Braxton Bivens, Leah Bivens; great-granddaughter, Echo Nguyen; brother, James Elliott; sister, Pat Gladney. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Groesbeck. To leave a memorial message for the family please visit www.groesbeckfuneralhome.com Funeral Services for Jack R. Jones Held August 4 Funeral services for Jack Ralph Jones, 78, longtime resident of Mexia were held on Saturday, August 4, 2007 in Northcrest Church of Christ with Robin Wright, minister of Northcrest Church of Christ and Benny Lucas officiating. Burial followed in Mexia Cemetery. Mr. Jones, born March 9, 1929 in Jacksonville, Texas, died August 1, 2007. He was a member of Northcrest Church of Christ. Mr. Jones was in the teaching profession for 32 years, having served as a science teacher, Jr. High School principal and High School Guidance Counselor. During this time he was employed with the Spring Independent School District, the Lampasas Independent School District and the Mexia Independent School District from which he retired after 21 years as the high school guidance counselor. During his years in education he served as president of the Lampasas County Texas State Teachers' Association and again as president of the Limestone County Texas Teachers' Association. His part-time interest was working with his Simmental cattle. He was a member of the American Simmental Association. He served in the U.S. Air Force for four years. He was a past member of the Mexia Rotary Club. He was an avid hunter. Mr. Jones was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Mable Jones of Mexia. Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Franchelle Fowler Jones; a son, James Lynn Jones of Denton; daughter and son-in-law, Sharon Kay and Bobby Bankhead of Athens; three grandchildren: Robert Bruce "Trey" Bankhead III of Dallas, Trent Fowler Bankhead of Athens and Tye Kristofer Bankhead of Athens. Pallbearers were Joe Lucas, Calvin Prowell, Stanley Roark, Rick Sadler, W.N. Stone, Harold Fisher. Honorary pallbearers were deacons of Northcrest Church of Christ, Edwin Plummer and T.G. Temples. To leave a memorial message for the family please visit www.blair-stubbs.com. Christopher Reeves Funeral Services Held August 4 Christopher (Chris) Wadell Reeves, 51, of Palestine passed away Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas. Funeral services were held on Saturday, August 4 in Palestine with Rev. Roy G. Duncan and Elder Jerry Dunford, Pastor, Friendship Church of God in Christ of Jewett officiating. Burial followed in Magnolia Cemetery in Palestine. Mr. Reeves was born September 11, 1955 in Anderson County, Texas. He was a retired Public Works Employee for the City of Palestine. He was a member of Antioch Baptist Church in Palestine and was an AA Counselor and Representative for Anderson County. He is survived by his father Cleophus W. Reeves of Palestine; son, Christopher Robins of Palestine; brother, Alfred D. Reeves Sr. and wife, Charlotte, of Palestine; sisters: Betty J. Day, Veronica Ann Barrett, and Beverly Jo Shead, all of Palestine; granddaughter, Chrystal Robinson of Arlington; uncles: Lestone Reeves of Denver, CO Supt. J.E. Reeves of Palestine; aunt Roxie Ricks and husband, Sam, Palestine; a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends; special friends Emma Jo and Margie Sandifer. Pallbearers were Graylyn Crawford, Sr., Richard Reeves, Sr., Delbert Reeves, Bruce Barrett, Edward S. Birdow, and Sean Crawford. Moore's Angelic Funeral Home of Teague is serving the Reeves family. Margaret Rogers Funeral Services Held July 31 Mrs. Margaret (Paw Pete) Lee Rogers, 79, of Wortham, died Saturday, July 28, 2007, at her residence. She was a member of Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, and was one of the original organizers of Wortham Schools Homecomings. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, July 31 in Porter Chapel in Wortham. Family visitation was held Monday evening from 6-8 p.m. Officiating was Andre Johns. Burial was in Wortham Cemetery. Mrs. Rogers was preceded in death by her husband, John Rogers; her parents, Leonard and Hallie Veola Teer, and by a brother, Freddy Ray Teer. Surviving are sons - Johnny Lee Rogers and wife Paula of Mexia, Jerry Allan Rogers of Azle, Kevin Scott Rogers and wife Hellen of Wortham; two sisters - Juanita Ross Johnson and husband Jake of Mexia, and Dorothy Meredith Hilscher of Mexia; a brother, Robert Leonard Teer of Kerens; a daughter-in-law, Susan Horton of Azle; two sisters-in-law, Johnnie Harmon of Wortham, and Delores Teer of Temple; nine grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one on the way, and many nieces and nephews. Pallbearers were Henry Commiskey, Edwin Sours, Jesse Nelson, Bob Johnson, Marcus Turner and Tony Rodriquez. Quintilla Wilson Funeral Services Held August 8 Mrs. Quintilla Currey Wilson, 95, of Mexia passed away August 4, 2007 at the Windsor Nursing Home in Groesbeck. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 8, at Blair-Stubbs Funeral Home, 605 S. McKinney in Mexia, followed by interment at Faulkenberry Cemetery in Groesbeck. Friends and Family of Quintilla Wilson: The following information on Quintilla's life was put together using her notes and remembrances from family members. We hope you enjoy reading it and remembering her with us. Mrs. Quintilla Currey Wilson was born August 23, 1911 in the Buelah Community. She was one of six children of Chesley Albert Currey and Loudie Pearl Goolsby Currey. Their fathers were Benjman A. Currey and Silas A. Goolsby all of Groesbeck. There were six children in Quintilla's family, in order of birth: Albert Currey, Cecul Currey, Oleta Currey Stewart, Rachel Quintilla Currey Wilson, Theda Currey Gattis, and Magnolia Currey Burnett. The younger children could not pronounce Quintilla's name and her nickname "Tutta" came from them. She was Aunt Tut to many nieces and nephews. She started out in a cotton patch as a child with very little education. Her father farmed and all the children worked. Quintilla and Oleta each plowed with their own team of mules for some years so their brothers could do the heavier work A family farm had much hard labor and she knew what it was to pick cotton and drag a cotton sack. In later years, her father ran a second-hand store, but this was after Quintilla left home. She was eager to get off the farm if at all possible, but left school before completing high school. Her maternal Aunt Lillie took Quintilla under her wing and showed her a few tricks to get her started in the beauty salon world. She initially worked on neighbors' hair in her home though her father thought the work vain and sinful. She continued only by turning most of her money over to her father. She usually earned 25 cents for a wash, set and style. About a year later, she went to work for Stanford and Wofford Beauty Shop and moved from home over the furious objections of her father, who regarded her actions as near harlotry. Nice girls did not move away from home, live in boarding houses, or work for a living. She lived with Mr. and Mrs. Richardson and paid $3/week for room and board. She earned about $10-11 weekly and her hair dryer payments were only $5/month. She continued that work until she married Claude Jackson Wilson (Buddy) on April 14, 1934, in her parents' home. Brother Harrison, pastor of First Baptist Church in Groesbeck presided. The new couple moved to Alice, Texas living there for 12 years. In 1945, as WWII was ending, they moved to Mexia which had been Claude's home when they met. He opened a radiator shop in January 1945 behind the Eubank's Hardware Store, renting a building from Brotherton's Gas Station. Quintilla's father always watched for land and the lot where she eventually lived for many years was one he spotted being sold for back taxes. We are unsure if he bought it for them or alerted them to the sale, but he helped them in some financial way with the stipulation they repay the back taxes. He also gave her two oil field line shacks that she managed to move to the lot, perhaps with her brother Cecil's help. While both the land and shacks were inexpensive, they were a huge financial challenge. They put the two shacks together to form one building but still faced major repairs. With determination, Quintilla fought off rats and cockroaches and sealed the large cracks between the boards. She made a promise to herself that if she ever got that house liveable she would never move again. She lived in this house at 709 E. Tyler St. for many years, adding rooms to it multiple times. She and Claude eventually bought a vacant lot behind their home and built a metal building where he ran his radiator business until his death. While Quintilla never had the opportunity to graduate from high school, she and her sister Oleta made sure both Theda and Magnolia had a chance for college. Not only did they argue for this chance with their parents, who couldn't conceive of girls going to college, they sent $5 a month to their sisters for college. This was a huge amount of money to give up and the only thing that allowed the younger girls to attend. Both Theda and Magnolia worked throughout college to make ends meet, but were always grateful for the sacrifices of their older sisters. There is no doubt the course of their lives changed through these college opportunities. During the 1950's, Quintilla shared a beauty parlor at 717 Titus St. in the home of her sister Oleta, also a beautician. She later converted an add-on room in her own house into a beauty parlor and ran her own business there for many years. She eventually built a separate beauty parlor on property adjacent to her home. It was in continuous use until her death serving as a rental property after she was too frail to continue working. She worked as a beautician for 58 years and was self-supporting throughout her life. Quintilla was a widow for decades and on two occasions tried to live near her younger sisters, once in Dallas and later in Amarillo. However, both times she returned home. Neither place felt like home to her the way that Mexia did. Quintilla always remembered and appreciated the efforts that her sisters made for her to be closer to them. Quintilla's father remarried after being widowed and three half-siblings were born: Beulah Currey Stewart Sunday, Chessie Currey Stewart, and Betty Currey Stewart Hammock. When Quintilla's father died, Oleta and Homer Stewart adopted the young children. Quintilla was the nearest relative and very involved in raising them. Years later, after both Homer and Oleta died, Quintilla became their "mother." Quintilla always loved children and was a fond and active aunt. She had frequent and lengthy summer visits from her nephews and nieces. Freddy J. Wilson, a nephew, sometimes stayed with her for weeks at a time and remained close to her throughout his life, visiting her often and providing help and gifts whenever he came. Summer visits were a tradition for several nieces as well. They could go fishing, visit Ft. Parker, catch fireflies at night, feed the chickens, make preserves and drive around Limestone County talking over family stories. Her nieces always got permanents and manicures. Every child near her went to church with her, and she could always find neighbor children to come play with her guests. As a member of Temple Baptist church for nearly 40 years, Quintilla was a long time children's Sunday school teacher. She used to say she liked to prepare the lesson for the next week right after Sunday service, as it let her think all week about the lesson and how best to teach it to children. She found she would often change her approach or have a better idea by doing this. Years after she quit teaching, thinking she was too old to be fun for children, adults she had taught as children would stop to visit with her. She was a woman of lifelong faith and an example to many. She read her Bible daily, studying the word and using it in times of both joy and trouble. Losing her well-worn Bible in the nursing home was a grief for her. The family brought a new Bible, but the thought that finally comforted her was this: anyone who would steal a Bible must really need it - and it would not fail them. Quintilla was also a member of Rebekah Lodge #190 (Order of the Eastern Star) for 25 years. Mrs. Wilson was preceded in death by her husband, Claude Jackson Wilson; her parents Chelsey A. and Loudi P. Currey of Groesbeck; brothers, Albert and Cecil Currey and sisters Oleta Currey Stewart and Theda Currey Gatis. Survivors include a sister Magnolia Burnett of Yoakum, as well as Beulah Currey Sunday of Mexia, Betty Currey Hamock of Marquez, Chessie Stewart of San Antonio and many nieces, nephews and great nieces. Addie M. Hawkins Funeral Services Held August 7 Addie Marie Hawkins, 91, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away Friday, August, 3, 2007 in Arlington. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, August 7 in Wade Family Funeral Chapel in Arlington with interment following in Hawkins Cemetery in Arlington. Addie was born November 17, 1915, to Alfred and Mary Kincer, in Vernon, Texas. She was raised in Bowie and graduated from Bowie High School. Addie was on her high school championship basketball team and she also played baseball. In 1936 she married Eugene Earl Hawkins in Mexia. She has been a resident of Arlington for the past 22 years. Addie enjoyed crocheting and was a wonderful cook. Her greatest achievement was raising her 4 children and 8 grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene in 1980. Survivors are sons: Eugene Earl Hawkins, II and wife, Sylvia, of Saint Jo and George Timothy Hawkins and wife Barbara of Wichita Falls; daughters, Donna Marie Wise and husband Kenneth of Lake Limestone and Beth Dalton and husband, Rodney of Arlington; brother, Alfred Lemuel Kincer, Jr. of San Antonio; grandchildren: Todd Wise and wife, Kim, Alisa Phillips and husband Reed, Anna Lee and husband, Jeff, Jason Dalton and wife, Tammy, Lydia Wilkinson and husband, David, Meredith Hawkins, Gena Hawkins and Patrick Hawkins; great-grandchildren, Nathanael, Cody, Jenna, Amanda, Benjamin, Eden and Arwen. This is an on-line publication of Groesbeck Journal P.O. 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