Obituaries

Floy Phipps Lowe was born April 6,1920, and passed away Saturday, March 26, 2016, just 11 days before her 96th birthday, at her home in East Palatka, FL surrounded by her family.
She was the third of ten children; four survived to adulthood, born to Tennie Lee Aycock Phipps and Floyd Lafayette Phipps near Jones Prairie, Texas.  Following graduation from Yoe High School in 1937 she was the first in her family to go to college, and earned a bachelor’s degree in education at the University of Texas in Austin. She began teaching in Jones Prairie in a one-room school that was the elementary, middle and high school for the surrounding area. In 1973, OETA of Washington, D.C selected her as an Outstanding Elementary Teacher of America.
She married Glenn Curtis Lowe of Cameron in a 1944 ceremony at Little River Baptist Church and lived in California, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Ohio before permanently retiring to East Palatka, FL; an area where their three sons lived.

A member of the Greatest Generation, our Daddy was a hero who made the world safe for democracy. He served in the 2nd Infantry Division, (Old Indian Head), and took part in the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of Czechoslovakia. He was awarded the American Theatre Campaign Ribbon, EAME Campaign Ribbon with 1 Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal and Victory Ribbon. He was also awarded the Gold Cross of Merit of the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic in the Highest Defense of the Czech Republic.

Jason Glenn Schwarz current resident of Garland, formerly of Thorndale, passed away April 4, 2016.
He was born Nov. 30, 1981 in Taylor. He was raised in Thorndale and graduated from Thorndale High School in 2000. From there he went on to obtain his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and his MBA from Sam Houston State University.
Jason was an avid sports fan. He enjoyed participating and watching all types of sports. While attending Thorndale ISD he participated in football, basketball, track and tennis. He enjoyed all those sports. He found great success while playing tennis, making it to the state tennis tournament his junior and senior years of high school.
As a Texas A&M graduate he had a passion for A&M sports, especially football. He enjoyed going to home football games in the fall as well as making road trips with his family to cheer on his team.

Services for Mildred Matocha will be 10 a.m. Saturday, April 9, at St. Monica’s Catholic Church.
Burial will follow in the St. Monica’s Catholic Cemetery. Rosary will be held 7 p.m. Friday, April 8, at Marek-Burns-Laywell Funeral Home.
Mildred Adeline Michalka Matocha was born April 11, 1923 to Ralph Michalka and Ida Schreiber Michalka in Cameron. She graduated from Yoe High School, attended business college in Austin and was employed in the office of the county tax assessor-collector.
She later went to Washington D.C. on civil service work for 18 months before returning home to work at the ration board. She then went to work for the Railroad Commission for 20 years
She married Paul Matocha June 10, 1945 at St. Monica’s Catholic Church.

Joycelyn “Joy” Stock Litzman, 84, passed away Saturday, March 26.
She is preceded in death by her parents, John Jr. and Annie Lorenz Stock; and infant brother, David Stock.
Joy is survived by her loving husband of 67 years, James “Jim” Litzman; son, Ricky James Litzman and wife, Judy; daughters, Karon Ann Beukema, Diane Margaret Williamson, Jan Francis Krpec, Lori Marie Wolter and husband, Gale; brothers, Bill Stock and wife, Lucille, Harold Stock and wife, Margie; 11 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, one great-great granddaughter; and a host of other family and friends.
Joy and Jim were high school sweethearts who met at a dance. She and Jim were inseparable from that moment on.

Gladys Elizabeth White, 100 of Cameron, passed away Wednesday, March 23, in Killeen.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 2, in Cameron with Rev. Stephanie Handy officiating. A location for the funeral service is to be determined. There will be a viewing one-hour prior to service time on Saturday. Burial will be in the Minerva Cemetery.
 Gladys was born April 14, 1915 in Minerva to Rev. Robert Calton and LuCindy (Brown) Calton. She was a life long Cameron resident and married Charlie White on June 12, 1937 in Minerva. 
Gladys was a homemaker and loved making quilts and clothes for her grandchildren. She enjoyed planting flowers and gardening. Gladys was a member of Bethel AME Church as well as a member of The Order of the Eastern Star.

Ruth Pauline Hyde Townsend was born on March 29, 1925 in Maysfield, to William Marvin Phipps and Frances Dodson Phipps.
She passed away on Thursday, March 24, in Hearne, at the age of 90 years.
She attended school in Cameron and married Robert Murrell Hyde.
She had been a resident of Cameron the past 33 years previously living in Waco.
She was a member of the New Providence Primitive Baptist Church in Cameron.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, four sisters and one brother.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Mary Ruth and Tony Thomas of Magnolia; sons and daughters-in-law, Gary and Regina Hyde of Franklin and Mike and Kelly Townsend of Crawford; sister, Jewel Harris; brother, W.M. Phipps of Maysfield; grandchildren: Robert Hyde and wife Chesney, Jeremy Hyde and wife Leslie, Shelley Kopsick and Ryan Sykora; and great grandchildren, Taylor Kopsik, Graham Kopsik and Ruth Fay Hyde, Cheston and Corbin Goats.

Services for Mr. Carlos Guadalupe Sanchez, 18, were held Tuesday, March 29, at the Kathryn W. Green Chapel of Green-Patterson Funeral Home in Cameron.
Mr. Sanchez passed away Saturday, March 26, in a Temple hospital.
Mr. Sanchez was born March 14, 1998, in Elgin, Illinois to Juan Francisco Sanchez and Juana Elizabeth Rivera. He was a senior at Rockdale High School, where he excelled in academics, having been a straight “A” student, and a member of the UIL Academic Team.
Mr. Sanchez was very civic minded and participated in community service in the Rockdale area. He loved his family and enjoyed spending time with them. He was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rockdale.
Survivors include his parents Juan Sanchez and Elizabeth Rivera of Rockdale; brother David “Alex” Sanchez of Rockdale; and sister Josefa Sanchez of Villa Union, Mexico
He also leaves behind a host of friends, of which he loved and cherished.

Funeral service for Joyce Marie Debose Moore, 76, of Harker Heights, will be Saturday, April 2, at 11 a.m. at Simmonsville Missionary Baptist Church in Killeen.
Pastor H. E. Debose Sr., is officiating. Burial will be held on Monday, April 4, 11 a.m. at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen.
Visitation will be held on Friday, April 1, from 6 until 8 p.m. at Simmonsville Missionary Baptist Church in Killeen.
Joyce Marie Debose Moore, 76, transitioned from this earthly realm to join her heavenly father on March 25, at her home in Harker Heights.
She was the wife of Lt. Col (Ret) Earnest Ray Moore, Sr. and together they shared 51 loving years of marriage.
Born in Cameron, she was the daughter of James and Georgianna Debose. As a member of Lights Chapel Baptist Church she accepted Christ at an early age and continued to serve the Lord until her death.

Erna Lorene Dusek Marek, 98, of the Meeks Community in Bell County, died Thursday, March 24, at her home.
Funeral services were held Saturday, March 26, at the Ocker Cemetery pavilion with Rev. Ron Winsman officiating.
Mrs. Marek was born in Rosenberg on Feb. 1, 1918 to Emil and Annie (Jezek) Dusek. She graduated from Rosenberg High School.
On Oct. 18, 1938, she married Ervin Marek in Temple. She and her husband farmed in the Meeks Community their entire married life until his death in 2004.
She was an active member of Ocker Brethren Church where she had taught Sunday School and was active in Christian Sisters. She had been a member of the Bell County Extension Homemakers Association.
Mrs. Marek was also preceded in death by three brothers and one grandchild.