Obits

Welton Louis White, 62, was born on Feb. 17, 1954 in Pittsburg and died Sept. 16 at Select Specialty Hospital in Longview. Services were held at 1 p.m. Sept. 24 at Johnson Funeral Home Chapel in Pittsburg. e Rev. Patrick Lloyd o ciated the service and internment was held at Wilkes Cemetery in Pittsburg.

Julia Danielle Irene McCurry-Shoemaker, 25, was born on June 28, 1991 and passed away Sept. 10. Julia was born in Fort Worth to Shelley Adam and Kent Conner. Julia lived in Fort Worth and then Oklahoma City until she was 3. In 1994, she was adopted by Mike and Sandra McCurry, her paternal grandparents. She grew up in Pittsburg and attended school there and took classes at Northeast Texas Community College; she later attended Paris Junior College. While in Pittsburg, she attended St. William Laud Episcopal Church. Julia excelled in gymnastics much of her growing up years. She first learned gymnastics from Mandy Hobbs. She later joined the Academy School of Dance and Gymnastics in Mount Pleasant and toured with that group to Australia. She was a cheerleader at Pittsburg Middle School and Pittsburg High School. This past year, she lived in Killeen, where she married Fred Shoemaker on July 22.

Donna Gayle Laird Jones was perfectly healed on Sept. 11, after a determined and courageous battle with cancer. She epitomized a gracious, godly Christ-follower and in her quiet, meek spirit, influenced hundreds of people’s lives. She was born Sept. 23, 1954, to H.P. and Oneta Laird in Pittsburg. Her life was shaped profoundly by her coming to faith in Christ as a young girl and her mother’s encouragement and participation in church and the Bible Memory Association. The Scriptures became the core of her life, virtue, character and strength. She graduated from Arlington Baptist College in 1977 with a degree in Bible and Christian Education. It was also there that she met Griffin Jones and they were married, June 2, 1975. Her deepest desire was to be a spiritual woman, wife, mother, friend and homemaker. She fulfilled God’s purpose throughout her life in all of these with dignity, grace, and honor.

Margaret Sue Reynolds, of Pittsburg, passed away peacefully on Sept. 15 at the age of 73. Margaret was born June 11, 1943 in Camp County to Troy Crawford Reynolds and Gladys Sanders Reynolds. Graveside services were held at 10 a.m. Sept. 17 at Macedonia Cemetery in Camp County with Virgil Faires officiating.

Sammie Marie Sheppard, 62, died on Sept. 12 at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview. Sheppard was born on June 21, 1954 in Pittsburg. Services were held at 2 p.m. Sept. 17 at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Pittsburg under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home; it was officiated by the Rev. Patrick Lloyd.

Peggy Chappell Bergh, 95 of Austin, Texas died from heart complications at the Heart Hospital of Austin Tuesday evening, Sept. 13.. Peggy was born on March 21, 1921 in Pittsburg, Texas to Gertrude and Charles Chappell, P.E. Peggy attended Pittsburg High School and graduated from Texas Women’s University in 1943 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Arts. She married Army 2nd Lt. Albert Gordon Bergh on August 30, 1946 and later had two sons, Gordon and Charles. Peggy was a teacher for many years. She taught art and technical drawing in public schools and local junior colleges in Pasadena, California; Agana, Guam, and Pittsburg, Texas. She was an artist at heart who loved to sculpt and paint. She enjoyed walking the halls of museums soaking in the nuances of great artists.

Arlene Olson Shults passed away Monday, Aug. 29 in Mt. Pleasant. She was born Oct. 18, 1935 in Austin, Minnesota. She was preceded in death by her parents; Joseph Oliver and Mildred Brimacomb Olson; a brother Richard Olson; and her children’s father Rusty Shults. She is survived by her brother David Olson and her sisters Marjorie DeRaad, Ruth Olson, and Barbara Buck all of Minnesota. She is also survived by four children; Ricky Shults and wife Annette of Mt. Pleasant, Christy Young of Kilgore, Randy Shults and wife Cyndi of Wichita Falls and Richy Shults and wife Pam of Pittsburg. Plus, she is survived by 15 Grandchildren, 35 Great Grandchildren, and three great- great grandchildren. Arlene loved life, loved her family and friends, and to say she loved baseball would be an understatement! From the Texas rangers to t-ball she was the ultimate fan. ere will be a private memorial in honor of Arlene at a later date. Donations may be made in memory of Arlene Shults to the Mt.

Hester Woods Reed, 77, died Sept. 5 at East Texas Medical Center-Pittsburg; she was born Sept. 15, 1938 in Clarksville. Services were held at 11 a.m. Sept. 12 at Springhill Baptist Church in Pittsburg under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home. e Rev. Patrick Lloyd o ciated. Interment was held at Hanson Cemetery in Pittsburg.

Mollie Mae McElhaney, 85, of Whiteoak, died Sept. 11, at her home. Services are pending.

A graveside service was held at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 29, at Masonic Cemetery in Mount Pleasant under the direction of Erman Smith Funeral Home for Dortha Gene Hosford Jones, 87, of Newsome who died Aug. 17 at her home. Born in Earlsboro, Okla., she was a longtime member of the First Assembly of God Church in Pittsburg. Survivors include: five children, Margaret Morris of Cookville, Sherman Jones, Karen (Duane) Walker, Tommy (Sandra) Jones all of Leesburg, Paula Travis of Evergreen, Colo.; two sisters, Joyce Laney of San Antonio and Jeanette Sanders of Mount Pleasant; eight grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren. She was preceeded in death by her husband L. J. of 60 years; two daughters; parents Raymond and Marie Hosford, a brother, daughter-in-law, son-in-law and three granddaughters. In lieu of flowers the family request donations be made to Cima Hospice Care or your favorite charity or church.