Norma Jean Allen (Mother, MeMe, Jean), 95, of Skellytown, was welcomed into Heaven by Jesus and her loved ones on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 in Pampa.
Memorial services will be 2:00 PM Friday, September 1, 2023 at First Baptist Church of Skellytown with Rev. Carter Pirtle, pastor, and Bruce Brame officiating. Cremation and arrangements are under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors and Crematory.
Norma Jean Allen was born on March 26, 1928. Jean attended school in Leedey, Oklahoma and graduated in 1946. She met the love of her life, Leroy Allen, while in high school and they married on September 30, 1945 before World War II. After Leory’s return from the war they moved to Pampa, Texas to begin their life together. Shortly thereafter they moved to the Skelly Shafer camp located just east of Skellytown, Texas, where they raised 3 daughters, Charlotte Gaye Allen (Barton), Deborah Kay Allen (Guinn) and Lynn Renee’ Allen (McCullough).
In 1951, at a local revival, Jean, along with her husband Leroy, and best friends Curly and Neoma Mercer and Rod and Tommy Lewis, gave her life to Jesus and began a lifelong service to the Lord. Her undying love for Jesus existed until her final day on Earth.
Jean served in many capacities within her local church as well as the surrounding communities. She was a faithful Sunday School teacher, sang in the church choir, taught VBS, served as a WMU leader, hosted weekly Mugs and Muffins Bible study and prayer time for the community of Skellytown, attended GIFT Women’s Ministry as well as many other Bible studies in Skellytown and the surrounding communities, including Pampa FBC, dedicated her time and volunteered as a Panfork Camp Sponsor and proudly served alongside her husband as a Deacon’s Wife. She was a true real-life example of a Proverbs 31 woman, loved by all who had the privilege of knowing her over the course of her life. Jean also worked for Skellytown elementary school, Cabot Corporation, and Mojave Petroleum.
Jean, along with her husband Leroy, also had a true passion for Missions and she supported them faithfully throughout her life, financially and most importantly spiritually. Her passion in life was Christ first, family second and community and friends third. It would be impossible to count the number of people impacted throughout her life.
To know Jean was to love her. In addition to her dedication to serving the Lord, Jean truly loved spending time with her family. She could be found at the lake in the summers skiing, riding in a boat, picnicking and camping and she kept a very “Clean” tent! She hosted her ever growing family during the holidays and could always be found in the kitchen cooking each person’s favorite dish. While her home was always bursting at the seams, it was filled with love and laughter. She was an incredible cook and there truly was not a dish she had not mastered to perfection. If a recipe called for Cool Whip she was making it! Jean enjoyed playing games around her dining room table with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, her favorite games being Plunk, on a board made by her father, and a card game we called Nuts. While she was a gentle and loving woman, she was a mean competitor any time we gathered around that table.
She loved attending all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s sporting and school events and traveled the Panhandle and State of Texas to cheer in the stands and proudly support them. She was so very proud of each one of them. Jean was also an avid supporter of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Hawks, attending many games and missing few televised broadcasts.
Jean is preceded in death by her husband, Leroy Allen; grandson, Brant Shea McCullough; son-in-law, David Guinn; great grandsons, Javen and Kannen Barton; grandson, Jacob Ashton Guinn; her parents, Florence and Cleveland Brandon; mother and father-in law, Viola and George Allen; brother, Floyd Brandon; sisters, Leora Eddings and Lauana Carlton; and niece, Carlene Green, who was raised like a sister to Jean.
Jean is survived by her daughters; Gaye Barton and husband Jimmy (who she welcomed into heaven on August 25, 2023) of Dalhart, Texas, Debbie Guinn of Austin, Texas, and Renee’ McCullough and husband Frank of Pampa, Texas; grandchildren, Jennifer King of Dalhart, Texas, Lindsay Barton of Skellytown, Texas, Tiffany Shock of Forney, Texas, Chelsea Smith and husband Zane of Prosper, Texas, and Alicia Guinn of Lubbock, Texas; great grandchildren, Brant King and wife Creighton of Amarillo, Texas, Sydney King of Norman, Oklahoma, Mikah Barton of Austin, Texas, Gracie King of Lewisville, Texas, Bryson Thibodeaux of Skellytown, Texas, Anistyn and Beckham Shock of Forney, Texas, and Nox and Axl Smith of Prosper, Texas and her one great-great granddaughter, Brixtynn King of Amarillo, Texas.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that you consider donations to First Baptist Church Skellytown, PO Box 176, Skellytown, Texas 79080 or Hills of his Grace Orphanage-Haiti, 905 S Filmore, Suite 700, Amarillo, Texas 79101.
Sign the online guest register at www.carmichael-whatley.com
David Eugene Cotton
David Eugene Cotton, 68 years old, of Pampa, Texas, traded in his temporary, tired and used up body for a brand new, supercharged eternal model Friday, August 25, 2023, with his bestest friend and soulmate holding him next to her. He blessed his parents, Andrew “Don” and Vergie Cotton as well as this world with his presence on April 13, 1955, in Wichita Falls, Texas.
David’s younger years were in Snyder, Texas where he attended grade school as well as junior high, but in 1968, his family moved to Pampa where he finished up his schooling and graduated from Pampa High with the class of 1973. Then on September 21, 1985, David made a life changing commitment as he and Angelyn Edwards were joined together with God into holy matrimony and have spent the last 38 years as each other’s bestest friends, soulmates, compadre’s, partners in crime – you name it – they did it together! Nine times out of ten, when you saw one of them, you saw them both side by side.
Throughout the span of David’s working career, he’s been employed by several companies such as Texaco for approximately 30 years, then Celanese for about 14 years and currently for Curtis Well Service for the past 12 years. He was a very committed employee and even considered “work” to be a hobby. He detested being late! His moto was “If you’re early, you’re on time - if you’re on time, you’re late!” It was very important to him that he passed onto his kids the importance of working hard, commitment to a job and punctuality. Another of his passionate lessons for his kids was the fact that they must raise their own kids right, so that as they grow older, they’ll be their friends too. He certainly got that part right as he was his kid’s best friend!
Due to his love of woodworking, skill in building, ability to fix things and all-around handyman capabilities, he has left his fingerprints all over the family home to spark memories and stories of their time together. David was like a kid in a candy store at Lowe’s and Northern Tool because of all the woodworking tools and gadgets he could find – we won’t mention the 6 grills he had in the back yard. He never sat still, never complained, was contempt with a glass of unsweet tea in hand and surrounded by family (cooking on one of his grills) and telling jokes just to see others laugh and be happy. He was a true dad, soulmate, grandpa, and the best friend one could hope for. He will be greatly missed by all who were blessed to have known him.
Those who were anxiously awaiting him at the pearly gates were his mom, Vergie Cotton; mother-in-law, Louine Hale; father-in-law, Bill Edwards and brother-in-law, Ricky Edwards.
Left to carry on his love of family and to cherish his memories are his true love, Angelyn Cotton of Pampa; his father, Don Cotton and wife Jean of Henryetta, OK; a son, Noah Cotton and companion Amber Blea of Pampa; daughter, Audrey Cotton and companion Braydon Oxley of Midland. Sydney Cotton and companion John Dean of Borger; brother, Gary Cotton and wife Cora of Springfield, Missouri and seven grandchildren, Kashleigh Cotton, Blakeleigh Cotton, Luke Hernandez, Crimson Cotton, Braxton Cotton, Alex Dean and Laceland Dean as well as numerous extended family members.
Should donations be a preference, the family suggests they be made to the American Heart Association Inc., 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231-512 in honor of David.
The family will be available to receive guests Tuesday, August 29th from 6 until 8pm at the funeral home in the Serenity Chapel.
Celebration of Life Memorial Services are not scheduled at this time. Details will be updated as they become available. The family has entrusted the cremation care of their loved one to Winegeart Funeral Home.
Please visit www.winegeartfuneral.com to leave words of comfort and perhaps share some of your fondest memories for the family on David’s Book of Memories.
Ruby Nell Poteet Killough
Ruby Nell Poteet Killough, 93, of Pampa, passed away at her home on August 28, 2023.
Services will be at 1:00 PM on Thursday, August 31, 2023 at Carmichael-Whatley Colonial Chapel with Rev. Norman Rushing, pastor at Central Baptist Church and Pastor Jeremy Buck, pastor at Redeemer Pampa Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors and Crematory.
Ruby was born December 30, 1929 to James Andrew and Nellie Pearl Poteet near Lutie in Collingsworth County. The youngest of three children, Ruby attended schools in Dozier and Samnorwood, and graduated from Wellington High School. She married Floyd Rudolph Killough in Wellington on August 4, 1947. Ruby and her sister, Billy, married brothers.
Although she lived in Pampa for over 73 years, Ruby always considered Wellington and Collingsworth County home. She said she learned her work ethic there, pulling bolls, hoeing cotton, and making do with very little during the depression.
Shortly after moving to Pampa, Ruby met “Uncle Bill” Coronis, the founder of the Coney Island Café. Even though Bill objected to her employment because she was not yet 21 and couldn’t serve beer, his nephews, Johnny and Ted Gikas hired Ruby and she worked at the Coney for over twenty years.
When her husband died, Ruby cleaned houses to support a second generation of children that she was raising. Later, she and her good friend, Martha Hadley operated a concession wagon for Lyndon Lloyd Auctioneers.
Ruby loved to quilt, crochet, macrame, and knit. She was a talented seamstress who could make anything on the sewing machine, if she had a pattern, material, and thread.
Ruby was a member of the Bethel Assembly of God Church in Pampa until it closed. She then attended the Pampa Chapel of the Apostolic Faith, and when it closed, she visited the Central Baptist Church, when her health allowed.
Ruby is survived by her son, Floyd Drew Killough and wife Elena; former daughter-in-law, Glenda Killough; and six grandchildren, Chuck Mercer, Tina Killough Busch (Dan), Crystal Hearon (George), Tammy Rogers, Maria Rossokhina, and Dimtri Killough.
Ruby delighted in her seven great-grandchildren, Rachel Busch, Desray and Marcus Jernigan, April Williams, Brittney, Mercedes, and Dakota Nolte.
Ruby’s great-great grandson, Syklar Jernigan, was the light of her life, and she was blessed with great-great grandchildren, Bentley Nolte, Shane Williams, Jaxon Williams, Abigail Williams, and Kimber Tapp.
Ruby was preceded in death by her parents, James and Nellie Poteet; her husband, Floyd Rudolph Killough; daughter, Gloria Killough Carswell; and grandson, Aaron Killough.
“I have passed on toward the goal to win the prize that God has promised.”
