Gene Blalock
1933-2017
Gene Autry Blalock, 83, of Snyder, passed away peacefully Wednesday, March 15, 2017.
A memorial service for Mr. Blalock will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Snyder. The service will be under the direction of Nalley-Pickle and Welch Funeral Home. Burial will be held in Arkansas at a later date near the members of his family who have gone before him.
Gene was born on Oct. 22, 1933 in Bay, Ark. to Herman and Lillie (Fletcher) Blalock. In 1973, he married Willa Mae Smith, of Jonesboro, Ark., who preceded him in death on Aug. 26, 2016. He believed in working hard for his family and enjoyed a successful career in the oilfield, which began in California and ended in Texas as a consultant for Kinder Morgan. He enjoyed many close friends in the industry who helped make his work enjoyable and fruitful. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
He was also preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Lillie Blalock; one daughter, Kay Blalock; one son, Wade Walker; and his siblings, Harley Blalock and his wife, Polly, Naomi Carter and Martha Walker.
Gene is survived by his six children, Keith Blalock and his wife, Darlene, Kathy Johnson and her husband, Ken, Karen Bourgeois, Becky Barkdoll and her husband, Mike, Wayne Walker and his wife, Beverly, and Jason Blalock and his wife, Stasia; 20 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; one brother, Bill Blalock and his wife, Sandy; and several nieces, nephews and cousins who he loved dearly.
Memorials may be sent to the staff of Lamun Lusk Sanchez in Big Spring who loved and cared for Gene Blalock during the last two years of his life.
Online condolences may be posted at www.npwelch.com.
Douglas Chitsey
1935-2017
Douglas Leon Chitsey, 81, of Colorado City, died Monday, March 20, 2017.
Memorial service for Mr. Chitsey will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Calvary Baptist Church in Colorado City with the Rev. Paul Smith officiating. The service will be under the direction of Kiker-Seale Funeral Home.
Michael Martin
1950-2017
Barry Michael Martin, 66, died Saturday, March 11, 2017.
Memorial service for Mr. Martin will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Greenwood Funeral Home Chapel in Arlington.
Lesley Shelburne Sr.
1918-2017
Lesley Bryan Shelburne Sr., beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away March 19, 2017 at the age of 98, welcomed into Heaven by his Savior and the loved ones who have gone before him.
Funeral service for Mr. Shelburne will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Southwest Park Baptist Church in Abilene with Mike Woodard officiating. A graveside service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Hamlin Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Adams-Foster-Ray Funeral Home.
Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. today at Elmwood Funeral Home in Abilene.
Lesley was the third child born to Thomas E. Shelburne and Ittlean Caudle Shelburne in Eastland on Oct. 4, 1918, shortly after the death of a two-year-old brother. The family moved to Hamlin, where another brother and two sisters joined the family, although the younger brother also died tragically when Lesley was 10 years old. Lesley attended Hamlin schools and met the girl who would one day be his wife, Betty Myrle Routh. He was 11 when Betty enrolled in the Hamlin school at age 10. After graduation, Lesley attended John Tarleton College for a year and a half, although the Depression made advanced education difficult to pursue. He returned to Hamlin to work with his father and brother building homes, schools and other buildings.
As the war approached, Lesley pursued Betty Myrle, outlasting all competition. They married on April 21, 1940. The next year their first son, Lesley Bryan Jr. was born and Lesley moved the young family to Fort Worth, where he worked as a riveter in the aircraft industry. Lesley was called up for military service and while in Army training, he and Betty became parents of a second son, Thomas David.
Lesley landed in Le Havre, France with a mortar squad in the 94th Infantry Division, which was absorbed into Gen. Patton’s 3rd Army as they neared the German border. During the fighting, he was wounded by shrapnel and spent time in the hospital. After his recovery from his wound and infection — thanks to the new drug penicillin — he eventually served in Czechoslovakia with the Army of the Occupation before returning to his family in Hamlin.
In 1947 twin daughters Sarah Lynne and Sharon Anne joined the family, followed by a second set of twins, Judith Kay and Janice Gay, on the same day six years later. Son James Marshall was born in 1955 and youngest daughter Linda Carol in 1959 completed the family. In 1960, he moved the family to Snyder, where they lived until 1979, when they moved back to Hamlin to care for Betty’s elderly mother.
Lesley was a stern but devoted father to his large family and set an example of devotion to his faith as well. Often on Saturday night he would line up numerous pairs of little shoes to be polished to be presentable for Sunday school the next day. He regularly sat with the younger children while Betty sang in the choir. He also served as a deacon in the church for many years.
As his family grew up and moved away, Lesley and Betty enjoyed traveling to visit them, whether in Tennessee, Virginia, Arizona, New York or even Germany.
He enjoyed family reunions and playing “42” or Chicken Foot with whoever visited.
Lesley was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Delma, Harold and James; two sisters, Clara Sellers and Frances Phipps; his youngest daughter, Linda Carol Shelburne; one grandson, Aaron Teer; and one great-grandson, Zeb Montgomery.
Lesley is survived by his loving wife, Betty; seven children, Bryan and his wife, Sareta, Tom and his wife, Sally, Sarah Darnell and her husband, Larry, Anne Russell and her husband, Doc, Judy Montgomery and her husband, Rick, Jan Teer and her husband, Mike, and Jim and his wife, Ronda; 22 grandchildren, Kerri Thompson and her husband, Doug, Darren Shelburne and his wife, Robin, Tom Shelburne Jr. and his wife, Lesli, Sarah North and her husband, Barrie, Elizabeth DeMichele and her husband, Mike, the Rev. Will Shelburne and his wife, Sara, Jason Williams and his wife, Kim, Jeremy Williams, Jennifer Imboden and her husband, Shea, Chris Russell, Layne Johnson, Dana Russell, David Montgomery and his wife, Ronna, Daniel Montgomery and his wife, Laura, Jeffrey Montgomery and his wife, Valerie, Eric Teer and his wife, Wendy, Amber Teer, Aaron’s widow, Dr. Bethany Teer Norberg and her husband, Jeremy, Andrew Teer and his wife, Lauren, Lindsay Holland and her husband, Ben, Nathan Shelburne and his wife, Avery, and Adam Shelburne; four step-grandchildren, Jeannie Darnell, Jennifer Fox, Jimmy Darnell and his wife, Lisa, and Paul Darnell and his wife, Kacey; several cousins, nephews and nieces; and 65 great-grandchildren.
Betty and the family would like to thank all the wonderful caregivers and staff at Northern Oaks Nursing Home, who did so much to make Lesley comfortable and happy during his last months. Also, many thanks go to Kinder Hearts Hospice Care.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church in Hamlin, Southwest Park Baptist Church in Abilene, the Zeb’s Foundation (zebstrong.com), which provides soccer balls to disadvantaged children around the world, in memory of great-grandson Zeb Montgomery; or to a charity of choice.