March 29, 1934 – May 26,2023
BOWIE – James Wesley Hammer, 89, made the journey to his eternal home on May 26, 2023.
The family received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on May 27 at the White Family Funeral Home in Bowie. A funeral service was at 3 p.m. on May 28 at the White Family Funeral Home, with Snip Allen as the officiant. Burial followed at Elmwood Cemetery in Bowie.
James was born in Eastland, TX on March 29, 1934 to J. W. And Jesse (Hopper) Hammer. On Sept. 4, 1951 he married Delma “Jean” Green in Nimrod, TX and together they raised four children, Dianna, Dan, Jim and Rob. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather.
James loved his family and especially loved his kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He sang “You Are My Sunshine” to each of his grand and great grandchildren as they came along. James could be found each morning having coffee at the Armadillo Grill, enjoying conversation and stories with the kind waitresses and patrons. He worked for Citi Services then Occidental Petroleum for 27 years before retiring. He was a great handyman and could fix just about anything.
He is preceded in death by his parents; six brothers; two sisters; his wife, Jean Hammer; granddaughter, Brenda Tidwell and great granddaughter, Laci Tidwell.
James is survived by his brother, Billy Hammer and Kathy, Pampa, TX; sister, Glenda Jessup and husband Claud, Cisco, TX; sister, Desi Covington and husband Cliff, Austin; children, Dianna Tidwell, Pampa, TX, Danny Hammer and wife Judy, Gainesville, Jimmy Hammer and wife Eva, Canadian, TX, Rob Hammer, Bowie and Sherry Hammer, Bowie; 13 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.
Arrangements entrusted to the white Family Funeral Home of Bowie.

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March 22, 1930 – May 21, 2023
BOWIE – Jaylene Savage Lovette, 93, died on May 21, 2023 in Bowie.
A funeral service was conducted at 10:30 a.m. on May 26 at The First Christian Church in Bowie with Kristy Hand as the officiant. Visitation was prior to the service at 9:30 a.m. Interment followed at Elmwood Cemetery after a brief graveside service. Pallbearers were her grandsons.
Born in Baily, TX on March 22, 1930 to Jasper Jehu and Mildred Victoria Freeman Savage, Jaylene was the youngest of seven children. Her mother passed away 29 days after her birth.
Life was going to be a struggle, but some stability came when she became the foster child of Mel and Clementine Clayton of Baily at the age of 12. She remained in their care, off and on, until she started college at North Texas State University in Denton. While there, during a summer session in 1949, she met Lum Jack Lovette and the two were married in Baily on Sept. 11, 1949.
The future was bright. Jack decided to become a lawyer and they made their first home in Austin as they both attended the University of Texas. In June of 1953, upon Jack’s completion of his doctorate of jurisprudence, the couple and infant daughter, Linda, moved to Jack’s hometown of Bowie where they established a home and law practice. The choice to move to Bowie was given to her. She yearned to be part of a large family and it was there waiting for her.
Their family grew with the additions of Vicki, Claire, and big surprise, Benjamin Jack.
Jaylene became a member of The Amity Club, a General Federation Club and was active in that club’s project of The Mother’s March for The March of Dimes. That is a service club and she worked on many of the club’s projects and in different capacities/offices within the club. She was active in Parent Teacher Association, Maids and Matrons (another GFWC Club), Bowie Band Parents, Camp Fire and a local square dance club. She and Jack were members of the First Christian Church and worked along with others to build a new church.
She was supportive of Jack when he was president of the Bowie Chamber of Commerce in the early 1960’s, when he ran for county judge in the early 1950’s and again later in the 1990’s when he ran for district judge. They had a cattle business with registered Herefords and Angus cattle, along with holdings as Mobil Oil consignee for Montague County after the death of Jack’s father Lum Lovette.
She and Jack were members of a bi-weekly Saturday night bridge club with other young couples in Bowie. They all remained in that club for years and watched their children grow up, graduate high school and college and marry.
Jaylene worked as a bank teller, a deputy county clerk and secretary in Jack’s law office from time to time. She loved to paint and became quite accomplished. Traveling worldwide, she made trips to England where she would visit her foster brother John Powell Clayton at the University of Lancashire and Cambridge University, and her childhood pen pal, Jill Brown and family. The Browns reciprocated and visited the U.S. and the Lovettes. She loved reading about the “royals” and could answer many questions regarding that topic.
Jaylene was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers, Glen Estell Savage, Emmit Durward Savage, John Hamilton Savage, Howard Ray “Jack” Savage, Otis Freeman Savage, Bernard Weathersby Clayton, Gene Lemacks Clayton and John Powell Clayton and sister, Billye Hope Savage Brackett.
She is survived by a brother, Joe D. Clayton, Tyler and children, Linda Mesler and husband Tracy, Nocona, Vicki Jones and husband Tony, Bowie, Claire McWilliams, Irving and Ben Lovette and wife Mary, Wichita Falls. She was blessed with 16 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the Montague County Child Welfare Board, P.O. Box 343, Montague, TX, 76251.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home.

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August 18, 1922 – May 25, 2023
SAINT JO – Lessie “Norene” (Williams) Dowd, 100, died on May 25, 2023 in Bowie.
The family received friends from 6 to 7 p.m. on May 30 at Scott Funeral Home in Saint Jo. A funeral service will take place at 2 p.m. on May 31 at the First United Methodist Church in Saint Jo. Montague County Cowboy Church Senior Pastor Joe Caballero and Youth Pastor Rowdy Hopson will officiate. Interment will follow at Illinois Bend Cemetery. Pallbearers are Evan Brewer, Guy Green, Lane Hopson, Rowdy Hopson, Jeffrey Padgett and Kyle Thompson. Honorary pallbearers are Johnny Mac Dowd and Max Ham.
She was born Aug. 18, 1922 in Illinois Bend, TX to Artie and Lessie Williams. She attended school at Illinois Bend and graduated from high school in Gainesville, also graduating from Junior College there and attending North Texas State in Denton. On Dec. 3, 1941 she married W.D. “Dub” Dowd in Wichita Falls. They purchased land on the Red River where they raised two girls, making cattle raising their lifetime career. Later they built a house in Saint Jo. She started working at The First National Bank all while still operating the 100-year-old ranch, for which they received the Family Land Heritage Honor in 1989 from the Texas Department of Agriculture.
She was a dedicated member of the Illinois Bend Community Club as well as the Illinois Bend Cemetery Association where she served many years. She was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church in Saint Jo.
She is preceded in death by her husband, W.D. “Dub” Dowd; daughter, Linda Lou; her parents, Artie and Lessie Williams and her infant brothers, Marshal, Marion and Arnold.
She is survived by her daughter, Arlene Brewer, Bowie; five grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren and nine great-great grandchildren.
Donations may be made to the Montague County Cowboy Church Youth Building or Illinois Bend Cemetery Association.