OBITUARIES
Charles Edward Swafford
Charles Edward Swafford
August 28, 1937 – May 26, 2015
WICHITA FALLS – Charles Edward Swafford, 77, passed away May 26, 2015 in Wichita Falls, TX.
Private family graveside service will be May 30 at Elmwood Cemetery in Bowie.
Charles was born Aug. 28, 1937 in Bonita to John and Martha (Foster) Swafford. He attended school in Bonita, Era and Wichita Falls.
Charles served his country in the Texas Army National Guard from 1953 -1954, United States Air Force from 1954-1958 and was stationed in San Antonio; Montgomery, AL; Oujda, Morocco and Altus, OK.
After his military service he was an apprentice plumber in Local Union 389 in Wichita Falls. After completing his five year apprentice training he obtained his journeyman and master plumbing licenses in Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado.
He attended Draughon’s College and received his diploma in architectural drafting and design. Charles was employed by several construction companies over his more than 40 years in the industry; many of these years were spent in Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
He was a senior scheduling engineer with Fluor Engineering and Constructors in Houston as the time of his retirement. After retiring from Fluor Engineering and Constructors in 1982 he moved to Stoneburg and owned and operated with his wife Ana a convenience store for eight years.
He then moved to Bowie in 1990 and to Wichita Falls in 2015. Charles worked for the Bowie Memorial Hospital in plant operations, City of Bowie as a building official, City of Wichita Falls as building inspector, City of Southlake as building/electrical inspector, City of Fort Worth as building plans examiner and owner of Charles Swafford Plan Review and Inspection Company until his retirement in 2004. Beloved husband, father and gramps, we will miss you.
Charles is survived by his wife, Ana Cilene Sayago Swafford, Wichita Falls; daughter, Tondi Lee Chapa and husband Roger, Wichita Falls; two sons, Charles Quintero and wife Candy, Bowie, MD and Sandy “Tony” Swafford and wife Staci, Wichita Falls; four granddaughters, Meredith, Chelsea, Stefanie and Emily; three grandsons, Brian, Jacob and Tyler; two great granddaughters, Alexia and Mila; and one great grandson, Gavin.
Charles asks family and friends to please show your love for him and anyone with cancer by making generous contributions to the Hospice of Wichita Falls at P.O. Box 4804, Wichita Falls, TX 76308-0804.
Arrangements have been entrusted to The White Family Funeral Home of Bowie.
Paid publication
OBITUARIES
Maggie Killen
November 5, 1938 – April 18, 2026
WICHITA FALLS – Maggie Killen, 87, died on April 18, 2026.
A graveside service took place at 1 p.m. on April 27 at Salona Cemetery near Bowie.
She was born on Nov. 5, 1938 in Bowie to Bertha Irene (Brewer) and Emmett Franklin Thompson. She was a graduate of Bowie High School. She was an oil information secretary and later in life as a business office manager in a skilled nursing home.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Bertha Irene and Emmett Franklin Thompson: sisters; Gracie McNatt, Berneice Oliver, Ola Mae Deeton, Ernestine Ray and Dorothy Woolf: brothers; Kelly Thompson, John Thompson, Lonnie Thompson, Wayne Thompson and Tommy Thompson; son, Ricky Wallace and daughter, Vicki Cullens.
She is survived by two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to University Park Nursing and Rehab.
OBITUARIES
Sammy Joe Mitchell
June 4, 1947 – April 19, 2026
SPAINSH FORT – Sammy Joe Mitchell, 78, died on April 19, 2026.
There was a visitation from 5-6 p.m. on April 24 at Jerry Woods Funeral Home Chapel in Nocona.
A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. on April 25 at Spanish Fort Cemetery in Spanish Fort.
He was born on June 4, 1947 in Nocona to Bonnie O. Mitchell Jr. & Mary Lou Cross Mitchell. He grew up in the Spanish Fort area and went to school at Prairie Valley Schools. He was a hard-working farmer, rancher and mechanic all of his life and served his nation in the Airforce. He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Spanish Fort. He married the love of his life Robbie Hawthorne on May 8, 1971 in Nocona.
He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Steven Chris Mitchell.
He is survived by his wife, Robbie Mitchell, Spanish Fort; children, Joe Chris Mitchell, Spanish Fort and Kasie Hamilton, Bowie; sister, Bonnie Robertson, Spanish Fort; six grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to The Montague County Youth Fair, c/o Kenton Holloway, 5549 F.M. 1758, Bowie, TX 76230.
OBITUARIES
Lesli Jan Phipps
November 8, 1958 – April 20, 2026
NOCONA – Lesli Jan Phipps, 67, died on April 20, 2026.
There was a funeral service at 2 p.m. on April 23 at Bethel Baptist Church in Nocona with Pastor David Rogers officiating. The interment followed in Hope Cemetery, Henrietta. Pallbearers were Will Johnson, Ben Johnson, Ryan Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Kaye Rhoades, Tom Skinner and Bill Holcomb.
She was born in Nocona on Nov. 8, 1958 to Gerald “Jerry” and Lucia Painter Johnson. She grew up in Nocona and graduated Nocona High School in 1977. She attended Bethel Baptist Church. She later attended college at Midwestern State University and was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. She worked mostly in accounting for Northrop Grumman. She married Curtis Phipps on June 3 2021 in Henrietta.
She is preceded in death by her parents.
She is survived by her husband, Curtis Phipps, Nocona; children, Blake Gantz, Euless, Emily Gantz Hicks, Hoover, AL and Garrett Palla, Denton; brother, Craig Johnson; and one grandson.
Memorial donations may be made to the Susan G. Komen Foundation at www.komen.org.
-
NEWS2 years agoSuspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
-
NEWS3 years ago2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS3 years agoSO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS3 years agoWreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS3 years agoMurder unsolved – 1 year later Tia Hutson’s family angry, frustrated with no arrest
-
Show us something good9 years agoCountry music star children perform in Bowie
-
NEWS3 years agoSheriff’s office called out to infant’s death
-
100th Birthday4 years agoLooking back at the 1958 Centennial edition of The Bowie News








