OBITUARIES
Ona “Joyce” Applegate
Ona “Joyce” Applegate
September 6,1924 – March 17, 2017
BOWIE – Ona “Joyce” Applegate, 92, passed away March 17, 2017 in Bowie, TX.
The family will receive friends from 9-11 a.m. March 22 prior to the service at The White Family Funeral Home.
A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. March 22 at the First Baptist Church of Bowie. Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery.
Joyce was born Sept. 6,1924 in Waco to Ona and Wilma (Pace) Fowler. She graduated from Baylor University in 1945. On March 8, 1946, she married J.R. Applegate. They were married for 64 years.
Joyce and J.R. moved to Bowie in 1950. J.R. began his optometry practice. Joyce, who had previously taught in Texarkana, AR, and Memphis began teaching at Lone Star and in Stoneburg.
After raising two children, she returned to teaching in Bowie where she received recognition as an outstanding teacher. She taught fourth grade for 19 years and retired in 1988.
Joyce was a member of the First Baptist Church of Bowie for 67 years. She devoted many hours each week to intensive Bible study and taught the Faith Sunday School class for 45 years. Joyce was well known for moving through life at a swift pace.
She was a dedicated sports fan who always enjoyed watching football, baseball and basketball. Reading was another past-time that she wholeheartedly enjoyed. Joyce is most remembered for her enthusiasm, love of learning, and her love of God.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Ona and Wilma Fowler; and her husband, J.R. Applegate.
Joyce is survived by her children, David Applegate and wife Elizabeth, Sachse, and Wilma Taylor and husband Jeff, Irvine, CA; grandchildren, Daniel Taylor, Irvine, CA, Micah Taylor and wife Nikole, Arlington, Virginia Yates and husband Rodney, Glendale, MD, Leslie Applegate, Sachse and Sarah Applegate, Glendale, MD; great grandchild, Jason Yates and wife Diana, Glendale, MD; brother, George Fowler, Dallas; sister, Peggy Dunn, North Carolina; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the scholarship fund or the library fund at the First Baptist Church of Bowie.
Arrangements have been entrusted to The White Family Funeral Home of Bowie.
Paid publication
OBITUARIES
Imogene Dalton Evans
November 28,1928 – June 9, 2026
DENTON – Imogene Dalton Evans, 97, passed away on June 9, 2026.
A visitation will begin at 1 p.m. on June 20 at DeBerry Funeral Home and at 2 p.m. the funeral service will follow. A grave side service will immediately follow at Roselawn Memorial Park 3801 Roselawn Dr., Denton.
Imogene Dalton Evans was born on Nov. 28, 1928 in Coleman County Texas to Samuel and Effie Clara Dalton. She was raised on the family farm and ranch near Gouldbusk attending local schools and graduating high school from Mozelle High School.
Growing up she worked in the fields and with the cattle and sheep alongside her brothers. She gained a great work ethic that stayed with her throughout her life. She felt blessed to have three careers. She worked with her husband Joe Evans in their plumbing, heating and air conditioning business. After it was sold because of Joe’s health, she returned to college to finish her education, receiving a BS degree from North Texas State University (now UNT) and a master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University. She began work as a county extension agent in Montague County, retiring in 1991. She moved back to Denton and began a career in real estate in 1993.
Family was extremely important to her. After working all day she would work at night canning and freezing food from the family’s garden. One of her sayings she will be remembered for is a quote “waste not, want not.”
She was proceeded in death by her husband, Joe B. Evans in 1991; daughter, Regina Pitt in 2011; son, Joe B. Evans Jr. in 2015; daughter, Sharon Griffith in 2023; parents and three brothers.
She is survived by her grandsons, Scott Griffith, Fort Worth, Chad (Milly) Griffith, Dallas and “Trey” (Julie) Joe B. Evans III, Bowie; granddaughters, Lindsay (Kyle) Coker, Dallas, Shannon (James) Mares, Krum, and Lydia Evans, Bowie; great-grandchildren, Case Janopoulos, Krum, Emarie Evans, Bowie, Harper and Ellis Griffith, Dallas, Jack Griffith, Fort Worth, Berkleigh and Reagan Mares, Krum, and Collins and Myer Coker, Dallas; sister, Anna Walker, Saginaw; and nieces and nephews.
Arrangements entrust to DeBerry Funeral Home, Denton.
Paid publication
OBITUARIES
Mark Dean Hancock
June 21, 1958 – June 10, 2026
NOCONA – Mark Dean Hancock, 67, died on June 10, 2026.
A memorial service will be from 2-4 p.m. on June 28 at the Turquoise Owl in Nocona.
He and his twin, Mike, were born on June 21, 1958, in Gainesville to Harvey F. Hancock and Jean (Hancock) Shears. He graduated from Nocona High School in 1976. He also attended North Texas University. He had several careers in his lifetime—the Boys’ State School in Gainesville, Tucker Rocky Distributing and numerous oilfield companies.
He is preceded in death by his parents; a half-sister and grandparents.
He is survived by two sons, Ben Hancock and Sam Hancock; brothers, Harvey Hancock and Mike Hancock; sisters, Kathy Tomlinson and Patty Crabtree; two grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews; and great-nieces and nephews.
Arrangements entrusted to Jerry Woods Funeral Home, Nocona.
OBITUARIES
Minnie Allen Walker
January 20, 1938 – June 12, 2026
BOWIE – Minnie Allen Walker, 88 years, 4 months, and 23 days old died June 12, 2026.
There was a visitation from 5-6 p.m. on June 14 at Jerry Woods Funeral Home Chapel.
A funeral service took place at 2 p.m. at Bethel Baptist Church on June 15. Interment followed in Ringgold Cemetery.
She was born Jan. 20, 1938, to Clarence and Eunice Allen in Ardmore, OK on what had once been reservation land. She was the only one of nine children to be born in a hospital. She graduated from Prairie Valley High School, where she played basketball and volleyball.
In 1959, she married her soulmate, Jerry Walker, and they built their extended family over the next 56 years. She worked for Dude’s Duds briefly, and at the Ford dealership in Nocona for many years. She served as Nocona City secretary and then as Nocona City manager, retiring in 2005 after a total of 23 years. The Walkers lost Jerry in 2018, and she moved to Independence Hall in Bowie a few years ago.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Jerry Walker; parents; and siblings, Alice Harper, Sam, Doie and David Allen.
She is survived by her three daughters, Karen Walker, Linda Wickersham and Kathy Sayers; three step-daughters; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; sisters, Joan Tettleton and Barbara Ice; and many nieces and nephews.
She had a lifelong love of flowers, so flowers to remember her are welcome or donate to the Carpenter Shop, 400 Boston St., Nocona, TX 76255.
Arrangements entrusted to Jerry Woods Funeral Home, Nocona.
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