OBITUARIES
John Wilburn Dixon
John Wilburn Dixon
July 12, 1923 – March 19, 2018
WASHINGTON – John Wilburn Dixon, 94, passed away on March 19, 2018 in Newcastle, WA.
John was born in Cleburne on July 12, 1923 to Fritz Joaquin Dixon and Lola Elizabeth (Brandt) Dixon.
Nicknamed “Happy” by his peers at Bowie High School, he played basketball, football and the cornet, and competed in high jumping for the track team.
While at the University of Texas – Austin, John joined the Army Reserve Corp and was called into the regular army in 1943.
The army sent him to the University of California – Berkeley to earn his A.B. in Far East Studies.
In November 1943, John was inducted into the Office of Strategic Services. In June 1945, with another agent, John set up an operational base in Japanese occupied territory in South China.
Upon returning to the U.S., he received the Bronze Star Medal for heroic or meritorious achievement and was discharged from OSS and the army.
In 1946, he married Nancy Burnham Eddy. In 1949, he received his bachelor of law from UT – Austin.
After graduating, he worked for Shell Oil Company and was the youngest employee to represent the company at a multimillion dollar auction of leases in Austin.
In January 1951, John joined the Central Intelligence Agency. He was posted to the U.S. Embassy in Manila; served as the acting Deputy Chief of Station at the Consulate in Hong Kong; was the Chief of Foreign Intelligence Operations in Taipei, Taiwan; and served as a reserve foreign service officer at the U.S. Embassy in Togo, West Africa.
From 1962-1966, he worked in New York City with the Federal Bureau of Investigation against counterespionage targets.
Following his divorce from Nancy, he married Thérèse Micheline Picavet in 1966. From 1967 to 1970, he was stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Bonn, Germany. He returned to CIA headquarters in Washington, D.C. and was awarded CIAs Bronze Retirement Medallion for honorable service in 1973.
John then practiced criminal law, civil law and estate planning. After Thérèse passed away in 1986, he met and married Roberta Anne O’Dwyer in 1987; they divorced in 1998. After living in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Arizona, John moved to Washington to be near family.
He was predeceased by his son, Robert.
He is survived by his children, David, Susan, Natasha and Danielle; and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
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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