OBITUARIES
Charles Thomas Edwards
Charles Thomas Edwards
September 23, 1933 – September 6, 2019
FORESTBURG – Charles Thomas Edwards, 85, passed away Sept. 6, 2019 in Decatur, TX.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 11 at The White Family Funeral Home in Bowie.
A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Forestburg United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jon Kendzie officiating.
Burial will follow at Dye Mound Cemetery near Saint Jo.
Charles was born on Sept. 23, 1933 to Belle (Young) and Luther Edwards at Burkburnett. His mother Belle succumbed to pneumonia when Charles was 18 months age. His aunt and uncle, Mae and Lonnie Young took Charles and raised him as one of their own children. Charles attended school at Dye Mound for five years and graduated from Saint Jo High School in 1951. He attended Midwestern State University and graduated in 1955 with a degree in animal husbandry and minor in agronomy.
He was one of the 27,000 drafted into the Navy in November 1955 and served on the USS Dunn County LST 742. Released to the Naval Reserve in 1957, he attended Texas Tech University and obtained an agricultural education teaching certificate in the spring of 1958. He was employed by the Forestburg Independent School District as vocational agriculture teacher in August 1958. He married Gayle Embry on July 7, 1961, and settled in Forestburg raising their three children, Pam, Veronica and Douglas.
He retired from teaching in 1990 after three decades of developing students for leadership and service through his involvement with Future Farmers of America and related student judging teams and other student leadership activities. He was a life member of the Texas Retired Teachers Association, an honorary life member of the Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas and a member of the Montague County Retired School Personnel where he served as local president, and served as board member and president of the MCRSP Scholarship Corporation.
In addition to teaching, over the years Charles has operated a 60 sow farrow-to-finish swine operation; maintained a beef cattle herd of up to 28 head, planted and maintained a 600 tree peach orchard, and owned and managed a coin-operated laundry in Forestburg.
After transferring his membership from the Dye Mound Methodist Church in 1975, Charles was a member of the Forestburg United Methodist Church where he served as treasurer for 18 years.
Other community service activities include: Forestburg Riding Club treasurer for 33 years, Montague County Farm Bureau director for 17 years, President of the Dye Mound Community Association for 34 years, board member of the Dye Mound Cemetery, operator and president of the Forestburg Water Supply Corporation for more than 20 years, and organizing and directing the Forestburg Watermelon Festival parade for 20 years concluding with being selected as Grand Marshall in 2008.
He is preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Raymond Edwards, Carl Edwards, Allen Edwards, Clifford Edwards and Leon Young; sister, Ruth Lough; and uncle and aunt, Lonnie and Mae Young.
Charles is survived by his wife, Gayle Edwards, Forestburg; children, Pam Brant and husband Mark, Lucas, Veronica Greanead, Alvord, and Doug Edwards and wife Vicki, Lafayette, CA; and grandchildren, Laura Brant, Philip Greanead, Alyssa Brant, Aaron Edwards and wife Karly, Nathan Edwards and wife Samantha, and Hannah Edwards.
Should friends desire memorials can be made in honor of Charles to the Forestburg United Methodist Church at P.O. Box 374, Forestburg, TX 76239 or to the Montague County Retired School Personnel c/o Larry Palmer at P.O. Box 223, Bowie, TX 76230.
Arrangements entrusted to The White Family Funeral Home of Bowie, TX.
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June 24, 1962 – May 18, 2025
BOWIE – Dean Allen Shaffer, 62, was escorted to the gates of heaven May 18, 2025 at 12:34 a.m. in the arms of his loving wife Christal Shaffer after complications of pneumonia
A celebration of life for Dean was held at 11 a.m. on May 31 at the First Baptist Church in Alvord followed by a meal for the family.
Dean was born June 24, 1962, in Lander, WY. While quiet and soft spoken, he had a mighty love for the Lord, his wife of 38 years and his family. Dean was an incredibly hard worker, but all who knew Dean also knew how generous he was. He enjoyed cooking outside, hosting get-togethers at their home, having a drink and listening to good music as well as spending time with his bees.
He is preceded in death by his mother-in-law, “Memom” Linda Stevens and loving sister-in-law, Terri Shaffer and sister-in-law, Linda Shaffer.
Dean is survived by his wife, Christal Shaffer; children, Justin Shaffer and wife Kayla, Miles Shaffer, and Ainsley Hernandez and husband Josue; his children in Christ, Chris Lovell, and Andrew Stevens and wife Sutton; grandchildren, Kayden Shaffer and fiancé Nathan Mac, Colton Shaffer and wife Payton, Jaid, Remi, Briggs, Watts, Hutch, Justice and Maverick; great-grandchild, Colter; his parents, James Oliver Shaffer and Alice Bethine; siblings, Randy Shaffer, Cheryl Shaffer and partner Mike Hoffman, Mike Shaffer and wife Kim, Cathey Tewes and husband Andy; numerous other nieces, nephews and family members.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie.
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April 3, 1929 – May 20, 2025
BOWIE – Betty Sue Bynum, 96, passed away on May 20, 2025 in Nocona, TX.
Betty was born on April 3, 1929 in Thornton to Thomas Everett and Eva May Stiff Hardaway. She attended elementary school in Van Alstyne and attended high school in Calvert. She graduated from Teachers College High School and continued on to North Texas State Teacher’s College graduating with a bachelor of arts, library science degree at age 20. In 1977, she continued her education obtaining a master of education degree at University of North Texas.
While attending college, Betty met her future husband, Floyd Arthur Bynum. Betty wanted to work and live on her own for a year before getting married, so they had a long distance courtship while she taught school for a year in Canyon, Texas. They decided they were meant for each other and married on Aug. 5, 1950 in McKinney.
After starting their family in 1951, Betty and Floyd moved to Bowie where Floyd was industrial arts teacher at Bowie High School. Betty was a stay-at-home mom for few years. In 1960, she restarted her teaching career, teaching sixth grade for many years, eventually moving to high school where she was librarian until her retirement in 1988. She was a lifetime member of TSTA and a member of TLA.
Betty is preceded in death by her parents; sister, Alma Lou Perkins and husband, Floyd A. Bynum.
Betty is survived by her three daughters, Nancy Headley, (Douglas), Jean Richards (John) and Patricia Johnson (Craig), grandchildren, Heather Morse, Alicia Hutchison, Jennifer Holloman, Justin Richards, Steven Johnson and Brian Johnson; seven great grandchildren and two nieces, Suzanne Scott and Dianne Herr.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie, TX.
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May 19, 1976 – May 11, 2025
NOCONA – Pedro Leon Olvera, 48, died on May 11, 2025.
There was a rosary at 6 p.m. on May 18 at Jerry Woods Funeral Home Chapel in Nocona. A funeral service was at noon on May 19 at St. Jospeh’s Catholic Church in Nocona.
He was born on May 19, 1976 in Celya, Mexico Guanajuato to Juan Olvera and Felixa Leon. Olvera was a part of a big family and hard-worker all of his life. He worked mostly in agriculture as a rancher. He loved working on cars in his spare time, especially with his son. He married Blanca Torres in 1995 in Celya, Mexico Guanajuato.
He is preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Rosa and Juana Gomez; and nephew, Juan Gomez Jr.
He is survived by his wife, Blanca Olvera; Nocona; son, Pedro Jr. Olvera, Nocona; daughter, Mariana Hampton, Gainesville; sisters, Yolanda, Nocona and Margarita, Mexico; brothers, Juan, Luis, Santiago and Francisco, all of Mexico; a grandson; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice.
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