OBITUARIES

Reta Taylor Rucker

Published

6 years ago

09/17/2019

Reta Taylor Rucker
February 28, 1938 – September 16, 2019
BOWIE – Reta Taylor Rucker, 81, passed away on Sept. 16, 2019 surrounded by her loving family and her pastor.
A visitation will be from 5-6 p.m. on Sept. 19 at Lunn’s Colonial Funeral Home.
A service will be at 11 a.m. on Sept. 20 at Floral Height United Methodist Church. Burial will be at 3 p.m. in Elmwood Cemetery.
She was born on Feb. 28, 1938 in Bowie to Clois and Elgin Taylor. Reta graduated from Bowie High School where she was a member of the Jackrabbit Band for all four years. She was a majorette for three years and was drum major her senior year.
While at Midwestern State University she was a majorette for the Indians Marching Band. In the summer of 1959, she married her high school sweetheart and love of her life, Ronnie, and moved to Lubbock where he was in architectural school. While Reta was also studying at Texas Tech, their only daughter, Ronna was born in 1961. Upon graduation, they moved to Wichita Falls.
Reta became part of the Wichita Falls Community by joining the Junior League and loved her time as provisional chairman. She had a love for ballet and would teach the girls in an after school program at the Southside Girls Club. She later became the president of the Wichita Falls Ballet League.
Reta helped establish and volunteered at the Listening Ears for the Blind. She was also a member of Senior Junior Forum and was the Junior Forum Sponsor, Ronna’s junior and senior year.
She and Ronnie spent a majority of their time on the road with Ronna as she played junior tennis and later with the Wichita Falls High School tennis team. Those are memories that she always treasured. Reta loved spending summers in Crested Butte and became an avid skier during the winters with her family and many Wichita Falls friends.
When Ronna and Brad married, she got so much joy in planning their wedding, that afterwards, she began planning weddings for others. She treasured her time with all of the brides. She also became a registered interior designer. She was very creative and had impeccable taste.
Reta adored Ronnie and she knew that he adored her. Family was number one and that was when she was the happiest. Brad became the son she never had. Russell was born in 1986 and she became known as Grandmommie. They had such a special bond from the time he was born. She could tell you stories about him for hours. When Russell married Gina, she became one of her own. She was looking so forward to being a Great Grandmommie.
Reta’s laughter was contagious and will live on forever. We will never forget how much she loved us or how proud she was, because she told us all of the time. Just about daily.
Reta was proceeded in death by her granddaughter, Allie Taylor Prickett; her parents; sister , Mary Taylor Deaver and nephew, Kent Deaver.
She is survived by her husband, Ronnie Rucker; daughter, Ronna Prickett and husband Brad; grandson, Russell Prickett and wife Gina; two sisters, Treva Taylor and Kay Power; a brother, Max Taylor; nephew, Keith Deaver; and nieces, Courtney Power, Paige Gratehouse and Carrie Rambo.
Memorials can be made to Floral Heights United Methodist Church and the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank.
Paid publication

OBITUARIES

Gary Leo Fergueson

Published

3 days ago

04/23/2025

bowienews

November 11, 1944 – April 19, 2025
BELLEVUE – Gary Leo Fergueson, 80, died on April 19, 2025.
A graveside service will take place at 11 a.m. on April 24 at Vashti Cemetery with Michael Brannon and Jeff Brannon officiating.
He was born on Nov. 11, 1944 to Vera (Chappell) and Lewis Fergueson. He worked in the food and grocery industry at multiple store chains beginning in Fort Worth and ending in Bowie. He also worked as a rancher at his family farm in Vashti. Fergueson proudly served his country in the United States Army, he completed his basic training in San Fransico and was stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and sister, Alta Fergueson Brannon.
He is survived by his nephew, Jeff Brannon; niece, Krista Brannon Blackrock; brother-in-law Michael Brannon and a very special friend of 60 years, Helen Ulbig.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie.

OBITUARIES

Dr. Calvin Charles Carmen

Published

3 days ago

04/23/2025

bowienews

November 8, 1939 – April 19, 2025
BOWIE – Dr. Calvin Charles Carmen, 85, died on April 19, 2025 in Bowie, TX
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. on April 26 at the Bowie First Methodist Church. Interment will be at the DFW Military Cemetery.
Dr. Carmen was born Nov. 8, 1939 in Niagara Falls, Ont. to Florence Delia and Charles Carmen. Dr. Carmen attended New York schools until 1957 when he dropped out to join the Navy at just 17 years old. While in the Navy, he completed high school and was selected for officer candidate school. He graduated with the rank of second lieutenant and served as a communications officer aboard the naval battleship USS Hailey for four years. He later served as a naval reserve chaplain.
Dr. Carmen received his bachelor and master degrees from Central Bible College, and his Master of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Springfield, MO. He then earned his PhD in clinical psychology from Union Graduate School. As a clinical psychology intern at the Tufts University Behavioral Health Unit in Boston, MA, he received a commendation for outstanding service to his patients. He completed his postgraduate studies at Colgate Rochester Divinity School. Dr. Carmen served as pastor of South Park United Methodist Church in Buffalo, NY for nine years, and was pastor at Plymouth Bay Assembly of God in Pembroke, MA for an additional nine years.
Dr. Carmen then accepted the position of clinical director at Houston Medical Center. From there, he established Dr. Carmen and Associates, a practice serving the greater Houston area. He was then called to initiate a graduate counseling and psychology program at Nelson University (formerly Southwestern) in Waxahachie. There, he authored textbooks on counseling, psychology and the Christian faith.
Nelson University awarded Dr. Carmen both the distinguished professor award and professor emeritus award. He was a member of The American Association for Counseling and Development, the Christian Counselors of Texas, the American Psychological Association, and Psi Chi, National Honor Society. Dr. Carmen served several years as a member of the Texas state board of certification for licensed professional counselors. At his passing, he was the associate pastor of Bowie First Methodist Church.
He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Charles Carmen.
He is survived by his wife, Annette (née Gruppo) Carmen; daughter, Noelle Carmen; son, Benjamin Carmen and nine grandchildren.
Donations will be gratefully accepted to Nelson University on behalf of the Dr. Calvin C. Carmen Counseling and Psychology Scholarship Fund online at: nelson.edu/give.
Arrangements through the White Family Funeral Home in Bowie.

OBITUARIES

Daniel Morris Butler

Published

3 days ago

04/23/2025

bowienews

January 28, 1940 – April 8, 2025
CANYON LAKE – Daniel Morris Butler, 85, died on April 8, 2025.
A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. on May 3 at the White Family Funeral Home in Bowie. Burial will follow at Hopewell Cemetery in Stoneburg.
He was born on Jan. 28, 1940 to Lena (Lyons) and Dave Butler. He married the late Barbara Jameson Nov. 23, 1964, in Houston. Together they raised three children. He worked as an electrician at Mauch Electric and later owned and operated DB Electric from 1989 to 2002.
He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Barbara Butler and son, Kenneth Patrick Butler.
He is survived by his children, Diana Craig and James Butler, both Canyon Lake; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie, Texas.