OBITUARIES
Mary Ellen Cooper
July 26, 1941 – November 16, 2022
JACKSBORO – Mary Ellen Cooper, 81, Jacksboro, passed away Nov. 16, 2022 at Advanced Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Bowie, with family by her side.
A visitation will be at 12:15 p.m. on Nov. 19 at Coker Funeral Home in Jacksboro. A funeral service will follow at 1:30 p.m. Arrangements under the direction of Davis Funeral Home of Henrietta. Private family burial will take place at a later time.
Mary Ellen was born July 26, 1941, in Portales, NM to Nathaniel and Leona (Ring) Lea. She graduated from Bowie High School in 1959. Shortly after graduation, she met the love of her life, Monty Ray Cooper, and they married Dec. 8, 1962, at the First Christian Church in Lubbock.
Once they started their life together, they moved to Brownfield and lived there until July, 1980. Mary Ellen worked for the City of Brownfield and perused her passion for sewing in the “Sew it with Cotton” contests in the west Texas area for many years.
Monty and Mary Ellen moved to Jacksboro in July of 1980 and have lived here ever since. They were both active members of the Memorial Christian Church. Mary Ellen had served as a board member, taught Sunday school for many years and found great joy in singing in the choir on Sunday mornings. She was also a long-time member of Christian Women’s Fellowship.
Mary Ellen retired after 17 years of service from TXU on July 26, 2006. In her retirement she continued to sew pageant dresses for her granddaughter Lindsey, numerous Halloween costumes for the other grandchildren and was able to attended many events and functions supporting her eight grandchildren. She was a wonderful mother, doting Mams, and a beautiful friend to many.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Lewis Lea, sister Nelda Blevins and grandson Brock Cooper.
Mary Ellen is survived by her loving husband, Monty, Jacksboro; son Curtis Cooper and wife Lindy, Cross Plains, daughter Valerie Crafton and husband Shane, Henrietta, daughter Stephanie Lander and husband Kevin, Shady Shores; grandsons Dusty Cooper and wife Katie, Franklin, Tyler Crafton, Wichita Falls, Ryan Crafton, Wichita Falls, Cooper Lander, Shady Shores; granddaughters Lindsey Hoff and husband Kirkland, Dean, Emma Lander and Faith Lander, Shady Shores; four great-grandchildren, a sister Shirley Stults, Archer City and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to express their gratitude for the love and care Mary Ellen received from Beyond Faith Hospice of Wichita Falls.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Jacksboro Parish or the Alzheimer’s Association.
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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