OBITUARIES
Billy Ray Beasley
March 31, 1937 – April 1, 2023
BOWIE – Billy Ray Beasley, 86, passed away quietly in his sleep on April 1, 2023.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 6 at the White Family Funeral Home in Bowie. A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on April 7 at the White Family Funeral Home. Interment will be at Salona Cemetery, beside his beloved wife, Alice, resting in peace.
Bill was born the eldest of five children to Sybil Brumfield and A. B. “Blackie” Beasley in Punkin Center, TX on March 31, 1937. He worked in the automotive repair business with his dad, and Wichita Construction before transitioning into the oilfield. He worked at A1 Well Service and Energy Service, where he retired after 20-plus years.
Bill grew up in Bowie and joined the Army Reserves and was Honorably Discharged in 1962. He married Lila Beth King in 1957. They had their first child, Billy Don, in 1960 and two years later they welcomed their second child, Bobby Dale into the world. In 1966 they welcomed his baby girl, Kathryn Dawn. He worked hard to make sure they were taken care of and felt loved every day.
Bill later married Alice McGee on Nov. 26, 1984, thus creating a blended family with the addition of her daughters, Tammie and Pamela, and young son, Rodney.
Bill wore many titles: husband, dad, brother, son, friend, and, perhaps his most well-known title, Jokester. He could tell countless jokes and have you laughing for hours. Bill used his humor to successfully navigate daily life, bringing laughter to family and friends alike. Bill was a gentle soul and would help anyone in need. He always had a smile on his face and a joke on the tip of his tongue.
Bill loved living at Amon Carter Lake where he and Alice would fish in their boat for hours. He also loved tinkering with lawnmowers, tractors, motorcycles and anything else with a motor. He loved family get togethers, dining out with his family and just enjoying retirement.
Papa Bill enjoyed spending his weekends playing WaHoo and card games with the grandkids. He would take the grandkids for a boat ride and show them how to bait a line and throw a cast.
He was preceded in death by his mom, Sybil; his dad, Blackie; sister, Peggy Posey; beloved wife of 38 years, Alice and precious daughter, Kathy.
He is survived by three sons, Billy Don and wife Janice, Paul’s Valley, OK, Bobby Beasley and wife Kala Beasley, Chaska, MN and Rodney McGee, Bowie; two daughters, Tammie Avara and husband Rob, Bowie and Pamela Adams and husband Randy, Shawnee, OK; his brother, Larry Beasley; two sisters, Shirley Haney and Belinda McHaffey and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nephews, nieces and cousins.
Paid publication
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
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.
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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