OBITUARIES
Betty Joyce Taylor Evans
February 5, 1937 – May 13, 2023
BOWIE – Betty Joyce Taylor Evans, 86, went home to be with the Lord on May 13, 2023 in Bowie.
The family received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on May 16 at the White Family Funeral Home in Bowie. A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. on May 17 at the Bellevue First Baptist Church in Bellevue, where Betty attended as a young girl and she and husband Joe were married in 1955. Burial will follow the service at Elmwood Cemetery in Bowie where she will be laid to rest by her husband.
Betty was born Feb. 5, 1937 in Bellevue to Ewell and Joy (Miller) Taylor. She attended and graduated from Bellevue High School and married Joe B. Evans of Bowie on July 3, 1955 at First Baptist Church, Bellevue. Betty worked for 11 years at Hagger’s Slack Factory in Bowie before her 20 year career as a teacher’s aide at Bowie Elementary School. Betty, Joe and their family also were long time members of the First Baptist Church of Bowie.
Betty loved her family. She loved family gatherings at her house with her daughters and grandchildren for many occasions to include birthdays, Easter and Christmas. Betty loved watching her grandchildren play sports or any other activities they participated in – she was the biggest fan in the crowd. In later years she continued to watch her great-grandchildren participate in events as much as she possibly could. Betty loved listening to music, working in her flower beds, mowing and keeping her yard. In later years Betty enjoyed spending hours outside sitting on her porch, watching birds and looking at birdhouses she had painted. She loved to sit outside and just relax and have long visits with her beloved caregiver of five-and-a-half years, Shonda Ogle.
Betty is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 62 years, Joe; her parents and her brother, Bobby (Robert) Taylor of Nocona.
Betty is survived by her daughters, Chris Simpson and husband Riley, Sunset and Kim Heugatter and husband Allen, Bowie; grandchildren, Ty Evans and wife Lindsey, Granbury, Lindsay Berend and husband JD, Henrietta, Fallon Richey and husband Chase, Sunset and Sawyer Heugatter and fiancée Renee Hamilton, Lubbock and seven great-grandchildren Rance, Rylie, Leighton, Cannon, Lexi, Ridley, Braxton and new baby Finn. Betty also is survived by her sister, Carolyn Osborn and husband Larry, Lewisville and her sister-in-law, Sue Taylor, Nocona, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Central Baptist Church Kids4Truth Program via the following ways: Central Baptist Church office, account at Legend Bank or Venmo@cbcbowietx. Please notate on any donations “in memory of Betty Evans.”
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie.
Paid publication
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.
Paid publication
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.
Paid publication
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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