OBITUARIES
James Darmon Carminati
July 7, 1947 – May 27, 2024
NOCONA – James Darmon Carminati, 76, passed from this earth on Memorial Day, May 27, 2024, in Wichita Falls.
The family will receive friends for visitation from 6 to 7 p.m. on June 2 at Scott-Morris Chapel in Nocona. A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. on June 3 at Nocona Church of Christ with Jonathan Brown officiating.
Pallbearers honoring James will be Danny Crow, Les Scott, Rusty Barker, Robert Whitecotton, Alex Stovall Ed Sample and John Royce Tompkins. Honorary pallbearers are Alva Towery, Danny Buck, Nathan O’Dell, Dakota Keck, Randy Ritchie, Elton Burleson, Jerry Admire, Jack Tompkins, Ray Glenn and Donnie Fenoglio.
James was born in Nocona on July 7, 1947 to Dorothy Samples and Joe Carminati. He was raised in Montague County and continued to raise his family in Nocona as well. He graduated from Nocona High School in 1966 and went to serve his country in Vietnam.
James was a Mason and a member of the American Legion, VFW and the Nocona Rural Fire Dept. James is the only person who used the word dirtbag as a term of endearment. He was the king of the one-liners like when he answered the phone “What?” James would do anything for anybody, he would give the shirt off his back. He would even fail the eighth grade so that he could be in the same class as his friend. According to KJ he is the best driver for bug catching.
James Carminati was a one of kind guy and he will be missed.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Betty Tompkins Carminati; his parents and brother, Joey B. Samples.
James is survived by his wife for the last 24 years, Sereita Giaketti; daughters, Julie Carminati and Amy Carminati and her partner Krystal Hamm; daughters, Lavonne Carpenter and husband Scott and Jamie Baen; sisters, Metta Burleson and husband Elton and Mary Ritchie and husband Randy; grandchildren, Emily Carminati and fiance Dakota Keck, Erin Carminati-Linn and fiance Nathan O’Dell, Shelby Barker and husband Tyler, Scotty Carpenter and wife Kendall, Zayde Bensellam, Lyla Bensellam, Jaxon Baen and Jeager Baen and great-grandchildren, Kevin James Sowell, Brice and Sadie Carpenter.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Nocona Rural Fire Department Fireman’s Toy Box, P.O. Box 55 Nocona, Texas 76255.
An online guestbook is available at scottmorrisfh.com.
Scott-Morris of Nocona has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Paid publication
November 5, 1938 – April 18, 2026
WICHITA FALLS – Maggie Killen, 87, died on April 18, 2026.
A graveside service took place at 1 p.m. on April 27 at Salona Cemetery near Bowie.
She was born on Nov. 5, 1938 in Bowie to Bertha Irene (Brewer) and Emmett Franklin Thompson. She was a graduate of Bowie High School. She was an oil information secretary and later in life as a business office manager in a skilled nursing home.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Bertha Irene and Emmett Franklin Thompson: sisters; Gracie McNatt, Berneice Oliver, Ola Mae Deeton, Ernestine Ray and Dorothy Woolf: brothers; Kelly Thompson, John Thompson, Lonnie Thompson, Wayne Thompson and Tommy Thompson; son, Ricky Wallace and daughter, Vicki Cullens.
She is survived by two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to University Park Nursing and Rehab.
June 4, 1947 – April 19, 2026
SPAINSH FORT – Sammy Joe Mitchell, 78, died on April 19, 2026.
There was a visitation from 5-6 p.m. on April 24 at Jerry Woods Funeral Home Chapel in Nocona.
A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. on April 25 at Spanish Fort Cemetery in Spanish Fort.
He was born on June 4, 1947 in Nocona to Bonnie O. Mitchell Jr. & Mary Lou Cross Mitchell. He grew up in the Spanish Fort area and went to school at Prairie Valley Schools. He was a hard-working farmer, rancher and mechanic all of his life and served his nation in the Airforce. He was a member of First United Methodist Church in Spanish Fort. He married the love of his life Robbie Hawthorne on May 8, 1971 in Nocona.
He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Steven Chris Mitchell.
He is survived by his wife, Robbie Mitchell, Spanish Fort; children, Joe Chris Mitchell, Spanish Fort and Kasie Hamilton, Bowie; sister, Bonnie Robertson, Spanish Fort; six grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to The Montague County Youth Fair, c/o Kenton Holloway, 5549 F.M. 1758, Bowie, TX 76230.
November 8, 1958 – April 20, 2026
NOCONA – Lesli Jan Phipps, 67, died on April 20, 2026.
There was a funeral service at 2 p.m. on April 23 at Bethel Baptist Church in Nocona with Pastor David Rogers officiating. The interment followed in Hope Cemetery, Henrietta. Pallbearers were Will Johnson, Ben Johnson, Ryan Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Kaye Rhoades, Tom Skinner and Bill Holcomb.
She was born in Nocona on Nov. 8, 1958 to Gerald “Jerry” and Lucia Painter Johnson. She grew up in Nocona and graduated Nocona High School in 1977. She attended Bethel Baptist Church. She later attended college at Midwestern State University and was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. She worked mostly in accounting for Northrop Grumman. She married Curtis Phipps on June 3 2021 in Henrietta.
She is preceded in death by her parents.
She is survived by her husband, Curtis Phipps, Nocona; children, Blake Gantz, Euless, Emily Gantz Hicks, Hoover, AL and Garrett Palla, Denton; brother, Craig Johnson; and one grandson.
Memorial donations may be made to the Susan G. Komen Foundation at www.komen.org.
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