OBITUARIES

Gilbert “Lynn” Gray

Published

1 year ago

05/21/2025

December 5, 1942 – May 9, 2025
MONTAUGE – Gilbert
“Lynn” Gray, 82, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ on May 9, 2025, in Bowie.
The family received friends from 2-4 p.m. on May 11 at the White
Family Funeral Home in Bowie.
A funeral service took place at 2 p.m.
on May 12 at Bible Baptist Church in Bowie with
Pastor Steve Summers officiating. Prior to the service,
lunch was provided for family and friends in
the fellowship hall. Burial followed the service at
Montague Cemetery in Montague.
Lynn was born in Bridgeport on Dec. 5, 1942, and
was the only child of Lovette Davis Brooks Gray
and Thomas Avery Brooks and William Webster
Gray. Lynn lived his early life in Chico then moved
to Greenville, TX with his mother after the loss of
his father Tom Brooks, at the age of four. While in
Greenville, Lovette remarried William Gray who
adopted and raised Lynn. Shortly after, the family
resided in Commerce and he graduated from Commerce
High School in 1961, where he met the love
of his life, Claudette Gann. Lynn and Claudette
married June 2, 1961.
Lynn and Claudette moved to Montague in 1971 and still reside there this day. He was a jack-of-all trades and was an extremely hard worker. He had employment as a brakeman and conductor for the Saint Louis Southwestern Railway of Commerce for many years.
He had the position of Montague County Clerk for six years during the 1970s and was the Business Development Officer for 1st National Bank of Bowie in the 1980s until the early 2000s. Lynn was Bowie’s Man of the Year in 1997. He was part of many
organizations including President of the Bowie Chamber of Commerce, President of the Jim Bowie Day’s Association, a member of the Bowie Lion’s Club, and member of masonic Lodges, Montague 415 and Bowie #578. He was a deacon and member of Montague First Baptist Church for more than fifty years, and a recent member of Bible Baptist Church of Bowie. Lynn had a servant’s heart and was very civic
minded. He was a cowboy who was very passionate about his ranch and animals and had an incredible intuitive relationship with animals. He was a mechanical wizard and craftsman with a deep love for working in his shop. He was greatly blessed with creativity and could make anything he put his mind to, including extravagant floats for many of Bowie’s parades. He was an airplane enthusiast and was Montague County’s favorite Santa Claus. Lastly, and most importantly, he was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and boasted in the blood that was shed
for his sins. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather with the name “Papaw.”

Lynn had 13 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren, plus one on the way.
Lynn is survived by his wife Claudette; his four children, Jerry Gray and his wife Shannon, Montague, Tom Gray and his wife Amy, Dallas, Penny Romine, Fort Worth, and Patricia Vicari and husband Michael, Montague.
Memorials will be made to the Bowie Animal shelter or any other local animal shelter.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie, TX.
Paid publication

OBITUARIES

Imogene Dalton Evans

Published

5 days ago

06/19/2026

bowienews

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

Published

6 days ago

06/18/2026

bowienews

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

Published

6 days ago

06/18/2026

bowienews

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.