11/13/02


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Bertie Lea Roberts

REFUGIO -Bertie Lea Roberts, 77, recently of Giddings but a life long resident of Refugio and Goliad Counties, went to be with her Heavenly Father on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2002, after a long and valiant struggle with Parkinson’s Disease.

She was born in the Sarco Community, Goliad County, on Feb. 28, 1925, to the late James Washington Perkins and Mary Roselee Prescott Perkins. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 40 years, W. D. Roberts. Brothers Clarence and Billy Boy Perkins and sisters Fairnell Perkins and Margie Perkins Jones also preceded her in death.

Bertie was an active member of the Eastern Star, a wonderful homemaker and a loving and devoted Mother and Granny. She is survived by her three sons, David Roberts and wife Wanda of Port Lavaca, James T. Roberts and wife Cindy of Giddings and Alan Roberts and wife Robyn of Giddings. She spent most of her time enjoying her grandchildren and great grandchildren: Connie Roberts Longuet and husband Devin of Houston; Melissa Roberts Machicek and husband Don of Plano; William Kolle Roberts of Inez; Leslie Roberts Jurkash and husband Tony of Waxahachie and Jennifer and Allyson Roberts of Giddings. Bertie also enjoyed her great grandchildren Lindsey and Brandon Longuet. She is also survived by her step-grandchildren Darcy Stockton of Refugio and Stacy Stockton of Goliad, along with Stacy’s children Stockton, Lauren and Trinity.

Bertie will be greatly missed and her family and friends will cherish the time spent with her.

The family will receive visitors at Moore Funeral Home in Refugio from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2002.

Services will be at the First Baptist Church in Refugio at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002. Burial will immediately follow at the Sarco Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Charles Jones, Dickey Jones, Bruce Birmingham, Tommy Martin, Paul Teague and John Hardy.
Memorials may be sent to the Sarco Cemetery Association, 546 West Franklin, Goliad, Texas 77963.

Maria Anita Guillen Baez

Maria Anita Guillen-Baez, 64, of Greeley, died Friday, Nov. 8, 2002 at her home.

She was born Nov. 4, 1938 in Port Lavaca, Texas to Alex and Susie (Luna) Guillen.

Survivors are her husband, Efrain Baez of Greeley; her mother, Susie Guillen of Port Lavaca, three sons, Joe DeLosSantos of Eaton, Isaac DeLosSantos of Greeley and Edward DeLosSantos of Beverly Hills, CA; six daughters, Mary Catherine Morales, Ruby Sabzevari, Cynthia Ferman, Susie Eubanks, and Margie Gomez, all of Greeley and Beatrice Hawkins of Lompoc, CA; four brothers, Alex Guillen II of Texas City, Sonny Guillen of LaMarque, Alfred Guillen of Texas City and Frank Guillen of Victoria; four sisters, Margaret Delgado and Susie Rodriguez both of Port Lavaca, Mary Solaya of Willis, and Janie Balderos of Houston; 14 grandchildren and five great- grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her father, Alex Guillen and her sister, Estella Garza.

Private family graveside services will be held at the Eaton Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to the Hospice and Palliative Care of Northern Colorado or to the Maria Baez memorial fund in care of Moser Funeral Service, 3501 S. 11th Avenue, Evans, CO 80620.

James “Woodie” Jackson

James “Woodie” Jackson passed this life on Nov. 8 at the age of 84.

He was born and raised in Port Lavaca and graduated from Port Lavaca High School in 1935. He attended the University of Texas at Austin where he was a scholarship athlete in baseball. He was a veteran of World War II serving as a flight engineer on the B-17 and 13-24 Bombers. He flew 38 missions in the European Theater. H was a retired Rural Mail Carrier for Route 3, Port Lavaca with 40 years of Service.

He was a member of the Port Lavaca Church of Christ for over 50 years, having taught the adult Bible Class for 38 years. He was also church treasurer for 36 years.

He was married to the former Maurine Shannon on April 6, 1946 and is survived by her, one son, Shan and his wife Linda, and grandchildren, Brian, Casey and Bo.
He was preceded in death by parents, Edward W. and Kittie Ruth Jackson, brothers, Roy, J.D. and Vurlin; sister, Thelma and grandson, Andy.

Family visitation was at Richardson/Colonial Funeral Home from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Funeral services were conducted by Mr. Gene van Noord, at 10 a.m. Monday from the Port Lavaca Church of Christ. Singing was led by Mr. Cliff Prater. Burial was at Greenlawn Gardens in Port Lavaca.

Pallbearers were Leo Childers, Dallis Douglas, Terry Mayberry, Mike McGuire, Tommy Pilgram, Walter Rosenbrock, Frank Scott, Tillman Shafer and Keith Schmidt. Honorary Pallbearers were A.H. Bornorden, Dutch Casel Clyde Douglas, Leon Honeycutt Dr. Tim McFarland, Clifford Prater, Jim Randle, Pete Terrell and Briggs Wilborn.
Richardson/Colonial Funeral Home of Port Lavaca is in charge of the arrangements, 361 -552-2988

Maurice J. Lukefahr

Maurice James Lukefahr died on October 25, 2002 in Elsa, Texas, of complications of diabetes and heart disease. A funeral Mass was held on Monday, October 28, 2002, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Brownsville.

Born December 7, 1926 in Greeley, Nebraska, Maurice moved with his family during the Dust Bowl to Bay City, Texas. After graduation in 1944 from Bay City High School, he served as a paratrooper in the 13th Airborne Division of the United States Army Occupation Forces in Japan. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Texas A&I University in Kingsville and received his Master’s Degree and PhD in Entomology from Texas A&M University in College Station. Maurice served on the Off-Campus faculty of the Texas A&M Department of Entomology for many years.

In 1953 he moved to Brownsville to join the staff of scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Experiment Station. Eventually becoming station leader, Maurice enjoyed a prolific research career with the USDA until his retirement in 1979.

He then undertook research and consultation assignments with United Nations affiliated agencies in Nigeria, Brazil and Niger until returning to the United States in 1992 to assume the position of research scientist at Rio Farms, Inc., in Monte Alto, Texas. Even after his official retirement in 1995, he remained on the staff as scientist emeritus, pursuing parttime research and consultation activities until his death.

Virtually his entire 50-year career in agricultural research was devoted to the study of host plant resistance to insect pests. Due to the quality of his investigations and the long list of publications he authored, he was recognized around the world for his pioneering work in this field. Maurice was the first investigator to demonstrate that the boll weevil could over-winter on plant species other than cotton. He received a Rockefeller Foundation grant allowing him to develop strains of cotton that were naturally resistant to most insect pests.

In Africa he directed studies of insect resistance in cowpeas, millet, and grain sorghum, and explored potential economic applications of high-protein tropical beans. At Rio Farms he led investigations into alternative crops for South Texas farmers such as millet, grapes, and blackberries, and pioneered the region’s use of tropical legumes as wild game forage.

Maurice is survived by his wife Nancy Smith Lukefahr of Brownsville (formerly of Port Lavaca); sons James of League City and William of Houston; daughters Mary Louise of Houston, Catherine Abell of Kingwood, Margaret Coggeshall of Seabrook, and Elizabeth of Austin; eleven grandchildren; brother Harold of Midfield; and sisters Dorothy Treybig of Kerrville, Teresa Lezak of Manvel, and Charlotte Parks of Victoria. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Mary, and brothers Paul and Thomas.

Donations in Maurice’s memory may be made to: The Department of Entomology, General Scholarship Fund, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2475.


Posted with permission of the Port Lavaca Wave.

Calhoun County, TXGenWeb Project