Obituaries
Patsy Ruth Nichols
Patsy Ruth Nichols, the daughter of Earl and Ruth Brown, was born October 14, 1933 in Agra, Oklahoma and died February 9, 2016 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Services were held February 12, 2015 at the First United Methodist Church of Cordell, Oklahoma with Rev. Amanda Lockwood officiating.
Patsy was raised on a dairy farm and graduated from Agra High School. She attended Oklahoma A&M where she met Bill Nichols. They were united in marriage on Christmas Day 1953. To this union five wonderful children were born: Niki, Pete, Tama, Tommi, and Tim.
Patsy and Bill lived in Friona from 1957 to 1962. Bill was employed by Friona State Bank and Patsy was a homemaker.
Bill and Patsy made their home in Cordell for over 52 years until August 2016, when they relocated to the Baptist Village Retirement Community in Oklahoma City.
Patsy was proceeded in death by her parents Earl and Ruth Brown.
She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Bill: five children, Niki Higgins and her husband Justin, Pete Nichols and his wife Kathy, Tama Blair, Tommi Varner and Tim Nichols and his wife Pam; ten grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; three brothers, Bud Brown and his wife Diane, Gary Brown and his wife Barbara of Friona and Lynn Brown and his wife Jean; and many other family brothers.
Memorials can be made in honor of Patsy Nichols to the First United Methodist Church Building Fund or The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
Claire Blanco
Former Friona resident Claire Blanco died February 19, 2016 in California. Claire lived in Friona 23 years before moving to California several years ago to be near family.
She is survived by two daughters, Marilyn Peterson and Kathleen Simpson, 10 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.
Abel Portillo Portillo
Abel Portillo Portillo, 58, of Amarillo, died February 18, 2016 in New Mexico. Rosary prayer services will be held Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 7 p.m. at Blackwell-Mullins Funeral Home in Friona. Mass of Christian Burial services have been scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, February 26, 2016 at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church in Friona with Rev. Anthony Swamy Aakula. Burial following in the Friona Cemetery under the direction of Blackwell-Mullins Funeral Home of Friona.
Abel was born in Mexico on September 21, 1957 to Jesus and Encarnancion Portillo Portillo. He worked for Track-Work, Inc., loved music and to dance, and loved his family.
He is preceded in death by his parents and a step-grandson Zachary Cantu.
He is survived by his wife, Irma Martinez of Friona; one sister, Ma.Elana Portillo Portillo of Mexico; one step-son, Jesse Mendoza Jr. of Amarillo; one step-daughter, Christy Montes of Amarillo; seven step grandchildren, Jazmine Guerrero, Kiki Montes, Cesar Molina, Josephina Montes, Alexis Montes, Josua Mendoza and Eli Prieto; and two step-great-grandchildren, Suzely Hernandez and Suzzette Hernandez.
You may sign the online register book at
www.blackwellmullins.com.
Billy Dean Baxter
Billy Dean Baxter, 89, of Friona, passed away peacefully Saturday, February 20, 2016 in Friona. Funeral services were held Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at the First Baptist Church in Friona with Rev. Brett Hoyle, pastor, officiating. Burial followed with military honors in the Friona Cemetery under the direction of Blackwell-Mullins Funeral Home of Friona.
Billy was born December 18, 1926 in Elk City, Oklahoma to Bill and Ella Eden Baxter. Ella died at Billy’s birth, so he was raised by his grandparents James and Emma Baxter. They loved and took care of him as their very own. At the age of 11, he went to live with his father and new mother, Elizabeth. The family moved to Friona in 1938. Billy went to Friona schools, graduating in 1943. At the age of 18, he was drafted and served as a United States Army Medical Technician in three different troop ships during WWII. He married Lillie Mae Renner on September 7, 1947 in Friona where he was an accomplished cattle rancher and farmer. Billy was a past board of directors member of the Federal Land Bank of Muleshoe and Friona, and Friona Consumers Co-op. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Friona where he also taught Sunday School for many years. He enjoyed reading, traveling and his family. Billy’s aim in life was to live by The Golden Rule.
He is preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and grandparents.
Survivors include his wife, Lillie of Friona; two sons, John Michael Baxter and wife (Cathy) of Saguache, Colorado, and Blayne Dee Baxter and wife Glenda of Syracuse, Kansas; one daughter, Debra Elaine Baxter of Amarillo; two sisters, Sue Null and husband Bill of Roscoe, Illinois, and Ann Carmichael of Timber Lake, South Dakota; one grandson, Bryan Dean Baxter of Wichita, Kansas; three step-grandchildren, Jessie, Karnia and Jill of Henderson, Nevada and one step grandson, Elmono of Santa Fe, N.M.; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Memorial donations can be made to: Friona Library, 109 W. 7th, Friona, Texas 79035 or Friona Senior Citizens, P.O. Box 614, Friona, Texas 79035
You may sign the online register book at
www.blackwellmullins.com.
