Obituaries
Billie Leo Marshall
Billie Leo Marshall, 92 longtime Bovina resident passed away Tuesday, December 10, 2019 in Amarillo. Viewing will be from 9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Saturday, December 14, 2019 in the Ron Smiley Memorial Chapel of HANSARD FAMILY Funeral Home with family visitation from 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. Celebration of Life Services will be held 2:00 P.M. Sunday, December 15, 2019 at the Bovina Church of Christ with Mike Prather of Bovina and Jeff Procter of Friona, officiating. Cremation and arrangements by HANSARD FAMILY Funeral Home of Friona.
Billie was born May 13, 1927 in Dawson County, Texas to William Bailey and Ida Rosetta Kidd Marshall. Later, he married Ernesteen Emfinger on January 18, 1945. She passed away in 2017 after 72 years of marriage.
B.L. loved the Lord,and was a life long member of the Church of Christ serving as an elder of the Bovina Church of Christ for many years, and at the Del Rio Church of Christ where he worshiped during his many fishing trips.
L. and Teen bought their farm south of Bovina in 1950. During his years of farming, he produced wheat, cotton, corn, sesame seeds, sugar beets, and milo. In the early 1960’s he was the largest sesame seed farmer in the U.S.
B.L. loved to tell stories and make people laugh, play 42 or dominoes, and was known as a very generous man.
He is preceded in death by his parents, wife, 2 sisters, Emily and Beth and an older brother E.R. “Shorty” Marshall.
Those to carry on his legacy include 2 daughters: Joyce Watts of Willis, Texas and Meloney Early of Katy, Texas, and 1 son: Billy Lynn Marshall and wife Linda of Bovina, 9 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Bovina Church of Christ, P.O. Box 390 Bovina, Texas 79009.
You may send condolences to the family and sign the online register book at www.hansardfamily.com
Sam Mears
Sam Mears, 87, of Friona, Texas passed away Monday, December 16, 2019 at BSA Hospice in Amarillo, Texas. Viewing will be from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 19, 2019 in the Ron Smiley Memorial Chapel of the HANSARD FAMILY Funeral Home. Family visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. Celebration of Life Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 20, 2019 at the Union Congregational Church at 1601 N. Euclid. Gary Johnson and Brett Hoyle, both of Friona, will officiate. Burial and arrangements by HANSARD FAMILY Funeral Home of Friona.
Sam was born February 28, 1932 in the family home southeast of Friona, Texas to J.H. Mears and Opal Faye Hand Mears. He married Donna Carolyn Miller on May 31, 1958 in Friona, Texas. They celebrated their 61st Anniversary this past year. He served in the United States Air Force from 1952-1953 and was in the Air Force Reserves through 1960. After military service, he worked for Phillips Petroleum in Borger, Texas until 1962.
Sam and Donna returned to Friona in 1962 where he started farming the family homestead. He retired and sold the farm in 2010. He put over 650,000 miles on his favorite yellow Chevy pickup that he drove for over thirty years.
Sam was actively involved in Kiwanis International and then the Friona Evening Lions service organizations. He served terms as President in both groups. He served as Deacon at First Baptist Church and later at Grace Baptist Church, both in Friona. He served on the Credit Committee of the Friona Texas Federal Credit Union and served a term on the Board of Directors of Friona Wheat Growers. His favorite hobbies were motorcycle riding and gun collecting.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and brother, J.C. Mears.
Those to carry on his legacy include his wife Donna of Friona, son Clint Mears of Friona, and daughter Sarah Mears Geries and husband Randy Geries of Friona. Grandchildren and Great-grandchildren include Randy and Sarah’s children: daughter Mandy, husband Nathan Rigler, and sons Noah and Nash of Abernathy, Texas; daughter Amy, husband David Bridges, and daughters Rowyn and Rylee of St. Paul, Minnesota; daughter Andrea, husband Rhett King, son Ronin, and daughter Auggie of Frisco, Texas; son Ryan Geries, wife Lindsey, and son Ethan of Plano, Texas.
You may send condolences to the family and sign the online register book
