Obituaries

Dorothy Ernestine Gage was born September 18, 1922 as the first child of George Ernest and Ida (Knight) Taylor. Dorothy passed into heaven on August 25, 2019 surrounded by family; 25 days short of her 97th birthday. Dorothy, the last class survivor, graduated from San Saba High School in 1939. Dorothy married Calvin Ferrell (Sonny) Gage October 30, 1940. Two children were born of that union, Carol Nan and Anita Jo (Tooter). Dorothy spent her life as a housewife and life partner to Sonny. After Sonny’s death, Dorothy enjoyed fellowship with her “widow ladies”, playing 42 and dancing.

Patty Elaine Lewis, age 70 passed from this life August 16, 2019. She was born August 17, 1948, to the late Otis Wesley Barnard and Mattie A. Barnard in Stephenville, Texas. She graduated from Brownwood High School May 1966 with a rank of third in her class. She graduated with honors from Texas Tech University May, 1970 with a major in accounting and received her Certified Public Accountant license. She retired from public accounting practice on October 1, 1996 due to health reasons. She married Robert Darwin Lewis February 19, 1977.

Patience Ann Shanklin age 36, of Cherokee passed away on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at Baylor Scott & White Lakeway, in Austin, Texas. Patience was born on February 22, 1983 to Wayland and Mary Ann (Kollman) Perry in San Saba, Texas. She attended and graduated from Cherokee High School. Patience received a Bachelor’s degree from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas. Patience married Brandon Shanklin on May 22, 2004 in Cherokee, Texas. They made their home in Cherokee where Patience was involved in helping at Cherokee First Baptist Church. She loved her family and enjoyed traveling with her family and playing games. She always had a smile on her face and loved spending time with family and friends.

Rayford Brister, age 92, of San Saba, Texas passed away at San Saba Nursing and Rehabilitation on Sunday, August 11, 2019. Rayford was born on April 27, 1927 in Mertzon, Texas to George and Jessie (Fox) Brister.

Rayford attended Colony School, then San Saba High School. He also attended college at Tarleton State University and Texas A&M University and received a B.S. degree in Agriculture. He was a member of the AGGIE Corp and later became a U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer with the rank of Captain.

Melody Dean Clopton Stewart was born on June 28, 1951 to Ordney and Mable Dean (Hurst) Clopton in Austin, Texas. Melody went to be with her Lord on August 14, 2019 at the age of 68. Services were held at Heritage Funeral Home on Saturday, August 17, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation was held on Friday, August 16, 2019 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m.

Melody loved the simple things in life. She loved her children and grandchildren, flowers, being outdoors, and being around family. She was ill the last years of her life here on earth, but her family and friends came and gave her peace and strength and let her know that she was truly loved.

Janice Lynne Brister was born December 20, 1956 in Rocksprings, Texas to Helen Merlene (Edwards) and Rayford Jefferson Brister. She passed away peacefully in San Antonio on August 6, 2019.

Janice attended schools in Kerrville and Eagle Pass, Texas. She attended Texas A & M, where she got a degree in Nutritional Science. She worked in nursing homes before going to work for the State of Texas in Aging & Disability Services. She attained the position of Regional Director in the San Antonio office. Jan retired in 2017.

Janice is survived by her parents: Helen and Rayford Brister, residents at San Saba Nursing Rehab; sister, Sherry Yvonne and husband, Giles Smay of Schertz; brother, Steve Brister and wife, Cynthia, of San Saba; nieces: Stacey (Smay) and John Lovett of New Braunfels; Alyssa and Spencer Schoen of San Saba; and Mariah Dufault of Dover, Tennessee; great-nieces: Sadie Lovett and Avery Dufault; and by Roxie, a rescued Pomeranian.

Cherei Addkison-Parker, age 57, of San Saba, Texas, passed away peacefully at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 3, 2019 at Hamilton General Hospital in Hamilton, Texas, after a fourmonth battle with stage-4 small cell lung cancer. Cherei was born June 8, 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee to Robert and Rebecca (Welch) Finn.

She was a resident of San Saba, Texas for 33 years. Cherei worked as a Customer Service Sales Representative at Central Texas Telephone Communications.

After 13 amazing years together, she married Lynn Parker on April 17, 2019. In her leisure time, she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, being with friends, and going on motorcycle rides with Lynn.

Billy Mack Brown, 93, of Bend, Texas, died Wednesday, July 31, 2019 at Rollins Brook Community Hospital in Lampasas. He was born June 30, 1926 in Bell County, Texas, near Willow Grove, to parents, William Brown and Ruby V. (Carr) Brown.

Billy was a meat market supervisor for A&P Grocery for many years and had been a resident of Bend since 1990. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Lometa. He enjoyed raising pecans, gardening and hunting.

He is survived by his wife, Gerladine “Dean” Brown; two daughters: Sharon Lloyd of Bend, Texas and Karen Key of Covington, Louisiana; sister, LaNell Richards of Moffat, Texas; and three grandchildren: Kristi McIver, Sarah Lloyd, and Mark Lloyd.

Billy was preceded in death by his parents and by daughter, Ellen Ann Brown.

Funeral service was held Saturday, August 3rd at Sneed Funeral Chapel in Lampasas, Texas. Burial followed in High Valley Cemetery near Bend.

Joe Warlick, age 81, of Joshua, Texas passed away on Saturday, August 3, 2019, peaceful at his home surrounded by his family. Joe was born on August 21, 1937 to John and Hazel (Reagan) Warlick in San Saba, Texas.

He went to school and graduated from Goldthwaite High School. He then joined The United States Air Force and became a radio operator. Joe married the love of his life, Addie Lee Taylor, in August of 1963. After Joe returned home from the Air Force, he was a truck driver and owned his own company for the biggest part of his life. He loved to drive his truck.

Those left behind to cherish his memory are his children – two sons: Joe Jr. and wife, Melanie, Warlick; and Gregg Davis and wife, Margaret; three sisters: Regina Montgomery, Linda Plumley and Brenda Willis and husband, Ron; 13 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and a host of extended family. He was preceded in death by his wife, Addie Lee Warlick, and his parents.

Billie Tonita Gray passed away on July 18, 2019, in Temple Texas. Born on August 25, 1936, to Anthony J “Tony” Smithwick and Cloma Lee Lockhart Smithwick in San Saba County. She met Charles Lewis Gray and they married on June 24, 1952, in a double wedding ceremony along with Charles’ brother and bride, Ken & Shirley Gray, in the Cherokee High School Gym. Tonita and Charles made their home on the Gray Ranch on the Llano-San Saba County line for over 60 years. Two sons and one daughter made the family complete. Tonita worked as a teacher’s aid and part-time in retail, but most of her life she was a mom and a homemaker. Enjoyed all her family and grandchildren and especially her great-grandchildren. Charles and Tonita would always have Christmas Eve at their house not only for the family but for all friends and neighbors. Charles would cook for a week and always enjoyed everyone coming.