Lucile Holland Durham, 95, died on Nov. 21.

She was a native of Bell County and lived at Summers’ Mill since 1945. She was the granddaughter of James Reuben Holland, for whole the town of Holland was named. Her parents were Ellis White and Nettie Holland, lifelong area residents. She married W.A. (Happy) Durham in 1923 at the parsonage of First Christian Church, where she continued to be a member until her death. The couple celebrated 72 years of marriage before his death in 1995. A daughter, Patsy Durham Henderson, died in 1974.

Mrs. Durham held offices in Christian Women’s Fellowship and the Board of Trustees at First Christian Church, Belton, where she was the oldest member at the time of her death. She volunteered at the VA Hospital in Temple for more than 25 years and 20,000 hours in the Domicillary where she performed sewing jobs for the residents. The Durhams were early members of the Bell County Historical Society and the Bell Country Museum organizers and served on the Official Board between 1955 and 1975.

Survivors include one daughter, Mary Jean Boston of Belton, one sister, Mary Vicknair of Belton, five grandchildren, Ann Boston Faber, Paul Talmage Boston Jr., James Leverett Boston, James Henderson, and David Henderson Jr., and eight great-grandchildren.

A private burial for the family was held on Nov. 22 at the North Belton Cemetery. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Nov. 27 at First Christian Church, Belton.

Instead of flowers, please send memorials to Bell County Museum, PO Box 1381, Belton, TX 76513; VistaCare Hospice, 819 S. 5th, Temple, TX 76504; First Christian Church, PO Box 367, Belton, TX 76513; or Scott & White Development Office, 2401 S 31st St., Temple, TX 76504

Layton Manning Grigsby, 94, of Salado, died in a Temple hospital Nov. 5.

Graveside services were held Nov. 8 at the Salado Cemetery with Minister Dempsey Stripling officiating.

He was born in Dallas on Feb. 10, 1905 to Luke Manning Grigsby and Martha Ann White Grigsby. Prior to his retirement, he served as Vice President of First National Bank of Dallas and Republic National Bank of Dallas. He had been a resident of Salado for the past four years. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Oak Cliff.

Grigsby was preceded in death by his wife, Anna Inez Grigsby on July 22, 1995 and by seven brothers and sisters. He is survived by two nephews, Hartsell Haws of Salado and Harry L. Mackey Jr. of Austin; and two nieces, Marcha Strother of Dallas and Jane Carrell of Austin.

Harper-Talasek Funeral Home of Salado was in charge of arrangements.

William McKean Sherk, 85, world-famous master brewer, decorated WWII veteran, active Lion’s Club member, grape jelly maker extraordinaire, and descendant of Declaration of Independence signer and Pennsylvania governor, Col. Thomas McKean died at home from cancer Oct. 2.

Born Oct. 1, 1914 in Olympia, Wash. to Everett and Louella (McKean) Sherk, he married Helene in 1942. After high school, he joined the Olympia Brewing Company, Turnwater, Washington before graduating from the U.S.cBrewer’s Academy, New York City in 1938. Upon graduation, he joined the Master Brewers’ Association, to which he still belonged. He then worked as brewmaster at Pioneer Brewing Company until being drafted into the Army where he rose to the rank of Captain in the Medical Administrative Corps, receiving multiple commendations.

Returning to brewing after the war, Bill became a member of the American Society of Brewing Chemists, in 1946, remaining a member for 53 years. As a brewmaster, he joined Yuengling Brewing Company, Pottsville, PA, where in 1949, his daughter Mary Lou was born.

Bill subsequently moved on to Carling Brewing Company, where he quickly rose from assistant brewmaster to brewmaster, ultimately becoming plant manager. His career with Carling took him from Baltimore to Cleveland; Ft. Worth; St. Louis; Frankenmuth, MI; and Natick, MA.

Until recently, he remained active in the Salado Lions Club, having been elected 1997’s Lion of the Year and been named a Senior Master Lion. An avid golfer, he was a frequent sight (and often a formidable opponent) at the Mill Creek Country Club. He was a member of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Temple.

Bill is survived by his wife Herene; daughter and son-in-law Mary Lou (Sherk) and Dr. Ken Iserson, Tucson, AZ; his sister, Phoebe Sherk Weidner, Olympia, Washington; and his many friends throughout the U.S. and Canada.

A funeral with Bath George Udell officiating was held Oct. 4, at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Temple followed by burial at Salado Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society of the Scott and White Home Hospice.

Memorial services for Robert Kimball Richardson Smith II, 43, of Salado, was held Sept. 30 at St. Lake’s Episcopal Church in Belton. The Reverends Joseph L. Sheldon of San Angelo and Thomas A. Wallace, rector of St. Luke’s, co-celebrated. Burial will be at Pleasant Hill, TN.

Smith died Sept. 27, in Salado.

Smith was born Sept. 2, 1956, in Kingsport, TN, the son of Dr. Lyle R. Smith and Peggy Ann Smith. He was a 1978 graduate of Beloit College in Beloit, WI, and received his masters degree in 1984 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He served as staff Archaeologist at Fort Hood, from 1989-96 and since then has served as Cultural Resource Management Team for Fort Hood’s Environmental Division. Smith held membership in the Texas Archeological Association and was active in the Native American Coalition of Austin. He was a founding member of the Medicine Wheel Association of Fort Hood.

Smith is survived by his wife, Barbara Yanez-Smith; his daughter, Anna Gabriela Richardson Smith, his father and stepmother, Dr. And Mrs. Lyle R. Smith of Kingsport, TN; a sister, Mrs. Lawrence W. Puckett of Springfield, VA; a brother, Lyle Huntington Smith of Kingsport, TN; a niece, Catherine Smith of Kingsport, TN; and two nephews.

Memorials may be made to the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church memorial fund, 2301 North Beal St., Belton TX 76513

Funeral services for Maxine Irene Howerton, 78, of Salado were held Oct. 2 at the Heartfield Funeral Home Chapel in Belton with Dr. Skip Blancett and Rev. Billy Johnson officiating. Burial was held in the Salado Cemetery. Mrs. Howerton died Sept. 30 in a Temple Hospital.

Mrs. Howerton was born April 22, 1921 in Prairie Dell, TX to Claude and Bernice Knight Hodge. She was a lifelong resident of this area and a member of the Salado First United Methodist Church. She married James Howerton Dec. of 1947 in Temple, TX. She worked for the Texas Power and Light Company in Temple for 16 years and the Bluebonnet Cookie Company in Waco. Mrs. Howerton was also employed by the C.B. Livestock Company in Salado.

Mrs. Howerton is survived by her husband, James Howerton of Salado; son and daughter-in-law, James R. And Trina Howerton of Salado; brother and sister-in-law, C.B. and Mary Hodge of Salado, 2 grandchildren, James Austin Howerton and Jessica Howerton of Salado; and one great grandchild, Tori Victoria Howerton of Salado; several nieces and nephews and aunts.

Heartfield Funeral Home was in charge of the funeral services.