Kolls passes away at the ripe old age of 101

Graveside services for Elsie M. Kolls, age 101, of Belton were held Sept. 25, 2000 at the Salado Cemetery with Reverend Tommy Davis officiating.

Kolls died Sept. 23, 2000 in a Belton nursing home.

She was born on Sept. 2, 1899, in Milam county to Rayth and Sophronia Ann Griffin McQueen. She married Julius Max Koll on August 22, 1920 in Temple. Kolls worked as a caretaker, seamstress and a farmer. She was a charter member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Belton where he taught Sunday School. She was preceded in death by her husband Julius Max Kolls in July 1929.

Survivors include one son, Max Julius Kolls of Belton; one daughter, Vir­ginia Finney of Belton; one sister, Bernice Copeland of Salado. Also three grandchildren, six great­-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Church of the Nazarene building fund in Belton.

Casey passes away at 79

Chester M. Casey, 79, of Salado died Sept. 19, 2000 in Salado.

Services were held Sept. 23 at the Heartfield Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. O.B. Casey officiating.

A Graveside service was held Sept. 23 at Gerald Cemetery in Waco.

He was born to James F. Casey and Linda Walker Casey in Temple. He formerly served in the National Guard. He moved to Salado from Temple in 1956. He was the owner of Casey Construction, all of his adult life. In his younger years, he was a caddy at the Temple Coun­try Club. He was a historian and writer of Bell County History, and also Native American history. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Salado, and taught Sunday School for 20 years.

Survivors include his daughter, Mary Bollinger of Salado; three brothers, Albert Dewell Casey of Troy, Wayne F. Casey of Salado, and Oran Burl Casey of Oklahoma; two sisters, Alice Evelyn Fritz of Temple and Frances E. Tippitt of Houston; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to the Salado Humane Society, PO Box 493, Salado, TX 76571.

Memorial service planned Sept. 21 along creek bank for Salado’s Bob Whistler

A memorial service for Bob Whistler, age 74, of Salado, will be 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Salado Creek bank behind Inn on the Creek.

Bob lost a four-month battle with a lung infection Sept. 15. He passed away with family and friends by his bedside.

Whistler was born in Oklahoma on June 25, 1926.

Whistler joined the U.S. Navy and fought in World War II.

Whistler married Sue on February I0, 1951.

Following his wartime service, Whistler traveled to Columbia, South Amer­ica working in production with Mobil Oil.

He returned to the States to pursue his fam­ily’s farm interests. He was also looking for the best used car distributor to buy a used car, and get in touch with western motors. western motors has the best, most affordable, and reliable used cars fresno in the best brands that you want.

The Whistlers pur­chased the old DeGrum­mond place in 1980. They became full-time Salado residents in the early 1980s.

The Whistlers — along
with daughter Suzi Epps and her husband Lynn — opened Inn on the Creek Bed and Breakfast in 1985.

They moved a three­ story Victorian home from Cameron and placed it along the banks of Salado Creek on Center Circle. Gourmet dinners are served every weekend, prepared by the Epps and Whistlers.

Bob and Sue’s love of Salado and restoring his­toric properties was evi­dent by their continued involvement in the Salado Historical Society for which they often opened their historic Greek Revival home, Twelve Oaks, for public tours.

The Epps built Royal Street Commons in 1994, where Bob moved Red Barn Antiques. Whistler was an antique dealer for over a quarter of a cen­tury.

The Whistlers and Epps were instrumental in the Renaissance of Salado in the 1980s and 1990s. Bob’s love for the village is epito­mized by his license plate, which reads “SALADO.”
Whistler worked his whole life, but found time to collect antique cars, including MGs.

Bob did fulfill a life­long dream before being stricken by the lung infec­tion. He and Sue flew to England on the Concorde and returned on the Queen Elizabeth 11.

Whistler is survived by his wife Sue, daughter Suzi and husband Lynn Epp , and grandson Austin Epps, all of Salado.

He is also survived by one brother, Blair Whistler, of Pharr; Linda Luna, an “adopted” daughter from South America who lived with the Whistlers during her high school and college years and Anti Krassnig, an exchange student from Austria who spent part of her high school with the family.

A self-educated man, Bob loved books. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Bob’s name to the Salado Education Foundation, PO Box 458, Salado, TX 76571. Memorials will be earmarked to purchase books at Salado Intermediate Library.

Friends are invited to join family in celebrating Bob’s live during the memorial service 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21 behind Inn on the Creek.

Gillespie services held Sept. 7

Services for Earl Leon­ard “Len” Gillespie III, 23, of Round Rock were held Sept. 7, 2000 at the Church of Jesus Chri t of Latter Day aint in Temple with Bishop Hyrum Johnson, Brother Roy Walton, Pre ident David Lunt and President Michael Lower officiating. Burial fol­lowed in the North Belton Cemetery.

He died Sept. 4, 2000. He was born July 11, 1977 in Temple to Earl Leonard and Debra Karen (King) Gillespie. He was a 1995 graduate of Salado High School and later received his Associates Degree from Ricks Col­lege in Rexburg, Idaho. He served a two year mission for his church in Las Vegas, Nevada from 1996-98. He was employed by Harte Hanks Inc. in Round Rock. He was pre­ceded in death by his grandparents Earl and Harriett -Gillespie, Sr.

Survivors include his parents Earl and Debra Gillespie II of Belton, two brothers, Ryan Patrick Gil­lespie, who is serving a church mission in the Eugene Oregon Mission and Evan Richard Gil­lespie of Belton: sister, Amie R. Gillespie of College Station; grandparents, E.R. King, Jr. of Belton, great-grand­mother, Ola Quinn of Belton.

James Williamson services held Sept. 1 in Salado

James WIlliamson, 67, of Salado died in Houston Aug 28, 2000. Services were held Sept. 1 at the Herper-Talasek Funeral Home in Salado. Rev. Tom Wallace officiated. Burial followed at the Salado Cemetery.

Mr. Williamson was born to James and Emma Salesky Williamson in Orange, New Jersey on March 18, 1933. He lived in Salado for the past year and was formerly of Santa Bar­bara, California and Frank­lin, Massachusetts. He worked for Raytheon for 35 years, holding 14 pat­ents. He belonged to several engineering organizations. He also belonged to the Elks Lodge #2136 in Frank­lin, Massachusetts and was past president of Massachu­setts Field Archery Asso­ciation and numerous RV Clubs. His favorite hobby was woodworking.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Dolores Williamson of Salado; one son, James Kevin William­son of Belton, three daugh­ters, Cynthia Ann Slater of Santa Barbara, CA, Bar­bara Ann Williamson of Belton, and Elizabeth Ann Williamson of Belton; and four grandchildren Theresa, Laurie, Jonathan and Ryan James; two brothers Ronald Williamson and Kenneth Williamson, of New Jersey.

He was preceded in death by a son, Keith Albert Williamson in 1998.
Memorials may be made to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Research of Hous­ton.

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

Thorn passes away at age 75

James B. Thorn Jr., 75, of Salado died Aug. 23, 2000 at his residence.
Services were held Aug. 25 at First Baptist Church in Belton with the Rev. Andy Davis officiating.
Burial was in North Belton Cemetery.
Mr. Thorn was born in Marshall to James B. Sr. and Jewel Rhodes Thorn.

He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He taught school in Alto before joining the U.S. Postal Ser­vice as a postal inspector.
He later became an ad­ministrator. After his retire­ment from the postal ser­vice, he was co-owner of Mill Creek Real Estate in Salado.

He married Betty Aiken on Jan. 30, 1948, in Nacogdoches.

Survivors are his wife, Betty Thorn of Salado; two sons, James B. Thorn, Ill of Martinsburg, W. Va., and Jack Thorn of Lufkin; a daughter, Jeannine Holt of Colorado Springs, CO; a brother, Joe R. Thorn of Dallas; three sisters, Bobbie Murray of Dallas, and Jeanne O’Brian and Nell Lewis, both of Temple; and three grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Scott and White Hospice Care.
Heartfield Funeral Home in Belton was in charge of arrangements.

Memorial service In Salado for Elinor Tope.Aug. 31

Elinor F. Traylor Tope, 66, passed from this life at her home Aug. 22, 2000 with her husband, Robert and daughter Elizabeth at her side, after a courageous battle with breast cancer.
A memorial service will be held 6:30 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Salado United Meth­odist Church.
Elinor and husband Bob owned and operated Country Place Bed & Breakfast in Salado, where they lived for nine years.

During her years in Salado, Elinor served the community in many capacities, including chairing the Salado Business Associa­tion, and serving on the Landscaping Committee of the Salado Civic Center. Elinor also created and helped operate the first Bed and Breakfast reservation service in Salado.

She loved gardening and decorating and was a fine seamstress.

Elinor was born in Houston in July 11, 1934 to Theo and Paul Traylor. She lived in Texas her whole life.

She is survived by her husband Robert E. Tope of Montgomery, and loving family members.

She is survived by her daughters: Debbie Gudelman, of Dallas; Kathy Newman and her husband Terry and children Clint, Corey and Brandon, of Montgomery; Patricia Harding and her children, Kate and Reed, of Bellaire, and Elizabeth Bartz, of Salado

She is also survived by her sons: David Jones, his wife Chris and children, Meagan, Erin, and Michael, of Belchertown, Mass.; and Rob Tope, his wife Nelda and children Karrina and Megan.

She is also survived by her sisters, Paulette Howard and Wanda Bozant, of Houston and brothers, Bill Traylor, of Willis and Ronald Traylor, 9fCrockett.
In honor of Elinor, the family asks that memorials be made to April Sound Community Church, at 67½
April Wind South, Mont­gomery, TX 77356 or Crown of Texas Hospice, 100 1-45 North, Suite 240, Box 103 , Conroe, TX 77301.

Funeral services held for Jimmy Bates

Funeral services for James “Jimmy” Bates, age 26, of Salado, were held Aug. 14, 2000, at Sheffield Funeral Home in Temple. Rev. Todd Ousley officiated. Bates was buried in the North Belton Cemetery.

Bates was born on Sep­tember 4, 1973 to Bobby Bates and Sue Thompson Bates in McKinney. He lived in Salado for two years. Bates attended Belton High School and graduated from Temple High School. He formerly lived at Lake Belton.

He married Stacy Michelle Ellison April 19, 1996 in Belton. He is survived by his wife, Stacy Michelle Bates, of Salado; his daughter, Allyson Brooke Bates, of Salado; his parents, Bobby and Sue Bates, of Salado; a sister, Paula DePriest, of Salado, and his grandpar­ents, B.J. and Faye Thomson, of Camp Wood.

Brooks passes away at age 89

Doolen R. Brooks, 89, of Salado died Aug. 2, 2000 in Temple.
Services were held Aug. 5, 2000 at Victory Baptist Church with Pastors Raymond Lindsey, Doc Lindsey and Billy Barho officiating. Burial followed the service at Cedar Valley Cemetery.

He was born March 27, 1911 in Bell County. He was a farmer and rancher. He was a member of the Victory Baptist Church and donated to and supported the Texas Baptist Children’s Home in Round Rock. He was also a life­long resident of Salado.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Lena Brooks in 1996 and a son, Franklin Brooks in 1991.

He is survived by sons, Robert Brooks of Andalvsia, AL and William (Bill) Brooks of Florence; daughters, Neita Wigley of Salado, Rayma White of Rusk, and Della Curtis of French Camp, MS; and a sister, Stella Jackson of Salado. He is also survived by 18 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren

Helen Kroll Mayfield dies at age 90

Helen Kroll Mayfield, 90, of Johnson City, died June IO in Johnson City.
She was born Oct. 17, 1909 in Johnson City.

Funeral services were held June 13 at Crofts Funeral Home in Johnson City with the Rev. Ernest Topper officiating. Burial was at Masonic Cemetery in Johnson City.
She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star in Johnson City.

She is survived by her brother, Albert Kroll of Johnson City; sister, Leona Hunter of Salado; grand­children, Kimberly Mayfield Franz of New Braunfels, Kristin Mayfield Holt of Austin, and Kerry Leigh Mayfield of Austin; and four great-grandchil­dren.