Person Page - 7272

     Arthur D. Herring Arthur D. “Big Art” Herring, 88, of Tracy Place, Carlsbad, New Mexico, passed away November 26, 2018 at University Medical Center, Lubbock, Texas. Interment will follow in Carlsbad Cemetery, Carlsbad, New Mexico. Carlsbad Veterans Honor Guard will provide military honors. Arthur was born May 2, 1930 in Alt, Oklahoma to Dick and Byrl (Martina) Herring. He grew up and graduated from high school in Friendship, Oklahoma. In May of 1952 he entered the Army during the Korean War, receiving 3 bronze service stars. Leaving the military he went on to play minor league baseball in Oklahoma. Arthur moved to Texas where he was then drafted to the Carlsbad Potash Minor team. He worked for the ACF – American car Foundry for over 10 years in Albuquerque, NM. Arthur then moved to Carlsbad and began working at the potash mines. While playing in minors, he was drafter to the major leagues but he declined. Arthur retired in 1999. His favorite hobbies were fishing, hunting, metal detecting and working will a rock tumbler. Before his retirement, he worked at the Cortez Café and the China Lantern. Survivors are his son, Michael W. Herring of Carlsbad, NM and grandchildren: Michael W. Herring, II, Brandon Joel Herring, Garrett Wade Herring, Patrick Michael Salter and Jonathan Christopher Salter. Pallbearers will be Michael Wayne Herring, Michael Wayne Herring, II, Brandon Joel Herring, Garrett Wade Herring, Patrick Michael Salter and Jonathan Christopher Salter.² He was buried at Carlsbad Cemetery, 1506 Boyd Drive, Carlsbad, Eddy Co., New Mexico.² He was born on May 2, 1930 at Altus, Jackson Co., Oklahoma.² He married VerDean Joyce Mears on June 15, 1955 at Roswell, Chaves Co., New Mexico.⁶ Arthur D. Herring died on November 26, 2018 at Lubbock, Lubbock Co., Texas, at age 88.²

     His Social Security Number was 442-32-6649.³ Rodney Raymomd Herring was born on August 1, 1931 at Friendship, Jackson Co., Oklahoma; His obituary has a birth date of Aug 10, 1931.^3,4,5 He married Lorene Byrd on November 23, 1949 at Duke, Jackson Co., Oklahoma.² Rodney Raymomd Herring died on May 17, 2006 at Sacramento Co., California, at age 74.^3,5 He HERRING, Rodney Raymond passed away suddenly on May 17, 2006. He was born August 10, 1931 at Friendship, Oklahoma where he attended school until graduation. He retired after 40 years from Crystal Cream & Butter Co. He enjoyed gardening, fishing and walking. He leaves his wife Lorene, sons Rodney, Mick & Kathleen, Bill, Debra & Steve Brown, grandchildren Stephanie and Rob Duxbury, daughters Morgan, Kiana & Mialie, Chanie & Fabian Russell, Jessica Thompson & Deven Bridwell, Wm. Herring & Chanie's mother Janette Chamberlain and Justin & Darrin Brown, sisters Juanita Dishman, Aletta Akins of Okla. Lorena & Milton Lockwood of Tex., Alma & Leslie Gilreath of Ala. Katie & Paul James of Penn., Iva Jean Laughery of Tenn., brother Art of Carisbad NM, sisters-in-law Lavinia Herring of Rancho Cordova, Elsie Byrd of Sacramento, brothers-in-law Gale Barfelz and wife Jean, Richard Pape of Fair Oaks, also numerous nieces & nephews. on May 20, 2006.⁵

     Katie Beryl Herring was buried at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, Lebanon Co., Pennsylvania.³ She Katie B. James, a 1953 member of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, as depicted in the 1992 movie "A League of Their Own", and baseball hall of fame inductee passed away peacefully on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, at her home on the Wildcat Mountain in Tamaqua, at the age of 85. Widow of Paul C. James Sr., who passed away on Nov. 2, 2013, she is survived by sons, Paul C. James Jr., with whom she resided, and Keith R. James Sr., and his wife, LeeAnn, of Tamaqua; grandchildren, Keith R. James Jr., William Paul James and Eric Charles James; great-grandchildren, Brady and Bay James; sisters; Oletta Aikens and Alma Ray Gilreath; and brother, Art Herring. Born Tuesday, July 11, 1933, in Friendship, Oklahoma, a daughter of the late William D. and Beryl (Martin) Herring. She was also predeceased by sisters, Lorena Lockwood, Juanita Dishman, Onetta Faye Wilks, Wilma Cates and Jean Laughery; and brothers, Bill and Rodney Herring. A graduate of Friendship High School, Katie began playing professional baseball immediately after completing her senior year in high school. She played outfield for the Grand Rapids Chicks in 1953, batting right. She was also an accomplished basketball player. She married her husband of 59 years in 1954 and accompanied Paul during his 21 years of service to our country as a Master Sgt. in the United States Air Force. This past summer Kate attended the 75th anniversary of the AAGPBL in Kansas City, MO. Weekly, she answered fan mail and sent autographed pictures of her baseball card. Proud of her Indian heritage, Kate enjoyed gardening and her annual summer pilgrimage to New Hampshire to visit family. Interment Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville.³ She was born on July 11, 1933 at Friendship, Jackson Co., Oklahoma.³ As of 1954,her married name was James.³ She married Paul C. James Sr. in 1954.^5,3,6,4 Katie Beryl Herring died on November 4, 2018 at Tamaqua, Schuylkill Co., Pennsylvania, at age 85.³

     Her Social Security Number was 445-36-9219.² Her married name was Laughery.¹ Iva Jean Herring married Richard Wayne Laughery.^1,3,7 Iva Jean Herring was born on July 29, 1935 at Altus, Jackson Co., Oklahoma.^2,3 She died on January 23, 2007 at Dickson, Dickson Co., Tennessee, at age 71.^2,3,8 She Mrs. Iva Jean Laughery, age 71, of Dickson, Tenn., died Tuesday, January 23, 2007 in Horizon Medical Center, Dickson, Tenn. She was born July 29, 1935 in Altus, Okla., daughter of the late W. D. Herring and Beryl Martin Herring. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Richard Laughery; her sisters, Wilma Cates, Ometta Wilks, Juanita Dishman; her brothers, Bill Herring and Rod Herring. She was a homemaker. Survivors include her sons, Robert (Aggie) Laughery of Cumberland Furnace, Tenn., Richard (Lisa) Laughery of Akron, Ohio; daughters, Debra (Dave) Ward of Dickson, Tenn., Kathy (Daniel) Cavanaugh of Charlotte, Tenn; brother, Art Herring of New Mexico; sisters, Lorena Lockwood of California, Oletta Akins of Oklahoma, Katie (Paul) James of Pennsylvania, Alma (Leslie) Gilreath of Alabama; 11 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; sisters-in-law, Lorene Herring, Lavinia Herring, Irene Laughery, Vivian Jeromin, Sharon Laughery, Donna Laughery. on January 26, 2007.³

     Her married name was Akins.⁵ Oletta Katherine Herring married Bill Joe Akins.⁵ Oletta Katherine Herring was born on November 27, 1926 at Oklahoma.^1,6

     Bill Joe Akins Bill Joe Akins, age 89, of Altus, passed away early Monday morning, May 18, 2015, at his residence, north of Altus. Mr. Akins was born on May 6, 1926, in Hartshorne, Oklahoma to William Percy and Cora Elizabeth (Gilreath) Akins. At the age of eight, Bill's father was murdered, and as a teenager, he moved to Friendship, with an uncle. During his senior year and World War II, Bill joined the United States Navy, where he proudly served his country from May 1, 1944 until being honorably discharged on May 27, 1946. Returning to Jackson County, Bill worked for a time at Altus Air Force Base before joining the Jackson County Sheriff's Department where he served as a deputy sheriff. Bill also did landscaping and pest control on the side. On December 21, 1979, Bill married Patricia Ann Sisk, and they spent the next 35 wonderful years together. Later, Bill joined the Altus Police Department, retiring as a detective in 1993. From 1999 until 2008, Bill served as the foreman for Jackson County District 3. A life-long member of the NRA, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and the VFW, Bill enjoyed hunting, raising cattle and spending time with his family and friends. Bill was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, a twin sister, Wilma Akins and Laura Mae Accord and Marylee Epperson and a son, Robert Joe Akins. Survivors include his wife, Ann Akins, of the home; two children, Nancy Ann Peace and husband Butch of Edmond and Don Akins and wife Brenda of Altus; a daughter-in-law, Kathy Akins of Artesia, New Mexico; five grandchildren, Jody Michael Akins of Yukon, Sheri Hansen and husband Isaac of Guthrie, Oklahoma, Kacie Peace of Edmond, Brian Archer and wife Kristen of Elk City and Carrie Leonard of Altus; 13 great-grandchildren, Bailey, Skyler, Alex, Olen, Broderric, Darius, Jazzy, Hunter, Gunner, Avery, Keaton, Tyson and Jasper; four sisters, Ethel Lambert of Minnesota, Betty Dudley of Minnesota, Pat Wiginton and husband Bill of Wilburton and Norma Garner of Sikeston, Missouri; the mother of his children, Oletta Akins of Edmond, along with many other relatives and friends. Interment will follow at the Altus City Cemetery.³ He married Oletta Katherine Herring, daughter of William Delma Herring and Beryl Hazel Martin.¹ Bill Joe Akins was born on May 6, 1926 at Hartshorne, Pittsburg Co., Oklahoma.³ He died on May 18, 2015 at Altus, Jackson Co., Oklahoma, at age 89.³

     Robert Joe Akins was buried at Twin Oaks Memorial Park, 59 Lake Arthur Highway, Artesia, Eddy Co., New Mexico.³ He Robert Akins, Oct 31, 1948 - Jun 1, 2012. Services are scheduled Tuesday for Robert Joe Akins of Artesia, New Mexico. Mr. Akins, 63, died Friday, June 1, 2012. Burial at Twin Oaks Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Otis Yates, Wesley Neel, Zachary Berry, Wade Berry, Charlie Ebarb, and Neal Bledsoe. Honorary Pallbearers will be Dale Lynch, Wayne Derrick, Dave Walker, and James Stepp. Joe was born October 31, 1948 in Altus, Oklahoma the son of Bill Akins and Oletta Herring Akins. He was a Vietnam War veteran and served his country in the United States Army from March 10, 1971 until January 24, 1974. He came to Artesia in 1982 from Dallas, Texas. On May 25, 2006 he was married to Kathy Houston Walker in Artesia. Joe received his Bachelor Degree in Math and Computer Science from Southwestern State College in Weatherford, Oklahoma. He got his Masters in Accounting from Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma. He worked for Holly Corporation from February 1982 until September 2011. There he was the manager of several departments in the accounting division. He was also a Department of Energy Auditor. He loved photography including cave photography, hunting, traveling, motorcycles, and spending time with family and friends. Survivors include his wife Kathy Akins of the family home parents Bill Akins and wife Ann of Altus, Oklahoma, and Oletta Akins of Edmond son Jody Akins of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma sister Nancy Peace and husband Butch of Edmond brother Don Akins and wife Brenda of Altus grandchildren Bailey, Skyler, and Alex of Oklahoma City father-in-law Milton Houston of Artesia sisters-in-law Becky Neel of Artesia, and Valerie Torrez and husband Robert of Artesia nieces and nephews Edana and Otis Yates and their children Chloe, Tessa, and Macy Wesley and Lisa Neel and their children Madison, Kacy, and Kaleb Zachary and Karen Berry and son Jaxon and Wade Berry all of Artesia numerous nieces and nephews in Oklahoma including Sherry and Isaac Hansen and their children Olen and Broderric Kacie PeaceWarner and Bryant Warner and children Darius Peace and Jazmine PeaceWarner Brian and Kristen Archer and their children Hunter, Gunner, and Avery Carrie Lenard and her children Keaton, Tyson, and Jasper.³ He was born on October 31, 1948 at Altus, Jackson Co., Oklahoma.³ He married Kathy Houston on May 25, 2006.³ Robert Joe Akins died on June 1, 2012 at New Mexico at age 63.³

     Lavinia Byrd was born on September 18, 1931 at Gould, Harmon Co., Oklahoma.² As of January 12, 1946,her married name was Herring.¹ She married William Presley Herring, son of William Delma Herring and Beryl Hazel Martin, on January 12, 1946 at Altus, Jackson Co., Oklahoma.¹ Lavinia Byrd died on April 24, 2014 at Fair Oaks, Sacramento Co., California, at age 82.² She Lavinia Herring, aged 82, passed away on April 24, 2014, at Phoenix Manner, in Fair Oaks. She is survived by her children Melanie (Neal), Melinda (Del), Ann Marie (Roger), Helen, and William; eleven adored Grandchildren, Bob (Tanya), Holly (Brian), Jared, Kelly (Nathan), Casey (Charity), Nathan, John William, Shane (Michiko), Chris, Kyle and Bryan and six great grandchildren, Nicholas, Reyna, Joshua, Owen, Jacob and Sylvia; sister Lorene; sister-in-law Elsie, brother-in-law Gale and many nieces and nephews. Lavinia was preceded in death by her beloved husband Bill, her mother and father Jim and Julia Byrd, her brother Robin, and her sisters Lucille, Emily, Frances, and Gwen. Lavinia was born in Gould, Oklahoma on September 18, 1931. She grew up on the family farm in Jackson County Oklahoma and attended Friendship High School where she met her high school sweetheart, Bill. They were married in 1949. During her high school years Lavinia played basketball. She was a talented, left-handed forward and was selected as a member of the state high school championship all-tournament team. She later shared her knowledge and love for the game with her grandchildren. Lavinia was a homemaker during the early years of their marriage raising their children. She and Bill moved from Altus, Oklahoma to Vernon, Texas and finally settled in Roswell, New Mexico where they stayed for over ten years. In 1965 they moved their family to Sacramento, California. In her later years she started a successful small house cleaning business in the Sacramento area. Lavinia was proud to provide jobs and services as a small business owner. Family was very important to Lavinia and she loved the large family gatherings, especially at Christmas. She could often be seen at gatherings, off to the side, watching, smiling and taking it all in. She was extremely proud of all of her children and grandchildren. She loved telling stories about how smart her grandchildren were and told them frequently to anyone who would listen. Lavinia was a special woman, mother and grandmother who touched the lives of not only her family, but the many people around her, and she will be in our hearts forever. on May 6, 2014.²