OBITUARIES - CENTER VALLEY CEMETERY

Angela Byrd Karasek, 45, died in Tyler Jan. 10, 2004. Funeral services were held at Trinity Lutheran Church on Jan. 13 with Pastor Art Hill officiating. Burial was at Center Valley Cemetery near Hamilton.

She was born April 7, 1958 in Arlington, the daughter of Luther and Ruby Oustad Byrd. She graduated from Arlington High School in 1976 and from Austin College in 1979 with a business degree. Mrs. Karasek worked for Dunn and Bradstreet in the early 1980s. She bought a home and moved to Fort Worth in 1983 and went into banking in 1984 in Arlington. She was married to David Karasek in 1985. Her son Scott was born in February of 1988 and Bryan in March, 1990. She moved to Tyler in August of 1991. In 1992 she went to work at Kilgore First National Bank, where she worked for three years before going back to college where she took the required accounting courses and passed the CPA exam. For the last four years, she worked for Tyler Jet as an accountant.

Survivors include her husband, David Karasek of Tyler; her sons, Scott and Bryan Karasek of Tyler; her father, Luther Byrd of Arlington; a brother, Joe Byrd of Arlington; five nephews; four nieces; six great-nephews and seven great-nieces.

Pallbearers were Larry Frowick, Dan Gerber, Steve Harms, Howard Story, Joe Thomas and Lyn Rice. Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, 2001 Hunter Street, Tyler, Tx, 75701. Loyd James Funeral Home

RICE, JAMES WILLIAM, JR.

James William Rice Jr., 70, of Hico died Sunday, May 30, 2004. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. June 2, at Center Valley Cemetery in Hamilton County. Rev. John Weaver will conduct the service.

Mr. Rice was born Feb. 10, 1934, in Coleman County, the son of James William Rice Sr. and Mary Amanda Jennings Rice.

He was married to Martha Oustad on June 4, 1954, in Brownwood.

He was a graduate of Santa Anna High School and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Education degree from Howard Payne College and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Stephen F. Austin University.

Mr. Rice wrote and illustrated children’s books and novels with Pelican Publishing Co. of Gretna, La., and taught art at Southeastern Louisiana University, Louisiana State University and Dallas Baptist University.

He also was a band director at Hico and Shamrock high schools. He was a member of Natalbany Baptist Church, Natalbany, La., and of the Western Writers of America.

For five years he worked with the Texas Artist in Residence pro-gram and over the past 25 years he spoke to thousands of school children throughout the nation about his love of art and music. He played saxophone and piano with Fred and the Gang for more than 25 years. He regularly played music at Hillcrest Nursing Home, Forrest Ridge Nursing Home, Hamilton Senior Citizens Center and Honey Creek Retirement Center.

Survivors include his wife, Martha Rice of Hico; his children, Zel and Barbara Rice of Tickfaw, La., Maria and James Weaver of Hamil-ton, Lyn and Connie Rice of Blanket, Patti Rice of Alexandria, Va.; and Jason and Shelli Rice of Stephenville; a brother, Eddy Rice of Brownwood; a sister, Loretta Angel of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; nine grandchildren, Rhonda Welch, Amanda Bundick, Tim Weaver, Tamee Weaver, Brian Rice, Ryan Rice, Crystal Rice, Marlee Rice and Jameson Rice and two great-grandchildren, Alexa Welch and Matthew Bundick.

Pallbearers will be Tim Weaver, Brian Rice, Ryan Rice, Bobby Sheard, Heath Bundick and Nevin Walton.

Riley Funeral Home

SHEARD, LILLIAN MILDRED (OUSTAD)

Lillian Mildred Oustad Sheard, 88, died Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at Hamilton General Hospital. Funeral services with military honors were held Saturday, July 2, at Riley Funeral Home with Lyn Rice officiating. Burial was in the Center Valley Cemetery.

Mrs. Sheard was born Oct. 8, 1916, in Ireland, the daughter of Martin Edward and Eula Viola Foller Oustad. She was married to Albert Edward Sheard on May 25, 1946, in Philadelphia.

She and her husband owned a restaurant in Philadelphia for many years. She was a veteran of World War II, enlisting with the Women's Auxiliary Air Corps on Aug. 30, 1943, and arriving in Europe on June 28, 1944. During her service, she earned the American Theater Campaign Medal, EAME Campaign Medal with one bronze star, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Ribbon, Overseas Service Bar and WAAC Service Ribbon. She met her husband-to-be in London during the war. They were married 59 years, one month and three days.

She was a member of the DAV and was a Baptist.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Ruby Viola Oustad Byrd and Jewel Inga Oustad Lucas; and three brothers, Tom B. Oustad, James Edward (Jake) Oustad and Billy J. Oustad. Survivors include her husband, Albert Edward Sheard of Hamilton; a son, Robert Martin (Bobby) Sheard and wife Emma of Alvarado; a daughter, Catherine Inga Sheard Musolf of Bayville, N.J.; two granddaughters, Kayse Leann Sheard Myers of Teague, and Jeannine Musolf Bates of Glenside, Pa.; a great-grandson, Andrew Cale Myers of Teague; two sisters, Margaret Oustad McCarty of Canton and Martha Oustad Rice of Hico; two brothers, Martin (M. E.) Oustad Jr. of Marble Falls and Larry Wayne (Buster) Oustad of Arlington; and many nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers were Jason Rice, D. D. Oustad, Marty Oustad, Jamie Weaver, Martin Edward Oustad, Steve Grilley, Joshua Fitzwater and Cade Grilley.

Memorial donations may be made to the Center Valley Cemetery Building Fund at First National Bank in Hamilton.