News Progress

Alice M. Miller

Alice M. Miller, 92 of Sullivan, died 1:06 a.m. Thursday, May 11, 2017 in St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur.

Celebration of Life services will be 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Reed Funeral Home with Pastor Charliam Renner officiating. Burial will be in the Moultrie County Memorial Park, Bethany. Visitation will be one hour before the services. Memorials are suggested the Mason Point Activity Fund. Online condolences may be sent to the family at reedfuneralhome.net.

Mrs. Miller was born January 13, 1925 in Bethany, IL, the daughter of Cayrel and Effie Pearl Standerfer Hilliard. Alice retired as a billing clerk at St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur. Alice and her husband Joe owned and operated the Moultrie County Memorial Park, Bethany for many years. She had been a member of the Eastern Star Crystal Chapter #39 and the Sullivan First Baptist Church. Alice married Joseph A. Miller on September 9, 1969 in Decatur and he preceded her in death on September 9, 1992.

Survivors include her son Ronald Holmes of Knoxville, TN; stepdaughter Dee (Donald) Simerl of Mooresville, IN; son-in-law Ray Loy of Sullivan; sister Camellia Zimmerman of Sullivan; nine grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, daughter Paula Loy, one great-grandson, three sisters and one brother.

Dorothy Woods Schwartz

Dorothy Woods Schwartz was born on November 18, 1919 in Hays County near Buda, Texas to William and Mattie Woods. She attended Seton Hospital School of Nursing in Austin, Texas and graduated in September 1940, and continued her nursing career as an RN until her retirement in 1976. She married V.E. “Gene” Schwartz in September 9, 1944, and enjoyed 55 years of marriage until his death in March 2000. They raised three children, Joe, Mary, and Jack.

After retirement, she turned to her love of history and began researching the history of both Hays and Johnson County, Texas. Over the years, she has written numerous history articles for various newspapers, assisted in the research and writing of two published books, one of which was made into a TV movie “True Women” about the Woods family, where Angelina Jolie played her great-grandmother Georgia Woods, and is accredited in the researching, writing, and placement of 22 Texas State Historical Markers between the two counties. She served for many years with the Johnson County Historical Commission and was also the local historian for Alvarado, Texas. On August 9, 2010, she was named Johnson County Historian Emeritus by Judge Roger Harmon and the Johnson County Commissioners Court.

Mrs. Schwartz passed away on May 1, 2017 at age 97. She was preceded in death by her husband Gene Schwartz and son Jack Schwartz. She is survived by her son, Joe Schwartz and wife, Roberta of Cleburne, TX; daughter, Mary Percifield and husband, John of Alvarado, TX; grandchildren: Shannon Schwartz of Ft. Worth, TX; Sonja Schwartz of Dallas, TX; Michelle Collins of Southern CA, Marianne Mansour and husband, Dr. Craig Mansour of Southern CA; Michael Percifield of Alvarado, TX; Paul Percifield and wife, Jennifer of Alvarado, TX; Jason Schwartz and wife, Lorelei of Jefferson City, MO; Joshua Schwartz and wife, Autumn of Kyle, TX; Claire Schwartz of San Marcos, TX; great-grandchildren: Emilie Percifield, Paul Percifield, Camden Percifield, Everett Percifield, and Chloe Percifield of Alvarado, TX.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a memorial donation be made to the First United Methodist Church at P.O. Box 364, Alvarado, TX 76009 or the Alvarado Heritage & Preservation Foundation at 509 Doris Court, Alvarado, TX 76009.

Visitation will take place on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at Vaughan Funeral Home at 200 E. Patton Ave. in Alvarado from 6-8pm.

Funeral services will take place on Thursday, May 4, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church at 301 S. Spears St. in Alvarado at 1pm. Interment will follow at Glenwood Cemetery in Alvarado, TX.