Life Events
in the Church of God

Alan Phillips of Connecticut recovering from a brain aneurysm.

Jim (Buddy) Quarles, 226 Plum Creek Rd., Longview, TX 75605, suffering neuropathy from having the shingles. He is in much pain and discomfort.

Norene Martz, Big Sandy, in severe pain due to broken vertebrae.

Bertha Arnold, longtime member of the Tulsa Church of God and mother of Jim Arnold, recovering from a broken femur due to a fall.

Clyde Benoit, 73, recovering from lung surgery.

Robert Goodson, kidney blockages.

William Laughlin, 51, Tulsa, Okla., suffering from back injuries due to a motorcycle accident.

Paul Herrmann, Metairie, La., suffering from prostate problems.

Archie Hall, 73, died April 21, 2010, following a battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of more than 55 years, Lavern, and by his son, Stephen. Mr. Hall was a retired longtime employee of Ambassador College, Pasadena, where he worked in the Transportation, Postal and Security departments. Archie and Lavern came from West Virginia to work for Ambassador College, and he began as service manager in Transportation in 1968. He retired from active employment in 1996. Cards may be sent to Mrs. Lavern Hall and family, 27930 Mallard Rd., Montague, CA 96064.

Lateef Edalere, died in May 2010. He was a native of Nigeria and faithful minister and member of the Body of Jesus Christ for more than 35 years. He lived and served in England, Nigeria, America and Jamaica. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him, including his wife of 44 years, Yvonne; sons, Peter (Australia), Paul (England); daughters, Anthea (Jamaica), and Alison (America), as well as their spouses, Shehana, Charmaine, Gregory and Leaford. Lateef and Yvonne were blessed with five grandsons and three granddaughters. He was known and loved by many, young and old, as Daddy Edalere as he touched the lives of those he pastored. A thanksgiving service to honor and celebrate his life was held on May 29, 2010, in Brentwood, Essex, England. Letters of condolence may be sent to Mrs. Yvonne Edalere and Family, 29 Kiln Way, Badger's Dene, Grays, Essex RM17 5JEUK, United Kingdom.

Helen Alene Snyder, 78, of Big Sandy, Texas, died June 16, 2010, after a lengthy illness. She was born in Sterling, Okla., Feb. 4, 1932, and was the 11th of 14 children born to Lee Franklin and Della Tennessee McCarter Sims. They were a farming family that traveled throughout the South, primarily picking cotton. She is survived by four sisters and a brother and her children, Lenora Feeney of San Antonio, Leonard Gregory Smith of Big Sandy and Johnny Snyder III of McKinney, Texas. Helen had six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She was buried on June 17 in Chilton Cemetery, Big Sandy, followed by a service the next Sunday conducted by family.

Times were hard and, as most of her siblings reached the age of 5, they were sent to the field to pick cotton from sunrise to sundown. Helen recalled picking cotton until her hands bled. She left home at the age of fifteen and worked as a housekeeper, nanny, and telephone operator. In 1951, at the age of 19, she married Leonard Smith. They had two children, Lenora Jean and Leonard Gregory. The marriage ended in divorce in 1959 and she moved to Big Sandy, where she resided until her death. On April 23, 1963, she married John L. Snyder of Bay City, Texas, and had her third child, Johnny L. Snyder III. They resided in Big Sandy, where the family operated the Ambassador College dairy for several years.

As a member of the WCG, she dedicated her life as a volunteer caregiver, cleaning houses, cooking, sewing and doing just about anything for anyone in need in and out of her religious affiliation. Helen also spent many years serving as a midwife in the East Texas area.

As a cancer survivor, she was known to most in her community as knowledgeable in treating health issues with alternative methods such as herbs, vitamins and healthy eating habits. Her passion for alternative cancer treatments led her on several occasions to chance rotting in a Mexican jail in order to smuggle the cancer-fighting product known as laetrile for other cancer victims in her community. After a close call at the border where perspiration caused the concealed bottles taped on her legs to drop to her ankles as Mexican officials search her car, her family insisted that she never do this again. She owned and operated Vita-Nook Food Store in Big Sandy in the 1980s and early 1990s. In recent years she turned her energy to gardening and milking goats.

Kathy Jean (Hall) Houser, 59, of Sapulpa, Okla., passed away peacefully in her home on June 21, 2010. She was born March 24, 1951, in Hazen Ark. Kathy was a loving wife to Dennis Houser for 40 years. She will be remembered by those who love her for her passion for life, which shone the brightest when she was around her family.

Kathy is survived by her husband, Dennis; sons, Robbie and Ryan Houser; daughter-in-law, Jennifer Houser; grandson, Ashton Houser; four stepgrandchildren, Kal-El, Gabriel, Bailey and Christian Miller; brother, Keith Hall, and his wife, Beverly; sister, Kim Smith and her husband Terry; numerous nieces and nephews; and too many friends to count. Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, Gaylon and Emma Jean Hall.

Charles B. Neff Jr., 40, of Bascom, Fla., died June 28, 2010, in Dothan, Ala. A native of Texarkana, Texas, Charles had resided in Jackson County, Fla., for many years. He was a retired corrections officer with the State of Florida in the Jackson County area. He was a U.S. Army veteran, a member of Chosen Heirs Gospel Group, which he loved to play music with, and was an avid fan of aviation.

Survivors include his wife, Judy Neff; one son, Mathew Giglio; one daughter, Deanne Giglio, all of Bascom; his parents, Donna and Charles B. Neff Sr. of Ashdown, Ark.; two brothers, Michael W. Neff and wife, Robbin, of Jacksonville and Robert E. Neff and wife, Kassie of, Texarkana, Ark.; and maternal grandmother, Louise Falkner of Ashdown, Ark.

Vernon L. Shaw, 82, passed away on July 24, 2010. He was born Jan. 21, 1928, in Cedar Glades, Ark., to William Charles and Mary Ellen (Masner) Shaw. Vernon was a devoted family man, an Army veteran and member of the Church of God Fellowship. Loving survivors include his wife of 57 years, Inez L. Shaw; daughter, Linda Shaw (Richard Jaques) of Pueblo, Colo.; sons, Bobby Shaw (Terri) of Bauxite and Tim Shaw (Jonna) of Conway; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Wendy Hendrickson of Austin, Texas, passed away June 4, 2010. Services for Wendy were held in California, where her late husband rests. Cards and letters may be sent to 11409 Robert Wooding, Austin, Texas 78748, in care of her son Matt.

Glenn Alan Lay, 63, a resident of Okmulgee, Okla., died June 28, 2010. He was born Feb. 4, 1947, to Lester and Maxine Lay in Harrah, Okla. Glenn served six years in the Oklahoma National Guard as a radio operator during the Vietnam War. He was employed at C.E. Natco as a machinist for 12 years and owned/ and operated an auto repair-business in West Tulsa. Glenn retired from Denver Truck Sales of Colorado, where his passion was designing and building specialty trucks. He returned to Oklahoma in 2004 and was working in oil production at the time of his death. Glenn was well known for his love of race cars. According to local legend and to the chagrin of law enforcement, he once owned the fastest Chevelle in Okmulgee County. During his racing years at Tulsa Speedway, Glenn accumulated a collection of muscle cars that fueled his passion for racing. Glenn, his sense of humor and his mechanical ability are greatly missed by friends, family and loved ones.

He is survived by his mother, Maxine (Sivils) Lay of Morris, Okla.; three brothers, Larry Lay, Richard Lay and Kevin Lay; three sisters, Luane Harris, Louise Barlow and Karen Barnett; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Glenn was preceded in death by his father, Lester Lay. Services were July 1 at Beggs Cemetery with Lawrence Burchfield, minister of the Church of God, officiating.

Mary Helen Edwards Norrod was born on April 3, 1929, and passed away on June 6, 2010, after a very short battle with cancer. She was born in Runge, Texas, the second of five children. At 16 she graduated from Taft High School and met her future husband, William A. Norrod. When she was 17, they reconnected and began courting until she proposed to him. They married the day after she turned 18. Mary was a medical secretary, model and actress in commercials for WOAI-TV as well as in the movie Cactus Barrier. When she had her second child, in 1959, she became a full-time at-home mother.

Mary and Bill lived in Corpus Christi and Dallas during the early years of their marriage but in 1956 settled in San Antonio, where she lived the rest of her life. Mary was most identified by her beautiful smile, engaging personality, love of reading, wealth of friends and strong faith.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years and five children: Teeka Glasgow and husband, Rich, of Dallas; Byron Norrod and wife, Cathy, of Los Angeles; Rebecca Norrod of New York; Rachel Norrod and husband, Rich, of Austin; and Laura Alcott and husband, Tim, of San Antonio. She is also survived by her sister, Margaret Bowne, and eight grandchildren.