Obituary

HALE CENTER -- Funeral services for Leon Koelder, 80, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Cotton Center First Baptist Church with the Rev. J.D. Templeton, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in the Center Plains Cemetery by Freeman-Abell Funeral Home. Mr. Koelder died Tuesday, September 7, 2004, in Plainview. He was born Oct. 14, 1923, at Hale Center, the son of Kino and Eva Sherman Koelder. He was raised in Cotton Center, and lived in Clovis, N.M., a few years before returning to Cotton Center in 1991.He was a member of the Cotton Center First Baptist Church. Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, David and Hazel Koelder of Houston; a daughter, Glenna Clark and her partner Jeff Bechdol of Gallup, N.M.; a brother and sister-in-law, Ervin and Tillie Koelder of Plainview; a sister-in-law, Patsy Koelder of Groom; a grandson and his wife, Tad and Brandi Clark of Cotton Center, four stepgrandchildren, Kristie, Shawni, T.J. and Casey Bechdol of Gallup, N.M.; two great-grandchildren, Cody and Savannah Clark of Cotton Center; and one stepgreat-grandchild, Aubrey Bechdol of Gallup. Viewing will be held Saturday from 1 p.m. until service time at the First Baptist Church in Cotton Center. The family suggests memorials be sent to a favorite charity.