Obituaries
• Dale Hillger, 66, died May 6 at his home in Garden City and was buried in Garden City Cemetery. He was born Aug. 9, 1938 in Big Spring, and was a fifth generation Hillger to live continuously in Glasscock County. His family settled here in 1893. He married JoAnn Deiterman in 1958 and they lived in San Diego until he was discharged in 1960 from the U.S. Navy and he came home to farm and ranch with his father. He and his family worked on various farms and ranches until they bought a farm in St. Lawrence, where they lived for 24 years until 1999 when he sold the farm and built a home in Garden City, where they retired in 2000. Dale never met anyone he didn’t like or anyone who didn’t like him. His attitude was always upbeat and he fought a courageous battle with cancer for more than five ears, always in good spirits. He was a member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church.
Survivors include his wife, JoAnn Hillger; two sons and daughters-in-law, Mike and Nancy Hillger and Scott and Andrea Hillger; one daughter and son-in-law, Dana and Brian Cook; six grandsons, Justin Hillger, Brian Hillger, Darren Hillger, Trey Hillger, Kevin Hillger and Marcus Cook: one granddaughter, Britni Cook, all of Garden City, and numerous other family and friends. The family suggests memorials to the American Cancer Society Memorial Program, P.O. Box 2121, Big Spring 79720, Home Hospice, 111 E. Seventh St, Suite A, Big Spring 79720 or West Texas Boys Ranch, 10223 Boys Ranch Road, San Angelo 76904.
• Cleaborn Monroe Schmitz, 70, of Odessa, died Saturday, May 7 at Odessa Medical Center Hospital and was buried at Sunset Memorial Gardens. He was born to Curt and Onnie Schmitz on Nov. 18, 1934 in Friona.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra Schmitz of Odessa; one son, Randy Schmitz and wife, Melissa of Midkiff; two daughters, Cathy Fields of Wolf City, and Lynn Mullins and husband Jeff of Austin; 14 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
His mother and father, sister, Geneva Schmitz, and a stepson, Edy Whitmore, Jr., preceded him in death.