Carol Blackburn

Carol Clem Sutton Higley Blackburn, 63, died Feb. 8, 2008, in Amarillo.

Blackburn was co-publisher of The Childress Index. She was the co-producer and co-writer of the Childress Centennial edition of The Index in 1988.

Davie Ann Browder

Davie Ann Browder, 61, died Feb. 14, 2008, in Providence Hospital in Waco after a brief illness.

She worked at the Palestine Herald-Press as a reporter, sports editor and news editor during the late 1980s and early 1990s. She also was an editor at the Jacksonville Daily Progress and the Castro County News in Dimmitt.

Browder also worked as a reporter for KDFW-TV in Dallas during the 1970s.

Bassett Keller

Bassett Keller, 80, died Jan. 12, 2008.

He was publisher of the Houston County Courier from 1980-98. Following his retirement he continued to work part time for the Courier until September 2004.

Under Keller’s leadership in 1983 the Courier became a semiweekly with the addition of a Sunday paper.

Keller’s 47-year career in newspapers began in the circulation department of the Abilene Reporter-News in 1951. He also served as publisher of the Huntsville Item for five years.

He was president of Texas Gulf Coast Press Association 1989-90.

Margaret Koy Kistler

Margaret Koy Kistler, 63, died Feb. 22, 2008.

She was a pioneer Texas sportswriter and the daughter of Ernie Koy Sr., a three-time all-Southwest Conference back for the Texas Longhorns from 1930-32 and major league baseball player from 1938-42.

Kistler began writing a column titled Koy’s Comment for the Bellville Times as a teenager and in 1967 joined the Abilene Reporter-News.

Kistler also worked for The Dallas Morning News Austin bureau and the Temple Daily Telegram.

Mildred Morrow

Mildred Maurine Morrow, 91, died Feb. 2, 2008, in Wilson N. Jones Hospital in Sherman.

She married Joe T. Morrow on Jan. 15, 1937, in Bonham. The couple owned and operated the Honey Grove Signal-Citizen, Ladonia News and The Wolfe City Sun.

Opal Marie Richards

Opal Marie Richards, 93, died March 9, 2008, in Lakeside Rehabilitation Center in Lubbock after a short illness.

In December 1969 she married Afton E. Richards and joined him in the management and operations of weekly newspapers in the West Texas communities of Ralls, Lorenzo, Aspermont and Jayton until his death in 1984.

In 1945 she was one of the first women in Texas to become certified in law enforcement

Her son, Don Richards, publishes the Hale Center American.

Marion Waggoner

Marion Leslie Waggoner died Jan. 15, 2008.

He was a fromer publisher and owner of The Munday Courier.