The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 4

4-A (Lbt (Salurston BatlQ Xtws Sunday Morning. October 6 Answers' conies through in crisis By PANDORA RYAN News Staff Writer GALVESTON When Becky Barker's husband was killed by a drunk driver in 1931. she didn't have the answers that insurance and funeral representatives wanted. It took painful months to locate and decipher all the information about her husband's financial affairs, and to come to the realization that she had been a "kept woman. usually one person in every family either the husband or who takes care of everything." she says.

-I didn't know anything" Having learned her lesson the hard way. she decided to make the inevitable reality of a family loss easier for those she loved. Unable to find what she wanted in any store, she hand-made 20 guidebooks for personal finances, insurance and medical records, and advance funeral arrangements, and distributed them to her family at Christmas. Even before the gifts were opened, her idea had caught on. The first outsider to see her project the man at the copy machine pleaded for an extra copy for himself, and the rest is history'.

Today, answers has received national attention, thank's mostly to a I series of guest spots on television talk shows by Mrs. Barker arid her sister Suzi Hart. Their appearance on Good Morning. America, for example, drew record responses and thousands of orders, and prompted show executives to request a return visit. Word got around, and soon the two sisters were working on a full-time project, looking forward to the day when they could afford a secretarv to assist the shoestring operation.

The secretary was hired in 1983. Ms. Hart became vice-president of her sister's new corporation, and the two began scheduling cross. country speaking engagements for which Mrs. Barker now charges a fee.

But the pair insist that profit is not their aim. and that answers is designed to be available to everyone. For S18.95. a family receive's a lS6-page binder notebook of fill-in- tne-blank pages designed to provide all the information necessary to cope with a family crisis. When completed, it has the answers that insurance and funeral representatives will want.

Without such a tool. Mrs. Barker says asking a oerieved wife what's in the safety deposit box or how much her husband was worth is "like asking someone to do their income taxes without a form." The notebook, whose standard size allows for personal additions and deletions, is divided into five sections. There's a place to Hst family physicians and the medical histories of each family member: a list of who should be notified in the of a family member's death: a living will to be signed if a family member desires to donate organs upon death, instructions for funeral arrangements: copies of pertinent papers, such as insurance documents, stocks, bonds, loan agreements and property holdings; a medical consent form to allow other family members to give permission for emergency surgery; and instructions regarding where all original documents are located. The sisters interviewed a number of experts before compiling the book, and so far no one has indicated that any answers were left out Response has been great.

A crowd of 50 attending Mrs Barker's address to the Galveston County Medical Auxiliary this week placed 120 orders, representative of the kind of response her speeches typically draw. "It's obviously something that people have wanted for a long time." the author says. "People have made individual efforts like this funeral people urging you to make plans in advance but never everything under one cover. "This takes care of everything, and the beauty of it is that you don't have to be an attorney to fill it out." answers is available in most bookstores, or bv writing answers. Becky Barker, P.O.

Box 726S6. Corpus Texas. 78472. Mail orders are 522.42 each, including tax and postage. MONDAY Melvin Hilston, 59, of Florida, died Wednesday; services Monday at Zion Lutheran Church in Fairport Harbor, Ohio: burial at Riverside Cemetery in Painesville, Ohio: Masonic services 9 tonight at the Potti Funeral Home in Fairport Harbor: local arrangements by Jack Rowe Funeral Home.

Grace Burmaster, 77, of Corpus Christi. died Friday; services 10 a.m. Monday at Jack Rowe Funeral Home in League City, the Rev. Bob Joiner officiating; burial at Forest Park East Cemetery in i League City. Alfonso Carreon 77, of Texas City, died Thursday; memorial services 10 a.m.

Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Texas City, the Rev. John Weyer of; ficiating: burial at Mt." Olivet Cemetery in Dickinson, under rection of the funeral home; rosa- ry 7:30 tonight at the funeral home. Steve Thompson, 75, of Dickinson, died Friday; services p.m. Monday at Faith United Methodist Church.

Dickinson; I burial at Forest Park East Ceme- tery in League City under direction of Green's Funeral Home in Gaiveston: wake 7 tonight at the church, the Rev. Darrell Houston officiating. WEDNESDAY Greta Snider, 91, of Houstin. died Friday: services 10 a.m. nesday at Lowe-Hanks Funeral Home in Hialeah, the Rev.

Robert D. Knight officiating; burial at Flager Memorial Park Cemetery in Miami with local arrangements under direction of Jack Rowe Funeral Home of League City. Robert LegerSr. GALVESTON Robert Lee Leger 39. also known as "Cajun Bob" or "Cowboy." was found dead Friday.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Broadway Funeral Home of Galveston. the Rev. Don Martin officiating. Cremation will be at Brookside Crematory in Houston.

Born 20. 19-55 in Lake Arthur. Mr. Leger was a commercial fisherman. Survivors include his wife.

Mrs. Bobbie Leger of Galveston: his father, Clyde Leger of Jennings. three daughters. Alicia Lynn Leger of Galveston. and Angel Leger and Nora Lynett Leger, both of Texas Citv; two sons.

Robert Lee Leger Jr. of Galveston and Joseph Markham Leger of Lovelady, Texas; a sister, Mary Ann David of Houston; three brothers, Allen Roy Leger and Johnnie Leger, both of Jennings, and Harry Leger of Lassine, nieces, nephews and other relatives. Visitors may call at the funeral home after 2 p.m. Monday. Esther Rauch HOUSTON Esther S.

Rauch. 86. a housewife, died Saturday in Houston. Graveside services will be 3 p.m. Monday at Beth Yeshurun Cemetery.

Post Oak and Katy Road in Houston, Rabbi Jack and Cantor George Wagner officiating. Burial will be directed by Levy Funeral Home of Houston. Mrs. Rauch was born Jan. 1, 1898 in New York.

Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Barney Fox of Houston and Phyllis Klotman of Bloomington, a sister. Freda Selig of Galveston: a brother. Harry Schreiber of Galveston: five grandchildren, seven great- grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials may be sent to the Seven Acres Jewish Home for the Aged in Houston.

Jack Stanley GALVESTON Jack M. Stanley, 88, a retired cotton broker, died Saturday at St. Mary's Hospital of Galveston. Services will be 7 p.m. Monday at Malloy Son Funeral Home of Galveston.

the Rev. J. Scott Turner officiating. Cremation will be directed by the funeral home. Born July 11.

1896 in Galveston, Mr. Stanley a member of Elks Lodge 126 and the West End Lions Club of Galveston. He was a veteran, serving in the Fifth Division during World War I. Survivors include a daughter. Carolyn Swinamer of Arlington.

one granddaughter; a niece: and a nephew. Visitors may call at the funeral home after 5 p.m. Monday. Memorials may be sent to a favorite charitv. League City, the Rev.

Royce Thornton of Dogwood Baptist Church in Liberty officiating. Burial will follow at Forest Park East Cemetery of League City. Mr. Brady was born Jan. 6, 1949 in Phoenix, Ariz.

He was a graduate of Clear Creek High School and Stephen F. Austin State University, and had attended the University of Houston. He was a former Santa Rosa. Texas, schoolteacher, and had lived in Seabrook for 22 years. Survivors include his fiancee, Debbie Heard of Seabrook; a son, David Benjamin Brady of Norman.

his parents. Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Brady of Seabrook: and two sisters.

Molly Redman of Liberty and Mary Leepratt of Austin. Visitors may call at the funeral home after 1 p.m. today. JACK ROWE FUNERAL HOME 332.1571 1600 WAIN LEAGUE CITY Philip Lauria BAY CITY. Mich.

Philip J. Lauria. 88. a farmer, died Saturday at Humana Hospital-Clear Lake in Webster. Services will be 10 a.m.

Tuesday at Squires Funeral Chapel. Bay- City. the Rev. Paul Hammer officiating. Burial will follow in Bay City, under local direction of Jack Rowe Funeral Home of League City.

Mr. Lauria was born Nov. 23. 1895 in Vassar. Mich.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and Barracks No. 74 Veterans of World War I of the U.S.A.. Inc. He was a past president of the Vanguard Township School Board, a lifelong resident of Bay City. Mich, and a resident of Friendswood for two weeks.

Survivors include a son. Philip Lauria of Friendswood: a sister. Vesta Lepper of South Branch. three grandchildren: and three great-grandchildren. for rx.TiK-mhr.incc, You only buy a memorial once Give it careful thought.

are your authorized dealer the most re'spected name memorials the world over. MONUMENT WORKS, INC, GAL VISION 7tl-ISU LA MAftQUf J27TIXASAVI. t3l-l1TO Diane Miles SEABROOK Diane D. Miles. 20.

a waitress, died Friday at St. John Hospital in Nassau Bay. Services will be 11:30 a.m. Monday at Jack Rowe Funeral Home in League City, the Rev. Dean Woodruff of Webster Presbyterian Church officiating.

Burial will follow in Forest Park East Cemetery of League City. Ms. Miles was born July 31. 1964 in Shreveport. La.

She worked as a waitress at Bogie's Club. She had attended Clear Creek High School, and was a nine-year resident of Seabrook. Survivors include a daughter. Christian Ann Miles of Seabrook: her father. Henry Wayne McGee of Houston: her mother.

Betty McGee of Seabrook: two brothers. Layne McGee and Shayne McGee. both of Seabrook: and her grandparents. Mr. and Mrs.

Gordon McKee. and Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Lauter.

both of Shreveport. Visitors may call at the funeral home after 1 p.m. today. JACK ROWE FUNERAL HOME 1600 £. MAIN LEAGUE CITY als may be sent to St.

Michael's Episcopal Church in La Marque. Nelda Loud TEXAS CITY Nelda Faye Loud. 49, a housewife, died Friday at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston following a lengthy illness. Services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Greater Bell Zion Baptist Church in Texas City, the Rev.

Zephaniah Phillips officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Park East Cemetery of League City, under direction of Mainland Funeral Home. La Marque. A wake will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Mrs. Loud was born April 30, 1935 in Nacogdoches. Survivors include her husband, Gilbert Loud Sr. of Texas City; a daughter, Charolette Denece Loud Jourenet of La Marque; two sons, Gilbert Loud with the U.S. Army in South Carolina, and Christopher Jerome Loud of Texas City: her father.

W.H. Ballard of Texas City, three sisters. Lillie Mae Godfrey of Houston. Lura Dell Ballard of La Marque and Clara Jean Ballard of Texas City: three brothers. Kenneth Ballard and Lemar Ballard.

both of Houston, and Samuel Ballard of Dallas: and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Friends of the family will serve as pallbearers. Visitors may call at the funeral home after 1 p.m. Tuesday. Memorials may be sent to the funeral home.

Agnes Ritchie GALVESTON Agnes Miller Ritchie died Saturday at St. Mary's Hospital in Galveston. Funeral arrangements are pending at J. Levy Bro. Funeral Home of Galveston.

Vance Cuttitte GALVESTON Vance Cuttitte. 74. died Saturday at Turner Geriatric Center of Galveston. Funeral arrangements are pending at Malloy Son Funeral Home of Galveston. JACK ROWE FUNERAL HOME David Brady SEABROOK David L.

Brady, 35, a schoolteacher, died Friday at Humana Hospital-Clear Lake in Webster. Services will be 2 p.m. Monday at Jack Rowe Funeral Home of -(713) 333-1571 1600 E. MAIN LEAGUE CITY Roberta Mae Swarm LA MARQUE Roberta Mae Swann. 6().

a homemaker. died Saturday at Memorial Hospital of Galveston County in Texas City. Services will be 2 p.m. Monday at Si. Michael's Episcopal Church in La Marque, the Rev.

William Wright officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Park East Cemetery in League City, under direction of James Crowder Funeral Home of La Marque. Mrs. Swann was born Nov. 19.

1923 in Houston. She was a member of St. Michael's Church, and the Daughters of the King and St. Elizabeth Guild at St. Michael's.

She was a member of the Texas City Art League and the Texas City Dialogue. She had been a La Marque resident for 35 years. Survivors include her husband. Harry M. Swann of La Marque: her mother.

Edith Holbrook McDaniel of Galveston: two daughters. Diana La Barbera of Houston and Marilyn Hester of Spring: a son. Harry Swann Jr. of Conroe: a sister. Ed'ith Oglethorpe of Texas City: two brothers.

D.G. Holbrook and Marvin Holbrook. both of Friendswood: and nine grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Ralph Blakesley. Arthur Kahn.

Bill Holbrook. Mark Jones. Johnnie Simpson and Timothy Telge. Visitors may call at the funeral home after 4 p.m. today.

Memori- Helen Reagan GALVESTON Helen K. Reagan. 68. died Saturday at her residence. Funeral arrangements are pending at Malloy Son Funeral Home of Galveston.

Antone Hansen GALVESTON Antone Hansen died Saturday. Funeral arrangements are pending at J. Levy i Bro. Funeral Home of Galveston. Two killed in copter crash FORT STOCKTON.

Texas Both men aboard a U.S. Customs Service helicopter were killed Saturday when the aircraft crashed and burned, the Department of Public Safety said. The Cobra helicopter, based in El Paso, went down at 12:12 p.m.. one-half mile west of here, said DPS spokesman Larry Todd in Austin. "The DPS trooper at the scene said the chopper burned upon said.

The victims were identified as Morley Miller. 52. and John E. Hollingsworth. 37.

said U.S. Customs Service spokesman Charles Conroy. "The probable cause of the crash was a malfunctioning engine," Conroy said. "We have investigators at the scene now to determine the actual cause." The two were on a routine patrol over the area, Conroy said. Ed uca tion chief re tires AUSTIN State Education Commissioner Raymon Bynum.

branded by Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby as an obstacle to the public school refo'rm program, announced his retirement Saturday. Bynum said he had been planning the move "'for some time" and that it was not a sole result of the recent criticism. "This is based on a variety of things i'll not go into those today, mostly being personal and family." he told the State Board of Education.

William Kirby. deputy commissioner for finance and programs, was named acting commissioner, effective when Bynum leaves off ice on Get 31 Board Chairman Jon Brumley of Fort Worth said a "search firm" probably would be hired to conduct a nationwide hunt for a new commissioner. He said a new commissioner could be appointed "as early next year as possible." 2 school trustees plan hoycot HOUSTON Two black members of the- Houston school board say they will boycott ceremonies in Washington later this month honoring their board as one of the best in the country. Herbert Melton and Elizabeth Spates said Friday they would refuse to attend the ceremonies because school board members voted against adopting a drug-abuse program Spates recommended. "Why should we go up there and be a part of the farce?" Spates said.

"I'm not going to go to D.C. and pretend we're such a great board. They didn't vote the program down on me. They voted it down on the kids." Although Spates charged that the vote against the program was racially motivated, other trustees said they voted against the measure, because it would force teachers and principals to attend a week-long seminar scheduled to begin Monday. Two indicted in child injury DALLAS Two woman have been indicted on charges of injury to a child in connection with an incident in which the hands of two 10-year-old twin girls were held over a gas flame.

A Dallas County grand jury on Friday indicted Samella Brunfield 35. the children's three counts of injury to a child. Vera Mae Brown. 31. the children's aunt, was indicted on two counts According to police reports, the girls' hands were held over a gas stove as punishment for a minor offense.

The twins, as well as their three sisters and a brother, also had been beaten with extension cords, submerged alternately in scalding and icy water and "psychologically terrorized police said. Iraqis claim victory BAGHDAD. Iraq Iranian forces on Saturday occupied a mountainous range previously he'd by Iraqi troops' northeast of here, but the Iraqis said they counterattacked and -liberated all positions occupied by the enemy." accordina to communi- ques issued by the two warring sides" The Islamic Republic News Agency Iran's official agencv. monitored in Cyprus, said Iranian troops corr.pletec the "purging of the Meimak Heights." about miles northeast of Baghdad. The Iraqi armed forces" genera; command in Baghdad said Iraqi forces launched a major counterofiensive and "liberated all positions" from the Iranians.

The Iraqis referred to the Saif Saad area, which they said the contested region. The Iraqi war communique said the two-hour counterof- iensive resulted in Iraq's "regaining over aii positions that fell to the Iranians earlier in the dav Chad talks open in Congo BRAZZAVILLE. Congo Republic Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso on saturday'opened preliminary peace among the warring factions of Chad with an queU 'he passions that have inflamed the desert nation decades of civil war Some 100 Chadians. members of the official delegation-; rom the French-backed N'Djamena government of sene Habre. the Libyan-backed rebel reaime of former President Goukouni Oueddei and other Chad'ooliticai were gathered at the Palace of in the Congolese capital.

"It would be criminal if one generation compromise? the future of an entire country." Sassou Nauesso said in a speech which formally opened the talks "It more thnr ever necessary and urgent that as of today the of --re brutality end." The Congolese president told the delegates to listen to wwi and abandon their passions and not miss this occasion for dialogue "or the Chadian people would never forgive them." Registration ban defended PORTLAND Ore. A "strong probability" of voter fraud prompted a blanket rejection of new voter in County, where followers of an Indian auru are at with opponents, the state's chief elections "officer testified Saturday. Disciples of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh are the action in federal court, where a two-day hearing continued Saturday before U.S. District Judge Edward LeavyT The Rajneeshees have submitted voter for 3.000 homeless people invited to live in Rajneeshpuram the sect central Oregon commune-city. They claim the blanket rejection, which means every person seeking to register after Oct.

10 must undergo an individual heafins before accepted, is unconstitutional. But Secretary of State Norm a Paulus testified Saturday that she recommended the procedure to Wasco County Clerk Sue Proffitt because of the "strong probability" of voter'inuKi. Open doors factor in deaths PATERSON. N.J. Smoke that killed 13 people in a hotel fire here spread quickly through the building because stairwell doors at the end of each hallway were'propped open with 55-gallon drums, a state oHical said Saturday.

Other contributing factors included an abundance of combustible material on the floor where the fire began and the failure of some residents to heed smoke alarms, said William Connolly, director of the Division of Housing and Development in the Department of Community Affairs. Connolly said those killed "were effectively trapped on the upper floors because there was too much smoke," while flames were confined to the third floor, where authorities believe the fire was set in a room occupied by a disgruntled tenant. Autopsies confirmed that smoke inhalation the cause of death for all 13 victims. About 60 people, including firefighters, were injured. The fire broke out at about 12:15 a.m.

Thursday and was declared under control almost 3 hours later. Firefighters rescued many of the more than 200 people sleeping in the run-down hotel, while others jumped to safety..