Ocie "Butch" Burney Stone

Ocie Burney “Butch” Stone of Anna, formerly of Marlin, died early Monday morning, May 30, 2011, at the age of 69. Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Thursday, June 2, 2011, at Cole Funeral Home Chapel, 1113 West Fifth Street, McGregor with Reverend Warren Osburn officiating. Interment will follow in Eddy Cemetery. Visitation will be 6 to 8 P.M. Wednesday at Cole Funeral Home.

Mr. Stone was born July 24, 1941, in Anson, Texas, the son of the late Ocie Elbert and Bertha Leona (Burney) Stone. In 1942, the family moved to Marlin where he was reared and was a 1959 graduate of Marlin High School. He continued his education at Paris Junior College, Trinity University and earned a dual degree in physical education and music drama from McMurry University in Abilene, Texas in 1964. While at McMurry, he played baseball and was a member of the McMurry Indian Football Team and studied under Coach Grant Teaff. On July 25, 1975, he married the former Janet Kay Appleby in Houston, Texas.

Butch was a member of the Texas National Guard for eleven years, eight of those as an officer after graduating from Officer Candidate School. For forty-five years, Butch devoted his time and talent in the computer printing and promotional products industry. He was employed by Moore Business Forms for fifteen years and was later self employed for thirty years. The last eleven years was in contract sales for American Solutions for Business.

Survivors include his wife Janet of thirty-six years; three sons, Rhett Stone, Brent Palmer and wife Melanie, Brandy Palmer and wife Dee Dee; six grandchildren, Jennifer, Benjamin, Jordan, Daniel, Eric and Remington and a brother, Thomas Stone and wife Claudette of Temple.