Mrs. Curtis (Dorothy Alice) Thorpe

ODESSA Mrs. Curtis (Dorothy Alice) Thorpe was a 52-year resident of Odessa. She and her husband, the Rev. Curtis Thorpe, moved here in September of 1947 when he assumed the pastorate of Temple Baptist Church (now CrossRoads), where they served for 52 years until his death in 1999.

Mrs. Thorpe was born Aug. 14, 1917, in Lima, Ohio. Because of her mother's health, they moved to West Texas, eventually to Kermit, where she attended school and played basketball for the Yellow Jackets. She met Curtis Thorpe in 1935, and after a three-month courtship, they were married in Carlsbad, N.M., on Aug. 31, 1935.

They both became Christians about that time, and were baptized in the Pecos River by a Monahans pastor named Rev. Hull. After graduating from Bible Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, Rev. Thorpe pastured in Fredonia, Kan., for five years and then came to Odessa to pastor the then 40 people at Temple. Mrs. Thorpe was a wonderful pastor's wife who was a blessed help to her husband for 64 years.

Two sons were born to them: Jerry (married to Freddie) and Paul (married to Kay).

They have six grandchildren: Cheryl Carter, Alan Thorpe, Kyle David Thorpe, Darren Thorpe, Damon Thorpe and Mandy Sale; ten great-grandchildren; and brother, Ralph Fogle of Yukon, Okla.

Eight years ago, two years following the Rev. Thorpe's death, she moved to Granbury to be near her son where she lived until she died. During this time, she lived in The Estates Retirement Center and The Courtyards at Lake Granbury. Both were fine facilities that took very good care of her.

Mrs. Thorpe was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. She was a lady who served Jesus Christ and his church faithfully for over 70 years. On Tuesday, she rejoined her husband of 64 years in a tender reunion in Heaven, but we will miss her on this earth. Your love to her through these years was greatly appreciated by her family.

Family visitation will be Thursday, July 2, 2009, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors. Funeral services will be 10 a.m., Friday, July 3, 2009, CrossRoads Fellowship with Frank Johnson, Terry Chapman, Dr. Griffin Jones and Rick Blue officiating. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

Services are entrusted to Frank W. Wilson Funeral Directors.
Online condolences may be made to www.mem.com.