Stanford Taylor Friend

Stanford Taylor Friend, 94, of 100 East 25th Street in Pampa, passed into God’s kingdom on July 18, 2016. Services will be 2:00 PM Saturday, July 23, 2016, at Carmichael-Whatley Colonial Chapel, with Pastor Mike Watson, of Hobart Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery with military honors courtesy of the U. S. Army. Arrangements are under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors. He was born February 25, 1922 in Greenfield, Missouri, the fourth child of John Alva and Dovie Friend. He enlisted in the US Army on September 7, 1944. His awards and decorations include two overseas service bars, a Good Conduct Medal, and Victory Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Theater ribbon with two Bronze battle stars. He was a combat sergeant and served in France, Belgium and The Netherlands. He was in Company I, 110th Battalion, of the 75th Division. He was a machine gunner and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. After VE Day, he was named Searching Section Leader for investigating missing persons in Luxembourg. He was discharged on July 9, 1946 as a Sergeant E-5 and returned to Greenfield to take up a life in agriculture. He married Doris Poindexter on February 18, 1950 and moved to Pampa in the spring of that year where he was a farmer in the Pampa area until his retirement in 1994. He participated in Sunday morning services in area nursing homes with his wife, Doris, from 1997 through 2009. He escorted residents to and from their rooms and organized the seating and assisted members of the First Christian Church in the service. Stan was a man of strong faith all his life and instilled that faith in his children. He was re-baptized at First Christian Church in Pampa in July 2014. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lucy Doris (Poindexter) on November 21, 2010; and siblings Irene, Evelyn, John Alva, Jr., Georgia Lee, Truman, Leo, Paul, and Max. He is survived by two sons, Stanford Taylor Friend, Jr. and wife Michelle of Coppell, and Mark Friend and wife Angie of Pampa; two daughters, Willa Cassady of Fort Worth, and Lisa Craig and husband Alan of Coppell; his grandchildren, Sarah LaFountain of Coppell, Daniel Thompson and wife Sarah of Austin, Laura Thompson of Germany, Steven Thompson of Australia, and Shauna Harris and husband Jake of Amarillo. They were a source of joy to him and they will all miss him terribly. Both Daniel and wife Sarah and Shauna and husband Jake are expecting their first child in September 2016. The family will receive friends from 5:00-7:00 PM Friday, July 22, 2016, at Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors.