Obit of Thomas, Marion - Roger Mills County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Wanda Purcell 21 Aug 2005 Return to Roger Mills County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/rogermills/rogermills.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== Surnames: Tracy, Collier, Sufi, Kiser, Love, Seay Originally posted at: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/5YB.2ACE/6096 http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/5YB.2ACE/6097 All 96 years of the life of Elbert Collier Tracy were spent within two miles of where he was born on August 29, 1908, just norhtwest of Cheyenne. He was the first child of Elbert and Eva Collier Tracy and passed away on Sunday, June 12, 2005 at his home. At the age of eight, he was working two mules in tilling the grouind. His dad would change the mules each day at noon, but Collier would work all day. Collier was in the eighth grade at the time of consolidation of Cheyenne school and he quit school because he would rather work. That seemed to be thed thing to do in 1919. Collier was a good cowboy, Fred Cobb told this story. Fred said that the very first time he met Collier he didn't like him.... You see Fred at thew age of 15 and a few of his friends went over to Trammell Bowmans. They were roping calves and branding them. Fred kept asking Trammell if he could have a turn at roping a calf. Trammell told him, "See that guy over there on that horse? When that guy misses a calf, then you can rope them." That guy never missed one all afternoon, Fred didn't get to rope and that guy was Collier. "Coll", as he was called by his great-grandchildren, was a lifetime farmer and rancher. He quit riding his horse at the age of ninety, still doing chores at the barn at the age of 93 and was keeping house, cooking and content at home on hisa land. He always tried to get by with the least amount of parts possibled. He always figured that you could fix ANTHING with bailing wire. He was a conservationist after experiencing the depression and the dirty thrities, he would try to teach anyone who woulds listen the value of not overgrazing thed grassland. He alwayts though that this rain might be the last and tried to have his grass pastures conditioned to carry his cattle through the next drought. He was partial to Herefords cattle. He built many ponds and terraces to prevent run-off and erosion. He served a number of years as committeeman on the ASCS Committee in the 1950's and 1960's. In the 1940's he appeared on a farm radio program to extol the advantages of planting alfalfa. He met Alice in January of 1940 when she came to work in Cheyenne for Carl Beavin. They married June 8, 1940 and enjoyed 53 years of married life on their farm. When asked what was his greatest entertainment in life, he said it was watching his boys play basketball. He thoroughly enjoyed listening to fiddling, especially fiddling by a young person. He has often said that he hopes a great grandson will play the fiddle someday. At the age of 89, Collier accepted the Lord as His Savior at the hospital in Oklahoma City. This was an answer to many family and friends' prayers. His grandchildren and great grandchildrren will remember with foundness his tricky fingers as he told the story of Fly Away Jack and Flty Away Jill and how he would bring the bananas and fill the cans of popcorn for them to enjoy. The last sixteen months of his life were spent at his home with two very special ladies who cared for him. Dorothy Smith who called him "Peanuts" and Dianna Conway who cooked food like his mother. A specal thank you to the stall at Trinity Hospice and at our Hospital here in Cheyenne. Your ministryh is appreciated by Coillier's family. Preceding him in death were his wife, his parents; two brothers, Gilbert and Glen; one sister, Latane Tracy Crawford. Surviving him are his three sons and wives; Dale and Juday Tracy of Cheyenne, Chester and Pat Tracy of Maysville and Ken and Peggy Tracy of Tulsa. Eight grandchildren, Tony and Karla Tracy, Keith and Amy Tracy, Tammy and Awais Sufi, John and Amy Tracy, Victoria Tracy, Dannyt, Chris and Leigh Ann Tracy; and twelve great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Stella Kiser, Margaret Kiser and Becky Seay; brother-in-law, I.M. Love; several nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends. Services were held Wedenesday, June 15, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. at the Cheyenne First Baptist Church, Cheyenne with Terrell Romberg and Jeff Hurlbut olfficiating. Interment in Cheyenne cemetery, Cheyenne, Roger Mills County, Oklahoma under direction of Whinery Funeral Service. Honorary Casket Bearers, Melvin Sasser, Billly Chalfant, A.F. "Chink" Beaty, Leland Burns, Leroy Bowers, Everett Swartwood, Mac Taylor, Melvin Summers. Casket Bearers, Larry Bradshaw, James Albert Maddux, Connie Fults, Jim Dearing, Gary Bogges, Galedard Roper. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Cheyenne Library or to a charity of choice. Cheyenne Star, Cheyenne, OK 16-Jun-2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Roger Mills Archives http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/rogermills/rogermills.html