Alfred Willard McCloy

Alfred Willard SI McCloy, 90 of rural Hansford County, passed away on Friday, February 10, 2012 in Dumas, Texas. Services are scheduled for 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at the First Baptist Church in Gruver, Texas. Rev. Barry Wood of Prosper, Texas will be officiating, assisted by Rev. Larry Miller of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Interment will follow in Lieb Cemetery in Morse, Texas. Arrangements are entrusted to Morrison Funeral Directors. Willard was born on June 11, 1921 on the family homestead, west of the Lieb community, to McLeod Wilson and Leslie Braly McCloy. The family was early day settlers in Hutchinson County, as the result of the concern to acquire land in a productive area for their cattle, and the strong Christian faith to help establish churches in the newly developing counties of Texas and the West. Willard acquired the nickname of SI at an early age from one of the McCloy employees, and it was attributed to Silas in the old comics. The McCloy family was some of the first to produce wheat in the newly developing area. Willard attended school first at Centerville, then Pringle, and then graduating at Morse High School in 1938. He went on to attend Texas Technological College Texas Tech University where he obtained a degree in Government in 1943. His studies were interrupted in 1942 when he volunteered to serve his country so his older brother could stay home on the farm and ranch and help his parents. SI failed the physical because of his eyesight and returned to college and finished his degree. He then returned to the McCloy family enterprise to work alongside his parents, while his three brothers served their country in the war. On December 7, 1947 Willard married Beatrice Ferguson, a teacher who came to Morse from Sunnyside, Castro County, Texas. Beatrice attended Wayland Baptist College, and started teaching in Morse in the fall of 1945. In January, 1948, the newlyweds moved to the present family home in Hansford County, approximately 10 miles northwest of Morse. It was here they raised their four children Delbert 1949, Monte 1951, Cheryl 1953, and Katina 1956. Willard instilled the work ethic in his children, which was finish what you start today because tomorrow may never come. In other words if you lack an hour finishing plowing a field at quitting time, finish it before you quit. Willard was active in various college organizations. He was a lifetime member of Alpha Phi Omega. Upon returning from college, he was active in the Hutchinson County Farm Bureau, as well as the Morse Methodist Church, where he served in various positions. When SI and Bea moved to Hansford County, he became active in the Hansford County Farm Bureau, where he served in various positions and on some state positions. He served this organization in excess of 40 years before retiring in 1985. Willard was honored by the Texas Farm Bureau in 1996 by being named Pioneer Award Recipient for leadership and service to TFB and agriculture. Willard served on the Morse School Board for approximately 30 years and saw the consolidation with Pringle. When the Methodist Church attendance dwindled, Willard started attending the Morse Baptist Church with his wife, and became a Deacon in 1965, serving until he took an inactive position. Willard maintained his membership here, but didnt regularly attend because of medical problems. Instead, he watched First Baptist Church in Amarillo on TV diligently. After the passing of his beloved wife in 2008, he semiregularly attended church with his son at the First Baptist Church in Gruver. Willard answered his true calling when he was first elected to the Hansford County Soil and Water Conservation Board in 1962. Willard, SI, held all of the leadership positions, and served this as President from 1988 to his retirement on December 15, 2011, when his health began to rapidly decline. He saw this organization go from meeting in the basement of the county court house to rented offices, to building its own office building. Willard was instrumental in the district expanding its building to house the FSA and make for a farmer oriented complex. Willard was involved in the funding of this project through First State Bank, and greatly anticipated being able to cosign the check in June, 2009, to pay off this project. While serving on this board, SI also served in various area positions and saw the emphasis of the district change from controlling wind erosion and dry land farming to row irrigation, development of tail water return systems to conserve water, which promoted wildlife habitats, and now to the development of sprinkler use and GPS straddles in agriculture. There has also been the redevelopment of the use of the wind farms, which basically are just giant versions of the way early pioneering families had electricity. He has seen the change from clean tillage to summer follow, limited tillage and to the use of no tillage and chemicals to control weeds and conserve moisture, fuel labor, and machinery. Willard farmed and ranched from his home base in various locations in Texas and New Mexico, and continued to implement various conservation practices in his operation until his partial retirement in 1999. Willard continued to be involved on a limited basis in the cattle industry, and still enjoyed watching the new calves until the Lord took him home. Willard was also active in the Morse community. He was a charter member of the Morse Lions Club, serving in all positions of leadership until his retirement from the club. He was involved with 4H club work and through his and various other citizens of Morse in the early 1960s, helped establish the Morse Community Park. The 4H raised the money to purchase the land, plant trees, set up playground equipment acquired from the old Olso School, and had a water well drilled. Willard served on the park board until his passing. Willard was preceded in death by his wife of 60 plus years, Beatrice his parents, MW and Leslie McCloy sister, Marjorie Trumble and husband Tom brother, Wilson McCloy granddaughter, Laci Renee McCloy brotherinlaw, Norris W. Fulfer and various aunts, uncles and cousins, along with Beatrices parents and stepfather. Willard is survived by his two sons, Delbert McCloy of Morse, and Monte McCloy and wife Nan of Kalgary, TX two daughters, Cheryl Peterson and husband Mike of Albin, WY, and Katina Lusby and husband Lonnie of Fayetteville, AR grandchildren, Matt McCloy and wife, Ingrid of Albany, Clint McCloy and wife Amber of Nara Visa, NM, Mindy Joekel and husband John of Gering, NE, Lori Anderson and husband Brett of Cheyenne, WY, and Lee Peterson of Albin, WY greatgrandchildren, Miles Mason McCloy, Hadley, Sara Cody McCloy, and Hailey Abigail Joekel brothers, Carson McCloy and wife Evelyn of La Junta, CO, and Thane McCloy and wife Sue of Morse sistersinlaw, Nan McCloy of Amarillo and Ruby Fulfer of Claremont, CA special nieces, Sue Brown and husband Jim of Gosnells, Australia, Margaret Sterud and husband Jermoe Stu of Deming, WA, Mary Leech of Bellingham, WA, and Betty Rowell and husband Doug of Curlew, WA numerous cousins, nieces nephews, and special friends, including Sherry Morris, David Horton, Nell Henderson, Fay Dahl, Monica Emit Schmidt, and Carol Short and his pets, Snoopy and Big Tom. The family would like to express a special thank you to Accolade Home Health, Dr Dan Merki, Dr. Edilberto Miguel, Memorial Nursing Home and Memorial Hospice, which enabled Willard to reside in his home and make his days comfortable. Memorials may be made to Morse Community Park, Inc. PO Box 38, Morse, TX 79062 or Memorial Hospice, 224 E. 2nd, Dumas, TX 79029.