Old Lea County, N.M.

Category: people

  • Col. C. D. Woolworth Dies

    Col. C. D. Woolworth Dies in San Angelo Friday.

    Prominent Lea County Oil and Cattleman Dies After Illness Of Several Months.

    Col. C. D. Woolworth, widely known politician and prominent cattle and oil man, died Friday night, October 28th at 10:30. He was receiving treatment in the Shannon hospital in San Angelo, Texas at the time of his death. He had previously spent several months at Johns-Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Col. Woolworth, who formerly was a resident of Lea county and of Jal, had been ill for the past several months. Col. Woolworth was well-known as a philanthropist.

    Funeral services were held at Robert Massey Funeral Home in San Angelo, and were conducted by Rev. Foreman. A large and beautiful floral offering was presented.

    Col. Woolworth was buried in the Fairmont Cemetery in San Angelo.

    He is survived by five sisters, Misses Clara, Litie, Mae , and Elizabeth Woolworth of San Angelo, and Mrs. Watkins of Henderson, Texas; one brother, Dr. Woolworth of Shreveport, Louisiana and an aunt, Mrs. Litie Paxton of San Angelo.

    Those who attended the services from Jal were Mr. and Mrs. Peter Bish, Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Wilson, Messers. Bill Danner, Johnny Stuart, Penn Combest, and M. I. Humphries.

    [Jal Flare, Jal, NM. 3 Nov 1938.]

  • Harold L. Runnels

    Harold Runnels was born May 17, 1924 to Elbert Dewey Runnels (1898-1969) and Stella McCutcheon Runnels (1898-1964) in Dallas, Texas. Dewey, his father, had grown up in a farming family living in nearby Kaufman, Texas. By the 1920 Census, Dewey and Stella had married, Dewey was working for a tractor company and they were living close to downtown Dallas. By 1930, both Harold and his older brother Elbert had been born, completing their small family.

    Harold was a graduate of Dallas Woodrow Wilson High School and attended Cameron State Agricultural College in Lawton, Oklahoma. Prior to World War II, he worked in some capacity for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D. C. When the United States entered the war, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After the war, he worked for about six years in Magnolia, Arkansas for Magnolia Amusement Company before moving to Lea County, New Mexico in 1951.

    Around 1943, he was married to Dorothy Frances Gilland. The first of their four children was born in 1945. In Lovington, Harold became a partner in Southland Supply Company before forming Runnels Mud Company, which supplied drilling mud to companies drilling oil wells, and the RunCo Acidizing and Fracturing Co., another oilfield service company, both of which he owned and operated until shortly before he died.

    His first venture into politics was having been elected as a Democrat to the New Mexico state Senate in 1960. For the next twenty years, he served his home area either as a state senator or United States Representative. Runnels was first elected to the U. S. House from New Mexico’s newly created Second District in 1970 after serving 10 years in the state Senate, defeating Republican Ed Foreman for the House seat. He first served in the Ninety-second Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses and served from January 3, 1971 until his death at the age of 56 from cancer on August 5, 1980.

    While in Congress, Runnels had served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee and was chairman of the Insular Affairs Committee oversight and investigation subcommittee. Because of his background he was considered to be highly knowledgeable in issues dealing with national energy.

    Runnels’ funeral was held in Lovington High School’s Pannell Auditorium with 2,000 people in attendance. Quotes from that day were carried in the August 9, 1980 issue of the Santa Fe New Mexican, as follows:

    District Judge C. Fincher Neal of Hobbs called him “a humble man with humble beginnings.” and added, “In the halls of congress, he was one of the most informed men on the oil and gas industry.” United States Representative Sam Hall of Texas said, “I don’t know of any person who had the love, respect and admiration of the Congress as did Harold Runnels.”

    Reverend Ed Scarborough of Wolfforth, Texas, a former pastor, referred to Runnels as “one of the great men that God has shared with us to lead us in a time of great need.” Following the service, Runnels was interred at Resthaven Memorial Gardens at the edge of town. There, a Navy Ceremonial Guard gave a 21-gun salute and played Taps.

    Runnels was survived by his wife and children and was succeeded as United States Representative by Joe Skeen. His papers relating to his service in Congress were donated to Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico.

  • Zip Franklin

    Oliver Gene “Zip” Franklin was an old time pilot. He was known around Lea County for having done just about anything one could do with an aircraft. He was born August 8, 1919 in Artesia and died September 11, 1991 doing what he loved, flying. An airport in Lea County was named for Zip Franklin,

    airnav.com

    Plane Crashes in Ruidoso, Killing 2

    Two men were killed and a third critically injured in the crash of a twin engine Aerostar shortly after take off from the Sierra Blanca Regional Airport in Ruidoso.

    The dead men were identified as Gary McMillan of Lubbock, Texas, and Zip Franklin, 72, of Lovington, said Lanny Maddox, criminal investigation division commander for the Ruidoso Police Department.

    The injured man was identified as Beldon Walden, 46, of Hobbs.

    Maddox said the pilot was en route to Reno, Nev., on Wednesday where the custom aerobatic plane was to be delivered to an air show.

    The plane crashed shortly before noon in a wooded area northwest of the airport.

    Witnesses say the plane burned.

    Maddox said McMillan and Franklin appeared to have been killed upon impact, and Walden was thrown from the airplane when it hit.

    The injured man was listed in critical but stable condition this morning at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center South in Roswell after being transferred from Lincoln County Medical Center, said Rick Levitt, nursing supervisor at Eastern.

    Federal Aviation Administration investigators were on their way to the crash site.

    [Clovis News Journal, 12 Sep 1991. Clovis, New Mexico.]

  • Seaman James Edward Teas

    by David L. Minton, Lea County Historian

    (Used with permission)

    Good Morning Fellow Lea Countians far and near.  Today I would like to remember and honor a Lea County man who lost his life in defense of our country.  James Edward Teas who preferred to be called Edward was born January 29th, 1922 in Lea County to Harvey and Minnie Teas.  Edward grew up in Lovington and graduated with the class of 1941 from the Lovington High School.

    After high school he found his way to Roswell where he was employed by the Yucca Theater.  His military career began when he enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve on May 10th, 1943.  Edward was a Seaman 2nd Class serving his nation aboard the U.S.S. Liscome Bay which was a brand-new escort carrier, launched in April 1943 and commissioned August 7, 1943.

    During the invasion of the Gilbert Islands and the battle at Makin Island on November 24, 1943 while the U.S.S. Liscome Bay was making a turn it was hit behind an engine room by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine.  The torpedo hit the ship’s bomb magazine which caused a tremendous explosion.  Debris from the U.S.S. Liscome Bay fell on the battleship New Mexico which was approximately 1500 yards away.  Seaman 2nd Class Edward Teas along with 590 other enlisted men and 53 officers were all lost, it took the U.S.S. Liscome Bay only 23 minutes to sink.  There were 272 survivors.

    Seaman 2c James Edward Teas was lost at sea, his body was not recovered.  In addition to his name being engraved on a monument in Hawaii along with other WWII losses, his parents Harvey E. and Minnie A. Teas memorialized Edward in the Lovington Cemetery with a V.A. stone.  We Salute you James Edward Teas.

  • The Hobbs Family

    James Isaac Hobbs was born January 2, 1852 in Tishomingo, Mississippi. By the time he was 19, he was working as a laborer on a farm in Prentiss, Mississippi. Eight years later in 1878, he married the former Frances Paralee “Fannie” Mooring in Point, Rains County, Texas, born in Tennessee on March 27, 1857. By 1880, the couple had been blessed with two children, a girl named Ada and a boy named John, and were still living in Rains County, Texas. James Isaac was working as a farmer. By 1900, the couple was living in Brown County, Texas. James Isaac was still working as a farmer and the last of their seven children, twins Winnie and Minnie, were born in 1896. By 1910, they had settled in what was then Eddy County and were residing in a community called Roberts, believed to be the future location of Hobbs.

    A daughter, Minnie, tells the tale of how they came to settle in southeastern New Mexico. They were originally headed to the Davis Mountains in Texas, but on the way, they met a person returning from that area who was very negative about it and the Hobbs’ prospects, should they elect to continue. As a result, they headed in a northwesterly direction and came instead to southeastern New Mexico, still then a territory. As time passed, they were joined by other settlers and the town grew up. When they applied for a post office, Minnie says that they penciled in the name “Taft” but when the name was approved, someone had changed it to “Hobbs” instead. (1) By 1920, the couple was living in the community of Nadine. Lea County had been created out of portions of Chaves and Eddy counties. James Isaac passed away three years later. Fannie survived him another nineteen years.

    At least three of the children of James Isaac and Fannie remained in the area. James Berry, called the founder of Hobbs, Winnie who married Sam Dalmont and Minnie who married Ernest Herman “Dad” Byers.

    (1) Lea County Genealogical Society, Then and Now, Lea County Families, Volume 1, Walsworth Publishing Company, 1979.

  • Charlie Campbell

    Charles Leland Campbell was born June 19, 1911 in Elida, Roosevelt County, New Mexico to Zachary Taylor Campbell and Lillie Louise Bridges Campbell. In 1920, Zachary’s profession was listed as barber and they were still living in Elida. Zachary passed away in 1930 after an illness. Charlie, as he became known, graduated from Elida High School.

    Campbell served in the U. S. Air Force in World War II. In 1945 he married the former Kathryn Smith in Buechel, Kentucky. Charlie also attended attended New Mexico Normal University at Las Vegas (now known as New Mexico Highlands University) for several years.

    The couple settled in Lovington, where Charlie was engaged with his brother, John Campbell, in the operation of Campbell’s Farm and Ranch Supply and Campbell Grain and Milling Company. Their store was located at the base of the large grain elevators, the tallest structures in Lovington.

    For many years, Charlie hosted a daily radio program on station KLEA out of Lovington. His program reported local news and events. Charlie passed away on August 29, 1984 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Amarillo, Texas after a short illness. He was survived by his wife and children.

  • J. L. Burke, Jr.

    The subject of this week’s biographical sketch is a man of letters who has an interesting page of life behind him and in all probability a more interesting one yet to be written. We’re sure you recognize Mr. J. L. Burke, Jr.

    Mr. Burke was born November 28, 1902 in Hobart, Oklahoma Territory, a native Sooner. He attended grade and high school in Hobart and began his college work at the University of Oklahoma at Norman. While a freshman, Mr. Burke transferred to Ohio State University. Here he became prominent in the field of music, was a member of the Board of Directors of the one hundred piece university band and Co-Student Director of the orchestra. Mr. Burke was an active member of the University Choral Club. The above mentioned activities were, of course, outside the regular curriculum of college work and made a very heavy program for a boy who was working to support himself in college. Mr. Burke first took a job as janitor and in less than one year was promoted by the same firm to position as salesman. In his Junior year another honor was bestowed upon him in the form of the National Vice-Presidency of the Kappa Kappa Psi, which is an honorary band fraternity. As such, Mr. Burke became acquainted with such outstanding musicians as John Philip Sousa. In January of 1925 he was elected to the National Presidency of the organization mentioned above and continued in this office until 1927. During this period he devoted much time in visiting musical organizations most of the states of the Union.

    In May of 1938 [1928], Mr. Burke was married to Miss Joyce Grass at Amarillo, Texas. The following fall he resumed work for his degree at West Texas Teachers College. Both Mr. and Mrs. Burke attended school for one year when he received his Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Educational Administration and co-minoring in English and Social Science.

    After acquiring his degree Mr. Burke returned to Amarillo College of Music as music director until 1930 when he came to New Mexico as principal of New Hobbs High School. After consolidation of the Hobbs and New Hobbs High Schools he became teacher of Social Science and later acting principal of the high school.

    In 1933 Mr. Burke received his Masters Degree from Texas Tech. His thesis was written on “Personnel Study of School Board Members in New Mexico.”

    In 1933, Mr. Burke was elected Superintendent of Jal schools. During his residence in Lea County, he has been Extension Instructor in the regular faculty for New Mexico University and East New Mexico Junior College. Individuals who have done work for college credit in this type of adult education will exceed two hundred.

    During the eight years of his residence in Lea county, Mr. Burke has been called upon to speak in various places and upon a large number of widely varied subjects.

    In 1936, he was elected President of Lea County Teachers Assocation and has held the post for two years. He also has been selected as the member from New Mexico for the National Education Association Committee on International Relations and in the past year was a member of the Resolutions Committee.

    Mr. Burke is a member of the Baptist church and the Scottish Rite Masons, and is living in Jal with his wife and three children: Beverly Joe 8, Jenie 3rd, 6 and Marilyn, one year old.

    Thus we bring to date a full and interesting life of one of Jal’s leading citizens.

    [Jal Flare, Jal, NM. 25 Aug 1938.]