Jimmie Dale Wright

Jimmie Dale “Jim” Wright

            A celebration of life for longtime Lamar resident, Jimmie Dale Wright, affectionately known to his family and friends as Jim, will be held at 10:00AM on Thursday, December 14, 2023 at the Peacock Family Chapel with Pastor Paul Floyd and Bill Emick co-officiating. Interment will follow at the Fairmount Cemetery in Lamar.

            Visitation for Jim will be held from 2:00PM until 4:00PM on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at the Peacock Family Chapel.

            Jim was born on November 14, 1940 at Canadian, Texas to Harley Harvey and Venita (Evans) Wright and passed away on December 9, 2023 at his home in Lamar with his family by his side at the age of 83.

 Thank you all for coming today - Jim wasn’t a fan of funerals, and the only reason he is here today is because he has to be! If he attended your funeral it was because you were very special to him.

 Jim was born November 14, 1940 in Canadian, Texas and grew up on the beautiful Waterfield Ranch in the Panhandle of Texas, 25 miles from town. Being an only child, he longed to have a playmate. He rode a yellow school bus for 12 years and could see one and have cold chills. He attended Brisco schools for 12 years and attended Texas Tech in Lubbock.  In high school he had a brief stint as a rodeo cowboy when he was dared to ride a bull at a rodeo and was afraid to turn loose - he ended up winning it and winning a belt buckle, but then he got kicked out of scholastic league and couldn’t play basketball and his mother was livid. Growing up an only (and ornery) child, he loved to tease his mom - not dad for sure. He told of one instance of aggravating mom - she was going to smack him so he held her hands, I guess she called him everything but his name! He was afraid to turn loose and when he did he had to outrun her.

 In 1960 we dated and at 19 years of age, with a few dollars in our pockets and no job and love in our hearts, we married and began our life together that would last for 63 years! Jim wasn’t much of a romantic and in later years would give me the most loving anniversary cards - I questioned him once saying, “Do you mean this?” He replied, “Yea I just never say it!” After getting married, we moved back to Lubbock and Jim attended Tech again where he always liked to tell us that the only thing he learned was how they blow holes in Swiss cheese. After a year, we moved to Oklahoma to a ranching job and while living there, our beautiful daughter Denise was born in 1962. Actually Denise was born in Canadian, Texas where he was raised because Jim didn’t want her to be an Okie. And after that came another move - another ranch - another move - another ranch - another move - another ranch. One of our favorite past times living in the middle of nowhere was scaring one another, and one night Jim jumped out with pantyhose on his head and about scared me to death. 

Jim always said, “No one gets rich working on a ranch - only if you own it,” and through a good friend he got an interview for a job with Shamrock Oil & Gas and was hired. We were living in Canadian where he had been employed with the City of Canadian at the light plant working nights, and he was happy to give that up. Shamrock sent him to Groover, TX for training and before he was too settled he was sent to Keyes, Oklahoma while I was still at my job in Canadian. Anytime his company asked in meetings “who wants to move?” Jim would raise his hand. We got antsy if we weren’t moving every few years. We made lifelong friends in Keyes - lots of card games, visiting, cruises, fun times. Jim raised his hand again and we moved to Lamar. We bought a mobile home, with wheels, so we could get the heck out of Dodge and go back to Texas! 54 years later and never had the opportunity to go back.

Jim drove approximately 260 miles a day, 5 days a week ,minus vacation time, for 35 years - figure that mileage out. Jim could drive the Brandon-Cheyenne Wells road with eyes shut almost. He loved to drive so much that he even continued to make that drive in retirement when he was bored. In 37 years he never took a sick day, even when our beautiful daughter Marci was born in 78, he just happened to have the weekend off. Jim always said everyone should have a job they look forward to everyday and he did. He bought crude oil & piped it from Cheyenne Wells to Dumas to the refinery. He started doing contract pumping, working for about 12 companies and working for Diamond Shamrock then Valero. He made lots of friends in the oil and gas business.

We raised our girls and had many happy times with them - Disneyland, Mountains, back East when my brother was working in Washington, and a very “special” camping trip that Denise remembers when we slept in our Chevy Impala on the side of the mountain in the pitch black. She couldn’t get comfortable and the whole night was like musical chairs. There were even more laughs along the way and lots of inside jokes through the years - like when he would say “you're just like talking to a duck” or “he thinks he knows ya.” They both married and Denise blessed us with a beautiful granddaughter, Lisa, and Marci married our wonderful son-in-law Joey and they blessed us with two wonderful grandsons, Tyler and Ryan. And many years later we were even blessed with a precious great-granddaughter, Quinn. He seemed to think Denise and Lisa were a little crazy to both end up with cowboys like Eric and Kole, but he did tell Denise not to “get rid of this one even though he’s an Okie,” so maybe they did alright after all.

Jim was a very social person and in retirement spent many hours at coffee at Hickory House and Truck Plaza - hours of visiting - even though he HATED coffee. And if he teased and aggravated you and you protested, he really turned it up - you know who you are! He was always coming home with stories about “Ol what’s his name” from the coffee shop. He also came up with some really endearing nicknames for his buddies - like the “two assholes in the white truck,” which was reciprocated with something that doesn’t need to be repeated. Jim loved people and didn’t talk or gossip about anyone - well except for Biden. He asked his nurses when they first came, “Are you Democrat and did you vote for Biden?” They told new girls, “Whatever you do, say NO!”

Jim was baptized and accepted Jesus into his life and heart in 1972. His friend Jerry Ellis encouraged him along the way. Jim was in hospice for a year and had awesome care from his nurses. He loved teasing them and telling them stories. His struggles were over in the early morning hours of December 9th. I like to think Jesus lifted him into Heaven and my prayer is he is at peace, perfect peace.

Jim knew many, many jokes and I’ll leave one with you - his first joke he heard at school and went home and told his mom: 

“Johnny,” his mom said, “I want you to go to the store and get a can of pineapple.” “O-tay” he said. Away he went and told the sales lady, “I want a can of pineapple.” “Crushed or whole?” she said, and he said, “HER DID?!” His mom was hysterical.

If you are in attendance here today, Jim touched your life in some way. Thank you to the pallbearers - Jim always said he would have to hire pallbearers.

Jim loved Jesus, his family, friends, his Hospice care team, his little red Kia, chicken fried steak, Coca Cola, rodeos, Diamond Shamrock, Elvis, George Jones, aggravating people, and life! Thank you for being here today, Jim would surely be touched by your thoughtfulness.

            He is preceded in death by his parents and infant brother Harvey Don Wright.

            Jim is survived by his wife Sondra Wright of the family home in Lamar, daughters Denise (Eric George) Carder of Lamar, CO and Marci (Joey) Ault of Greeley, CO, granddaughter Lisa (Kole) Schwarte of Lamar, Colorado and grandsons Tyler and Ryan Ault both of Greeley, CO and great-granddaughter Quinn Schwarte all of Lamar, CO.

            Memorial contributions may be made to the Lamar Area Hospice either direct or in care of the funeral home office.