Friday, March 15, 2013

Johnny Thomas Ogden 1945-2013

    Funeral services for Johnny Ogden, 67, of the Floyd Community, will be at 10:00 AM, Monday, March 18, 2013 at Faith Christian Family Church, 3401 N. Norris, Clovis, NM with Pastor Rick Rainey officiating. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with T. J. Garcia, Tanner Allen, Brenden Smith, Trenten Smith, Corey Vandenberg, Ryan O'Donnell, Sgt. John Michael Carson, Jr., represented by his wife, Lindsey Carson, Brogan Fraze and Cray Fraze. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Johnny Ogden Scholarship Fund, c/o J. P. Stone Community Bank, P O Drawer 888, Portales, NM 88130. The family will receive guests at the funeral home on Saturday, March 16th from 5 to 8 PM.
    John Thomas Ogden, known to family and friends alike as Johnny, was born March 20, 1945 in Albuquerque, NM to the home of Hazel and LeRoy H. Ogden, and died March 13, 2013 in Lubbock, TX. The family moved to Portales when Johnny was 9 years old, and he was a 1963 graduate of Portales High School. On November 25, 1964 he was married to Janice Gossett in her parents' home in Floyd. He attended Eastern New Mexico University for two years before transferring to New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. Johnny worked 50 hours a week, and maintained a 4.0 average to complete his degree in Ag Ed in 1970.
    He worked three years as an Ag Teacher in Elida, before establishing a dairy, and in 1977, they moved the dairy to Floyd. In 1986, he closed the dairy, and became a dairy inspector for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. Johnny was a Dairy Specialist with the designation of Inspector III that allowed him to inspect both dairies and cheese plants. He often served as a consultant for diary and milk plants. Johnny was very conscientious where the public health was concerned, but always tried to serve both the public and the dairymen.
    Johnny was a dedicated Christian and a member of Faith Christian Family Church in Clovis. He loved Jesus and he loved people. Johnny was a very patriotic man, and though he never served in the military, he truly had a heart for those who serve our country. Johnny would go out of his way to speak to a service man or woman, and thank them personally for what they were doing for our country and the world.
    Johnny served on the Eastern New Mexico State Fair Board, as well as the Roosevelt County Fair Board. He loved the fairs and working the Junior Livestock Sales each year. Johnny served three terms on the Floyd School Board because he loved young people and he believed in education. He strongly supported the FFA program because he believed deeply in the leadership training it instills. In addition, Johnny drove the activity bus for the Floyd Schools for many years.
    Other things that Johnny enjoyed included working ropings, music, and working crossword puzzles. He often worked as a chute man at roping events, and was considered one of the best. He could always be counted on to give loud encouragement for a job well done. He could play almost any instrument by ear, and play it well. When working crosswords, if they seemed too easy to suit him, he would make up rules to make them harder.
    Johnny was a devoted family man, and really enjoyed his family. He was very proud of his daughters and their families, and made it a point to attend as many of his grandchildren’s activities and events as possible. One of the special memories his girls have of him is his distinctive whistle that could be heard over the din of even the State Fair. When they heard that whistle they knew it was time to come and find him.
    Johnny is survived by his wife, Janice of their home; his daughters and sons-in-law, Debbie and Curtis Allen of Rhea, TX, Sherrye and Anthony Lovelace of Alva, OK and Tammy and Trevor Fraze of Portales; 12 grandchildren, Taryn O’Donnell and husband, Ryan, Tanner Allen and fiancé, Charlsi Heinrich, Lindsey Carson and husband, Sgt. John Michael Carson, Jr., Brenden and Trenten Smith, T. J. Garcia and wife, Andrea, Amber Garcia, Corey Vandenberg, Mycah Garcia, and Brogan, Cashlin and Cray Fraze; 2 great-grandchildren, Raylee Kaye O’Donnell and Isabella Rose Garcia; two sisters, Dorothy Dunaway and husband, Ken of Portales and Carol Pape and husband, David of St. George, KS; and a sister-in-law, Sarah Ogden of Albuquerque, NM. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, David Ogden and by a son-in-law, Dennis Smith.

The Ogden Family
618 S. Roosevelt Rd. AB
Portales, NM 88130

No comments: