Finis LeRoy Jones

For everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck what is planted.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-3
Finis LeRoy Jones was born September 6, 1932 to Ralph Finis and Juanita Beatrice (Simpson) Jones at the home of his maternal grandparents Henry Huddle Simpson (1876-1964) and Lauretta Bell (Owen) Simpson (1877-1956) one mile south and one-half mile west of Cowden, OK.  His paternal grandparents Milan Newton Jones (1864-1951) and Sarah Elizabeth (Thomas) Jones (1864-1961) also lived in the Cowden community ten miles north of Mtn View, OK.  The Jones family had come to Cowden in Oklahoma Territory in 1889 by covered wagon from Arkansas and the Simpson family came from Texas and Tennessee, leaving very stately and comfortable homes for half-dugouts in the “new” land.  In 2004 the Simpson homestead was designated and honored to be one of the first Oklahoma Centennial Farms in Washita County Oklahoma, having been continually owned and operated by the same family for 100 years or more.  Today it is being farmed and ranched by its 7th generation.
LeRoy was born during the great depression, “the dirty thirty’s.”  He began school at Cowden Consolidated school where both of his parents had attended and graduated.  It is said he cried when his six-year-old sister, Mildred Lavern, entered first grade.  With the permission of the school superintendent, four-year-old LeRoy entered school.  Later, brother and sister graduated together with the Class of 1949.  LeRoy excelled in academics, sports and music.  As was the custom, the graduating seniors took a “senior trip” funded by money raised during high school.  The eight girls and four boys plus parent sponsor Juanita Jones and class sponsor, Mrs. Anita Carter, loaded themselves into a spotlessly clean cattle truck covered with a large tarp and started on their senior trip through Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Tennessee.  These were the days before bottled water so a ten-gallon cream can with a long-handled dipper held by a string served the purpose well.  At night, the group stayed at motels with kitchenettes where they did their own cooking.  Each student had daily KP duties where they made work into play.  It had long been a dream of LeRoy’s, as well as the other three boys, to attend a major league baseball game while on their trip going through St. Louis.  But as the group neared that area, some of the girls in the class became homesick.  It was rumored that they were missing their boyfriends, so in a hastily called class meeting, they voted 8-4 to start toward home.  There went the dream of seeing a major league baseball game.  It may not seem like something very important, but to a high school senior from a small country school, it was a low blow.
Following the senior trip, LeRoy enrolled at Oklahoma A & M College at Stillwater to begin his college years.  In September 1952, he attended a Friday night home football game at Mtn. View where he met a young lady named Sandra Miller.  She told her parents later that night that there was something special about a new friend she had just met.  Neither LeRoy or Sandra knew then that in just three months, the country would be calling LeRoy to service in the Korean war.  He entered the U. S. Army in January 1953.  They exchanged daily letters (which they still have), some containing beautiful poems he wrote to her.  He was sent to Ft. Sill, then on to Ft. Bliss in El Paso where he trained with the ARCAT division.  When the war ended, he was honorably discharged as a first Sargeant and returned home to join his father and grandfather in their farming and ranching operations.
LeRoy and Sandra were married June 26, 2955.  The temperature in the packed First Christian Church of Hobart, OK was 110 degrees and there was no air conditioning.  The ceremony was performed by long time friend and minister, Virgil R. Trout.  LeRoy’s Simpson grandparents’ health did not permit them to attend, but Sandra’s grandparents JK and Vira (Thompson) Miller from Snyder were there.  Grandmother Miller had assisted in her birth and named her Joy in anticipation of the joy she would bring to the family.  Other grandparents, William Barry and Emma Bell (Fitzgerald) Easley and Milam and Elizabeth Jones were already deceased.
Their life was perfect.  Whenever they walked together, they always held hands and continued to do so until his passing.  LeRoy and Sandra were made even happier with the arrival of their first child, Mary Cheryl in 1957.  Their baby son, Finis LeRoy II was born in 1961 but he only lived a short time.  In 1962, a daughter named Cynthia Kaye joined the family.
Although LeRoy had attended the nearby Sappington Chapel Methodist Church as a youth, he was baptized for the remission of sins on May 1, 1955 at the 16th and Florida Church of Christ in Chickasha, Ok.  Much studying helped his faith grow so that during his life, he served the Church of Christ as a well known song leader, a Bible class teacher for both adults and teenagers, deacon, elder and evangelist for over 65 years.  He performed many beautiful wedding ceremonies through the years and was lovingly given the nickname “Marrying Sam”.  He “tied a hard but loving knot” and could probably have written a book about the experiences he encountered, especially about nervous grooms.  He conducted countless funerals which also included singing for the service either by solo or leading a chorus.  He served as “master of ceremonies” for many occasions, and enjoyed speaking to groups.  He was always at ease before people.
LeRoy was an incredibly strong man with an endearing tender heart who always “walked with God”.  He was the backbone of his family, especially when difficult times came, and he was a gentle comforter to those affected.  He never abdicated his responsibilities as a man of God, and although he will be sorely missed by his loved ones left behind, we are incredible grateful to God for the blessing of having him in all our lives and hearts for the time we did.  True to his promise, he faithfully served the Lord all the days of his life and did what he was asked to do.
LeRoy was a true historian by nature, following in the footsteps of his mother and grandmother.  He was able to retain dates and locations easily for the history they recorded.  Juanita’s book “Heartbreak and Happiness”, written in 1971 tells the early day history of their frontier town and area at Cowden.  How grateful we are that these three took the time to record yesterday’s happenings for our benefit today.  LeRoy’s two books, “Horsesense and Nonsense” and “More Horsesense and Nonsense” tell much local history, along with many poems and songs he composed.
Music was such a large part of LeRoy’s life.  He usually played his guitar when he sang but he could also play the piano, having been taught by his Grandmother Simpson on her player piano.  After hearing two Cowboy Poets recite their poems on the Johnny Carson show one night, he began writing cowboy poetry of his own, memorizing both his and what others had written.  Writing and reciting poetry came easy to him as he was only putting rhyme to his everyday life.  He was soon invited to present his work to the largest cowboy poetry gatherings in the country, from Elko, Nevada to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City to the National Symposium and Celebration in Lubbock, Texas.  As an Artist in Residence for the Oklahoma Arts Council, he taught and entertained in the Elderhostel Programs of both OSU and OU.  In 1994, his poem “Night” won third place in a state competition by the Oklahoma Conference on Aging.  He recorded two cassette tapes of original poems and two CDs of original music.  He has written over 100 poems and 30 songs.  For many years he wrote a series of weekly articles entitled “Look Back, Look West” which were published in local newspapers.  In 1997, he was a finalist for the Will Rogers Award for Cowboy Poetry, presented by the Academy of Western Artists.  When the town of Mtn. View celebrated its centennial in 1999, he was appointed editor of the history book “Mtn. View, The First 100 Years.”
Through the years, LeRoy served on various boards including the Mtn. View school board, boards of directors for the Farmers Co-Op Cotton Gin, the Co-Op Wheat Elevator, the Farm Home Administration, Kiowa County Excise Board and Mtn. View Main Street.  He also served as Rotary President where he received the Paul Harris Fellow award.  He has worked with the historical societies in Mtn. View, in Kiowa and Washita counties, and Southwest Oklahoma.  In 2000, he was inducted into the Washita County Hall of Fame.  In 2009, his song “The Great Western Trail” was chosen as “Best Original Composition” by the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, where it was awarded the coveted Wrangler Award.
LeRoy didn’t begin playing golf until he retired, and one of the happiest days he experienced was April 18, 1987 at the Ft. Cobb Golf Course when he got his hole in one on hole #3.
All his life, LeRoy enjoyed serving others and giving back to the community.  In 2012, he received the American Cowboy Culture Award and Western Music and Cowboy Poetry Award at the National Symposium and Celebration in Lubbock, Texas.  He was honored to be a member of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution with his ancestors who helped shape the early days of America.
LeRoy and Sandra spent many years traveling the United States in their motor home, or by bus tours.  They enjoyed time in Canada, Alaska, Europe, the Holy Land, Egypt, Switzerland and two trips to Hawaii, plus many Cowboy Poetry gatherings throughout the Southwest United States.  Their love of genealogy took them to many interesting destinations.
Sandra cherished the many beautiful poems LeRoy wrote for her while they were dating and throughout their lives and for all occasions.  From the time they first met, they seemed destined to be a team, and certainly from the time they were married, they were as “one” in spirit and in purpose with each having the best interest and the desires of the others to be foremost in their lives.
On June 26, 2005 they were honored by their family with a 50th anniversary celebration where Virgil Trout renewed their wedding vows.  In 2015, their family celebrated their 60th anniversary with a lovely family dinner at Fisherman’s Cove Restaurant near Medicine Park.  This past June, they celebrated their 70th anniversary at home with their family.
LeRoy’s family benefited greatly from his love, his integrity, his kindness and his calm and easy encouragement.  He will be remembered as a man who did what he was asked to do and served others – his God, his family and his country – faithfully and well.  He was one of the best and last of the greatest generation, truly a man who lived by faith.
In light of all he did in his life, he always felt that his greatest achievement was in serving God.  The life he lived was an example he set for his own family to follow.  He was adored by his wife and he adored her also.  He was indeed cherished and respected by all his family and respected by his Church family and his friends near and far.  
He claimed as his motto:
“There is a time for everything” should come as no great surprise to us, for God told us so in his book.  Solomon, who had received great wisdom from God said “There is a time to be born and a time to die”, and since I came to years after the time when I was born in 1932, I have known that the day of my death would come, and have made preparation for it.
He fully appreciated the blessings of his life, his length of years, his treasured marriage and his beautiful family.  His was a life well lived, and he was a many well loved.
He wrote these words that appeared on the back of his calling card:
“Like the mist of morning that appears for a little while and then vanishes away, so has the Old West disappeared from our sight but not from our memory.  With his songs and poems he brings the Old West to life again, if only for an hour.  Come live again in the days when a man’s word was his bond and a handshake was as good as a signed contract.  Close your eyes and in your mind you can hear the squeak of saddle leather and smell the smoke of the campfire at night as you live for an hour in the days that were, and are now gone forever.”
LeRoy is survived by his beloved and devoted wife and best friend Sandra; daughter Mary Cheryl Tacker of Cowden, daughter Cindy Heald and husband John of Broken Arrow; grandson Travis Tacker; granddaughter Jill Carter and husband BJ; granddaughter Kayla Norwood and husband Justin; grandson Kyle Ripley and wife Lauren; great-grandchildren Berick Carter, Polly Tacker, Luke Tacker, Logan Tacker, Chloe Norwood, Maggie Tacker, Collin Carter and Jacob Norwood; great-great grandson Maddox Carter; sister-in-law Mary Henderson; nieces and nephews Lee J and Marta Henderson, Leslie Henderson, Curtis and Katheryn Janz, and Retta and Gary Fulton; and a host of beloved cousins and long time friends, plus his much loved church family at the Colony Church of Christ in Colony, OK.