O J. ESTES JR

Just four months shy of living 90 years in and around Irion County, Oscar James (O. J.) Estes of Mertzon died Friday, March 9, 2007 in a San Angelo nursing facility. Born July 3, 1917 to Oscar John Estes and Mary Lela Lawhon Estes in San Angelo, O. J. is survived by his wife, Roy Dell Girvin Estes, of 65 years; and by his son, Jim Estes and wife Evelyn, of San Angelo. He was preceded in death by his parents. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 13 at the First Baptist Church of Mertzon with the Reverend Steven Fox officiating. Burial will follow in the Mertzon Cemetery. Arrangements are by Robert Massie Funeral Home. O. J. will probably be remembered by most as being one of the staunchest supporters of the athletes of Irion County High School. A few years ago, he recalled the highlights of his career as a fan of Irion County athletics, saying he had witnessed a state tournament boys basketball team in the 1960s, a regional six-man football title and the switch from six-man to 11-man in the 1970s, lots of basketball playoff teams and individual state track champions in the 80s, 90s and beyond and three consecutive boys state track titles from 2002-2004. But long before O. J. took his place in the stands at Irion County, he was part of Irion County's early ranching history. Until about the fourth grade, O. J. rode horseback three miles to school at Tankersley and three miles back home every day to his family's ranch. Eventually attending Mertzon School, he graduated valedictorian in 1934. Even though he said he was "too scrawny," he played basketball for Mertzon schools during the 1930s and then helped make history with other boys by playing on the first football team at Mertzon, in 1934. At Mertzon School he met Roy Dell Girvin, who after graduating from Hardin-Simmons College, returned home and married O. J. October 26, 1941. O. J. enlisted in the Army Air Corps in March 1942 and was stationed at Goodfellow Field. He was stationed in France with the Air Transport Command during World War II. Eventually, O. J. and Roy Dell settled on the Estes family ranch in Irion County when son James Roy (Jim) was born. Because of the widespread drought during the 1950s, Roy Dell took a teaching job in Mertzon to help out the family. Even though the drought was over by the 60s, Roy Dell taught at Mertzon until 1977, and O. J. was seen around school life many times. He ran the scoreboard for the basketball games for many years and also helped Roy Dell when she was asked to take over for the girls basketball coach who was on maternity leave. But when Roy Dell retired and the family moved to Mertzon from the ranch, that's when O. J.'s second career, as a staunch fan of Irion County athletes, began. O. J.'s proudest accomplishment, however, was seeing his son Jim graduate from the University of Texas and complete a 33-year career teaching mathematics at Midland High School. O. J. was a member of the First Christian Church until the age of 60 and was a member of the First Baptist Church at the time of his death. Pallbearers are Jay Freitag, Don Ball, Gene Schkade, Dale Seilheimer, Randy Moseley, Eddie Martin, John McGee, and Sebastian Valencia. Honorary pallbearers are Tommy Dudley, Karl Bookter, Bryant Safford, Howard Parks, J. D. Cook, Bill Tullos, Jerry Lawhon, and Tommy Estes. O. J. had a great number of friends, too numerous to mention them all, but of particular help during his later years were Karen McMurtrey and Randy and Ann Moseley. The family expresses its sincere gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel who have provided special care for O. J. in recent years.