Hubert Leo Moffett

Hubert Leo Moffett, died Sunday, March 28, 2010, near Del Norte, Colorado, seven days short of his 82nd birthday. Services were at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31, 2010, in Springfield at the Springfield Church of Christ with arrangements made by Dykes Funeral Home of Walsh, Colo.

Hubert was born to John Wesley Moffett and Eula Lee Tucker Moffett in Clarendon, Texas, on April 4, 1928. Born into a farming family, he was the sixth of nine children. Of these, he was the only child that did not finish high school, being needed at home to farm while the older brothers served their country in World War II both abroad and at home.

Working as a farm laborer near Groom, Texas, he met at church and later married Elizabeth Jane James on January 21, 1951, at Clovis, New Mexico. Of this union, there were two children, Hubert Odell and Sharon Elaine.

On September 11, 1951, he was inducted into the United States Army. In the summer of 1952, he was stationed in South Korea and was released from active military service to the Army Reserve on August 12, 1953. He earned the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, the U N Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Service Medal. He was part of the UN forces that brought prisoners of war out of North Korea across the Demilitarized Zone into South Korea in 1952.

On returning home, he continued working in farming, ranching, and truck driving, working throughout the Texas Panhandle in Borger, Clarendon, Claude, Amarillo, Groom, Gruver, and Tulia. Happiest when he was horseback, and being single at the time, he moved to Springfield in 1974 to farm and ranch in the Kim, La Junta, Springfield triangle area.

Here he met and married Opal Porter Bryan on April 16, 1979, the mother of three sons, and three daughters. He continued ranch work and riding, also working as a cowboy in the feedlot at Rocky Ford and at Cimarron Feeders at Kerrick, Oklahoma. This long and happy marriage, with a large family much like the family he grew up in, lasted until his death, just three weeks shy of his and Opal’s 31st wedding anniversary.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John Wesley Moffett and Eula Lee Tucker Moffett; three brothers, Jake Moffett and wife Ona Mae of Clarendon, Curtis Moffett and wife Oleta, also of Clarendon, and Troy Moffett of Sherman: two sisters, Ruby Adams and husband Virgil of Plainview, Lois Seaton and husband A. F. “Bill” Seaton of Amarillo; a sister-in-law, Claudette Moffett of Springfield; and one daughter, Roxie Bryan Patterson of Kansas City, Mo.

Survivors include his wife, Opal Porter Bryan Moffett of Springfield; four sons, Odell Moffett and wife Denette Davis of Amarillo, Larry Bryan and wife Nancy of La Junta, Colo., Randy Bryan and wife Jo of Pueblo West, Colo., and Lyle Bryan of Wheatland, Wyoming; three daughters, Sharon Moffett Thompson and husband Joe Bob of Tulia, Shannon Bryan Russell and husband Mike of Amarillo, and Sheila Bryan Moffett and husband Joel of Springfield; two foster daughters, Dana Green and husband David of Payton, Colo., and Doloris Winegarner and husband Rolan of Springfield; two brothers, Claude Moffett and wife Betty of Hays, Kan., and Royce Moffett of Springfield; one sister, Nadiene Moffett Mulanax and husband Travis of Petersburg; one sister-in-law, Jonell Moffett of Sherman; 18 grandchildren; and 28 great-grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials to High Plains Children’s Home, P.O. Box 7448, Amarillo, TX 79114 or your favorite charity.