William Merrell Barfield

Dr. William Merrell Barfield, age 90, of Wharton, TX died Monday morning, December 16, 2013 at a Wharton hospital following a brief illness. Doc was born on October 28, 1923, about three blocks in Louisiana in Logansport. He wished it had been in Texas. His ancestors helped free Texas. Texas has been his home for the past 73 years. He graduated from high school in 1940 and moved to Lane City, Texas that same year. He moved to San Diego in 1941. There he met his wife, Ola in a swinging door, knocked her down, picked her up and after 71 years were still together. He was in San Diego when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He went into the Army Air force in March 1943. Doc was discharged from La Guard General in New Orleans after eighteen months and one day in the Army. He went back to his former employer, but in Fort Worth instead of San Diego. Doc was quickly promoted to inspector for the U.S. Government. When the war ended, he was one of the first twenty veterans on the Texas A&M University campus. Doc majored in agriculture education and graduated in two years and eight months. Doc taught in Huntington, Redland, Wharton, the Dominican Republic, Gause, Texas A&M University and Boling. Because of health related conditions, he retired after thirty-one years. Who would have ever thought he would live to his nineties? He has been active in Church, Rotary as a Paul Harris Fellow, City Government, Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, Wharton Beautification Commission, Chairman of the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot Restoration Committee, and murals to name a few. When asked why he does so much, he said he would rather wear out than rust out. In addition to his parents, his sisters, Mary Elizabeth Barfield Foster, and Katherine Dell Barfield Ritter preceded him in death along with brothers, Earnest Lee Barfield and Huey Herd. Funeral services were held on Thursday, December 19, 2013 at 2 pm at First Baptist Church in Wharton with Rev. Tony Wishert officiating. Burial was held in Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery in Wharton. Pallbearers were Joe Hudgins, Richard Forgason, Butch Stolle, Robert Stolle, Dick Hudgins, Coleman Locke, Dr. Joe Dettling, Michael Bucek, Jim Williams, David Hull, Allen Lockley and Clark Wilbeck. With William Locke, Mark Wakefield, and Bill Kirkpatrick serving as honorary pallbearers. Doc is survived by his wife, Ola Mae Norris Barfield of Wharton, daughters, Eva Kaye Barfield McKinney and husband, Clayton Marvin of Wharton, Violet Anne Barfield Wirtz and husband, Michael Reginald of Brenham, Tommie Deniece Montgomery and husband, David Collins of Houston, sisters, Noel Yvonne Barfield Bell of Denton, Jerry Lynn Barfield Vessey of Oswasso, OK, Melba Jean Herd of Logansport, LA, brothers, John Willis Barfield of Hurst, Kelly Hugh Barfield of Big Sandy, Dr. Billy Joe Barfield of Stillwater, and David Carlton Barfield of North Richland Hills, grandchildren, William Covert Wirtz, Sarah Ann Wirtz Keniston, Christine McKinney Sutton and Jennifer McKinney and six great grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wharton Friends of the FFA, PO Box 742, Wharton, Texas 77488 or First Baptist Church in Wharton.