GRUVER — William F.D. "Bill" Etling, 97, of Gruver died Friday, April 6, 2012.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in First Baptist Church in Gruver with the Rev. Scott Curry officiating. Burial will be in Gruver Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home of Spearman.
Bill was born Jan. 9, 1915, in Lewis, Kan. He came to Hansford County in 1917 at the age of 2. They moved to the "home place," two miles south of the Oklahoma line, near Hitchland. He attended McBride School, 11 miles north of Gruver. He rode in a buggy or walked three miles before he was allowed to ride a horse to school. When his brother, Glendon "Buddy" Etling started school, their father bought a buggy for their transportation.
Bill attended McBride School through two years of high school and then transferred to Gruver after the two schoools were consolidated. He finished high schoool in 1931 at the age of 16. There were five in his class — the second graduating class of Gruver High School. After staying home a year, he attended Panhandle A&M College in Goodwell, graduating in 1936 with a degree
in economics. He married Maurine "Pinkie" DeBerry in 1937.
At age 27, he bought his first farm north of Gruver, which he always called "the poor farm." In the 1950s,
he started Etling Inc., the ammonia fertilizer business, and later sold it; the business became North Plains Chemicals.
Also in the 1950s, he bought an elevator in Bernstein and later purchased the Hitch Grain Elevator in Bernstein. He served on the Gruver School Board for
15 years, during which time his three children, Janice, Jim and Mary graduated from GHS. He served as president of the school board for 12 years, and as president, he signed all three of their diplomas. He was also treasurer of First Baptist Church for four years, member of the Hansford County Hospital district board and a trustee of the Gruver Cemetery board.
Bill continued to live in the home he and Pinkie built in 1965 until February 2012, when he went to Hansford Manor in Spearman. During the years since Pinkie died in 1983, he had very special caretakers. Kurt Etling, his nephew, was his business manager for 11 years. The family also would like to express gratitude to Sandi Foster, Gloria Perez, Virginia Taylor, Denis Rojas, Victoria Scroggins and others for
providing care and companionship during those years.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William F.C. Etling and Minda Etling; his wife, Maurine; and a brother, Glendon Etling.
Survivors include two daughters, Janice Adams and husband Robert of Gruver and Mary Batzel and husband Joe of Arlington; a son, Jim Etling and wife Judy of Newcastle; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a nephew, Kurt Etling of Gruver.
The family suggests memorials be to Gruver High School Alumni Scholarship Fund, in care of Gruver Independent School District, P.O. Box 650, Gruver, TX 79040
Amarillo Globe-News, April 8, 2012
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in First Baptist Church in Gruver with the Rev. Scott Curry officiating. Burial will be in Gruver Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home of Spearman.
Bill was born Jan. 9, 1915, in Lewis, Kan. He came to Hansford County in 1917 at the age of 2. They moved to the "home place," two miles south of the Oklahoma line, near Hitchland. He attended McBride School, 11 miles north of Gruver. He rode in a buggy or walked three miles before he was allowed to ride a horse to school. When his brother, Glendon "Buddy" Etling started school, their father bought a buggy for their transportation.
Bill attended McBride School through two years of high school and then transferred to Gruver after the two schoools were consolidated. He finished high schoool in 1931 at the age of 16. There were five in his class — the second graduating class of Gruver High School. After staying home a year, he attended Panhandle A&M College in Goodwell, graduating in 1936 with a degree
in economics. He married Maurine "Pinkie" DeBerry in 1937.
At age 27, he bought his first farm north of Gruver, which he always called "the poor farm." In the 1950s,
he started Etling Inc., the ammonia fertilizer business, and later sold it; the business became North Plains Chemicals.
Also in the 1950s, he bought an elevator in Bernstein and later purchased the Hitch Grain Elevator in Bernstein. He served on the Gruver School Board for
15 years, during which time his three children, Janice, Jim and Mary graduated from GHS. He served as president of the school board for 12 years, and as president, he signed all three of their diplomas. He was also treasurer of First Baptist Church for four years, member of the Hansford County Hospital district board and a trustee of the Gruver Cemetery board.
Bill continued to live in the home he and Pinkie built in 1965 until February 2012, when he went to Hansford Manor in Spearman. During the years since Pinkie died in 1983, he had very special caretakers. Kurt Etling, his nephew, was his business manager for 11 years. The family also would like to express gratitude to Sandi Foster, Gloria Perez, Virginia Taylor, Denis Rojas, Victoria Scroggins and others for
providing care and companionship during those years.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William F.C. Etling and Minda Etling; his wife, Maurine; and a brother, Glendon Etling.
Survivors include two daughters, Janice Adams and husband Robert of Gruver and Mary Batzel and husband Joe of Arlington; a son, Jim Etling and wife Judy of Newcastle; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a nephew, Kurt Etling of Gruver.
The family suggests memorials be to Gruver High School Alumni Scholarship Fund, in care of Gruver Independent School District, P.O. Box 650, Gruver, TX 79040
Amarillo Globe-News, April 8, 2012
GRUVER — William F.D. "Bill" Etling, 97, of Gruver died Friday, April 6, 2012.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in First Baptist Church in Gruver with the Rev. Scott Curry officiating. Burial will be in Gruver Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home of Spearman.
Bill was born Jan. 9, 1915, in Lewis, Kan. He came to Hansford County in 1917 at the age of 2. They moved to the "home place," two miles south of the Oklahoma line, near Hitchland. He attended McBride School, 11 miles north of Gruver. He rode in a buggy or walked three miles before he was allowed to ride a horse to school. When his brother, Glendon "Buddy" Etling started school, their father bought a buggy for their transportation.
Bill attended McBride School through two years of high school and then transferred to Gruver after the two schoools were consolidated. He finished high schoool in 1931 at the age of 16. There were five in his class — the second graduating class of Gruver High School. After staying home a year, he attended Panhandle A&M College in Goodwell, graduating in 1936 with a degree
in economics. He married Maurine "Pinkie" DeBerry in 1937.
At age 27, he bought his first farm north of Gruver, which he always called "the poor farm." In the 1950s,
he started Etling Inc., the ammonia fertilizer business, and later sold it; the business became North Plains Chemicals.
Also in the 1950s, he bought an elevator in Bernstein and later purchased the Hitch Grain Elevator in Bernstein. He served on the Gruver School Board for
15 years, during which time his three children, Janice, Jim and Mary graduated from GHS. He served as president of the school board for 12 years, and as president, he signed all three of their diplomas. He was also treasurer of First Baptist Church for four years, member of the Hansford County Hospital district board and a trustee of the Gruver Cemetery board.
Bill continued to live in the home he and Pinkie built in 1965 until February 2012, when he went to Hansford Manor in Spearman. During the years since Pinkie died in 1983, he had very special caretakers. Kurt Etling, his nephew, was his business manager for 11 years. The family also would like to express gratitude to Sandi Foster, Gloria Perez, Virginia Taylor, Denis Rojas, Victoria Scroggins and others for
providing care and companionship during those years.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William F.C. Etling and Minda Etling; his wife, Maurine; and a brother, Glendon Etling.
Survivors include two daughters, Janice Adams and husband Robert of Gruver and Mary Batzel and husband Joe of Arlington; a son, Jim Etling and wife Judy of Newcastle; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a nephew, Kurt Etling of Gruver.
The family suggests memorials be to Gruver High School Alumni Scholarship Fund, in care of Gruver Independent School District, P.O. Box 650, Gruver, TX 79040
Amarillo Globe-News, April 8, 2012
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in First Baptist Church in Gruver with the Rev. Scott Curry officiating. Burial will be in Gruver Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home of Spearman.
Bill was born Jan. 9, 1915, in Lewis, Kan. He came to Hansford County in 1917 at the age of 2. They moved to the "home place," two miles south of the Oklahoma line, near Hitchland. He attended McBride School, 11 miles north of Gruver. He rode in a buggy or walked three miles before he was allowed to ride a horse to school. When his brother, Glendon "Buddy" Etling started school, their father bought a buggy for their transportation.
Bill attended McBride School through two years of high school and then transferred to Gruver after the two schoools were consolidated. He finished high schoool in 1931 at the age of 16. There were five in his class — the second graduating class of Gruver High School. After staying home a year, he attended Panhandle A&M College in Goodwell, graduating in 1936 with a degree
in economics. He married Maurine "Pinkie" DeBerry in 1937.
At age 27, he bought his first farm north of Gruver, which he always called "the poor farm." In the 1950s,
he started Etling Inc., the ammonia fertilizer business, and later sold it; the business became North Plains Chemicals.
Also in the 1950s, he bought an elevator in Bernstein and later purchased the Hitch Grain Elevator in Bernstein. He served on the Gruver School Board for
15 years, during which time his three children, Janice, Jim and Mary graduated from GHS. He served as president of the school board for 12 years, and as president, he signed all three of their diplomas. He was also treasurer of First Baptist Church for four years, member of the Hansford County Hospital district board and a trustee of the Gruver Cemetery board.
Bill continued to live in the home he and Pinkie built in 1965 until February 2012, when he went to Hansford Manor in Spearman. During the years since Pinkie died in 1983, he had very special caretakers. Kurt Etling, his nephew, was his business manager for 11 years. The family also would like to express gratitude to Sandi Foster, Gloria Perez, Virginia Taylor, Denis Rojas, Victoria Scroggins and others for
providing care and companionship during those years.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William F.C. Etling and Minda Etling; his wife, Maurine; and a brother, Glendon Etling.
Survivors include two daughters, Janice Adams and husband Robert of Gruver and Mary Batzel and husband Joe of Arlington; a son, Jim Etling and wife Judy of Newcastle; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a nephew, Kurt Etling of Gruver.
The family suggests memorials be to Gruver High School Alumni Scholarship Fund, in care of Gruver Independent School District, P.O. Box 650, Gruver, TX 79040
Amarillo Globe-News, April 8, 2012
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