MEMPHIS - Zebbie Lee Land, 83, died Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009.
Memorial celebration of life services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Randy Land, his son and pastor of First Baptist Church in Brownfield, the Rev. Jonathan Land, his grandson and pastor of First Baptist Church in Groom, Dr. O.K. Bowen of Amarillo, former pastor of First Baptist Church in Memphis, and the Rev. Daniel Downey, current pastor of First Baptist Church in Memphis, officiating. Burial will be in Rowe Cemetery in Hedley by Hughs Funeral Home of Memphis.

Zebbie was born Oct. 4, 1925, in Hedley to L.Z. and Ruth Land. He served his country in the U.S. Army during World War II on the Pacific front. He was a well-known restaurateur, caterer, inventor and entrepreneur. He also served as minister of music for numerous churches in cities throughout Texas including Marshall, Pampa, Amarillo and Memphis and Liberal, Kan.

Zebbie was most renowned for his famous Zebbie's Bar-B-Que restaurants in Pampa, Perryton, Dumas, Shamrock, Amarillo and Memphis and catered to events all across the Southwest. He also established Zebbie's Inc. which was famous for his Zebbie's Onion Ring Mix and other batter mixes, which won three gold medals at the International Food Show in Rome. They were packaged and sold all across the United States, in all military

commissaries and exported to Japan and the Far East.

In his later years, he founded, along with younger son, Reg Land, The Land Co. and Faux Pauts located in Memphis and Dallas. There, they designed and built finely crafted, hand made and hand-painted furniture.

He was a very generous man and truly a servant who lived out the biblical instruction of Christ in Matthew 25: "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." He found no greater joy than meeting the needs of another person in need.

Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Ruth; three sons, Rick Land of Amarillo, the Rev. Randy Land and wife Candy of Brownfield and Reg Land of Dallas; a daughter-in-law, Jan Bruton Land of Dallas; two grandsons, Randall Zebulon "Zeb" Land and wife Casci of Justin and Jonathan Land and wife Shelby of Grooms; two great-grandchildren, Cayde Ward and Hadlee Land, both of Justin; a brother and sister-in-law, John and Lee Bond of Shamrock; two sisters-in-law, Jerrie Land of Clarendon and Charly Ruth Bond of Prescott, Ariz.; numerous nieces and nephews; and a whole host of well-fed and satisfied friends, family, church members and customers.

The family suggests memorials be to First Baptist Church, 121 S. Eighth St., Memphis, TX 79245; or the Stell Scholarship Fund, First Baptist Church, 219 W. Main St., Brownfield, TX 79316.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Sign the online guest book at www.hughsfuneralhome.com.

Amarillo Globe-News, Jan. 30, 2009