Roll Call Tribute

Robert Peyton Ramey 

October 26, 1929 - March 5, 2024 

Funeral services for Peyton Ramey will be held at the First Baptist Church of Quanah, Texas at 2 PM Monday, March 11, 2024. Burial will follow at Quanah Memorial Park Cemetery.

Peyton Ramey was the oldest of three children born to Sank and Mildred Ramey of Hereford, Texas on October 26, 1929. He was a whiz at figuring out all things mechanical and while still in high school, he worked for Will S. Kerr driving trucks and picking up equipment with the Kerr brothers, whom he considered family. Peyton graduated from Hereford High School in 1947. Along with many of his beloved classmates, he left Hereford after high school to attend Texas A&M University where he majored in Agronomy and minored in Animal Husbandry.

During his stay at A&M, the war in Korea began, Peyton enlisted and soon he found himself running a bulldozer in the frozen tundra in the middle of the night for the Army. His troop was responsible for rebuilding an airstrip nightly for large planes to land and refuel as the war pushed north. Upon his return, he was awarded the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, the UN Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.

After the war, he returned to College Station and finished his degree in 1956. Soon after, he went to work for the State of Texas where he was responsible for measuring grain elevators in the Texas Panhandle. Always a daredevil and conversationalist, this job suited him well.

A bachelor well into his thirties, Peyton met his match and the love of his life, Jeanette Cook in Plainview. He knew she was the one when she didn’t run after seeing his living room littered with guns in various stages of assembly and a full-scale reloading operation in the kitchen. They married on June 26, 1966, and eventually made their home in Farwell, Texas while he worked at his first position as a seed breeder in Texico, New Mexico.

They happily became parents after adopting Katie in October of 1968 and Don in February of 1971. Soon after, he was able to return to Hereford when he came to work as a research agronomist at WAC seed company. He travelled from Nebraska to Costa Rica planting, harvesting, and analyzing seed yield for the cattle industry. He was a brilliant seed breeder who became well known specifically for his knowledge of cross-pollinating sorghum and corn. The seed company was a family of kind and generous people who bonded over the business of agronomy. For his children, the soda machine and the conveyor belt were specific joyful experiences in their many trips to their dad’s place of work.

Peyton loved gardening and always had a bountiful harvest of multiple types of vegetables and peppers of all kinds, many of which he procured the seed for in his travels. Additionally, he always had a random crop to plant, just to see what would happen. One of the most memorable was an African gourd that trailed halfway down the alley and produced so many inedible gourds that no one knew what to do with them. He kept a beautiful yard filled with cherry trees, hibiscus, and the most gorgeous peonies around.

Peyton was an avid bird hunter, fisherman and gunsmith. He made his way to Hardeman County as often as possible to run his beloved bird dogs, fish and hunt whatever bird was in season. One Christmas Eve, he ventured out for his evening duck hunt and after two shots of his gun, returned with over 20 birds that he, Jeanette and Letha Cook stayed up cleaning late into the night. He enjoyed sharing his passions and knowledge with anyone that was interested. He loved the annual family camping and fishing trip to Colorado and shared his contagious love for the mountains and streams of New Mexico and Colorado with his children.

While living in Hereford, he was generous with his time in the community. He was a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church of Hereford. Additionally, he was a member of Elks Lodge #2269. The lodge was involved in various community service projects and the annual Muscular Dystrophy telethon, and he was always a key member of the group. One of the things he enjoyed most was calling bingo on Friday night. With his big booming voice and sense of humor and bravado, a good time was had by all, especially him. In the 80s, he and Jeanette joined the Merry Mixers Square Dance club and danced their Thursday nights away. Her in her fluffy red skirts and him in his signature cowboy boots and bolo tie. They had a ball.

In 1994, Peyton retired from the seed business and he and Jeanette moved to Quanah where he was able to pursue a lifelong dream of ranching and farming his own land. He was as serious about the business of the farm as he was about his career in the seed business. He loved driving the tractor and taking care of his cows well into his 80s and he worried Jeanette sick spending hours on end in the hot Texas sun.

While living in Quanah he was a member of the Quanah Masonic Lodge #689. He was entered apprentice in 2000, passed to Fellowcraft in 2001, and raised a Master Mason later in 2001. He held the elected offices of Junior Warden in 2001, Senior Warden in 2002 and Worshipful Master in 2003. Additionally, he was appointed to Tiler in 2004 and 2017 and was appointed the Marshal in 2021 and 2022. For the Grand Lodge of Texas, he held the office of District Deputy Grand Master of Masonic District #90 from 2004-2005.

Peyton was a member of the First Baptist Church of Quanah. He and Jeanette continued to square dance and were members of the Vernon Travelers. They also supported the efforts of Copper Breaks State Park where they were members of the Quahadi Society. As a Master Gardener, he cultivated bluebonnets seeds and worked to establish roadside wildflowers for the travelers of highway 287 to enjoy.

Peyton enjoyed traveling with Jeanette to visit his children, extended family, and friends all over the country. He especially enjoyed the mountains and returned as often as possible. Peyton was the proud grandfather of grandsons Donovan Peyton Ramey, Mason James Ramey, and granddaughter Ruby Peyton Ramey.

His is preceded in death by his parents and siblings Martisha White and Jack Ramey and his beloved wife, Jeanette. He is survived by his children, Katie Ramey of Dallas, Don of Dillon, Colorado and their families, his brother’s wife, Linda Ramey, her sons Kenny and Kevin Ramey, their families and niece, Mandy Bray and her family.

Family visitation will be held Sunday March 10, 2024 from 6-8 PM at Smith Funeral Home in Quanah, Texas.