1950
Ronald
2014
Ronald Edward Ryder
September 2, 1950 — March 2, 2014
Ronald Edward Ryder 63, passed away on Sunday, March 2, at his home outside of Happy.
Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., on Friday, March 7, at First United Methodist Church in Happy with Rev. Tom Stribling officiating. Burial will be at Happy Cemetery. Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home 4100 S. Georgia St.
Ronald was born on September 2, 1950 in Dumas, to Roland Edward and Fern Marie Ryder. He married Leesa Cherry on March 5, 1994 in Hartley. Those that knew him, knew him as Rohn. After graduating from Dumas High School in 1969, he enlisted in the Army. He was in Special Forces with 82nd Airborne. He was a paratrooper and loved jumping out of airplanes, serving his country in Vietnam. After being wounded and not allowed to return to the battle fields he became jumpmaster at Fort Bragg, North Carolina as an instructor of paratroopers. Rohn was honorably discharged in 1974, and soon attended Saddle making school at TSTI, simply to learn for his own benefit; however he began to build for the public. He was a man of many talents, he shoed horses, and briefly lived in Hawaii where Rohn did all manners of leather work, including bikini making. Rohn moved back to the main land and he worked all over the Panhandle in various feedyards, he was a calf roper, team roper, steer tripper, and worked outside wheat pasture cattle for various cattlemen, even running a ranch in Wilson, Texas. Rohn had also hauled cattle for IBP, eventually owning his own truck. One job Rohn dearly loved was working at Amarillo Livestock Auction in its hayday. He and his family moved to Happy in 2008, where he worked for a local feed yard and then Tulia Livestock Auction.
He lived life fully, with no regrets; he loved his family, friends and making people laugh and smile. Once he got going with one of his stories or yarns you were immediately captivated. You couldn’t go anywhere that someone hadn’t known Rohn or heard about him. He was loved by many and a stranger to few. There is really no way to sum this man up; he was just bigger than life itself.
He was preceded in death by his father, and a brother Dennis.
He is survived by his wife; 3 daughters, Kari Ryder of Texas, Veronica Ryder and Nicole Barnett of Amarillo; 2 sons, Buster and Donald Ryder of Happy; 2 Grandsons, Eathen and Logan Barnett of Amarillo; his mother Fern Graham and brother Bill Graham of Lebanon, Mo.; close friends Clint Whatley, Danny Lance and a host of others. As well as a host of kids that he took under his wings over the years, teaching saddle making, horsemanship and life skills. They are Cameron Burrus, Russell Gates and wife Jamie, Kyler and Tristan Frey, Remington Smith and many others, including his extra grandkids. Along with his children, they are all a tribute to him and the things he taught them.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that contributions or donations be made to Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675 or The Veterans Home at Thomas E. Creek Veterans Hospital, 6010 W Amarillo Blvd, Amarillo, TX 79106.
Family will receive guests from 6-7pm on Thursday at the Schooler Funeral Home.
Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., on Friday, March 7, at First United Methodist Church in Happy with Rev. Tom Stribling officiating. Burial will be at Happy Cemetery. Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home 4100 S. Georgia St.
Ronald was born on September 2, 1950 in Dumas, to Roland Edward and Fern Marie Ryder. He married Leesa Cherry on March 5, 1994 in Hartley. Those that knew him, knew him as Rohn. After graduating from Dumas High School in 1969, he enlisted in the Army. He was in Special Forces with 82nd Airborne. He was a paratrooper and loved jumping out of airplanes, serving his country in Vietnam. After being wounded and not allowed to return to the battle fields he became jumpmaster at Fort Bragg, North Carolina as an instructor of paratroopers. Rohn was honorably discharged in 1974, and soon attended Saddle making school at TSTI, simply to learn for his own benefit; however he began to build for the public. He was a man of many talents, he shoed horses, and briefly lived in Hawaii where Rohn did all manners of leather work, including bikini making. Rohn moved back to the main land and he worked all over the Panhandle in various feedyards, he was a calf roper, team roper, steer tripper, and worked outside wheat pasture cattle for various cattlemen, even running a ranch in Wilson, Texas. Rohn had also hauled cattle for IBP, eventually owning his own truck. One job Rohn dearly loved was working at Amarillo Livestock Auction in its hayday. He and his family moved to Happy in 2008, where he worked for a local feed yard and then Tulia Livestock Auction.
He lived life fully, with no regrets; he loved his family, friends and making people laugh and smile. Once he got going with one of his stories or yarns you were immediately captivated. You couldn’t go anywhere that someone hadn’t known Rohn or heard about him. He was loved by many and a stranger to few. There is really no way to sum this man up; he was just bigger than life itself.
He was preceded in death by his father, and a brother Dennis.
He is survived by his wife; 3 daughters, Kari Ryder of Texas, Veronica Ryder and Nicole Barnett of Amarillo; 2 sons, Buster and Donald Ryder of Happy; 2 Grandsons, Eathen and Logan Barnett of Amarillo; his mother Fern Graham and brother Bill Graham of Lebanon, Mo.; close friends Clint Whatley, Danny Lance and a host of others. As well as a host of kids that he took under his wings over the years, teaching saddle making, horsemanship and life skills. They are Cameron Burrus, Russell Gates and wife Jamie, Kyler and Tristan Frey, Remington Smith and many others, including his extra grandkids. Along with his children, they are all a tribute to him and the things he taught them.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that contributions or donations be made to Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675 or The Veterans Home at Thomas E. Creek Veterans Hospital, 6010 W Amarillo Blvd, Amarillo, TX 79106.
Family will receive guests from 6-7pm on Thursday at the Schooler Funeral Home.
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