Veteran World War II Army Air Corps
John Harrison Montgomery, Jr., 85, of the Espuela Community near Spur, passed away Sunday, November 30, 2008 at Lubbock Heart Hospital. A Celebration of Life service will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at the First United Methodist Church in Spur. The Reverend Larry Burton will officiate, assisted by Eric Swenson. John has donated his body to the Texas Tech University School of Medicine.
John was born February 3, 1923 in Jayton to John H. and Ida Montgomery. He was a graduate of Jayton High School, Tarleton State College, and Texas Tech with a degree in Animal Husbandry. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. He earned six campaign medals as a member of the 9th Air Force, supporting General Patton's army from Normandy to Germany.
He taught classes after WWII at the Veterans' Vocational School in Spur. John was a rancher in Kent County and served for a number of years as Secretary of the National Anxiety 4th Hereford Breeders Association. He was the only Kent County Judge to preside in both the Clairemont and Jayton courthouses in the 1950s.
He and the former Mary Pauline (Karr) Collett of Spur were married on January 2, 1952 at the home of Jim and Nora Barron on the Spur Headquarters Ranch, and resided for many years in Jayton.
From 1971 to 1994, John and Polly resided in Town Creek and Decatur, Ala. During that period, John became an accomplished woodworker.
He obtained his real estate agent and broker licenses and became an auctioneer. In 1994 the Montgomerys returned to Texas, to the home in the Espuela Community where Polly was born. In recent years he took great pride in the restoration and care of the Espuela Cemetery near their home.
John was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, James Bryan Montgomery; and his son-by-marriage, Toby Collett.
Survivors are his wife, Polly; daughter-by-marriage, Colette Collett Lauderdale (Mack) of Lubbock; grandchildren, Mike Collett (Teresa) of Hamilton, Connie Moore (Marc) of Virginia, Christy Rogoski (Adam) of Mingus, Cathy Hensley (Curtis) of San Angelo, Stacy Jeffreys of Alabama, and Lt. Col. Stephen Davis (Robyn) of Alabama. Also surviving are 16 great-grandchildren; 15 great-great grandchildren; nieces and nephews, Mark Montgomery (Sandy) of Dallas, Meg Moring (Bruce) of Georgetown, and Jeb Montgomery (Kristy) of Baytown; one great-nephew and one great-niece.
John was a kind and compassionate man and a wonderful loving husband, father, and grandfather. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
The family wishes to express heartfelt thanks for the loving and compassionate care given to John and the family by the Dickens County EMS staff, Dr. Joseph Rizzo, and the Lubbock Heart Hospital staff.
Memorials are suggested to the Espuela Cemetery Association, 850 N. FM 1868, Spur, Tx 79370, or to the First United Methodist Church, PO Box 415, Spur, Tx 79370.
Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Monday, December 1, 2008
Our beloved mother, grandmother, and aunt passed from this life on Friday, February 12, 2016 at the age of 102 years, 11 months, and 4 days. Polly was born on March 8, 1913 at the home of her parents, John Luther and Lula Catherine Puckett Karr, in Dickens County, Texas. Their farm was located on the original town site of Espuela, the first county seat of Dickens County. She was the fifth of eight children born to the Karrs and, at 102+ years, the longest-living of her parents and siblings.
Celebration of Life service for Polly will be held on February 15th, 1:00 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Spur, Texas, with interment in the Espuela Cemetery on FM Road 1868.
Polly attended a one-room school in the Espuela community and graduated from Spur High School, where she was a member of the Ukulele Club. She talked about riding in an open plane at age 17 and getting the pilot to do �Loop-de-Loops�. After graduation, she married Morris Hamilton Collett and to this union were born her son, Morris Hamilton �Toby� Collett, Jr. and daughter, Colette Collett. Polly worked at the Lubbock Army Air Field (in later years Reese Air Force Base) during World War II as part of the airplane reclamation team. She also worked for Agnes Mars, Home Demonstration Agent in Dickens County and in Tyler, Texas. Upon returning to Spur after World War II, she worked at the Veterans� Vocational School in Spur where she met John H. Montgomery, Jr. of Jayton, Texas, who was an instructor and later the Superintendent of that school. In 1952, Polly and John were married and made their home in Jayton. John was Secretary of The National Anxiety 4th Hereford Association and they traveled extensively in that regard. During this time, Polly was a homemaker and hostess to many visiting ranchers and their wives. She was a member of the Jayton Culture Club, enjoyed playing bridge and canasta, and carpooled with friends to attend Texas Tech University for a time. She was a member of the Methodist Church for many years, and had been a member of the First United Methodist Church of Spur since 1994. From 1971 to 1994 the Montgomerys resided in Town Creek and Decatur, Alabama. In her late 60�s, Polly was enjoying canoeing through the Bankhead Forest in Alabama with her husband, daughter, son-in-law, and grandson Stephen, fishing and sightseeing when her son and his family visited from Texas, and attempting to water ski for the first time on the Tennessee River. She lived through World War I, the Dust Bowl, and World War II as well as other wars and exciting worldwide changes since then.
During the latter part of their years in Alabama, Polly longed to return to her family farm in Dickens County, Texas, where there were no trees to obstruct her view of the countryside. When she did make it back in 1994 she described it as being in paradise � except for the duties of cooking and cleaning. At the age of 97, she left her beloved farm and moved into an apartment at the Ventura Place Retirement Home in Lubbock, where she leaves behind precious friends.
Polly is survived by her daughter, Colette Collett Lauderdale (Mack), Grandchildren: Michael Ray Collett (Teresa), Christy Marie Collett, Cathy Collett Hensley (Curtis) all of Texas, Connie Collett Moore (Marc) of Florida, Stacy Davis Bannister (Mike) and Stephen Montgomery Davis (Robyn) all of Alabama, 16 great grandchildren, and 23 great great grandchildren. She is also survived by nieces Jean Karr North (William), Jane Karr Koonsman (John L.), Paulita Karr Green, Kay Karr Moore, Sandy Karr Morgan (David), and Brenda Karr.
She was preceded in death by her husband, son, daughter-in-law Mary Stark Collett, parents, brothers Hubert, Harold, Guy, and Ray Karr, sister Opal Kerley, and infant sisters Velta Fay and Nelta May.
The family suggests memorials to the Espuela Cemetery, 9306 Detroit Ave., Lubbock, Texas 79423 or First United Methodist Church of Spur in lieu of flowers.
©Obituary courtesy of Zapata Funeral Home, Spur, Texas
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