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Roy McDaniel was my Daddy and one of the kindest, most gentle people I've ever known in my 70 years I am the youngest of 5 children and lived in Spur for about the first 6 years of my life. Of course that was the early years of WWII and Daddy worked on ranches around Spur..the Pitchforks, the 6's and Matadors. He last worked on the Swensons and because of ill health he moved to Abilene to live with his two daughters. Daddy stayed at the ranches during the week but he came to Spur and to the family on the weekends. He always took me to the picture show every Saturday, I believe the name was the Palace, and gave me money to buy some popcorn. He wouldn't go with me because I always wanted to see the show at least twice. They were usually Roy Rogers, or Gene Auntry..but I also remember Lash LaRue, and Jimmy Wakely, (I loved to hear him sing), as well as Red Ryder and Little Beaver, and Hopalong Cassidy. When I came out of the show, I could always find daddy on main street talking with one of the other men. I remember a Mr McArthur and a man named Mr Green. They would always give me some money to go to the Red Front Drug store to buy a "400". My sister, Eudell worked there for a Mr Hull. I can remember daddy carrying me home at night after we, (and most of the people living around Spur that came to town on Saturdays), and I was already so tall that my feet hit his kneesI can't remember it but I've been told that when Daddy came home from the ranch the first weekend after the war started. he came in the house and asked, "Sitter, who is this Pearl Harbor, I've been hearing about?" Well, we all came to know who Pearl Harbor was. All of the "boys" in our family went to war, and mama had a flag in the window with four stars on it. I was so scared all of the time and when I saw an airplane red light come over at night, I just knew they were about to bomb us. I jumped in my bed every night as high as I could, because I knew Hitler was under there. One time a military plane landed at the air strip at Spur to refuel and it crashed over a little hill just after he took off. I don't know why we were out there but my brother was there on leave from the Army and we all ran over there and the pilots were thrown out on the ground and were dead. It was a scene that made World War II even more frightening for me and one I still remember.
My goodness, I didn't intend to get started on all of this.. I just wanted everyone to know that my Daddy, was a real cowboy, a gentleman and the best daddy that ever slept out in the backyard with me under his tarp at night and pointed out the big and little dippers to me. What a fine man he was and I have loved him and missed him every day of my life. I'll be so happy to see him again one of these days.
Pat Addison, his baby daughterRoy McDaniel and Abb Smith
Roy Asburn McDaniel, who came to Dickens Co. in 1906, was buried January 25 in Spur Cemetery.Rev. Cal Wright, Pastor of the First Methodist Church officiated. McDaniel was 67 years old.
Survivors include two sons, Howard of Midland, and R.T. of Odessa; 3 daughters, Mrs. George Murphy, Ft. Worth, Mrs. Eudell Bankston, Abilene; and Miss Pattie Jo McDaniel, Abilene; 2 brothers, C.C. McDaniel, Lubbock; and B.W. McDaniel, Quanah; one sister, Mrs. Homer Garrett, Mel Rose, CO. Pallbearers were Glen Smith, Billy Smith, J.C. Cornelius, Abb Smith, Billy Myers and C.H. Brown.
©The Texas Spur, February 6, 1958
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