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World War I Veteran
John Willard Nay, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota January 20, 1900, was raised in Morgan Park, a suburb of Chicago and educated at the University of Illinois. John's father was Vice-president of Rock Island Railroad and travel was a favorite pastime for that family. The Nay family were all talented musically and the "Nay Family Orchestra" performed many times at the Morgan Park Methodist Church. John played in college dance band directed by one of his Delta Phi Fraternity brothers, and in his junior year, left school to travel with a dance band. He played with the theatre bands in California before the "talkies" came into being.
John's life has been so rich in many vocations and avocations. He owned a chicken ranch in California, a citrus ranch in Arizona, was music director at a boys' correctional school in Arizona, band director in several high schools, directed the Gainesville Circus Band when that circus was in existence before WWII. After 21 years he returned to school and received his B.A. degree in accounting from Centenary College in Louisiana in 1939. He worked in the California shipyards during WWII, and after determining that he was not going to make "the Big Bands," took a job with REA in New Mexico, and in 1953 moved to Floydada as office manager for Lighthouse Electric. "That's where my life really began", John says. "I found the Lord and Lillian".
Lillian Grace Dickson was born at the Experiment Station in Spur, June 27, 1921 to Ray E. and Lillian Grace Dickson. I weighed in at 2 1/2 pounds, but have definitely been able to overcome that problem! A 1939 graduate of Spur High School, I attended TCU and the University of Texas as a piano major, taught music for 35 years, and am presently in charge of the Spur High School library. My association with young people for over 40 years has been great fun. I love my jobs as corresponding secretary for the Ex-Students, Margaret A. Elliot Museum and the Spur Memorial Cemetery and enjoy sharing news from former students with subscribers to the Texas Spur through the "Newsletter". It was a very special honor to be chosen "Outstanding Ex" in 1984 and to have the 1985 La Espuela dedicated to me by that annual staff. John and I are both honorary members of the National Honor Society, and I was chosen "Woman of the Year" by the VFW in 1973. (Of course I love this town!!!) John and I married in 1956 and moved to Livingston, Texas where we spent twelve wonderful years. We have five children: my two: Ray Hilley and Martha Hilley. Ray and Jo live in Jasper, Texas with my only grandson, Ray Dickson Hilley, born in 1976. Martha is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Texas at Austin. John's three children are: Jacqueline Rutherford of Riverside, California, Rosemary Reay of Rimrock, Arizona, and John, Jr. of Deming, NM. John, Sr. has 10 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
John served as supply pastor in Methodism for several years while living in East Texas. He taught a Sunday School Class, directed the Chancel and Youth Choirs in Livingston prior to that. When we moved to Spur in 1969 he joined the First Christian Church with me and supplied that church as pastor for eight years. We now attend the First United Methodist Church where I am pianist and John sings in the choir. He has been active in Lions Club, Little League, Boy Scouts and is an avid sports fan. He served Dickens County as Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3 for 12 years, and is a beloved and respected Dickens Countian.
Written by: Lillian Grace Nay
SPUR(Special) — Services for John W. Nay, 86, of Spur will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in first United Methodist Church with the Rev. George Price, pastor, officiating.
He will be assisted by the Rev. Archie Echols, pastor of Friona First United Methodist Church.
Burial will be in Spur Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Campbell Funeral Home.
He died at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday in Lubbock's St. Mary's Hospital after a lengthy illness.
He was born in Minneapolis, Minn. and had lived in Spur since 1969. He was a graduate of Centenary College in Shreveport, LA. He was a retired band director and accountant. He was Dickens County Justice of the Peace for 12 years. He was a former pastor of First Christian Church and McAdoo Methodist Church. He was active in the Spur Lions Club, the local Boy's Scout troop, the Little League Baseball Association, the Spur Senior Citizen's Association and the American Association of Retired Persons chapter. He was conductor of the Spur Community Bank. He was a veteran of World War I. He married Lillian Grace Dickson April 14, 1956, in Floydada.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, John Jr. of Deming, NM; Eddie Hilley of Jasper; three daughters, Jackie Rutherford of Riverside, CA; Rose Mary Reay of Rimrock, AZ; Martha Hilley of Austin; 19 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.
The family suggests memorials to the Spur EMS Heart Monitor Fund.
©Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Friday, August 22, 1986
from the records of Lillian Grace Nay
This world lost one of its best - Lillian Grace Nay died on Tuesday, September 20. She was born to R.E. and Lillian Dickson on June 27, 1921 in Spur, Texas. Lillian was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Hen, her husband and partner in all that was good, John and her darling son, Eddie Hilley.
She is survived by her daughter Martha Hilley of Austin, daughter-in-law Jo Hilley of Jasper, grandson Ray Dickson Hilley of Dallas and a host of loving friends spread all over this country.
For thirty-five years, "Miz Nay" taught music to students from Spur to Crosbyton in Livington, to Coldspring and many points in between. Her ability to instill a love for music in her students made her irreplaceable in the hearts and minds of many, many who worked with her. She was a Spur ISD library aide from 1979 to 1981. She was Executive Secretary of the Spur Ex-Students Association for over twenty years. Her sincere love for and dedication to her hometown and those who had been a part of it made her a legend in her time.
L.G., as she was known to many, had an uncanny ability to collect people. If you met her, you had no choice but to become a part of her life. She was an avid bridge player and will be missed by her many buddies. She threw the best holiday open house in the state of Texas and will be missed by the many, many people who enjoyed her vitality and hospitality.
We will forever be indebted to Dr. Kenneth Knoll, Dr. Lloyd Berg and the marvelous staff of Seton Medical Center. You truly wrapped her in your loving care. Very special thanks and love to Ginny Go, Jim Jones, Kathy Reynolds, Sue Colburn and Lucy Dushay.
Services will be in Spur, Texas on Saturday, September 24, 4:00 P.M. at the First United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in the Spur Cemetery. A celebration of Mother's life will be held in Austin at a future date.
Donations may be sent to Hospice Austin, The Spur Cemetery Association at PO Box 111, Spur, Texas, 79370, First United Methodist Church of Spur, or the charity of the donor's choice.
©The Texas Spur, Thursday, September 22, 2005
Transcribed by Linda Fox Hughes
© Dickens County Historical Commission 1997-2022
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