Clay Addison Adams Obituary

From the Ozona Stockman:

"Clay Adams Dies Of Heart Attack Early Wednesday"

Funeral Services Set For 5 p.m. Today at the Methodist Church

Friends here and throughout West Texas were shocked Wednesday to learn of the sudden death at about 2:30 Wednesday morning (August 7, 1957) of Clay Adams, 55, prominent Crockett, Pecos and Val Verde county ranchman, and member of a pioneer West Texas ranch family.

Mr. Adams, who had been in apparent good health, suffered a heart attack at around midnight Tuesday night.  Mrs. Adams summoned a physician and after emergency treatment in the home Mr. Adams was removed to the Crockett County Hospital where he died at 2:30 when another attack struck.

Funeral services will be held at 5 o'clock this afternoon from the Ozona Methodist Church, with the Rev. Leroy Russell, pastor, officiating.  Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery, with Cody Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Pallbearers will be Jack Neill, Sonora; Sid Slaughter, San Angelo; Frank Meadows, San Angelo; Buster Holland, Silver City, N.M.; and Boy Clayton, Rufus Ward, Albert Bailey, Sherman Taylor and Charlie Black, all of Ozona.

Born in Christoval Jan. 7, 1902, Mr. Adams had been a resident of Ozona since 1914 except for a time when he was ranching in Pecos county near Fort Stockton and on another of his holdings in the Pumpville area.  At the time of his death he was operating ranches in the south part of Crockett county and the Pumpville and Pecos county places while making his home in Ozona.

A son of the late W. A. Adams and Mrs. Adams (Della Sims), he moved here with his family from Schleicher county where the elder Adams was ranching before acquiring ranch lands in Crockett County.  He was married June 6, 1928, to Miss Emma Phillips, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Byrd Phillips, pioneer Crockett county ranch family.

Soon after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Adams moved to the Pecos county ranch where they lived until 1935, moving then for a time to the Pumpville ranch and later buying a home in Ozona where they have lived since.

Surviving are the widow, two daughters, Jane Adams, a student in Southern Methodist University, and Camile, Ozona High School student, and his mother Mrs. W. A. Adams of Fort Stockton.

Victim of a heart condition for a number of years, Mr. Adams had delegated ranch chores to employees and devoted himself to supervision and to the development of entertaining hobbies.  A talented artist with the pencil and brush, he developed in recent years a new avenue of expression for his artistic talents in the field of wood carving.  A lifetime of associations in the ranching industry, his creations naturally turned to that field and many friends were grateful recipients of artistic creations in wood of familiar ranch figures, cowboys, horses, chuck wagons, cows, etc.  A typical early west camp scene, with all figures, chuck wagon camp utensils, corrals, etc. carved from wood, made an interesting Christmas display in the window of a downtown business house here last year."

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