Samuel Sidney “Ted” Harper passed away on July 14, 2013 after a rich and rewarding life of 98 years. Born May 17, 1915 to Rollie Dunlap Harper and Flora Ella Fisher in Rio Frio, Texas, he was the last living of their six children.
Ted Harper
Services for Ted Harper will be at 10am today, Thursday, July 18 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where he served 29 years as Bishop’s Warden, with burial to follow at the Carrizal Ranch.
Ted came to West Texas in 1935 when his father bought the Carrizal Ranch south of Marfa. He quickly fell in love with the land and a neighboring cowgirl. He married Frances Greenwood on September 18, 1936 and they began their 77 years together at Cienega Mountain. During that time they would acquire the roughly 30,000 acres of ranchland that would be their life and home. There they raised cattle, Palomino horses and two daughters, Tana and Amy, who would become widely acknowledged as two of the best cowgirls around. Their success in the rodeo arena brought exposure to the horses and Ted and Frances sold their Palominos in as faraway places as Pennsylvania, Mexico City, Monterrey and the Philippines.
Ted Harper as a young rancher.
Ted Harper exhibits his horsemanship skills.
Horses were Ted’s passion and he loved everything about them – breaking, training, even shoeing them. A true cowboy and horseman, most of his days were spent horseback. He carried a firm belief that wet saddle blankets made the best horses and horseshoes were cheaper than tires. He was a religious man with little use for money, a dry wit, a hint of stubbornness, a true zest for life and love for his family.
He is survived by his wife, Frances; his daughter, Tana Surratt; three grandsons, Cleat Stephens and wife Cami, Sandy Stephens and wife Diane, Sam Stephens and wife Angela; three granddaughters, Amy Weyerts and husband Robert, Mya Craven and husband Kelly, Tana Dumas and husband Mike; 10 great-grandchildren and many great friends, including Manuela Garcia, Adela Hernandez and Elias Paz.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Amy Harper Stephens, and his son-in-law, Johnny Surratt.
Pallbearers are Cleat Stephens, Sandy Stephens, Sam Stephens, Roberts Weyerts, Kelly Craven, Mike Dumas, Cody Everett and Elias Paz.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church or the Presidio County Ag Building Fund.