Fred Harrelson, Jr.

Fred Harrelson Jr., born November 26, 1926, (99 in just a few weeks).

Fred passed away on Friday, September 19, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.

Fred was born in Winthrop, Arkansas on the family farm. When the depression started in 1929 times were tough. The banks went broke and they lost all their money. His dad told all the farm hands that he couldn't pay them but he would feed them if they wanted to stay. They all stayed because times were tough everywhere and farming was essential to feed and clothe the people of America. Everyone had hope that times would get better.

When Fred was 5 years old, he started to work milking cows with his 2 sisters before and after school. His family sold cream and butter to help buy school shoes. One pair of shoes and that was all they could afford.

The family farm involved every member of the family. Fred and his sisters, as well as other children with family farms, often had to leave school early in May to plant cotton and delay their start to school in August so they could pick cotton. Fred loved school and loved his teachers. He wanted to be at school every day, but farming was something he had to help with.

In high school Fred was an exceptional quarterback and athlete. In 1943, Fred had enough credits to graduate high school in December. The football coach at the University of Arkansas offered him a scholarship to play Razorback football the next fall. Fred stated that his childhood was so tough farming, going to school, and never having any money or anything he was ready to go to the service to try to make things better. He always believed those hard times had to get better.

Fred volunteered to join the United Stated Air Corps at 17 years old. He was an airplane mechanic during World War II and spent two and a half years in Germany. He was a witness to the biggest and deadliest war in history. When World War II was over in 1945, he was sent home to go back to the family farm because he was the only son in his family. The government needed their own farmers to feed and clothe the people of America.

Fred returned to the family farm and was in the Army Reserves until July 1950 when he was called back for the war with Korea as a Sargent, Fred served in Korea as a medic until 1952. After the war, he was sent back home to farm and married his wife Patricia in 1953.

Due to the Dust Bowl and drought, the family farm could not produce any crops and there was no money. Fred moved to McCamey, Texas to work for Shell Oil. Fred and his wife Pat put down roots in Crane in 1955. Pat taught at Crane Elementary School for 38 years. Fred has started and grown in the cattle, sheep, and goat industry in West Texas. Fred has helped feed and clothe America for 94 years. He was currently the oldest rancher in Crane County and one of the oldest ranchers in Texas.

Fred wanted all the young people to know that freedom is not free.

He was preceded in death by his parents. Fred and Eitha Harrelson; his wife, Patricia Harrelson; and two sisters, Mona Abney and Wanda Cowling.

He is survived by his daughter Deborah Taylor and her husband Randall of Whitney, TX; his son, Kim Harrelson and his wife Laurie of Crane; grandchildren, Kyndall Easterling, Hannah Davis and her husband Cody, Cody Bob Harrelson and his fiancé Adriana, and Sarah Roark and her husband Kyle; great grandchildren, Willa, Salem, Xavier, Xander, Lennon, and Sophia; as well as two nieces and one nephew.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at the First Methodist Church in Crane with burial to follow in the Crane County Cemetery.