Milford D "Mickey" Powers

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” Milford D (Mickey) Powers of Sonora, age 77, died peacefully November 29, 2016 at Community Hospital, San Angelo, Texas, surrounded by his loving daughters. Mickey was born October 18, 1939 in Norton, Texas to Milford Louis and Eleanor Marzee (Williams) Powers. He lived in Norton and Winters until his mother died when Mickey was 5 years old. Mickey and his three siblings, Nancy, Jimmy, and Zane went to live with maternal grandparents, Fred and Vickie Williams in Lorraine, Texas. A year later they moved to a farm in Trent, Texas. Mickey attended school in Trent and assisted on his grandfather’s farm until he was 13 years old. Louis then moved his four children to Lakeview to live. In 1959 Mickey welcomed a second mom, Jayne, into his life. Two new sisters, Pam and Trina, later joined the family. Mickey’s summers were spent working for Jim Bob and Minnie Altizer and Bud and Blanche Smith of Del Rio and he became a loved member of their families. He improved his calf roping and bull dogging skills and had many fond memories and stories of times spent at the Altizer Ranch. Minnie, Blanche, and Ora Altizer Riggs became Mickey’s honorary mothers. Mickey also worked on ranches for Walt and Dink Wardlaw of Del Rio. In the summer of 1957 Mickey and his family moved to Sonora. Mickey graduated from Sonora High School in 1958, participating in basketball, track, and the Texas High School Rodeo Association. He attended San Angelo College, Sul Ross University, and Texas Tech University. While at Sul Ross and Texas Tech, Mickey was on the college rodeo teams, working four events…calf roping, ribbon roping, bull dogging, and bull riding. His Sul Ross team qualified for the College National Finals in San Francisco, California. He won the Texas Tech Bull Riding in 1963. Mickey married Claire Jones in 1963 and moved to Sonora in 1964 to begin ranching. He was a ranch foreman for Alice Jones and managed the J&P Ranch with brother-in-law, Cleve Jones. He liked all aspects of ranching, especially working livestock, welding, and training horses. In 1994 Mickey married Lorie Olsen and moved to Iraan. He worked for the Parker Ranch. In 1997 he moved back to Sonora and began working for Jerry Don Balch. In 2004 he returned to work on the Jones Ranch. Mickey passed his love of horses, rodeo, and ranch work on to his three children, Rick, Rebecca, and Zella. He made sure they all had good horses to ride, and hauled them to rodeos all over Texas and beyond. He enjoyed attending sheep shows with his two older children. Mickey was a Gold Card member of the PRCA, a member of the AQHA, TSWCRA, TS&GRA, and First United Methodist Church. He was Wagon Boss for West Texas Boys Ranch, a 4-H Shooting Sports instructor, and president of the Sonora Outlaw Pro Rodeo for many years. In 1991, he was Rookie of the Year in Senior Steer Roping. He was an avid fan of the Sonora Broncos from football, to golf, track, basketball, and volleyball. He never missed sporting events of his three children, and continued going to games after his children graduated. In his younger years he was a scratch golfer, a snow skier, a fisherman, and took pleasure in making things with his hands. He enjoyed family fishing trips to the Devil’s River, and fishing trips to the Rio Grande with his men friends who nicknamed him “Spider”. Many stories evolved from these trips. Preceding Mickey in death were his parents Marzee and Louis Powers, his second mother, Jayne Kiser Powers, his sister-in-law, Allison Espy Powers, his niece, Heather Shane Felts, grandparents, F.M. and Nancy Dickens Powers and Fred and Vickie Williams, and family housekeeper, Elvira Smith. He is survived by his three children, Rick (Melinda McDonald) Powers of Mt. Pleasant, SC; Rebecca (Andy) Stokes of San Antonio; Zella Powers of San Angelo, and a bonus daughter, Anna Fitzgerald, Sonora; sisters Nancy (John) Plumley, Whitney; Pam (Lance) Haynes, Marble Falls and Guthrie, OK; Trina (Jim) Hadley, Stephenville; brothers Jimmy (Rebecca) Powers, Sonora; Zane Powers, Moorcroft, WY, cherished grandchildren Claysen, Elise, and Vance Powers of Mt. Pleasant SC; Katherine and Greer Stokes of San Antonio; the mothers of his children, Claire Jones and Lorie Olson Powers, Sonora; nieces Jettonne (Steve) Buxkemper, and D’Ann(Mark) Schoepf, Lorenzo; Stephanie (James) Williams, Moorcroft, WY; Laramie Haynes, Llano; Cheyenne & Sheridan Haynes, Guthrie, OK; Shiloh(Andrew) Napp, Hico ; nephews, Houston (Victoria) Powers, Sonora; Shane Hadley, Stephenville; brothers-in-law, Cleve( Lolabeth) Jones and children, Julie & John(Jen), Sonora; Eric Olson, Midland, and children, Erica and Callyn . He is also survived by many special cousins, great nieces, nephews and friends. Pallbearers will be Jerry Don Balch, Olie Smith, Mack Altizer, Sam Powers, Dean Rutland, Clayton Friend, Dean Dermody, and Stacey Pennington. Honorary pallbearers are Tommy Love, Bob Blandford, Keith Hudson, James Barton, James Lee Leonard, Hadley Wardlaw, Benton Wardlaw, Martin Wardlaw, Stephen Hampton, Ralph Cooper, Minnie Altizer, Dannie Klebold, and Joyce Chalk Raska. The family wishes to thank Mickey’s caregivers Juanita Guerra, Angie Ramirez, Irma and Zenon Acosta, Ruben DelaCruz; Doctors Raymund Untalan, Charles Pajestka, and Raj Cheruku; the staff at Hudspeth Memorial Hospital and the Home Health Care staff; Pastor Bill Harris and Pastor Don Longoria. Memorials may be given to West Texas Boys Ranch, First United Methodist Church, Sonora, or a favorite charity. A memorial service for Mickey will be held at the First United Methodist Church, Sonora on Sunday, December 4th, at 2 p.m. with Pastor Bill Harris officiating. ?