Snodgrass PERRYTON - Ray Snodgrass died Monday, April 24, 2006, in Amarillo.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Community Worship Center in Perryton with
Mike Waterbury officiating. Burial will be in Hartville Cemetery in Hardesty,
Okla., by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home of Perryton. He will be remembered for
his wit, ingenuity, integrity, work ethic and loyalty to family and friends. Ray
was born on a Nov. 16 in Doyle, Tenn., to Noah and Verna Snodgrass. He was
orphaned at a young age and was raised by his mother's brother and his wife,
Sylvester and Lula Roach, in Hollis, Okla. He married Ocie Lue Collinsworth on
Oct. 16, 1942. During World War II, he went into the Navy where he was trained
to be an instructor for crash boat mechanics, which included the then-new
technology for refrigeration and air conditioning. He used that understanding of
the practical side of thermodynamics the rest of his life. Later he served in
the Pacific on a five-man crash boat. Ray worked much of his earlier years as a
master mechanic. Then in 1954 he bought the Studebaker dealership in Dumas and
named it Snodgrass Motor Co. He won many sales awards. He enjoyed racing a
favorite 1955 Studebaker Commander Coupe named "Davy Crockett" at tracks in
Amarillo, Pampa and Hobbs, N.M., where he won many trophies. He also sold Massey
Harris farm equipment and custom cut wheat from Texas to Canada in the summers.
He always had his crews catching the combines "on the go" to load his trucks
that included Studebaker semis. In 1963, Ray moved to Perryton where he pursued
his love of farming. He partnered with Tip Collinsworth to create Collinsworth
Irrigation Systems and installed the first irrigation engines for many local
farmers by adapting truck engines to run off natural gas. Among many inventions,
he invented the Raysco Energizer, which adapted pickup alternators to run
standard electric tools. He began using mobile phones in the 1960s when they
were first available. In the early 1970s, he modified a surplus Army tank engine
and automatic transmission and installed it in a White truck. It took truck
manufacturers 20 more years before they began offering automatic transmissions
as an option. Always a progressive and innovative farmer, he often made
enhancements to new farm equipment before he ever pulled it into the field. Many
factories sent representatives to study his changes so they could improve their
machinery. He was also one of the first in the area to adopt modern sprinkler
systems. In 1977, he won the top DEKALB award for the highest milo yield in the
nation. He was featured in a national magazine and won a trip to Hawaii. Last
year, Ray raised his first crop of cotton, taking advantage of the new hybrids
for this area. His second crop of cotton is well under way, and his sons will
carry out the improvements he outlined for Raysco Farms. He was preceded in
death by his brother, Horace; a grandson, Westley Garrett Dawson; and a
granddaughter, Lauren Jennifer Snodgrass. Survivors include his wife of 64
years, Ocie Lue; a daughter, Patsy Rae Dawson and husband Sam of Amarillo; four
sons, Tom Snodgrass and wife Charlene of Dallas, Lary Snodgrass and wife
Jennifer of Arlington, Neil Snodgrass and wife Jenny of North Richland Hills and
Ted Snodgrass of Dallas; nine grandchildren, Scott Snodgrass and wife Itonia of
Garland, Amanda Dawson of State College, Pa., Blake Snodgrass of Dallas, Chris
Snodgrass and wife Carrie of Grand Prairie, Dave Snodgrass and wife Ashley of
Del Rio, Josh Foster of East Lansing, Mich., Erik Snodgrass and wife Jennifer of
San Dimas, Calif., Brian Snodgrass and wife Stephanie of Irving and Dallas
Snodgrass of Waco; and five great-grandchildren Christin and Connor Ray
Snodgrass of Garland, Cole and Chandler Snodgrass of Grand Prairie and Kaelyn
Snodgrass of Del Rio. The family suggests memorials be to Future Farmers of
America (FFA) of the Perryton Independent School District and to Feed the
Children, in care of Larry Jones, P.O. Box 36, Oklahoma City, OK 76101-0036.
Amarillo Globe-News, April 27, 2006