William Jeffers

Services are scheduled at 2:00 P.M. Thursday, July 22 at First United Methodist Church for William E. Bill Jeffers, Artesia, New Mexico.

Mr. Jeffers, 86, died Monday, July 19, 2004 at his home with his family.

Rev. Paul Dean Duerksen will officiate at the services with burial at Woodbine Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Leroy Lewis, Charles Perry, Gary West, Robert Johnson, Joe Pemberton and Tom Johnson. Honorary pallbearers will be Rick Madron, Fred Collins, Mike Addison, Jon Solt, George Clarke, and Paul Makarewich.

Mr. Jeffers was born November 10, 1917 in Newton, Kansas; the son of Elmer H. Jeffers and Bessie Rebecca Irby Jeffers and grew up in Burkburnett, Texas, during the oil boom there. He attended college at John Tarleton College and the University of Texas majoring in petroleum engineering and geology.

In 1943, he joined the U.S. Army and was stationed at Geiger Field near Spokane, Washington, where he was a member of the Army Corps of Engineers - Aviation Battalion. He built, developed, and was in charge of the operations of Petroleum Distribution School which supplied all petroleum products to our U.S. airfields during World War II. The school personnel also built tanks, pipelines, hydraulics, ran supply trucks - everything that provided fuel and related items necessary to the war effort. Bill was awarded a personal commendation for the manner in which he managed the school. He really was a member of the Greatest Generation. Bill loved his country and prided himself in being very patriotic.

He moved to Artesia in 1946, was married in 1947, and had three children: Ruth Ann, Becky, and Billy. Bill was an honorable and intensely private man who, after a
orce in 1955, chose to raise his three small children as a single man instead of pursuing his own wishes and dreams. He did this while raising himself out of poverty against incredible obstacles and hardships. No one but Bill Jeffers brought up his children - he never left them, no matter what he had to give up nor how terrific the burden was that he had to bear.

He made his living working in the oil fields as a roughneck, drilling supervisor, and, in later years, as a land man. He worked and did research almost until the day he died. Every year from 1974 until 2003, except for two years after his beloved son Billy passed over, he drove his truck, camper and boat no less than ten thousand miles to Alaska and Canada, and back to Artesia.

Bill was a voracious reader, and spent many years researching history of the southwest, and also southwest Spanish colonial history.

Bill was preceded in death by his beloved son Billy in 1989.

He is survived by two daughters Ruth Ann Jeffers Calvert and husband, Robert, of El Paso, Texas; Rebecca Jeffers Atchley and husband, Michael, and their daughter, Morgana Paige Atchley, all of Houston, Texas; and Georgie Johnson, of Artesia, longtime friend and employee.

The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society, 5800 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110.