Royce G. Ogden

Royce G. Ogden

October 3, 1939 - September 1, 2023

 

Rendon, Texas - Royce Gwin Ogden, 83, devoted husband, father, grandad, and great-grandad was born October 3, 1939, in Fort Sumner, NM. He grew up living and working on his family's produce farm until attending Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, NM. During that time he met Sammye Reynolds who he was married to for 59 years, having five children together while they lived in Portales, Odessa, Lubbock, Irving, Garland, and then in Rendon for the past 48 years.

 

Royce Ogden lived life as those from "The Greatest Generation" of Americans. He exemplified duty, loyalty, resilience, frugality, family values, hard work, and active community involvement. His was a life rich with love, family, friendships, and community.

 

Royce was a romantic, a dancer, musician, choir member, songwriter, poet, and masterful joke teller, always with a glint in his eye. He loved nature, camping, hiking, gardening, woodworking, carving, and building beautiful, roaring fires in the living room fireplace. He enjoyed quiet moments reading the newspaper, especially the comics, working on jigsaw puzzles and a great game of 42. He was an athlete who won state in the mile relay. He was unafraid to climb up roofs, tall trees, and even ski lift towers, just to get a better view.

 

Royce liked sharing his talents with others including his cooking, especially during the holidays. For a time, he had a "Best Ever" line of foods for his family that included a wonderful salsa. He was actively involved in the community, coaching numerous sports teams that his children were on. He was a Chairman of the Board of Trustees for First United Methodist Mansfield and was on the school board of Mansfield ISD.

 

He did whatever needed to be done and did so without complaining. He just did it. He was a model of contentment in all circumstances and of faith in the good times and trials of life. And most of all he was a model of the love, nurture, and sacrifice of our Heavenly Father.

 

Royce, Dad, Grandad, Great-Grandad will be sorely missed.  He showed us the way.  May we follow him.

 

Royce passed on to heaven on September 1, 2023, leaving behind a great legacy. He was preceded in death by a son Kim Bradford Ogden, a brother Doyle Ogden, a sister Melva Marshall and his beloved wife Sammye.

 

Survivors: Children Jeff Ogden (wife - Lori), Terry Trevino (husband - Freddy), Kipp Ogden (wife - Donna) and Tammy Fernandez (husband - Daniel); sisters Christine Martin (husband - Moreland), Frances McGraw, Cynthia Van Auken; grandchildren Ashley Young (husband - Jeff), Brooke Shwaiko (Tim Thies), Kristen Johnson (husband - Connor), Cole Ogden, Charis Sarradet (husband - Kyle), Courtney Fernandez, Gabby Trevino, Ruby Ogden, Augustus Ogden, Samuel Ogden; great-grandchildren Harper, Bishop, and Hudson Young, Emerson and Sloan Thies, Milo and Scarlett Johnson, Dominic Sarradet.