James Burton Field

A celebration of his life will be at 2:00 pm Wednesday, March 2 at Lifeway Fellowship Baptist Church, 3315 Hancock Street, with the Rev. Robert E. Field, brother, officiating. Interment will be in Llano Cemetery by Rector Funeral Home Osage Chapel. Pall Bearers will be former Tascosa High School Football players. James was born January 16, 1926 in Gordon, Texas to Tim and Dessie McNabb Field. James was born the third child in an eleven-child family. He married Mary H. ""Jo"" Quigley on November 1, 1947 in Clayton, New Mexico. ""Slick"" a nickname picked up because of his ability to dodge tackles, grew up in Southland Texas. He was proud to be a Southland Eagle where lettered in basketball, football, and track and field. He had plans to attend Texas Tech and become a coach, when the US army called him to service for WW II. He was stationed in Honolulu where he transported wounded soldiers by ambulance. His call to fame was doing a summersault in midair in order to catch a fly ball winning an intramural baseball game between two army bases. After the war, he returned to Dalhart and began farming with his Dad. He met the love of his life on Sadie Hawkins Day who invited him in for a coke at the Dalhart Soda Fountain. Jo swept him off his feet with her beautiful blue eyes and has kept the ardor of his heart for 63 years of marriage. Slick and Jo moved to Texline, Texas to do dry land farming after breaking into farming with his Dad in Dalhart. The Field clan moved back to Dalhart after living in Texline for 11 years where the oldest 3 children graduated from High School. The last move to Amarillo came after living in Dalhart for 11 years where the youngest 3 children graduated after James sold the farm and retired from farming. In Amarillo James took a job at Amarillo College as a security guard and continued to work for 20 years. During this time, he adopted the Tascosa Rebels and became their number # 1 fan. James and Jo remained faithful to sporting events traveling to both girl's and boy's events including football, basketball, volleyball, track and field, soccer, and tennis games as well as a few wrestling matches. Many times, he was asked to say a prayer prior to the sporting events. After years of writing encouraging letters to players, coaches, and sports editors he received the crowning honor of him and Jo being inducted as the first married couple to the Tascosa Hall of Fame. James was known for ""loving babies"" from his little brothers and sisters to his own children and grandchildren. He and Jo loved attending functions, which included High Scholl and College graduations, weddings, and school events. James loved to talk about Jesus, and many knew him as Barnabas the Encourager. He enjoyed lay preaching and took a mission trip to Seoul, Korea. He was a member of Texline Baptist Church, and served as a deacon at First Baptist Church Dalhart. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers; Lewis and Foy; and daughter, Jo Anne Chavez. The family would like to convey a special appreciation to the staff of Palo Duro Nursing Home in Claude and Ussery-Roan Texas State Nursing Home. Survivors include his wife, Jo; sons Mike and wife Patti, Rusty and wife Gail, son-in-law Frank Chavez all of Amarillo, Jon Mack and wife Laura of Friona, daughters Judy Montoya and husband Pete of Amarillo and Kim Geiger and husband David of Chattanooga, Tennessee; twenty grandchildren, twenty-four great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson; Sister-in-law Frances, Mack and wife Janice, Mary Lou and husband Curtis Ritchey all of Dalhart, Albert and Edwina of Muleshoe, Bobby and wife Mary, Connie and wife Carol, Bonnie and husband Jack Dooley all of Amarillo, Tim and Fern from Guymon, Ok. and Roy of Annapolis MD. The family suggests memorials be made to Lifeway Fellowship Baptist Church or favorite charity. The family will