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William E "Bill" Bugg
May 18, 1929 - Nov 12, 2022
Submitted by Jo Aguirre
©Kingfisher Times & Free Press
November 20, 2022
William E. “Bill” Bugg, 93, died Nov. 12, 2022, peacefully of natural
causes.
Bill was born in Hennessey on May 18, 1929, to Newton and Pearl Craun
Bugg.
He attended a one-room rural school through eighth grade and then
graduated from Hennessey High School in 1947.
Bill married Patsy Jean “Pat” Berard in Hennessey on Aug. 16, 1949, and
they celebrated 71 years of marriage together until her death in 2021.
The couple made their home southwest of Hennessey, one mile from where
Bill’s grandfather homesteaded in the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889.
Initially, they moved into a tiny four-room house with no indoor
plumbing. Upon Pat’s insistence, an indoor bathroom was soon added.
While the house was remodeled and expanded, they lived their entire
married lives in the same house.
Bill and Pat owned and operated Bugg’s Dairy Farm.
What began as a small herd of grade cows to put food on the table and
pay the bills became, through hard work and many blessings, one of the
premier registered Holstein herds in the state of Oklahoma and the
Southwest.
In addition to being husband and wife, Bill and Pat were business
partners in the dairy. They started acquiring registered Holsteins in
1961 and were early adopters of the latest techniques to improve the
herd, including classification, individual testing of production and
embryo transfer.
Individual cows or the entire herd won over 25 awards and set state
records for production of milk or butterfat.
Through their kids and 4-H, they regularly showed their cows at the
dairy shows in Oklahoma and Texas.
In 1975, their cow Katie was named grand champion of the Southwest
Regional Holstein Show at the Texas State Fair and was the highest
producing cow at the show.
Katie was nominated for All-American 3-year-old and was the first of
five generations that were classified “Excellent” and earned the Gold
Medal Dam and Dam of Merit Awards.
In 1996, Buffy, the fifth-generation daughter of Katie, was named
All-American 4-year-old and was the best Holstein cow in America that
year.
Bill and Pat advertised the dairy with the motto: “You’re always welcome
at the Bugg House.”
It was not just a slogan, but a way of life. Everyone really was
welcome. They dearly loved their dairy friends.
Bill was a leader in organizations marketing milk and promoting the
dairy industry.
In 1958, he was named the Outstanding Young Farmer from Kingfisher
County.
By 1959, he was serving on the executive committee of the Young
Cooperators of the National Milk Producers Federation.
Bill became a national leader in promoting the dairy industry. He served
many years on the national board of directors of Associated Milk
Producers, Inc., and on the Southwest Region board of directors of AMPI.
Bill also served on the National Dairy Board, an organization of the
Agricultural Department dedicated to promoting milk consumption.
Bill was an avid hunter, particularly of quail.
Many great memories were made while following Dixie, Sandy or the other
bird dogs with his sons, sons-in-law, brother, nephews and friends.
Bill’s favorite meal was fried quail, biscuits and gravy topped off by
one of Pat’s famous pies.
Bill and Pat invested greatly in the lives of their kids and other kids.
They put all five kids through college.
They were leaders in 4-H and helped members develop leadership and
citizenship skills.
They enjoyed sports, especially watching their kids play baseball and
perform in the band.
Bill coached Little League baseball and Pat ran the concession stand.
They loved the kids on the teams and treated them as their own.
Later, Bill and Pat loved to watch the grandkids in their activities,
including 4-H, baseball, dance, gymnastics and many others.
They also enjoyed the card parties and other activities with their
Hennessey friends.
Bill and Pat were longtime members of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and
their faith was central to their lives.
Bill greatly missed Pat and longed to join her in God’s presence.
Bill is survived by two daughters, Kay Fulkerson and husband Jerry of
Hennessey, Jana Howell and husband Ken of Perry; three sons, David Bugg
and wife Debbie of Norman, Steven Bugg and wife Cathey of Edmond, and
Kenneth Bugg from California; 10 grandchildren and 18
great-grandchildren.
Bill was preceded in death by his wife Pat, his parents and one sister,
Dorothy Lawrence.
Mass of Christian Burial was 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at St. Joseph’s
Catholic Church officiated by Rev. Ed Menasco and under the care of
Cordry Gritz Funeral Home.
Burial followed at Hennessey Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made in Bill’s name to the Hennessey
Educational Foundation or St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with the funeral
home serving as custodian of the funds.
Calvary Cemetery |
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