Woodward County Obituary
Elmwood Cemetery

© Billings Funeral Home
WOODWARD, WOODWARD CO, OK
(permission granted)
Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

Elmer Leroy Maddux

May 6, 1934 ~ November 20, 2019

Elmer Leroy Maddux was born May 6, 1934 to Oren Elmer and Norma Lorraine Maddux on a farm North of Mooreland. He departed this life on November 20, 2019 at the age of 85. From a very young Age he was responsible for a broad range of chores on the farm, including milking the dairy cows twice a day, having the house warm by the time the family awakened by building a fire in the Warm Morning stove. When the work was done he would get ready for school and walk over a mile to the one room Dillon Country School and this continued through the seventh grade when the Dillon school was consolidated into the Mooreland School District and the bus route began.

Elmer was active in 4-H and FFA and received the Junior Master Farmer Degree. After graduating from Mooreland High School in 1952 he voluntarily joined the Army and served his country for two years.

In 1955 he married Rita Jo Hepner, daughter of Jess and Frances Hepner. To survive a lengthy drought, Elmer and Rita moved to Pueblo, Colorado where Elmer spent six months working in a flour mill. After a while in the city life they decided to move back to Freedom and focus on building their own wheat, cattle and land operation. Elmer received honors as the 1969 Jaycee's Farm Family of the Year and the 1970 State of Oklahomas Farm Family of the year. In 1971, he was on the cover of Top Op magazine with his ranch as the magazines featured operation. Him and his family put together a custom harvest crew harvesting the south to north wheat harvest. He was honored as the 2012 Old Cowhand, Freedom, Oklahoma.

In 1970 he received his private pilot license and enjoyed many hours of leisure flying as well as participating in activities of the flying club. In 1980 he opened a motocross track north of Mooreland known as Country Moto Cross that attracted hundreds of young and old bike riders. He is a long time member of the Woodward Elks Lodge.

He also spent many years in public service in the following positions: two years as a County Commissioner, sixteen years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives serving Woods, Woodward, and a portion of Major county, sixteen years on the Freedom school board, Treasurer of Northwest County Officers and Deputies Association, and Advisor to the Wichita District Bank Board, Woodward County Jail Board, Rural Water District Board, Oklahoma Organ Donor Advisory Council, Soil and Water Conservation Board and member of the Chamber of Commerce. In 2018 he was given the First Elmer Maddux Conservation Advocacy Award presented at the OACD Legislative banquet.

In 2005 he received a heart transplant and from this he was also blessed by gaining another family in his life. He often commented how God has blessed him and his family. He was a member of the Mooreland United Methodist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Rita, of the home; one daughter Ronni Bambi Poe of Woodward; one son Dallett Lane Maddux, Mooreland; two granddaughters: Kara Ferguson Hensley, Woodward and Mica Foster, Clinton, Oklahoma two great-grandsons Kyler and Kaden Hensley; one great granddaughter Rebecca Foster; One brother, Roger Maddux and wife Mary Jane of La Junta, Colorado; a sister Janice Louthan of Woodward; a sister, Glenda Allbritton of N. Collinsville, two brothers- in law, Travis Hepner of Freedom and Marvin Hepner of Woodward, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, Nancy Pat Maddux, his parents and two brothers in law.

Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 26, 2019 in Woodward at the First United Methodist Church with Reverend Mike Smith of Muskogee, Reverend Todd Bergman, and Reverend Shannon Davis officiating. Aiya Kelley of Guthrie will provide the music

Memorials may be made to:
lifeshareokfoundation.org
Life Share Foundation
4705 NW Expressway
Oklahoma City, OK 73132

Freedom Museum
PO Box 145
Freedom, OK 73842