John Allen Farris

Funeral service for John Allen Farris will be at 10:30 on Wednesday, August 9 at the First Baptist Church of Waurika, Oklahoma with Mike Bates and Mike Mathis officiating. A burial will follow at Waurika Cemetery under the direction of Dudley Funeral Home; visitation will be held at the Dudley Funeral Home. The family will receive visitors from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday evening.

John passed away Friday, August 4, at Duncan Regional Hospital, at the age of 95.

John, the son of B.A. and Eva (Sorrell) Farris was born March 21, 1928, in Iowa Park, Texas.

On May 31, 1955, John married fellow rodeo contestant Mildred Cotten Farris and the two eventually made their home on the Farris Family’s Ranch outside of Addington, Oklahoma.

John’s rodeo career started at the age of sixteen, when he hitchhiked to a rodeo in Jacksboro, Texas to ride a bull. After graduating from high school in 1944, he worked many odd jobs while rodeoing on the side. Joining the RCA in 1959, John rode saddle bronc, bulls, bareback, roped and even did a little steer wrestling. Riding rough stock till the age of 44, when most would hang up their spurs John transitioned to working behind the scenes. From 1967 until 2011, he worked every National Finals Rodeo in some capacity. Most notably as the timed-event chute boss and he staked of the barrel-racing each year. He was named Texas Circuit Man of the Year in 1997, and inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2006, along with Mildred. Both were inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, in 2004. In June 2023, John was awarded the Ring of Honor by the Gladewater Roundup Rodeo.

John and Mildred worked as a team for several stock Contractors over the years. There was never a problem with pay-offs and the arena was always clean and safe. The stock was loaded in the correct chutes and in proper sequence. They were also a team at home, devoted to their family. John loved spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and still helping around the farm. He was never one to sit idly steal, even after retiring from the rodeo circuit he was always ready to help work cattle or mend fences around the farm.

John is preceded in death by his wife Mildred, parents and brothers, J.C. Farris and Bryan Farris and sisters Beulah Lehman and Evalene Reed.

Survivors include two sons, Bill Farris and wife, Sally, of Noble, Oklahoma and Johnny Farris and wife Jan, of Addington, Oklahoma. Four grandchildren Chelsea Dorward and husband Russell, of Clifton, Texas, Dell Farris and wife Caitlin of Comanche, Oklahoma, Matthew Farris of Goldsby, Oklahoma and Ben Farris and wife Erin of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Four great-grandchildren: Rance Dorward, Camie Dorward, Davis Dorward and Caroline Farris. One sister, Mary Styles of Wichita Falls, three sister-in-laws Barbara Finney and husband Bob of Denton, Texas and Helen Morris of Midland, Texas and Kay Cotten of Hereford, Texas as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Rodeo Historical Society Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, or National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Ft. Worth, Texas, or to American Cancer Society.