Harold Eugene Moore of Blue Ridge, Texas passed away Sunday evening, Feb. 23, after suffering from a heart attack two weeks earlier.  He passed away near Blue Ridge, Texas where he lived next to his son.  He was 87 years old.

Harold was born on Oct. 23, 1932 to cotton farmers Ogden and Eva Mae Moore in Delta County, Texas.  Harold grew up chopping cotton and plowing his neighbor’s fields.  He liked to hunt and skin animals in the Delta County bottoms around the communities of Shiloh, Yowell, and Jot-Em-Down.  He attended Shiloh and then West Delta schools, graduating in 1950.  After high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and was based at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska.  His harrowing experience of a nighttime landing on a frozen Alaskan river after the engine in the prop plane he was flying in failed never left him as he disliked flying for the rest of his life.

After serving in the Air Force, Harold attended Dallas Theological Seminary and was ordained as a minister of the Gospel at Clarendon Drive Baptist Church in Oak Cliff, Texas.  He attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in Religion.  There he met his first wife, Teddy, who was a widow with five children.  Having fallen in love with her and the children, they married in 1960 and had a sixth child together in 1961.

Harold and Teddy were married for thirty-eight years until her death in 1998 having lived in Oak Cliff, Denton, North Dallas, Greenville and Sulphur Springs, Texas.  Harold then married another widow, Jeanne Thoma, in 2005 living with her in Plano, Texas until her death in 2018.  Afterward, he moved to Blue Ridge to live next to his son until his death.

Harold had earned a living for his family as a postal worker and then manufacturing supervisor for Texas Instruments in Dallas, TX., Sherwood Industries in Commerce, TX., and Rubbermaid in Greenville, TX., from which he retired in 1998.  He also had a nursery operation on the side.

Harold was preceded in death by his parents, Ogden and Eva Mae Moore, and his wives Teddy Carson McRee Moore and Ella Jeanne Thoma Moore.  He is survived by his sister, Bobbie Lynn Hayden of Duncanville, TX., brother Luther Joe Moore of Paul’s Valley, OK., children, Kathryn Bostick of Lexington, TX., Billy James McRee Jr. of Mansfield, TX., Jeanne Blair of Springtown, TX., Norman McRee of Austin, TX., Barry McRee of Leander, TX. and Tim Moore of Blue Ridge, TX., and step-children Nancy Renfro of Plano, TX., Paula Davis of Lindale, TX. and Trudy Dee of Indianapolis, IN.,  twelve grandchildren,  twelve great-grandchildren, and many nephews and nieces.

Also, Harold leaves a dear friend and sweetheart, Gail Bowers of Blue Ridge, whose company he enjoyed for the last seven months and whose loving care in his last days have been invaluable to him and his family.

Visitation for Harold will be held at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home on Thursday, Feb. 27 from 6-8 pm.  Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Friday, Feb. 28, at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home.  Following will be a graveside service at Shiloh Cemetery in Delta County, TX. near Klondike with Rev. Daryll Lewis presiding.

Pallbearers will be Toby Moore, Benjamin Moore, Brian McRee, Mike Hayden, David Hayden, Dan Kaylor and Stuart Jochimsen.