Jerry Tate, Son Of Welch Wright.
I got to know Burl and Ruth through my mother, Welch Wright, and my stepfather, John Wright, who were good friends of Burl and Ruth. My mother worked for Hunt Oil Company for 40 years and knew Burl there. She was impressed with his work ethic and his rise from mail clerk to a top landman. She and John became great friends with Burl and Ruth and shared many fun times with them. The two couples enjoyed trips to Las Vegas in the 1950s in Burl’s huge, comfortable Buick. I was always impressed with Burl’s gift of gab and his ability to tell a funny story as only a farm boy can do. I remember his telling about the time at their Seagoville ranch when Ruth was riding their tractor and hit a hole and got thrown off the tractor. The tractor was set on AutoThrottle and kept on going without Ruth on the tractor. It was heading toward busy Highway 175 with nobody on it to stop it from getting up on the highway. The only thing between the tractor and the highway was a cattle pond. Thankfully, the tractor disappeared into the waters of the pond and the engine died. Burl told me he never thought he would be so thankful to see his tractor drive into a cattle pond! In 2009 when my mom was near death from cancer, Ruth and Burl visited her in her home. My mom had poor eyesight and had a hard time seeing the 20-inch screen of her old Magnavox TV. Ruth and Burl noticed the problem and insisted that my mom accept their nice new 55-inch TV as a gift. They arranged for their ranch manager, a very big strong man, to deliver the huge TV to her, which she greatly enjoyed. It was a real pleasure for me to have known such wonderful people as Burl and Ruth. They were truly unforgettable characters and I will miss them. The world is better for them having been on it.