Memorials › Frank Montgomery

Frank Montgomery

25 Feb 1886 – 23 Aug 1980

Birth25 Feb 1886
Death23 Aug 1980
CemeteryMemory Gardens of Farmington
Farmington , San Juan County , New Mexico , USA
Added byBen Cynova on 09 Jun 2009
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19242082

Bio

Frank Montgomery (1886–1980) Family Legacy and Early Life Frank Montgomery was born on February 25, 1886, in Whitewright, Grayson County, Texas, a small agricultural town shaped by the post-Reconstruction era. He was the son of Robert Common Montgomery (1854–1940) and Sarah Elizabeth Phillips (1858–1936). His family represented a lineage of resilience, self-reliance, and frontier initiative that traced back to the Scotch-Irish settlers of Augusta County, Virginia, who had migrated through Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas. Each migration was influenced by the search for fertile land, economic opportunity, and political stability on the expanding American frontier. Whitewright, in the late nineteenth century, was part of the broader rise of East Texas cotton country, defined by small farms, railroads, and communities bound by faith and perseverance. Growing up amid this setting, Frank absorbed values of hard work, devotion, and civic duty—virtues deeply rooted in his father's example as a landowner, church elder, and community leader. Marriage and Family Life On December 24, 1912, Frank married Dona Gay Chitwood (1891–1985) in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. Their marriage coincided with an era of rural modernization in Texas—marked by the spread of public schools, rural electrification efforts, and advances in agricultural science. They raised a small family: Robert Claude "R.C." Montgomery (1915–2003) Mary Clarice Montgomery (1916–2010) Marcella Mae Montgomery (1928–1929) Theda Gay Montgomery (1928–2017) Janett Montgomery (1934–1934) Their home was one of warmth, discipline, and hospitality, where family and neighbors gathered often—a reflection of the Scotch-Irish kinship tradition that emphasized faith, generosity, and community loyalty. The Montgomerys and the 1919 Whitewright Cyclone In April 1919, a devastating tornado—remembered locally as the Canaan Cyclone—swept through the Whitewright area of Grayson County, Texas. Frank and Gay survived by taking shelter in their cellar as the storm roared overhead. When they emerged, they found the family silo hurled far across the fields and crushed in a nearby pasture. Despite their losses, the Montgomerys turned their focus to helping others. Frank, his parents, and brothers opened their homes to neighbors whose houses had been destroyed, offering food, blankets, and temporary lodging until rebuilding could begin. For days, their property served as a refuge for the storm-stricken community—a scene of resilience and compassion that became a lasting part of Montgomery family memory. The cyclone left deep marks on both the land and the family's outlook. In its aftermath, and as Gay's lifelong asthma worsened in Texas's humid climate, Frank began to look westward toward the drier air and open spaces of New Mexico. This decision—born from both hardship and hope—would define the next chapter of their lives. Ranching Life in Corona, New Mexico By the early 1920s, Frank and Gay Montgomery had moved to Corona, Lincoln County, New Mexico, a small ranching community nestled among high mesas and open desert grasslands. Their ranch was actually located near Varney in neighboring Torrance County, and life there was seasonal. Summers were mostly spent on the ranch, tending cattle across rugged terrain, maintaining wells and fences, and navigating the extremes of high-desert weather, while winters were spent in town—a practical arrangement that allowed the children to attend local one-room schoolhouses and provided shelter from the harsh winter climate. The work was demanding, and the landscape often solitary, yet it offered a sense of freedom and purpose. For Gay, the drier climate eased her asthma, improving her health in ways the humid South could not. Frank's skill, persistence, and adaptability soon earned him a reputation as a capable rancher and reliable neighbor, reflecting the Montgomery family's heritage of steady work, integrity, and self-reliance. The Loss of Marcella – 1929 In 1929, one of the twins, Marcella at just five months, became ill. Medical facilities in the area were limited, so Frank took it upon himself to get her to the nearest hospital in El Paso. He made the trip in their Model T, while the rest of the family remained at home, safe and out of the winter cold. The journey was long and uncomfortable, as automobiles of that time had no heaters and the roads were rough. Marcella passed away shortly after arriving and receiving care. The family continued their ranching work in Corona in the years that followed. The Loss of Janett and the Move North – 1934 In 1934, the family experienced another loss with the death of their infant daughter, Janett. Later that year, Frank and Gay decided to move north, beginning the next chapter of their lives. Move to Flora Vista and Bayfield Frank and his family moved farther north, dividing their ranching operations between Flora Vista in San Juan County, New Mexico, and Bayfield, Colorado. The seasonal pattern continued: summers on the Bayfield ranch, winters back in Flora Vista, providing both access to fertile land along river valleys and opportunities for the children to remain in school. These areas also offered better access to markets and trade routes, supporting the family's long-term economic stability. This movement was part of a broader wave of settlement and agricultural development across the Four Corners region during the 1920s and 1930s. Families like the Montgomerys sought stability and opportunity after years of economic uncertainty in the South, blending the pioneer legacy of their forebears with the practical realities of ranch life in the arid Southwest. In these communities, Frank's work exemplified both tradition and adaptability, sustaining the family and contributing to the growth of these frontier settlements. Personality, Community, and Legacy Frank Montgomery was known as a man of warmth, humor, and unpretentious strength. He loved children, horses, and open country. Neighbors recalled his easygoing nature—cigar in hand, cowboy hat shading his face—as he shared stories of ranch life and home back in Texas. His home was a place of gathering, laughter, and quiet faith. His life reflected the broader sweep of American history—from post-Reconstruction East Texas to the frontier communities of New Mexico and Colorado. Through every transition, Frank exemplified the enduring Montgomery virtues: resilience, generosity, and the steady conviction that faith and family were life's greatest anchors. Later Years and Death Frank spent his final years in Flora Vista, San Juan County, New Mexico, surrounded by the landscapes that had come to symbolize both healing and home. He continued to enjoy ranching, gardening, and visits from children and grandchildren who carried forward his stories and values. He passed away on August 23, 1980, at the age of ninety-four, and was buried at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Farmington, New Mexico. His long life spanned nearly a century of American transformation—from horse-drawn wagons to the space age—yet his faith, modesty, and devotion to family remained constant. Legacy Frank Montgomery's journey—from the cotton fields of Texas to the mesas of New Mexico—embodies the persistence of the American frontier spirit. His decision to rebuild after the 1919 cyclone and to seek better air and opportunity in New Mexico linked personal resilience with a wider story of westward renewal. Across four generations, from Virginia to the Southwest, the Montgomerys held fast to their defining traits—faith, endurance, and compassion. In Frank's life, those qualities found their fullest expression, ensuring that the family's legacy would endure long after the frontier itself had faded from the map. Obituary Montgomery - Funeral service for Frank Montgomery, 94, Flora Vista, who died of natural causes Saturday at San Juan Regional Medical Center, will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Cope Memorial Chapel in Aztec with the Rev. Wayne Parker officiating. Burial will be in Memory Gardens. An area resident since 1937, Montgomery is survived by his wife, Gay Montgomery of the family home; two daughters Theda Cynova of Flora Vista, and Clarice Mariner of Wheatland, Calif; one son, R.C. Montgomery of Cuba; and one sister, Minnie Norris of Amarillo, Texas. There are seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Active pallbearers will be Bob Mariner, Larry Cynova, Tim Cynova, Johnny Cundiff, Doug Volbrecht and Noel Chitwood. Honorary pallbearers will be L.A. McCoy, Alton Hillman, W.T. McCarty, Dr. Kenneth Roberts and Floyd Rhoades. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Cope Memorial Chapel. Sources — Frank Montgomery (1886–1980) 1. Vital Records: Birth: 25 Feb 1886, Whitewright, Grayson, Texas. Death: 23 Aug 1980, Farmington, San Juan, New Mexico. Burial: Memory Gardens Cemetery, Farmington, New Mexico. 2. Marriage Record: Marriage to Dona Gay Chitwood, 24 Dec 1912, Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. 3. Census Records: Federal census records, 1900–1950, showing residences in Savoy Town and Justice Precinct 2, Fannin County, Texas, and Flora Vista and Varney, New Mexico. 4. Residency and Landownership: Ranching and landownership in Corona, Lincoln County, New Mexico, and later in Flora Vista, San Juan County, New Mexico, and Bayfield, Colorado; family recollections and property records.

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