Willis Richard Landers Jr.

Willis Richard (Dick) Landers, Jr. Visitation Friday 6-14-2019 from 5-7 pm at Sneed Funeral Chapel. Funeral service Saturday 6-15-2019 at 10 am Sneed Funeral Chapel, burial in Naruna Cemetery.   Willis Richard (Dick) Landers, Jr., passed from this life to eternal life on June 10, 2019 at his home in Lampasas, one day short of his 95th birthday.  Mr. Landers was born on June 11, 1924 in San Saba, Texas to parents Willis Richard Landers and Mary Edith Low Landers.   He spent most of his childhood living in Cherokee, with his parents and three brothers, with the exception of fall harvest travelling to various communities to thrash and gather pecans.  The boys attended country schools wherever they were working the harvest.   His family attended the annual Camp Meetings held each August on Cherokee Creek near the Bend.  It was during one of those meetings when he was in his early teens that Mr. Landers was “dunked in the creek” and joined the Methodist Church.       Mr. Landers attended Cherokee High School, where he played football on the six-man football team. He graduated in 1941.  Around that time, his family moved to the Landers Family homestead at McCreaville, near Naruna, in western Lampasas County.  He and his brother Gordon were responsible for milking the family’s four cows, as well as other agricultural work.  He left the farm to attend school in San Antonio, but after the war broke out, he joined the Army Air Corps.   He was stationed in Indianapolis, Indiana and attended college at Butler University.  He received flight training in South Florida as a crew member for a B-17 Bomber, where he was trained as a navigator and bombardier.  His flight crew was scheduled to be shipped out at the time World War II ended.  He carried a treasured picture of the crew in his wallet throughout his life.    In 1947, he began working as a salesman for the Colonial Ice Cream and Milk Company in Lampasas.  About a year and a half later, Mr. Landers was introduced to Anna Lois Berry by a mutual friend, Miss Berry’s cousin.  The night he met her, Mr. Landers went home and told his brother, Gordon, that he had met the girl he was going to marry.  After a short courtship, they were married on August 12, 1949, by the Rev. R.A. Matheson at First Baptist Church in Georgetown, while Rev. Matheson was away from Lampasas preaching a revival.  They were married for 68 years at the time of her death in 2017.  They resided in the Lampasas area all of their married lives.   Mr. Landers returned to active military service with the Air Force in 1950, during the Korean War.  He was stationed at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston.  When he returned to Lampasas, he continued to work at Colonial until another dairy created a new type of ice cream that undercut their sales.  He then went to work civil service at Fort Hood, where he worked his way up in the Maintenance Division, eventually becoming the Chief in charge of maintenance for all rolling stock during the latter part of the Vietnam War.  Recognizing the need of access to financing of many of the servicemen at Fort Hood, Mr. Landers was one of the founding members of Hoodview Federal Credit Union, which later became Texas Partners Federal Credit Union. He served on the Board of Directors for many years.   Fort Hood down-sized after the end of the war, and in 1972 Mr. Landers took early retirement and expanded his ranching interests.  He also took classes to become a licensed real estate broker, and worked in real estate sales for a few years until some health issues arose.  He served on the Lampasas Central Appraisal District Board, and also on the Water Control and Improvement District Board that monitors the levees around Lampasas to prevent flooding.   Mr. Landers and his wife operated a cattle ranching business in and around Lampasas for most of their lives, and eventually became the fourth generation to operate a ranching business on the Landers family homestead property, and using the L/ brand that his Grandfather Low had used.  They could frequently be seen around town in his white single cab pick-up pulling a cube feeder. Mrs. Landers frequently accompanied him on his daily route to feed the livestock.  He continued actively ranching until he was 89, tossing around 50 pound bags of feed, to the amazement of his doctors.   The Landers were blessed with three children, which they raised in Lampasas.  They built their home on Race Street in 1964, and continued living there the remainder of their lives.  Mr. Landers encouraged all of his children – and Anna Lois – to attend college to further their education. After Anna Lois left her position at Rollins-Brook Hospital, he delivered her to Mary Hardin-Baylor University and told her she was going to go to college.  She was in her 50’s at the time, with her youngest child in college as well.  He encouraged her in her study of accounting.  He was very proud of his children and grandchildren, encouraging them in both their education and their careers.   Mr. Landers was a 60+ year member of Lake Victor Lodge No. 1011, A.F. & A.M.  He became a 33rd degree Mason at the Austin Scottish Rite Temple in 1963.   Mr. Landers is survived by his children: Glenn Berry Landers, of Jacksonville, Florida, James Ronald Landers and wife Paula Cantrell Landers, of Houston, Texas, and Marianne Landers Banks and husband Brian Stacy Banks, of Lampasas, five grandchildren:  Tyler Cantrell Landers and wife Mackenzy Liljedahl Landers, of Houston, Texas, Brianna Marie Banks Barksdale and her husband, Steven James Barksdale, of Round Rock, Texas, Haley Elizabeth Landers White and husband Christian Blake White, of Grand Prairie, Texas, Marissa Beth Banks and Aubrey Brooklyn Banks, of Lampasas; two great-granddaughter, Norah Marie Barksdale and Marlow Jane Barksdale, of Round Rock, Texas; one brother, A.W. Landers, of Lakewood, Colorado, one nephew, three nieces, and numerous cousins and extended family.  He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, one granddaughter, Heather Elise Banks, two brothers, Gordon Melvin Landers and Durward Dale Landers, and a nephew, Carey Ryan Landers.   The family of Mr. Landers would like to express a special word of thanks to the many health professionals and especially caregivers Debbie, Mary, Betsy, Norma, and Suzie for assisting in his care over the years.   Memorial contributions may be made to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, 2222 Welborn Street, Dallas, Texas 75219 or online at https://scottishritehospital.org .