When Norm was in the 5th or 6th grade his first job was a paper route and for Christmas he got his first new bike. Then he moved up to a bakery job. He was a dishwasher, and he could eat all the donuts and pastries he wanted. It didn't take long before he was over the donut feast! Norm liked this job as did his family because he could take home all the day-old pastries and bread leftover.
Then High School Sports came into his life and he left the bakery job for basketball and football. Soon the basketball coach began to encourage him to learn the skills. Norm became a good player and even as a sophomore moved up to the Varsity team. Coaches told Norm he was picked to be one of the starting 5 his junior year. He went home so excited only to hear his Dad had an announcement. He got a promotion as Highway Foreman in Bovina, Texas. From excitement to the worst day of his life! Bovina, a small-town, his Junior Year, how can this happen? Norman thought this would be the worst summer ever. Instead word got out about the new boy in town. Tall and looks to be a great addition to the High School basketball team! A friend of his dad brought over a horse for them to ride that summer. Norm loved that horse until cars and girls became his interest. The horse was returned to owner with a big thank you. School started and he tried out for basketball. He was one of the starting five. Bovina is a small home town you just have to love. Population at that time was about five or six hundred.
Bovina was like the High School movie, "Friday Night Lights". The town shut down, cars lined up. It was out of town Friday night football or basketball. This town backed their school's boys and girls, car lights for miles. Lots of hugs and laughter and winning games. The downtown area, with one short street had lots going on with shops, pool hall, churches, movie theater, and home parties. The Bovina people, young and old, one big family took care of each other. Norm always called this home.
Norm always stayed in touch with his classmates through all these years, some almost every day. He truly loved Bovina, this became some of the best years of his life.
James Weldon Weatherly, 67, of Canyon, Texas, passed from this world to his heavenly home on July 25, 2020 after a long battle with cancer.
Services were at 10:00am, Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at Living Water Christian Fellowship, 10100 US-60, Canyon, Texas with Curtis Shelburne, pastor of 16th and Avenue D Church of Christ in Muleshoe, Texas officiating. Burial followed at Dreamland Cemetery. The family received friends from 6:00 to 7:30 P.M. on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at Brooks Chapel. Arrangements are by Brooks Funeral Directors of Canyon.
James was born on October 5, 1952 in Greenville, Texas to Clyde and Lois Phillips Weatherly. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Friona, Texas where James attended school and graduated in 1971. James started dating Cindy Hutson during his sophomore year of high school and they dated until they married on July 6, 1973. He then attended Texas Tech University and graduated in 1975 with a degree in Agricultural Business and Economics. After graduation, James farmed for five years in Friona. While in Friona, he and Cindy had their daughters, Tiffany, in 1977 and Shayla, in 1979. In 1980, the family moved to Austin, Texas to own and operate a Sonic Drive-In for six years. Their son, Landon, was born in Austin in 1986 before they decided to move back to the Panhandle to be closer to family. James and Cindy have lived in Canyon for 34 years where James worked in the agricultural industry. For the last 18 years, he worked as the Senior Regional Manager for Durvet, Inc. until retiring in December of 2018.
James was very passionate about his walk with Christ and was an elder at Canyon Hills Church of Christ. He was also involved in Gideons International where he handed out bibles to students and Randall County Jail Ministry that allowed him to witness to inmates. Despite having his own cancer battle, James was passionate for praying over others and sharing God's word. One of James' greatest joys in life was his family and he cherished every moment spent with them. He and Cindy enjoyed years of traveling to many different places together. James was known for his kind, genuine spirit, his gift of conversation, and the art of making everyone in the room feel loved. He was a true servant for Christ living every day to spread the word of God. James was preceded in death by his father, Clyde Weatherly; mother, Lois Weatherly; sister, Celia Loflin; brother, Gene Weatherly; and father-in-law, Leland Hutson.
Survivors include his wife, Cindy Weatherly, of Canyon; his children, Tiffany Oliphant and husband Cory, of Amarillo; Shayla Shelburne and husband Chris, of Canyon; and Landon Weatherly, of Canyon; his grandchildren, Brenley, Landry, Bennett, Hutson, Ellie, Kendall, and Beau; and siblings, Philip Weatherly and wife Phila, of Lubbock, and Bill Weatherly and wife Becky, of Lubbock.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to Gideons International, MD Anderson Cancer Center or Harrington Cancer Center.
The family would like to thank everyone for the many prayers, calls, and texts. And a special thank you to everyone at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Harrington Cancer Center and BSA Hospice of the Southwest for their loving care.