January 23, 1938 – January 2, 2022
Texas James Bennett, 83, passed away January 2, 2022, in Amarillo, TX. Funeral services were held January 7, 2022, in the Minton Memorial Chapel in Borger, TX. A graveside service was held at Fairview Cemetery in Wellington, TX under the direction of Minton Chatwell Funeral Directors of Fritch.
Texas James Bennett (Little Tex) was born January 23, 1938, in Pittsburg, PA to Herbert Claude (Big Tex) and Mary Edith McKinnon Bennett. He was the pride and joy of his parents.
As a young man he joined his father's business, Bennett & Son, running custom combines and crews from Texas to the Canadian border. His family settled in Eagle Butte, where he met and married his best friend and love of his life, Lois Darlyne Strong. They were married on November 15, 1954.
In 1971, Tex and Lois, along with their four children, immigrated to Canada, where their fifth child was later to be born. The family lived in British Columbia, and then later moved to Alberta. Tex had a deep and profound love for the country and people of Canada. His heart for ministry took him from the west coast to the east coast. He spent over 35 years working in ministry and ironwork construction, complemented by his countless, exciting adventures in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
Tex lived a full life as a tough and tender cowboy, a passionate preacher, a hard-working expert ironworker and crane rigger, an adventurous 4-wheeling, dirt-biking, camping mountain man his children called “Trapper Dad.” He was known as a great storyteller, a custom combiner/ harvest gatherer, a prayer warrior, a best friend, a dog-whisperer — and the list goes on.
First and foremost he was a purehearted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather whose only desire was to exemplify the “Father-Heart of God” not only to his biological family, but also to countless others he considered to be his sons and daughters.
He was not a materially wealthy man, but from the abundance of his heart he did not hesitate to lavish others with a wealth of unconditional love and kindness
He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Betty Compton, his grandson Nygell Bennett, and his beloved dog, Gus.
Tex is survived by his wife of 67 years, Lois; his two sons, Jim Bennett and his wife Charlotte and Colby Bennett and his wife Jessy, all of Fritch, TX; his three daughters, Cheryl Lynn Hamilton and her husband Brett and Gaye Lee Newlun and her husband David, all of Palm Desert, CA and Rae Lynn Snidal of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 19 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.