A L Hayter, Jr

A.L. Hayter, Jr. was born July 29, 1921 to Archie and Sally Wells on a wheat, cattle, hog, and egg farm on the high plains of Curry County, New Mexico (Located 29 miles north of Clovis, NM and 12 miles west of the Texas Panhandle).

As the only male child born in a family of 4 females he was quickly introduced to all of the manual labor associated with the farm at an early age. By his mid-teens he was taught to operate powered farm equipment by his beloved father. He was even driving grain trucks to markets in Clovis and Hereford by the age of fifteen. He grew up during the depression, drought and dust bowl years. He earned spending money by trapping and skinning skunks as well as skinning cattle that had died from bloat grazing on winter wheat and frozen.
He graduated from a rural high school in 1938. He enrolled in junior college in Portales, New Mexico. Through a government sponsored program he learned to fly. Through this experience he developed his interest in military aircraft being developed for the impending war in Europe.
He married Vera Stafford, while continuing his studies. He attended NTAC in Arlington, TX where he learned blueprints and basic aircraft sheet metal.

He was hired to staff the bomber plant being built in Ft. Worth, TX and went to San Diego for training working on bombers being built for Great Britain. He went to Lindbergh Field following the Pearl Harbor Attack to install machine guns on B-24 bombers. He was returned to Ft. Worth in early February, 1942 and promoted to Foreman by the end of the year. He worked on a new bomber, the B-32in early 1944 and was deferred from the draft due to his work on this program. going from student to instructor over the span of 15 months.

After the war there were mass layoffs at the plant but he was retained as a first level supervisor to start work on the B-36. He supervised different production and modification programs as well as 3 aircraft repair programs during his 40 years at General Dynamics. He retired to his 499 acre cattle ranch south of Weatherford. He purchased his farm off of the Brazos River south of Weatherford and proceeded to buy cattle and farm equipment, to build fences and barns, and to make the place livable.

During the latter half of the 1980’s he was appointed a member of The Controlling Board of the Parker County Committee on Aging. He was elected President in 1990 and was responsible for interviewing and hiring an Executive Manager for the day to day operation of the facility. He married Vera Stafford in 1940 and had 2 sons Ronny and Gaylord. Vera passed away May 1, 2003 from COPD. Ronny passed away 4 years after the move to the ranch off the Brazos River from congenital heart failure. Gaylord passed away May 19, 2005 from the same congenital heart failure that his mother and brother had. He married Veneda Sosebee August 4, 2004. Their marriage progressed from an orchestrated movie date by a longtime friend and matchmaker. He has a new house built on the farm and they moved in during April 2005. Veneda suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and passed away.

He was a member at Brock United Methodist Church, Brock Masonic Lodge, Fort Worth Scottish Rite and
Moslah Shrine.

He is survived by his brother, Hal Hayter of Castroville, Texas, numerous nieces and nephews, and his stepson, Billy Sosebee and wife Darla, step-grandchildren, Kendra and Kevin Reeves and Kortney Stephich, great step-grandchildren, Jaydon, Wyatt, Saydee and Slade. Funeral service: 11a.m, Thursday, October 12, 2017 at Galbreaith Pickard Funeral Chapel. Visitation: 6-8 p.m, Wednesday at the funeral home.