Raymond Everett Nixon was born on December 17, 1932, in Hereford, Texas, to Fredrick and Ruby Nixon. He was the fourth child of eight--five boys and three girls, all being raised in an 800 square foot home. He graduated from Hereford High School in 1950 after having only attended eleven years--he skipped second grade as he was promoted from first grade to third grade instead. He and his family attended the Assembly of God Church in Hereford.
After graduation and prior to joining the army during the Korean War, Raymond worked at a grain elevator. During his military service, he was diagnosed to be flat footed (which was a limitation) so they had him driving a tank and then moved him into the kitchen to be a cook where he remained until he left the military. Upon departure, he helped finish a remodeling project for his mother in 1955 which was started by his dad before his untimely death. He also started working on irrigation wells and then helped lay gas lines at $.90 per hour until July 1956. During 1955, he happened to meet his true love, Alene Walker, and her three children in Hereford. Raymond and Alene were married in Ft. Sumner, New Mexico, in 1956, which was the beginning of their 54 year journey together. Their first residence was in Hereford.
From July 1 through part of September 1956, Raymond attended and finished welding school in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as his intention was to become an oilfield welder. However, once he found out he would have to be gone for months at a time out of state, he decided he didn't want to spend time away from his family and soon-to-be new arrival, Donna. Instead, he started working at a grain elevator in Dawn, Texas, until November 1956, when he became an Elevator Superintendent at Dimmitt, Texas. The family moved there in 1957, and in 1958, he experienced his first construction job of building a grain storage facility. On June 1, 1959, Raymond started what would become his lifetime construction business.
Raymond built numerous homes in Dimmitt and surrounding towns with framing being his specialty—trim work wasn't his favorite, but he would do it if he had to. In January, 1968, he accepted a job of building military base barracks in Clovis, New Mexico, so he, Alene and daughter Donna moved to Clovis and were there until September, 1968, when they moved to Anadarko, Oklahoma, so Raymond could build a government housing project there. Then in the summer of 1969, another government housing project was to be built in Hydro, Oklahoma, which entailed another move. Raymond decided they had moved enough so they made Hydro their home until 1979, when Alene's serious allergy issues made it necessary to have to relocate. Sayre, Oklahoma, was their residence until 1982 when they then moved to Leedey, Oklahoma, where Alene was raised. Raymond lost the love of his life in August 2010, and stayed in Leedey until May 2013, when he returned to Hydro—a town he had always loved.
From 1958 through 2016, Raymond worked as a carpenter "just like Jesus" he would say. A career that spanned 57 years with hundreds of homes, government facilities, apartments and businesses being built, remodeled or added onto not only while living in the Texas panhandle and New Mexico, but also in Oklahoma. Places in and around towns like, Anadarko, Hydro, Weatherford, Clinton, Sayre, Elk City, Cheyenne, Leedey, Elk City, Hinton, Butler, Taloga, and Watonga. He also built several Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in New Mexico as well as in Colorado, Missouri, and Carrollton, Texas, all while living in Oklahoma. He built school facilities in Hydro and Leedey, one being this auditorium where he requested his service be held. His last big job was in the Spring of 2016 at the age of 83, when he built trusses for a new addition onto Donna's home, and he also supervised a remodel on a home in Hydro that same year. After that, he did some tinkering in his shop at his house and spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking.
Raymond had a very strong work ethic and never complained about work, plus he was also very strong willed. In his adult years, kids were scared of him as he was a stout looking guy, but they grew to love him in his senior years. He really enjoyed showing Donna's dates his guns whenever he got the chance, which made them fear him even more. As far as hobbies, he loved going fishing with Alene, helping her with her race horses and attending the horse races, and in recent years he loved cooking and making his own jerky and cookies. He enjoyed telling jokes of all kinds, sharing his beef jerky, and he got a real thrill out of giving kids rides in his "go" cart (actually a golf cart but he wasn't a fan of golf). The First Christian Church in Hydro became his church family which he looked forward to attending each week in addition to attending all their breakfasts and dinners. Raymond loved people and visiting, especially enjoying visits from his special small friends, Oliver Pyle and Bayler Slagell. He was fortunate to have so many people who considered him a friend.
On March 5, 2020, he passed away at the Maple Lawn Manor in Hydro at the age of 87, where he resided since December 30, 2019, following a fall that resulted in a brain bleed, which ended his goal of reaching 100. He was preceded in death by both parents and all his siblings, several in-laws, nieces and nephews, and their beloved dog Fraulein. Raymond is survived by his children: Donna Oler (John) of Watonga; Richard Walker (Sharon) of Las Cruces, New Mexico; Cheryl Merks (Richard) of Victoria, Texas; Jerry Walker (Debbie) of Spavinaw, Oklahoma. Also surviving him are several generations of grandchildren, plus numerous nieces and nephews, as well as many, many friends.  He will be laid to rest next to Alene at Shirley Cemetery outside of Leedey, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers, Raymond would want you to donate to Shirley Cemetery to help with the maintenance costs, or to St. Jude's Hospital-both of which he supported for years.

c/o Shaw Funeral Home

PO Box 276

Vici, OK 73859