Clyde "Leon" Spencer

Clyde Leon Spencer was born in Selman, OK on September 14, 1933, to Elzie Spencer and Lela Day Spencer. He was a good son, husband, father, businessman, auctioneer, cattle-buyer, cowboy and hero. Leon and his older brother, Dean Spencer, helped their dad with the ranch in Waynoka, OK. When their dad would leave the farm and go to town on business, Dean and Leon learned to ride by riding the milk cows. They did this even though they knew that if Elzie came home and saw that they had not done their chores, he would get “right in the middle of both of them!” Fortunately, the boys graduated to riding horses and took to roping the milk cows instead of riding them!. They learned to rope calves, team rope, ride bareback broncs and bulldog. Leon went on to make rodeo a lifetime pursuit and shared the love of that sport with his sons. Leon won several national championships in bronc riding as a young man. He also won many championships as all-around cowboy. Floyd Rumford, a stock contractor in the old days, told Mark that he had a horse or two Leon would not get on, but he never threw him off! When Leon was 18, he met Helen Jane Dobbs, then 14 years old, at a dance @ the old convention center in Enid. Leon convinced Helen to “run off” and get married and they did on December 29, 1951 in Wichita, KS. Helen’s parents had not even met Leon before the marriage! Helen’s dad had a few choice words for Leon and said, “Get your horse jockeyin’ ass in here we got to have a talk!” However, the minute they met Leon, they liked him and got along great with him from that day forward. Leon worked on the railroad, he helped build the big elevator in Enid, and he and Helen went to rodeos all over Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas during their young, married life. Leon’s parents had both divorced and re-married. His father & stepmother had a daughter a few years before Justin was born giving Leon his sister, Judy. Leon and Helen had 3 sons, Justin Lee, born in 1954, Mark Ellis, born in 1960 and Troy Alan, born in 1965. Leon taught all his boys to ride, rope, work hard and still have a good time. He always made sure they had good horses. Leon moved his family to Cedar Vale, KS after Mark was born. He worked at the local sale barn there for several years and then became a partner with Ralph Snyder and Bill Gates. The boys worked at the sale barn in the pens and Helen in the café all the years that Leon was an owner in the barn. The whole family participated in Justin’s wedding held in Cedar Vale, KS. Leon’s new daughter-in –law, became annoyed when he would call the home she shared with Justin every morning @ 5am and say “are you up yet?” Of course, he was trying to make sure Justin was awake and ready to get out on the road to meet his trucking obligations with the sale barn in Cedar Vale and Danny O-Brien’s packing plant in Tulsa. Much later in life, she realized that this was just one way he interacted with his boys. He was always there to help them make their lives better and his boys loved and respected him, but even more important, they actually LIKED their dad. Family dinners @ Leon & Helen’s with all the boys laughing and joking with their dad and talking business….or rodeo…..showed just how much they liked “hanging out” with Leon. After losing their oldest son, Justin, the lives of everyone in the family changed. Helen and Leon decided to move to Enid in 1985, after Troy graduated from high school in 1984. They got re-acquainted with their old friends in the Enid area. All of Helen’s family still lived in Enid at that time. For many years, they spent time with family and friends, went to rodeos to watch the boys compete and sometimes team rope with their dad, while he was still able. Leon was preceded in death by his eldest son, Justin, his father Elzie and his mother, Lela. Also preceding him in death were his stepfather Mac, stepmother, Margaret, his brother Dean, and many other extended family members. Leon was larger-than-life, quick-witted and always a man to speak his mind. He was a hero to his boys, was loved by his friends and family, and will be missed by all who knew him.

Clyde "Leon" Spencer

September 14, 1933 - February 11, 2013