Berry, Danny and Libby 37

Lea County Families and Histories, Then and Now, Vol II

Berry, Danny and Libby

By: Libby Berry 

Elizabeth Forrester (Libby) Lee and Daniel C. (Danny) Berry were both born in La County at Dr. Gillett’s small hospital in Lovington. Danny was born December 4, 1947 to Dan C. and Wilma Redman Berry. Libby was born on August 16, 1948, to Giles M. and Joie Anderson Lee

Danny and I met through Danny’s and my Dad’s mutual interest in team roping. My Dad held team roping at his arena at Lee Ranch through the summers on Wednesday nights and Danny and his family came to rope. We were both in college at the same time. Danny was at Sul Ross State University at Alpine, Texas and I was at Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri. We married May 27, 1969 in Lovington at the First United Methodist Church.. We moved to Alpine to finish our degrees at Sul Ross. Danny stayed active in rodeoing and served as president of the Rodeo Club at Sul Ross. We made many lifelong friends at Sul Ross and left a  small part of our hearts in that beautiful country when we graduated and moved away in August  of 1970.

We moved from Alpine to Lovington where we lived for nine months while Danny worked for his cousin at C.E. Alexander and Sons Dairy. I did substitute teaching in the high school.

In March, 1971, we moved to D.C. Berry Ranch twenty-six miles west of Eunice where Danny had been raised. We worked for Danny’s cousins Hazel Berry and Mary Sue Douthit, and settled into a wonderful life-happy to again be back in the country ranching.

Our oldest child, Jessica Erin, was born May 13^th, 1975 and the next year in July 1976, Danny Danny and his brother Philip realizes a lifelong dream when they bought Berry Ranch from Hazel and her sister Mary Sue.

Our second child Christopher Shaun was born October 14, 1978 on his Uncle Philip Berry’s birthday. Our children both carry family names-Jessica being named after Danny’s great aunt Jesse Berry-a very special person in his life, and Christopher is a special name in my family.

Danny’s parents, Wilma and Dan Berry, came to Lea County in 1946 after Dan served in World War II. They came to Lea County to work for Dan’s Uncle D.C. and Aunt Jesse Berry on their ranch and raised their sons Danny and Philip there.

Wilma’s family had been in farming and the grocery business in Post and Ropesville, Texas.  Her parents were Clyde C. Redman and Ethel Redman. Dan’s family had lived in the Ropesville, Texas area and Dan’s father John William Berry owned and operated a drug store there. Dan’s mother was Mary Perry Berry. Dan and Wilma met while in high school in Ropesville.

My mother Joie, was born and raised in Minnesota and met my father Giles when she came to New Mexico to attend Eastern New Mexico College. My father was raised in Lovington, the son of a longtime ranching family, Richard David (Dick) and Viola Forrester Lee. My grandparents moved to Lovington in 1925. My grandfather was a partner in and managed the Scharbauer-Lee Ranch. My parents built the first brick home in Lovington and it still remains at 303 North Fourth Street.

Joie and Giles married in Las Cruces on July 7, 1947 and moved to Lee Ranch twelve miles southwest of Lovington about a year later. My two younger sisters, Becky and Mary Ann and I were all raised at the ranch.

My mother’s parents moved from Minnesota to Lovington in the early 1940’s. Florence Nupson Anderson was a music teacher in all levels of the Lovington schools for many years, and my grandfather, Julian Francis (Chris) Anderson worked at the Hobbs Air Base during the war and later was the Director of Surplus Property for the state.

Danny attended Eunice Schools and graduated in 1966. While in high school, he was a very active roper and was a member of the Junior Rodeo Association. Danny began team roping while in college and still is a very avid team member, finding a lot of enjoyment in the sport. He is a member of the Southwest Team Roper’s Association and has served on their board of directors.

I went all through school in Lovington and graduated in 1966. In high school, I was a very active member of the Gymnastics Club and enjoyed time spent on my ballet lessons.

We were members of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Lovington. Danny serves on the board of directors of Sul Ross Rodeo Exes Association and has been on the board two terms. We are members of New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, and I am a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood.

Danny and I were glad to return to Lea County, our families and our roots, when we graduated from college. We feel there is no better place to raise our two children than here at the ranch. There is contentment here and we find that for us this is the only way to live.