Rackley, Jimmy and Beth

Lea County Families and History, Then and Now, Vol II, 1984

Submitted by: Beth Rackley

     I am Eva Elizabeth "Beth" (Massey) Rackley. I was born on 26 August 1954 in Montrose, Colorado to Clyde Winford and Letha (Wimberley) Massey. My parents were married on 1 March 1950 in Elida, New Mexico. They were farmers in the Red Lake, New Mexico area. My paternal grandparents were Nathaniel James and Eva Elizabeth (Vaughn) Massey from Oklahoma. My maternal grandparents were William Franklin and Emmaline (McBride) Winberley, Esquire, of Alabama. I have four brothers: Marion, Bruce, Carl nd J.D.. I also have five sisters: Louise, Marlene, Peggy, Dean, and Jeanie.

     My husband Jimmy Foster Rackley was born 23 August 1951 in Portales, New Mexico. He attended school 12 years in Portales. I met Jimmy at a wedding in 1975, and we were married on 16 April 1976 in Portales. We moved back to Lea County on 17 February 1981because we could not find a job in Portales.

     I attended school grades one through three in Telluride, Colorado and grades four through eleven in Portales. I am a homemaker and Jimmy is employed at Gold Start Service Inc. in Eunice. He also is a silversmith, gunsmith, and inventor, and has been a fireman and butcher.

     We are the parents of two girls and one boy: LaDonna Hope, born 4 July 1972 in Antlers, Oklahoma; DeAnna Denise, born 1 April 1977 in Dimmitt, Texas; Billy Jim  born 20 December 1979 in Kansas City, Missouri. Billy is the only Rackley grandson of Horace and Lou Rackley. We call Jim "Be Bo".

     My husband's parents are Horace Edwin and Onnie Hazel "Lou" (Lott) Rackley of Tatum and Portales. His paternal grandparents are Ebb Lawrence and Grace Leodias (Johnston) Rackley of Cheapside, Texas and Tatum, Caprock and Portales. His maternal grandparents are A.E. and Winnie (Luce) Lott of Portales, and John Wooley of Portales

     We have lived in Dimmitt, Texas, Woodward and Antlers, Oklahoma; also Paola, Lenexa and Olathe, Kansas; and Portales and now Eunice. We hope to one day have one of Jimmy's inventions work and have it patented. Our opinion of Lea County is that schools are good and it's a good place to raise our children.

     Jimmy has a brother, Eddie Lawrence Rackley, who is a paramedic in Overland Park, Kansas. His wife is Marsha (Kitts) of Portales. They have two girls: Teresa Lynn born in Germany, and Angela, born in Clovis.