This March, we lost one of the founding fathers of our association and museum, Roy Ehly. Roy was one of the first officers of the Kansas Barbed Wire Collectors Association and helped to establish the Kansas Barbed Wire Museum back in 1970.
Roy is also credited with conceiving the idea for the World Champion Barbed Wire Splicing Contest™ held each year during the Barbed Wire Festival in La Crosse.
We appreciate all that he has done to help us get where we are today. Roy was also one of the founders of the Rush County Historical Society helping to develop the Post Rock Museum.
Roy Arthur Ehly, 92, passed away Tuesday afternoon, March 5, 2019 at the Ussery Roan Texas State Veterans Home in Amarillo, Texas where he had lived for the past seven years.
The son of Leo Joseph Ehly and Constance (Mantz) Ehly, Roy was born February 1, 1927 in Minneapolis, Kansas. He was raised in Logan, Kansas and attended the Logan school system graduating in 1945. Roy joined the U.S. Army in 1945 and was stationed in the Asiatic Pacific Theater in the 97th Infantry. After the surrender of Japan, his unit was then detached to Japan and were responsible for disarming the population.
Following his honorable discharge, Roy worked as the manager of Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. in LaCrosse, Kansas for 33 years and then served for 37 years as the Chamber of Commerce Executive in Liberal, Kansas, Okmulgee, Oklahoma and spending the last 20 years in Guymon, Oklahoma. While in LaCrosse, Roy also served as City Commissioner and Mayor.
He was highly active in local and national organizations, including AT&T Pioneers, VFW, American Legion, Shriners and Lions Club. As Lions Club member he had the honor of serving as a National President. During Christmas of 1950, Roy saved a husband and wife from a burning vehicle.
He served on the board of the Rush Co. Historical Society promoting a county observance of the KS Centennial Celebration in 1960. He was President of the reactivated Rush Co. Historical Society and a founding member of the Post Rock Museum, which was dedicated in 1964. He was also instrumental in organizing the KS Barbed Wire Collectors Association in 1967; Charles Kuralt brought his On The Road crew and filmed a segment in LaCrosse at the yet to be dedicated Barbed Wire museum. At that time he conceived the idea of the world’s champion barbed wire splicing contest. In 1975, Roy assisted in bringing the Timken Santa Fe Railroad Depo to LaCrosse.
Roy was instrumental in bringing Dorothy’s House to Liberal in 1982. He also had the privilege of participating in carrying the Olympic Torch in Liberal. Roy had the opportunity to attend the Chamber Management Institute in Houston for four years.
During his time in Guymon, Roy was instrumental in bringing Seaboard Farms and Vall Company Group to the area. This was the first investment outside of Spain for Vall. In 1992 & 1994, Roy received the Sheila Lee Executive of the Year award and in 1998, he received the Will Rogers award as the Guymon Chamber Executive Director for his outstanding work on the promotion of Oklahoma’s Economic Development. He was a board member of the Oklahoma Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau. Roy was instrumental in the progression of the US Hwy 54 renovation. He conceived and organized the WWII Victory Day Celebration to honor WWII veterans in 2011. They anticipated 150 veterans, but had nearly 300. The 77th Army Band from Ft. Sill also participated in the parade and held a concert.
He became a resident of Ussery Roan Texas State Veterans Home in Amarillo, Texas in 2012. While there, he organized a annual car show for three years. Roy was chosen to throw out the first ball for the Amarillo Thunderheads, July 4, 2015. In 2017, he and a Korean war veteran from the TSVH placed a wreath honoring WWII and Korean veterans at the memorial Battlefield Cross.
In addition to all his civic responsibilities, Roy was an avid Dallas Cowboy fan.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Amelia on July 20, 2012; one daughter, Marsha Lynn Brown on April 28, 2006; his parents; one sister and three brothers.
Survivors include his daughter, Debra Tedrick and husband, Dave of Amarillo, Texas and one grandson, Trevor Roy Tedrick and wife, Kaitlyn of Amarillo, Texas.
The family would like to thank Ussery Roan TSVH for the kind and wonderful care he received as a resident.
Funeral services will be conducted Saturday afternoon, March 9th at 2:00 p.m. at the Bunch – Roberts Chapel with the Very Rev. Christopher Brashears officiating. Interment with military honors will follow at the Elmhurst Cemetery in Guymon.