Roney Clark, age 62, of Morse, Texas passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at BSA in Amarillo, Texas surrounded by his loving family. Roney died from complications associated with liver failure, after having survived several near-death experiences.
Roney was born on July 13, 1963, in Friona, Texas to Albert and Claudine (Jackson) Clark. He grew up with his older sister, Carrie, in the Holt Community, south of Spearman, Texas, where his family was engaged in farming for many years. Some of his favorite childhood memories were of racing on his bicycle a short distance down the country road to PamPa’s and MeeMaw’s to get some of her homemade biscuits, freshly baked every morning. He had many fond memories of times spent with his maternal grandparents. Roney attended elementary and high school in Spearman. He then continued his education at Clarendon College, graduating from the Ranch and Feedlot Operation Program. Roney enjoyed raising show steers and participating in livestock shows when he was young, and later enjoyed helping his sons with their 4-H livestock projects. Roney’s passion from a young age was being a cowboy and living the cowboy life. He pursued this passion by dayworking for local ranchers and taking care of wheat pasture cattle, working hard to become a “hand” with a horse and a rope. He mastered “the sneak attack” that he was known for. He enjoyed team roping a great deal, but his “true love and unwavering passion” was being a rodeo pickup man. Roney would have been a pickup man until the day he died, if that had been possible. He had an immense pride in watching his two sons be pickup men also, always giving them pointers gathered from his years of experience. While working for McCloy Rodeo Company and helping with the Oklahoma Panhandle State University annual Etbauer-Latham Bronc Riding School, Roney had some of the best in the business as “dancing partners”--Joe Ed Eckert, Otis Jennings, John Salisbury, Murry West, and Kenny Carpenter, to name a few. Helping pickup at the Etbauer-Latham Bronc Riding School is where he met his future wife, VeAnn Allsworth, who was helping at the stripping chute.
Roney and VeAnn were united in marriage at the First Baptist Church in Morse, Texas, on Valentine’s Day of 1993, just ahead of an incoming Panhandle blizzard. They raised their two sons, Reese and Ry, in the Morse community, which has been their home for the past 26 years.
Roney loved spending time with his boys! They enjoyed hunting and fishing together – but his favorite times were the miles and memories made while traveling down the rodeo trail with them to their many junior and high school rodeos. Later he watched them compete at the college rodeo level. They both shared his passion for rodeo and the cowboy lifestyle. Roney and VeAnn worked hard to raise their boys with an appreciation of the old cowboy values, manners, and the cowboy way of life. Being married to a cowboy isn’t for the weak-hearted, but there’s a unique bond there in the cowboy/rodeo world that is like no other, and the Clark family was very blessed to be a part of that! In his later years, Roney never missed a chance to share some “reride” rodeo stories with old friends, or anybody who would listen- whether they had the time or not. He loved talking about his grandchildren’s sports activities and livestock shows, and went to as many of them as he could. Roney also loved spending time with his three special uncles, Pat, Punk, and Dan Jackson. In the past few years, he enjoyed his visits with family and friends, while delivering fresh eggs or baked goods.
Roney was honored to be selected as a pickup man for the Kansas ProRodeo Cowboy Finals, the Texas Cowboy Rodeo Association Finals, the Coors Ranch Rodeo Finals, and several Old Timer Rodeos during his life. He enjoyed helping with the OPSU bronc-riding school for several years. Roney was proud to have served on the Pringle-Morse School Board for a number of years.
Roney was preceded in death by his father, Albert Clark, his mother, Claudine Clark, two very special uncles, Pat and Dan Jackson, and two very special “adopted uncles”, Jerry and Dean Sparks, his father-in-law, Tom Allsworth, as well as numerous other family members. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, VeAnn Clark, of Morse; two sons, Reese (Jessica)Clark and Ry (Parker) Clark; grandchildren Taylor and Ryder Wooldridge; granddogs “Dog” and “Janice”, and his devoted dog “Kate”; his sister, Carrie (Mark) Tidwell, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
A Celebration of Roney’s Life will be held on Monday, September 29, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Morse First Baptist Church. Lunch will be served at the Morse Community Building following the services. A private burial ceremony will be held at a later date at the Holt Cemetery, south of Spearman, Texas. Visitation will be held on Sunday, September 28, 2025, from 5-7:00 p.m.at the Morse First Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Morse Community Building, Holt Cemetery, or the Hansford County Rodeo Association.
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