Ralph Leon Pollard

Graveside services for Ralph Leon Pollard will be held at 1:00pm on November 12, 2025, at the Hagerman Cemetery, Hagerman, NM. He left this world for his heavenly home on November 2, 2025.

Ralph was born to Estes Pollard and Myrtle Wood Pollard on August 8, 1935, in Mounds, Oklahoma. His early childhood was spent in eastern Oklahoma. He relocated to eastern New Mexico with his family and graduated from Lake Arthur High School in 1954.

The youngest of 10 children, Ralph learned to love big and the value of family. After the death of his mother at the age of 3, Ralph depended on his older siblings to help provide for his care. This love and care provided him was a special bond with his siblings, nieces, and nephews that few of us will ever know.

This love of family carried over into Raph’s adult life. He was a wonderful father to 5 children, Sabrina Andrews (Jay), Greg Pollard, Carey Lard (Boyd), Julie Salmon (Lupe), and Jeanne Powell (Dale).

Ralph worked hard his entire life, and after retirement at the age of 82, would often remark how lucky he was to be able to have a job he loved, “cowboy”. Ralph attributed his knowledge of cattle, sheep, pasture management and general ranch business to a neighbor and friend, Ivan Chesser. Their bond and friendship endured long after being neighboring ranchers west of Hagerman. Ralph moved his family into Hagerman, and in 1963 began working for Barnett Feed Yards, managing the cowboy crew. During his tenure with Barnett’s, Ralph was recognized for his careful management of cattle health. His vaccination program for incoming cattle and his sharp eye in recognizing sick cattle to be moved to wheat pasture, helped to make the feed yard successful. Ralph went on to help open feedyards in Bovina, and Olton. The love of the land drew Ralph back to ranching, when he took a job managing the Mark Draper ranch west of Roswell. He spent many happy hours teaching his grandchildren about ranching, livestock management, and deer and rabbit hunting, while living on the Draper ranch.

He began his “second career choice” when most are thinking about retiring, driving milk trucks for local dairies. He loved driving his truck across eastern New Mexico and West Texas. He always spoke fondly of the “friends” he met at the Eastland truck stop. A regular stop on his runs to Stephenville.

Ralph is survived by his son and four daughters and husbands, 17 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren. He loved to sit and watch the chaos of his large loud family during holiday gatherings. He is also survived by one sister, Juanita Whitaker; brothers, Condell Pollard, and Jerry Lawson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Harlan, Raymond, Clarence, and Thelbert Pollard; sisters Berthal Ennis, Lela Pollard, and Faye Dismukes; and his nephew (special brother) Cecil Pollard.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Baptist Children’s Home, 2200 Ave I, Portales, NM 88130 or the New Mexico Christian Children’s Home, 1356 NM 236, Portales, NM 88130-9983 or to the charity of your choice.