Routh, John Charles 

KILGORE -- Services for John Charles Routh, 70, of Kilgore, will be 4 
p.m. Tuesday, July 18, 2006, at Forest Home Baptist Church in Kilgore, 
with the Rev. Charlotte Austin and Mr. Dan Willis officiating. Burial 
will follow in the Hickory Grove Cemetery. Mr. Routh passed away 
Saturday, July 15, 2006 in Kilgore. Mr. Routh was born March 19, 1936, 
in Trenton, Texas, to John and Golia Vee Gibson Routh, deceased. He was 
raised in the Trenton/Leonard area and graduated from Trenton High 
School. He also attended college at E.T.S.U. in Commerce, where he 
didn't study much but discovered what would later become a career and 
a major part of his life in the rodeo and fighting bulls. He was a 
member of the United Methodist Church and attended at McCary's Chapel. 
He earned quite a name for himself in the rodeo business, working in 
such venues as Madison Square Garden in New York City and Honolulu, 
Hawaii, not to mention the major rodeos in Houston, San Antonio, Calgary 
Stampede, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Denver, San Francisco and San Diego 
as well as many others all over the country. One of his favorite 
memories was clowning when the famous Freckles Brown rode "Tornado," 
Jim Shoulders' infamous bull the second time. He missed his first 
National Finals Rodeo this past year. The bull riders could always 
count on John, whether it was to help pay their entry fee or save 
them in the arena. He was a lifetime member of the Professional Rodeo 
Cowboys Association. He was an inductee into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy 
Hall of Fame in Belton as well as the Fannin County Sports Hall of 
Fame. After his retirement from the rodeo in 1973, he went to work for 
Union Pacific Railroad and retired after more than 30 years of service. 
John was a member of the Rocky Mountain Masonic Lodge No. 63 and the 
Sharon Shriner Temple. He went in as a ring candidate and was highly 
praised for his secret efforts to win the coveted ring. He is survived 
by his two daughters and son-in-law, Brenda Routh of Longview, and 
Barbara and Scott Montgomery of Kilgore; grandchildren, Chris Caldemeyer 
of East Mountain, Casey Caldemeyer of Gladewater, and Morgan and Olivia 
Montgomery, both of Kilgore; as well as many other loving family and 
friends who will truly miss John. The family will receive friends this 
evening from 6-8 at Rader Funeral Home in Kilgore. Please leave online 
condolences at www.Raderfuneralhome.com.

Published in the Longview News-Journal on 7/17/2006.