Randall Key Roper (Plainview)

Randall Key Roper, 83, of Olton, passed away on Thursday, November 14, 2019. Randall’s family has lost their adventurer – husband, father, and grandfather – a man of integrity, honor, and lots of smiles.

Randall was born March 26, 1936 on his family’s farm north of Olton to Ralph S. Roper and Thelma (Key) Roper. He was their third son, following brothers Ralph Roper, Jr., and Billy Reed (deceased).  In 1942, sister Mary Diane joined the family.  

Randall’s grandparents Elisha and Louisa Roper of Plainview had thirty grandchildren, and throughout childhood Randall and his siblings enjoyed many cousins as playmates. Growing up in the 1940’s, he remembered the treat of going to town to Olton’s “picture show.” Randall was driving a tractor by the time he was 11. The family was part of the Valley View Church community, which was east of their farm 8 miles northeast of Olton near the Runningwater Draw. The Roper boys grew up with the John Meekma, Ernest Jones, and Ed Workman families as neighbors.

Randall graduated from Olton High School in 1954; shortly afterwards, he joined The US Army. He served on active duty from 1954 to 1957, including a time in Germany.

In 1958, he met Linda Lee Self of Plainview. They married in 1960 and moved north of Hart to farm some of his father’s land. In October 1961, Randall and Linda welcomed their first son, Todd Randall, and moved to the “home place” where Randall was born as Randall’s parents moved to Plainview. Sons Brad Lee and Anthony Reed followed in October 1964 and November 1968, respectively.

Randall knew how to play with his sons. The family took dirt bikes to the mountains behind a pickup camper and camped off the grid with friends. Other family trips involved skiing or snowmobiling in the Rocky Mountains.  Randall was also an IFR-certified private pilot, first flying Cessnas and then owning a share in two Beechcraft Bonanzas over the years. He flew family and friends on many trips around the country.

 In the 1990s, Randall and Linda enjoyed square dancing as members of the Belles ‘N Beaux Square Dance Club in Plainview, with Randall serving a term as President.  He and Linda owned various RVs and traveled with Plainview’s Central Plains Good Sam Club for fifteen years. In 2014, Randall and Linda took an especially memorable 8,000-mile trip to the eastern provinces of Canada with lifelong friends Ted and Beverly Sanders.

In Randall’s later years, son Tony introduced him to “rock crawling,” a form of off-road driving over very rough terrain, which Randall traversed using a highly modified 1974 Ford Bronco , most recently in April of this year. Randall and family traveled to central Texas, Arkansas and the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico to try new rock-crawling trails. He was well known among members of the Lone Star Early Bronco Club, attended many club events, and his picture was featured in the 2017.

Randall was a lifelong farmer, actively farming from his return from military service in 1957 until his retirement in 2005. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Olton. He was a 32^nd degree Mason and was a member of the Olton Masonic Lodge, serving as Master in the late 1980’s.

Randall is survived by his wife Linda of Olton, son Todd and wife Belinda of Mounds, OK, son Brad and wife Lori of Memphis, TN, and son Tony and wife Amanda of Abilene. Grandchildren are Brandon Roper of Tulsa, Tahlia Roper of Tulsa, Emily Roper of Memphis, TN, Elisha Roper of Abilene, and Nancy Franklin of McKinney, TX. Additionally, he survived by his sister Mary Byrd of Plainview, brother Ralph Roper and sister-in-law Beth of Corinth, TX, sister-in-law Helen Roper of Bowie, TX, and one great grandchild, Emerson Franklin, of McKinney. He is also survived by eight nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life service will be held In Olton First Baptist Church at 2 pm on Saturday, November 23^rd. Preferred memorials are to Hospice of Lubbock or the Olton Volunteer Ambulance Association.