Alvin Stamps, Jr.

Alvin Garner Stamps Jr. passed from this life Nov. 27, 2020, surrounded by family, in his farm home 14 miles west of Panhandle in Carson County, Texas. Garner was born March 12, 1933, the sixth child of Carrie Adelia Cummings Stamps and Alvin Garner Stamps Sr., in their country home 12 miles east of Panhandle in Carson County, Texas. The Stamps family moved to Tulia, Texas around 1945 and Garner graduated from Tulia High School with the class of 1951. Immediately following graduation, and at the end of the Korean War, he enlisted in the United States Navy. He was stationed in Long Beach, Calif. aboard the mine sweeper ship, The USS Pivot. Before being honorably discharged, he was stationed in Astoria, Ore. at Tongue Point Naval Base.

His next, and best, decision was to continue his education and enrolled at Harding Christian College. Although a student only one semester, it was there he met the girl of his dreams, Alice Marie Degenhart. The two were married in The Church of Christ in Dodge City, Kan., on Dec. 22, 1957. The newlyweds lived in Kansas for a short period of time where Alice taught school and Garner farmed with his father-in-law, Hugo Degenhart. The couple next moved to Canyon, Texas where Garner enrolled and earned his Bachelor of Science Agriculture Degree, Alpha Chi (honor society) from West Texas State College, in 1962. While pursuing his degree, to their delight, the couple’s first child, Alvin Garner Stamps III was born into their lives in 1959. After graduation, the couple moved to Panhandle, where the young family began their career as a lifelong Carson County farm family. Shortly after their move, Alan Vint Stamps was born into the family in 1962. Garner sharecropped for several landowners, ran cattle and custom baled hay for neighbors and farmers in the County. He grew crops of corn, wheat, milo, soybeans and sunflowers. His family was his most treasured form of cultivation responsibility, and through these years the family grew with the addition of another son, Anthony Hugo Tony Stamps in 1969, and as Garner enjoyed saying, “Because we wanted a girl, Alicia Kay came along in 1971!” Family completed, Garner and Alice were able to purchase the homestead from Uncle Dee and Aunt Lillian Cummings, and it was on that land, the couple built their dream home. Throughout their years of farming, many brothers, nephews, nieces, cousins and various other willing participants all worked on the farm. Most of these folks knew, but didn’t always appreciate the fact, Garner greatly enjoyed listening to “Willie’s Road House” in his pickup.

Garner served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Farm Bureau, but he was most blessed by his years of service as an Elder and Deacon for the Panhandle Church of Christ where the couple worshiped, and as lifelong members, raised their family. Although a private man of faith, if asked, he always stood for his Christian principals, and his children and grandchildren are very aware he prayed every day, without fail, for his family and his church family.

Garner is preceded in death by his parents, and in-laws, Hugo and Sylvia Degenhart; siblings, Terecia Chapin, Adelia Norene Stamps, JW Stamps, Thelma Shuttlesworth and Beulah Arlena Stamps.
He is survived by siblings, Oleta Ayers, Betty Rawlins, LeeAnn Hicks, Mahala Bailey, David Stamps and wife, Sally, Earl Stamps and wife Mary Jane and Norman Stamps and wife, Joyce.

He is lovingly survived by his wife, Alice, of the home.

He was known as “Pop, Dad, Daddy and Garner” to Alvin and Brenda Stamps and Tony Stamps, all of Amarillo, and Vint Stamps, Mike and Alicia Pace, all of Panhandle.

Hannah Marie and Aaron Garner Stamps, Alan Vint “AJ”, Conner Tyrel and Adelia Rachelle Stamps and Cobi Win, Kyli Michelle and Camden Cleat Pace, affectionately called him, “Grampa, and G-Money!” “Uncle Garner, Uncle G, Uncle Garfunkel,” as well as his sweet spirit and teasing personality, will be missed by a plethora of surviving nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A visitation for family and friends will be held Thursday evening, Dec. 3, 2020 from 5:30 to 7:30 in the Minton Chatwell Funeral Home in Panhandle, Texas.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at the Panhandle Church of Christ on Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 at 2 p.m. under the direction of Minton Chatwell Funeral Directors.

The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to High Plains Children’s Home, 114615 Western St., Amarillo, TX 79118.