Tracy Ross Childs

Tracy was beloved and cherished by his sweetheart, best friend and wife Ruth. They were married June 4th, 1955, a short 62 years. When they got married Tracy only had $13.00. Money went a lot further then and this paid for two nights at a motel and a movie. For a snack, the morning after they were married, they snuck in to Ruth's parents house for some wedding cake. Soon they had three children: Terry, Becky, and David. Grandchildren and great grandchildren came…15 and he cherished each and everyone of them.

Tracy worked in construction for 17 years and for Southern Pacific Railroad for 25 years. He provided well for his family. He loved riding motorcycles and playing cards, particularly solitaire. But Ruth said he was a sore loser! He also loved words, playing crossword puzzles (and he was good at them!) and he loved watching Wheel of Fortune. He was a quiet man with few needs. He loved to travel, going to Jamaica, around Bandera and Medina, Texas, and Florida, Niagara Falls and then over into Canada. They also visited family in Kansas, Georgia and Louisiana. He loved going to visit the Kingdom Halls everywhere they went, meeting many brothers and sisters.

Tracy wasn't a particularly religious man in his younger years. After they were married Ruth began studying with Jehovah's Witnesses in 1957. Of course she wanted to share the truth with him so she did so in her own way by getting Tracy to mark her answers for the meetings and then she would leave magazines around the house. Eventually Tracy did learn to love Jehovah and he was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1970 in Amarillo Texas.

After he got sick a few brothers and sisters would take him the Watchtower and Awake! magazines and he was always eager to get them and read them. Ruth told the story that he would be talking and she would go see what he wanted and he said I'm praying to Jehovah! I don't need anything. So even though he didn't make many meetings at the Kingdom Hall he still relied on Jehovah and his promise.