Warren Douglas Lockwood

February 24, 1931-January 5, 2012

After a long illness Warren Lockwood went home to be with the Lord on January 5, 2012. Warren D. Lockwood was born in Le Grand, CA on February 24, 1931 to Dewey and Velma Lockwood.

He graduated from Le Grand High School in 1949 and went to Fresno State for a year.

In 1950 he joined the United States Air Force and served for four years.

In 1953 while stationed at Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka, Kansas, he met his loving wife, Charlene Engler. They were married at the base on June 6, 1954. After being discharged from the Air Force in August 1954 he returned to Le Grand where he worked for his father at the Le Grand Elevator, while working there he started raising chicken fryers and eventually raised 100,000 a year.

To help provide for his family besides raising the chickens, he started doing custom grain combining. He had three combines running and they were sometimes in different fields and also two grain dryers.

Then he purchased an almond ranch in 1963 and sold it in 1974. His wife and children worked right along beside him. One year Warren had 3 grain combines, 2 grain dryers, 100,000 chicken fryers, handled the sack portion of almonds for the California Almond Growers and 65 acres of almonds all at one time.

His desire was to have a grain seed cleaning mill. So in 1968 he started selling grain just out of a grain bin. Every year sales and volume increased. So a portable cleaner was hired to clean the seed and bag it. Each year the volume increased. So in 1973 land was purchased and a seed cleaning plant was built on the outskirts of Chowchilla, CA and named Lockwood Seed, Inc. Lockwood Seed, Inc was known all over in the Western States, Canada, and Australia. Warren put his heart and soul into the business. His children and wife again worked as a team right along his side.

God has blessed Warren and his family for all the hard work and diligence.

In 1998 a decision was made to retire because of his health, so in 1998 Lockwood Seed, Inc was sold.

Warren worked hard at everything he did and was a perfectionist. He could repair, build and design almost anything and especially wanted things straight and level.

Warren loved flowers and growing a big garden which he loved to share the vegetables and fruit with his friends. He would make deliveries several times a week.

He was a very caring person. He loved his family especially his grandchildren. He always wanted the best for them.

Warren also liked to go dancing, (when younger) music, singing, deer hunting, fishing, telling jokes, kidding around and traveling with his wife. He especially liked going to Australia and Hawaii, where they went several times.

Warren was a member of First Baptist Church, Merced, CA; Le Grand Lions Club; Chowchilla Lodge; Scottish Rite; and Shriners.

Warren was preceded in death by his parents, Dewey and Velma Lockwood; brother, Everett Lockwood; sister, Juanita Tillman; and infant daughter, Victoria Elizabeth Lockwood.

Warren is survived by his wife of 57 years, Charlene Lockwood; daughters-Debbie (Ronnie) White, Atlanta, TX and Becky S. Reyes, Merced, CA; sons-Brian (Jamie)Lockwood, Lebanon, OR; David (Carolyn)Lockwood, Albany, OR; and Gary (Crystal)Lockwood, Lolo, MT; 19 grandchildren; and 10 great grandchildren.

Visitation will be held on Friday, January 13, 2012 from 3:00P.M.-7:00P.M. at Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home, 1490 B Street, Merced, CA. Services will be held on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 10:00A.M. at First Baptist Church, 500 Buena Vista Dr., Merced, CA. Burial will be at Plainsburg Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to First Baptist Church, 500 Buena Vista Dr., Merced, CA 95348 or your favorite charity.

Arrangements under the direction of Stratford Evans Merced Funeral Home, Merced, CA.