Fred Little
Fred Little Obituary
Fred Ray Little, long-time resident of Ditch Valley was born on the tenth of March 1937 in Buffalo, Oklahoma to Houston Marvin and Mary Ellen (Williams) Little. He passed away October 24th, 2021, at his home.
Fred grew up on the family farm. They milked Holstein cows, grew alfalfa, wheat, oats and barley as crops. He shared his father’s love of horses, so there has been a small band of Quarter Horses on the place to this day.
He started his schooling in Englewood, Kansas and graduated from Rosston High School with the class of 1955 and was a proud member of the state championship basketball teams of 1953 and 1955. Upon graduating from high school, he attended Oklahoma State University and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science. Many life-long friendships started at Stillwater and continue to this day. In 1957, He and Joyce Ann Hayes were married. They celebrated 64 years of marriage on September 6th of this year.
After graduating from college, Fred started working for American Breeders Service and traveled all over the United States and Canada buying bulls for their breeding program. This job started his long career in sales. He had a knack for the sales industry and could sell anything. Opportunities at home led him to be a full-time farmer and rancher with his dad and brother. Later in life, he also worked for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and was a cattle buyer and attended sales locally as well as in Colorado, putting loads together for his customers.
He was very community minded, serving on fair boards and worked at the state and national level on agricultural issues. Milk Association meetings, Farm Bureau and Farmers Union conventions and relationships with the Cattleman’s Association and the Pork Council allowed Fred and Joyce to travel all over the country speaking on behalf of our industry.
His health issues in later years prevented him from having what many would consider a normal life. Yet with the help of his loving wife and caretaker, he was able to persevere and handle it with a sense of humor and grace.
Fred was a member of the Rosston United Methodist Church. He never met a stranger and would carry on conversations with anybody. He loved making phone calls to friends and neighbors and loved watching Cowboy basketball, especially when they were good!
He is survived by his loving wife, Joyce Ann of the home. Children, Vic and Melva Little of Fort Supply, Rhonda and Tony Smith of Depew, Alan and Angie Little of Bristow and Doug and Debra Little of Ditch Valley. Sister, Glenda Riddle of Cedar Falls, IA. Sister-in-law, Deloris Little. He is also survived by twelve grandchildren, twenty-one great grandchildren and four great, great grandchildren and numerous, nieces and nephews, cousins, neighbors, and a host of longtime friends.
Fred was preceded in death by his parents, his parents-in law, Lloyd and Hazel Hayes. Brother Charles Little and Sister and brother-in-law, Lila and Jack Mann.
