Sammy Don Nauert

Sammy Don Nauert was born November 18, 1955, in Stamford, the eldest son of Leland and Becky Nauert. He slipped quietly away to follow his Savior across the wheat fields of heaven on March 10, 2018, surrounded by his family at his home in Stamford.

Funeral services will be Thursday, March 15, at 1:30 pm at St John’s United Methodist Church in Stamford, with Rev. John Erwin and Dr. Phil McClendon officiating with interment at Bethel Cemetery in Ericksdahl. Visitation will be Wednesday, March 14, from 6-7:30 pm at Tankersley Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be nephews Tyler Nauert, Tannon Nauert, Trey Nauert, Shiloh Solis, Landon Nauert and godson, Jacob Wendeborn. Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Ericksdahl Coop Gin board of directors, and Chub Richards, Frank Robledo, Jr., Duane Boudreau and Lupe Alvarado.

A 1974 graduate of Stamford High School, Sammy studied at Western Texas College in Snyder, where he thoroughly enjoyed playing basketball with a group of guys who regularly scrimmaged against the WTC girls’ basketball team. It was there that he developed a love of coaching.

Sammy completed his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Agriculture at Texas Tech University in 1979. A highlight of his college career was when his friend Don Earl convinced him to try out for the Red Raider football team, and he made the Red Raider Junior Varsity as a tight end and punter, wearing number 87. He played in the 1978 Shrine Bowl against West Texas State’s Junior Varsity and loved every minute. Another favorite pastime at Tech was going country and western dancing with his cousins Taimi and Karen.

Sammy worked briefly as a county agent on the high plains but returned to the Big Country to teach and coach at Lueders Avoca. Years later, no matter where he went, Sammy would run into former students, and many of the girls he coached there stayed in contact. Sammy left the “school business” to return to his first love of agriculture and farm the Nauert family land.

Sammy married Leigh Davenport Merchant on April 11, 1987 and fearlessly adopted sons Aaron and Nathaniel. Nine weeks into marriage, they discovered they were six weeks pregnant and Sammy was thrilled when his daughter Cameron was born, closely followed in short order by daughter Christian and son Hayden. His children were a constant source of amusement and delight to him, and he was so patient with them. He loved coaching them in sports, especially Little Dribblers basketball for 13 years, summer league basketball in their high school years, and 7 on 7 football during Nathan and Hayden’s high school years. In the process, he developed relationships with all of their friends and fellow players, and he dearly loved them all. He also refereed basketball and was adept at ignoring obnoxious fans! He also took great delight in helping on the film crew for the Bulldog football team.

Sammy was a longtime member of Bethel Lutheran Church at Ericksdahl where he served on the church council and property committee, taught Sunday school and ran the sound board. He later joined St. John’s United Methodist Church in Stamford where he joyfully taught 3-4-year old’s Sunday school with Miss Nadia Hassen, ran the sound board on occasion as well, and enjoyed the Wednesday morning men’s prayer group. One of the highlights of his faith life was going on a short term mission trip in 2013 to Guatemala with the Springs Church of Lubbock, Texas, where his kid-magnet skills were displayed at an orphanage in Guatemala City, where merely sitting down caused him in short order to be surrounded and covered with toddlers, particularly a little blond-haired girl fittingly named Angel who literally had to be pried from holding on to his neck when it was time to leave.

Sammy served on the Stamford Memorial Hospital Board of directors in the 1990’s. He was a current director for the Ericksdahl Cooperative Gin board and served on the Rolling Plains Cotton Growers board. He always enjoyed learning about new agricultural technology, loved everything John Deere Green, and relished talking to others about new ways to do things. He was handy and skilled as a plumber, electrician, mechanic, and had a way with animals. He was nicknamed “Mr. Sesame” by Texas Farmer Stockman editor, J. T. Smith, following a 1999 cover story in the magazine. Among his favorite pastimes was working with cows, and he had an old donkey friend named Cimmanon that he liked including in selfies. He ran a pig operation with his father and uncle in the 1970’s, but never convinced his children to share his enthusiasm for working with pigs, despite much effort and coaxing.

Sammy delighted in Sunday dinners at his Mom and Dads, and all family gatherings, where his goal was to get the corner of the cobbler with the most crust. He loved the great outdoors, especially fishing. Favorite memories were of Thursday night gathering softball games at Bethel Lutheran Church, doing the fall sale skits, and an alternate persona as a member of the legendary and elusive “Butt Family.”

Sammy’s ultimate delight, though, was being Popsy to grandsons Cooper, Noah and Samuel Rhys (“Little Sammy”) and he was so looking forward to three new grandbabies to come this summer.

Sammy was preceded in death by a preborn granddaughter, Lily Nauert, and a niece, Monica Solis.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Leigh, of the home; son and daughter in law, Aaron and Amanda Nauert, of Carrollton; son and daughter in law, Nathaniel and Karissa Nauert, of San Antonio; daughter and son in law, Cameron and Nathan Copeland of Abilene; daughter and son in law, Christian and Blake Greer of Lubbock, and son and daughter in law, Hayden and Page Nauert of Tahlequah, OK. Parents, Becky and Leland Nauert; sister and brother in law, Vicky and Ralph Solis; brother and sister in law, Lynn and Robin Nauert; and brother and sister in law, Tony and Teresa Nauert, all of Stamford and a “ practically a daughter” and husband, Krista and Vadim Lavrusik, Luke, Beau and Nash of San Mateo, CA: longtime friend and co-worker, Lupe Alvarado; and by aunts, uncles, many cousins, nieces and nephews, and scores of friends and former students.

Online condolences may be viewed and made at www.tankersleyfuneralhome.com