Bennie Lee Moore

Bennie Lee Moore, 90, of Wildorado, TX passed away April 5, 2026.

Visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM, Thursday, April 9, 2026 at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home, 110 S. Main, Vega. Funeral service will be at 1:00 PM, Friday, April 10, 2026 at Christ Community Fellowship in Vega. Interment will follow in Palo Duro Cemetery in Wildorado. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors.

Bennie Moore was born on January 10th,1936 in Wildorado, Texas to Alma Forest (A.F.) and Mildred Essie Moore and sister Alma Jo. Ben lived in Wildorado his entire life until his death on April 5th, 2026. He attended Wildorado Elementary and Vega High School. In high school he was on the basketball team and played in the Vega marching band.

When attending school, Ben began delivering propane at the age of 13 after his father had a debilitating illness. He continued delivering propane before and after class until his graduation in 1953. Ben was an honoree of the American Legion in Vega and was chosen to attend Boys State in Austin Texas. During his youth, Ben attended church at both the Methodist Church and Church of Christ in Wildorado. He often shared, “I met the Lord when I was 12 years old”. Ben continued business and educational pursuits at Amarillo College and West Texas State University and eventually earned his real estate broker license. Ben also acquired his pilot's license along with his uncle Billy Bob Moore. Together, they had joint ownership of two single-engine aircraft.

Ben met Dolores Jones from Gatesville Texas when she attended West Texas State University. They married on February 18th, 1956, at the Joseph A Hill Chapel located on the campus of West Texas State University in Canyon TX. They moved to Wildorado where Ben continued working as a Philips 66 jobber and Dolores taught elementary school at Vega. Together they had two children Kyle Lee Moore and Gina Gay Bailey. Later in life, they loved to travel in their motor home. Including a trip through Copper Canyon in Mexico to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2006. They were married 54 years before Dolores passed away November 30, 2010, from complications associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Throughout their marriage, Ben and Dolores engaged in several business ventures. In the spring of 1958, after a downturn in the propane business, Ben and Dolores entered into a business venture with AF Moore to sell crop fertilizer. They used Dolores's first year teacher’s salary as seed money to buy into the partnership. In 1985 they purchased the AF Moore Phillips 66 Gasoline jobber ship and changed the name to DOBE Fuel. In 1987, they purchased the Phillips 66 jobber ship in Claude Texas. DOBE Fuel provided propane across most of the northern Texas Panhandle delivering to oil fields, convenience stores, and private individuals.

After being in business for 54 years, Ben retired in the year 2000. He and Dolores enjoyed traveling the United States and Mexico. For many years, he served as a Deacon of the Palo Duro Baptist Church and was the Fire Chief for the Wildorado Volunteer Fire Department. He served as Oldham County Commissioner for 20 years and was among those who led the initiative to build the Oldham County Airport. He also served on the Wildorado Independent School Board of Trustees President, the Wildorado Water Supply Corporation and a member of the Oldham County Appraisal District Board of Directors. Ben was honored as the 2013 Man of the Year by Oldham County Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his contributions to the community.

Ben married Joann Mode on April 16th, 2011 at Palo Duro Baptist Church in Wildorado Texas. They made their home in Wildorado and in 2013 started the Wildorado U-Store-It storage business. Ben and Joann enjoyed traveling in the motorhome and traveled over 77,000 miles together.

Ben never met a stranger, and he struck up conversations with people everywhere he went. He always enjoyed visiting and sharing stories with friends and acquaintances. He particularly enjoyed being part of the Walk To Emmaus Sessions.

Ben Moore is survived by his wife Joann, a son Kyle Moore and wife Sheila, daughter Gina Bailey and grandchildren Ben Moore and wife Kori, Kevin Bailey and Cara Bailey.