Elmer Charles Honath, Jr.

 

Elmer Charles Honath, Jr.
Elmer Charles Honath, Jr.

Elmer Charles Honath of Amarillo, TX died at the age of 93 on July 28, 2021. He was the beloved husband of Dorothy Brotherton Honath, a loving father to Cynthia Faye Baker of Oklahoma City and Sandra K. Miller and husband Mark of Fruita, Colorado, grandfather of Matthew Baker, Stephen Baker and Brandon Miller, and uncle to seven nephews.  

Elmer was born on November 17, 1927, in Oakbrook, Illinois to Elmer and Esther Honath of Forest Park, Illinois. He grew up in the Chicago area, served in the Army Corps of Engineers during WWII, and received a BS degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1951. Immediately upon graduation, Elmer went to work for the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF).

It was while working for the ATSF in Amarillo that he met and married the love of his life, Dorothy Brotherton, in 1953. For this young couple, working for the railroad meant packing up boxes, loading them on a trailer and moving on to the next location. Their first stop was Denton, Texas; then on to Woodward, Oklahoma; to Galveston, Texas; then farther North to Chicago, Illinois and other stops included Lubbock, Texas; Temple, Texas; Amarillo, Texas (2 more times); back to Chicago (3 more times); Fort Madison, Iowa; and Topeka, Kansas. The couple also spent some time in southern California, along with their two daughters, attending the Santa Fe Railway Institute of Business Economics at the University of Southern California.

Finally, tired of railroading and moving, Elmer retired as the Assistant Chief Engineer of Construction for ATSF in 1988 and turned his attention to his hobbies of farming and ranching. For Elmer, ranching and farming were just another adventure. Even in his final days, he was wheeling and dealing.

While Elmer had an accident that resulted in the loss of his right arm, he could do more with one arm than most men with two. He walked the railroad lines in rain and snow, scaled bridges and poles, branded cattle and never asked for any assistance. He served as a director of the Amarillo Chapter of the American Red Cross, was a former member of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, was a member/director of the American Railway Engineering Association and a long-time member of the Baptist Church. At the time of his death, he was a long-time member of the South Georgia Baptist Church. Throughout his life, his family was his pride and joy, especially his daughters Cindy and Sandy.

Services will be at 1:00 P.M., Wednesday, August 4, 2021, at South Georgia Baptist Church with Pastor Mike Martin officiating. Military honors will be provided by Volleys for Veterans. Private burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to:

-South Georgia Baptist Church; 5209 South Georgia; Amarillo, TX 79110; http://www.southgeorgiabaptistchurch.org.

or

-Scottish Rite for Children; PO Box 199300; Dallas, TX 75219-9842; https://scottishriteforchildren.org/get-involved

6 Replies to “Elmer Charles Honath, Jr.”

  1. Sending love and prayers for our Lord to wrap you all in his arms of peace and comfort. Praying for peace and strength in the coming days!

    Love and prayers. Bob and Mary Nell and family.

  2. All our Love and Prayers for each of you. Such dear memories of a dear uncle. So grateful to have the gift of Elmer in my life! May God richly comfort your hearts during these days.

    Gary and Kathy Brotherton
    Ryan, Janae, Nathan and Adam.

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