Luther "Buck" Eugene Castleberry

Luther Eugene “Buck” Castleberry of Groesbeck passed away on Monday, March 23, 2015 at Providence Hospital in Waco, at age 86. Visitation will be Wednesday, March 25, 2015, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, March 26, 2015, in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Bro. Troy Brooks of Madisonville (and formerly of the First Baptist Church of Groesbeck) officiating. Mrs. Barbara Walker will be the vocalist. Burial will follow in Fort Parker Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Rawls King, Rand Bates, Danny Hewitt, Larry Wilson, Richy Wilson, and Charles King. Buck was born to Luther Lee Castleberry and Mary Helen Cox Castleberry on August 13, 1928 in the Prairie Grove Community. The family moved into Thornton around 1934, and Buck attended school in Thornton and helped his father on the farm. As a very young married man he moved to Odessa to work in the oil fields for a few years, and then moved to Houston, where he worked as a mechanic in service stations. Later he moved back to Thornton. He worked for R. W. Hogan digging tanks some of his working life and also worked as a mechanic in Groesbeck. Buck married Mildred Alexander Beaver on November 22, 1972 in Groesbeck, and they made their home in Groesbeck. He worked for Mexia State School for twenty-five years before retiring December 31, 1990. Buck loved to fish, and he loved to watch baseball on T.V., being a great fan of the Texas Rangers. He was already looking forward to the first game of this season. He also enjoyed working in his yard, and he fostered and fed many homeless cats with two being his special lap cats. Buck was a member of the First Baptist Church of Groesbeck. Buck was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Mildred Castleberry; sister, Darlene Dean; and brothers, Billy Ray Castleberry and Willie Castleberry; and step-daughter, Shirley Davis. He is survived by his daughter, Helen Ann Nelson of McGregor, grandson, David Albee and granddaughter, Candice Nelson and great granddaughter Makayla; sister, Jessie Stockton of Groesbeck; sister, Bobbie Jean Lenamond of Groesbeck; sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Roger Freeman of Groesbeck; and nieces and nephews; Nancy Stockton of Groesbeck, Craig Lenamond of Corsicana, Jeanette Riojas of San Antonio, Chester Aills of Groesbeck, Kathy Lewis of Groesbeck, Douglas Aills of Groesbeck, Steve Castleberry of Abilene, and great niece, Shelby. Also surviving are his step-children: Kay and Fred Dawley of Groesbeck, James and Gerry Beaver of Stephenville, and Bobby Beaver of Palmer; and step grandchildren: Nicole Dawley and Matthew Dawley of Groesbeck, Lynn and Walter Latham of Madison, AL, Stacy and Jimmy Stone of Palmer, James and Kacye Beaver of Jacksboro, Beth and Shane Reed of Onalaska, Marshal Reed, Hayden Davis, Damon Reed, and Dominic Reed of Onalaska; and step great grandchildren, Mallory Beaver of Jacksboro and Jennifer Brown and husband Michael of North Carolina; and step son-in-law, Tom Davis of Axtell.