Pampa’s Agnes Brumfield celebrates 100 years

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On April 30, Agnes Brumfield will reach a milestone that is not often reached in today’s world when she celebrates her 100th birthday.

Agnes has lived in Pampa for 52 years after moving here in 1956. She was born in Zybach, Texas, which is located today between Allison and Briscoe.

“There used to be a filling station there with a big, old-timey ice chest filled with ice and pop,” Agnes said. “We were poor people and I never got a pop out of that, I don’t think.”

Today, Zybach only has a cemetery left on County Road Line in Wheeler County.

Agnes was born the daughter of John Wesley Forest and Clara Bertha Bessire into a farming family, dad had cows and her mother raised turkeys, guineas and chickens.

“I never knew anything different (from growing up on a farm),” Agnes said. “I gathered the eggs, washed them and got them ready for sale. I milked the cows, which my grandson laughs every time I tell them that.”

Agnes, who was the youngest in the family, recalled a story of milking some cows before her parents got home.

“My father took my mother to the doctor in Shattuck, Okla. so it took them all day,” Agnes said. “I knew I had to help my dad milk so I decided to eat a bite and get with it.”

Agnes attended school in Zybach until Allison was developed. She went to school in Allison before eventually graduating high school in 1940 in Canadian after her family moved to a farm nearby.

After high school, her family moved to Portales, New Mexico where her dad had a smaller “garden farm.” She married her first husband, Bryant Flowers, shortly after.

By 1948, Agnes had three children and had moved back to Texas and her family had moved from Perryton to Miami via a cattle drive.

“They drove their cattle from Perryton to Miami on horses,” Agnes said. “The in-laws did it and we cooked the meals for them. They crossed the Canadian River but it was dry. The women prepared the meals while the men worked. That’s the way we were raised up.”

In 1966, Agnes was divorced and moved to Pampa and later met her second husband (married in 1969), Luther “Junior” Brumfield, who worked for Kerr-McGee.

“He was a wonderful guy and I had nearly 50 wonderful years with him (he passed in 2019),” Agnes said.

Agnes said “it was quite a change” leaving the country life behind. Agnes worked at Marie Foundations (the bra factory) and helped run the laundromat with Luther.

“Pampa just seemed like home to me,” Agnes said. “The ranch is a place for the younger people.”

While she hasn’t attended since Junior passed away, Agnes is a member of Central Baptist Church.

Between her and Junior, Agnes has six children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

As for any advice to make it 100 years old? Agnes said she never gives it a thought.

A family gathering will be held for Agnes next weekend but The Pampa News would like to wish Agnes a very happy birthday.