W.C. "Chady" Atteberry

W.C. “Chady” Atteberry was born on January 27, 1930, near Jefferson, Oklahoma (Grant County) on his grandparents’ (George & Eugenia McMullen) homestead to Audra and Arkie (McMullen) Atteberry on the reigning coldest & snowiest day an Oklahoma record. His father had to hitch up a team of horses and go pick up the doctor since the snow was too deep for the doctor’s car to get down the road to the farmhouse.  He passed away at his home in Blackwell, Oklahoma on August 13, 2024.

In 1936, Chady and his parents moved to Blackwell, Oklahoma. Chady had his first paying job at the age of six (6) working for a local farmer. He attended country school that was East of the river and graduated from Blackwell High School in 1949 (75 years ago). He was tri-captain on the football team the year they beat Ponca City.

Chady attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (Miami) and he graduated in 1951 with an associate’s degree. He then went on to Oklahoma State University A&M (Stillwater) and graduated in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy.

After college, Chady served in the United States Marine Corps as a 1st Lieutenant. He was in charge of the tanks once his superiors noticed his handiness with machines.

Chady married Pat Voegele, and they had daughters (Beverly & Barbara). They worked and traveled together across the US during harvest.

Chady was known for his lifelong love of steam engines, antique tractors, and antique cars. He served as an officer and board member in many clubs including the at the Wichita Steam Show in the 1950’s and served as President in the Oklahoma Steam Threshers & Gas Engine Show (Pawnee) where he reenacted the Incline with his J.I. Case 40 hp engine for years. He was President of the International J.I. Case Heritage Foundation. He was widely known for his ‘Letters by Chady’ that appeared in magazines like Ironman Album, Engineers & Engines, and The Heritage Eagle. He traveled all over the U.S. and Canada visiting steam engine shows and loved the friends he made along the way.

Chady drove his Model T Ford touring car and Model A Ford on several trips across the United States including in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. He was an active member of several antique car clubs in Oklahoma. His longtime dear friend, Irene (Rose) Oliver traveled with him on these adventures.

He had a custom harvesting business combining wheat from Muleshoe, Texas to Moosomin, Saskatchewan, Canada for 18 years with stops in Blackwell, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, and North Dakota and then returning to Muleshoe, Texas for the corn harvest. Chady also worked for Dale Wooderson at Diamond Dot Farms for more than twenty-five years and worked for Dora Goodson at the Goodson Ranch and Simer Equipment.

He taught both of his grandchildren how to drive the Model T as soon as their feet could reach the brake pedal. He was determined for them to be able to tell people the very first car they drove was his Model T Ford, Old Henry.

Chady participated in several organizations in Blackwell including Camp Fire Girls (President), Kay Electric Cooperative, attending Blackwell Football games at home and away and attending Homecoming every chance he got.

Chady is survived by his daughters - Beverly Atteberry of Tulsa and Barbara (Marc) Brockhaus of Oklahoma City, grandchildren – Amber (Austin) Hopfer of Edmond and Blake Brockhaus of Oklahoma City. He was predeceased by his wife Pat, his parents Audra & Arkie, his sister Eugenia and her husband Sam Fultz and his dear friend Irene (Rose) Oliver.

A prayer service was held on  Friday, August 16th in the Roberts and Son Funeral Home Chapel. A Funeral Mass is set for 10:00 a.m., Saturday, August 17th at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Blackwell with Father Balaswamy Bathini officiating. Burial will follow in the Blackwell Cemetery with military honors performed by the United States Marine Corps. 

Casketbearers will be Dale Wolff, Blake Brockhaus, Austin Hopfer, Jeff Detwiler, Steve Wooderson, Scott Kuhns, Steve Dunn and Glen Whitman.

On-line condolences can be made at www.robertsandsonfh.com