George H. Sides, a son, brother, husband, Daddy and G’pa was born Dec. 15, 1930, at home in the Roosevelt community, east of Lubbock, to Benjamin Horace and Ora Ethel (McLean) Sides. He was later joined by two brothers, Jack and Benny.
George grew up in the Roosevelt community. He attended and graduated from the Roosevelt school system. After high school, George joined the US Air Force. He was stationed at MacDill Air Base in Tampa, Florida where he worked on the B47 Stratojet and made lifelong friends. Upon returning from the Air Force, he farmed with his father and attended a few classes at Texas Tech. One day, while playing around in his boat at Buffalo Springs Lake, he met his wife-to-be, Carolyn Bagwell. They were married 67 years at the time of her death.
After a few years of marriage, George and Carolyn moved out west of Dimmitt to the Bethel community where he started farming on his own. Always loving people, he became involved in his new community and church. He was a leader of UMYF (United Methodist Youth Fellowship), served on numerous boards of the Methodist church and was a member of the Asbury Sunday School class. For many years he and otherchurchmemberstooktruck loads of wheat to the Methodist Children’s Home in Waco. And during the summer, he and Carolyn hosted children from the home in their own home.
In the Dimmitt community he served on several boards: Dimmitt Wheat Growers, Dimmitt Agri Industries, Dimmitt Chamber of Commerce and the Castro County Appraisal District. He was a big supporter of 4-H, FFA and the DHS band program both while his children were participants and in later years with his grandchildren. He was an avid supporter of the Ogallala Quilters Society and especially enjoyed participating in the yearly auctions!
He and Carolyn were honored to be named Citizen of the Year and Citizen Through the Years by the Dimmitt Chamber of Commerce. They had a wonderful group of friends with whom they traveled and celebrated many a birthday.
George is survived by his children, Gregg Sides and wife Lynn of Dimmitt, Cinde Ebeling and husband Donald of Plainview, and Kim Watson and husband Ed of Aledo; sonin law, Joe Hill and wife Lisa of Cleburne; 13 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; brothers, Jack Sides of Lubbock and Benny Sides and wife Sue of Lubbock; along with several nieces and nephews.
George was preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn; his daughter, Laurie Hill; and his grandson, Clayton Sides; and sisterin- law, Sue Boozer and husband Monty.
Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m., at the First Methodist Church in Dimmitt with the Rev. Eliezer Garrido and Gabe Moudy officiating. Burial will follow in Castro Memorial Gardens Cemetery under the care of Colonial Funeral Home of Dimmitt. The family will receive friends on Friday, Sept. 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
The family has requested that memorials be made to: ADVO, 5241 South Washington St., Amarillo, Texas 79110, ACH Child and Family Services, 3712 Wichita St., Ft. Worth, Texas 76119, or Castro Memorial Gardens Cemetery, c/o Charlie Summers, 700 Maple St, Dimmitt, Texas 79027.
The family would like to send a special thank you to the staff of Country View Living who loved and cared for George over the last six years. CVL is a special place that quickly became home for him.