Obituary of Moreland Lancaster Martin

Moreland Lancaster Martin was born in Clovis, NM, on January 9, 1931, to Frank B. and Mabel Hall Martin—his middle name given in honor of the doctor who delivered him. He grew up in Taiban and Fort Sumner, NM, and graduated from Fort Sumner High School in 1949. During high school, Moreland was active in football, basketball, track, and rodeo.

In 1950, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and trained as a Paratrooper at Fort Bragg, NC, later serving with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Benning, GA. In 1951, he married Christine Ogden of Fort Sumner, and the couple lived in Columbus, GA, until his military service concluded.

With the GI Bill, Moreland attended Eastern New Mexico University and Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University), earning a BS degree in Animal Husbandry in 1956. He began his career with the National Livestock and Meat Board in Chicago, where he traveled extensively and often appeared on local television programs, demonstrating meat cutting and cooking techniques.

In 1959, their daughter Leah Ann was born. The following year, after the Meat Board was dissolved, the family returned to New Mexico to be closer to relatives. Their son, Lyle, was born in Clovis in January 1964. Moreland worked in the meat processing industry before moving into the irrigation and pipeline restoration business, which took the family to Lubbock, TX, where they lived until 1987. During this time, Moreland learned to fly and piloted the company’s Cessna aircraft on many business and family trips.

The family later relocated to Fort Worth, TX, where Moreland continued in the pipeline industry until his retirement. In 2021, he and Christine moved to Houston to be near their daughter’s family.

Moreland was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Janet Martin Trotman. He is survived by his wife of 74 years, Christine; daughter Leah and husband Mike Dagher of Houston; son Lyle Ogden Martin and wife Pam of Austin, TX; grandchildren Val Dagher and his wife Britney with children Ezra and Eden; Oliver Dagher; Giovanni Dagher and wife Katrina; Everett Dagher; Viola Dagher Russell and husband Adam of Evansville, IN; Katie Martin Weston and husband Nick of Austin, TX; Wyatt Martin and wife Riley of New York City; and Ella Christine Martin of Dallas.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 6, at 11:00 a.m. at Martin Thompson & Son Funeral Home, 6009 Wedgwood Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76133. Burial will follow at Laurel Land Cemetery, 7100 Crowley Road, Fort Worth, TX 76134