Mildred Lois Cotten Farris

Funeral service for Mildred Lois Farris will be 2p.m., Wednesday, May 15 at the First Baptist Church of Waurika, Oklahoma with Dr. Stacy Conner  and  Mike Mathis officiating. Burial will follow at Waurika Cemetery under the direction of Dudley Funeral Home. Visitation will be held at the Dudley Funeral Home Tuesday  and Wednesday morning.  Family will receive visitors from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday evening.
Mildred passed away Monday, May 13, 2013, at home in Addington, Oklahoma, at the age of 79 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Mildred, the daughter of W. B. and Blanche Cotten was born August 8, 1933, in Andrews, Texas. She attended and graduated from Andrews High School in 1951. She obtained a Degree in Physical Education from Sul Ross College in Alpine Texas in 1955, where she also participated on the Sul Ross Rodeo Team. On May 31, 1955, Mildred married fellow rodeo contestant John Farris and the two eventually made their home on the Farris Family’s Ranch outside of Addington, Oklahoma.
Mildred joined the Texas Barrel Racers Association where she won the championship in 1955-1956-1957. In 1958, she joined the Girls Rodeo Assn. (GRA), that later became Women’s Professional Rodeo Assn. (WPRA). She served as a Director, Vice President and President in 1965 through 1971. She qualified for the National Finals 13 times and was a runner-up to the Champion three times, posting the fastest time. She was selected “WPRA Women of the Year” in 1996.
For 17 years, Mildred carried the American Flag at the opening of the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. She carried the American Flag for the Cowgirl Hall of Fame opening in Las Vegas in 1997. Mildred was elected to the Sul Ross Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1994. In 2008, Mildred and John were jointly inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado and inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in Belton in 2004. In 2010, the couple was inducted in to the Rodeo Historical Society Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
Mildred served as Secretary of the Texas Circuit Finals, 17 times.  She also served as Rodeo Secretary for the Fort Worth Rodeo for 30 years. Mildred is a five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo secretary, a five-time Wrangler NFR assistant secretary and a 15-time Wrangler NFR timer. She served as secretary of the Women’s National Finals Rodeo seven times and has been named PRCA Secretary of the Year nine times and twice by the Women’s Professional Cowgirls Association. She served on the PRCA Contract Personnel Executive Council from 1988-2002. Mildred most recently was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Ft. Worth, Texas in October 2012.
Mildred along with her husband John worked as a team for several stock Contractors; Tommy Steiner, Neal Gay, James Harper, Mack Altizer, Scotty Lovelace & Stace Smith, Don Gay, Mike Cervi and others. They were known for running the best rodeos. There was never a problem with pay-offs and the arena was always clean and safe. The stock was loaded in the correct chutes and in proper sequence.
Mildred is preceded in death by her parents and sisters, Dorothy Daugherty and LaVida Faye Simpson and one brother Ralph Arnold Cotten.
Survivors include her husband of almost 58 years John Farris; two sons, Bill Farris and wife, Sally, of Nobel, Oklahoma and Johnny Farris and wife Jan, of Addington, Oklahoma. Four grandchildren Chelsea Dorward and husband Russell, of Clifton, Texas, Dell Farris of Comanche, Oklahoma, Matthew and Ben Farris of Nobel, Oklahoma. Siblings include Helen Morris and husband Jack of Odessa, Texas; twin brother Melvin Cotten  and wife Carol of Kenna, New Mexico; brother Gayle Cotten and wife Kay of Hereford, TX and sister Barbara Finney and husband Bob of Muleshoe, TX, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Rodeo Historical Society Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, or National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Ft. Worth, Texas.

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