Cactus Jack Stephenson went peacefully to be with his Lord and Savior on May 1, 2023. He was born to Dick Reese Stephenson and Mary Faye Banning Stephenson on April 19, 1942.

Many young boys have a dream of being a cowboy when they grow up. Well, young Jack Stephenson had the same dream. Growing up in Cotulla, Texas, his uncle Walter Stephenson, who was a pretty good cowboy, had an influence on that dream. Hanging around with the Walker boys, Morris and Richard in Cotulla as well as watching Phil Lyne, who were all NFR qualifiers and champions, also helped solidify that dream. As a teenager, he worked summers gathering, and working cattle for some of the best cattlemen in South Texas.

He could size up a man by the shape of his hat. One very rarely saw him without a starched shirt and jeans with boots along with one of the many belt buckles he won. He loved people, never met a stranger, and he could carry on a conversation with the best of them. Jack had a vernacular of his very own. "Good night or Two-bit-owlheaded "mo-dinker" were phrases you might hear if you spent any time around him, especially working cattle or in the roping pen.

He graduated from Cotulla high school and attended Sul Ross University where he was on the rodeo team. In 1962 he married his high school sweetheart Marjorie (Modie) Eileen Williams. Soon after marriage, they headed out to California where he took his first real job working in a cattle feed yard for Joe Finley. It was during this time that their first child, Jack Reese Stephenson, Jr was born but of course they flew home so Jacky could be born in the great state of Texas. Not long after, they moved back to Texas because that is where they belonged. They had two more children, Lori Ann and Leslie Robb. Later, Jack would take a job running Henrichson Feed Yards in Artesia Wells, Texas. Jack always looked up to F.D. Henrichson and learned a lot more about cattle and good horses from him.

Jack really made a name for himself training horses and rodeoing. He started breaking horses when he was just 12 years old. He knew horses and was always well mounted. He started out his rodeo career in the Texas High School Rodeo Association where he competed in every event he could enter; team roping, bull riding, bareback riding, calf roping and bull dogging. He was quite a hand at each one. He got his PRCA card bareback riding but then wised up and settled on team roping. Jack traveled many a mile team roping with some really good partners through the years. One partner, Don Beasley came to Texas from California and decided that Jack should be called Cactus Jack and the name stuck. To this day, many people still just call him Cactus. His favorite roping partner in the world was his son Jacky. Together they would hit the rodeo trail. One of His proudest moments was making the National Finals Rodeo with his son. There are very few father and son duos to this day that have competed at that level.

It was during the height of his rodeo career and after doing things his own way, he gave his life fully to Jesus. Being raised in church by Godly parents and grandparents, he was grounded in the word of God and the blessings in his life started flow. Cactus Jack had a vision and desire for something bigger. He co-founded Cactus Ropes with his cousin Joe Mathews and lifelong friend, Mike Piland. The rope company is still going strong today. His son Robb was very instrumental in the beginning days of the rope company, and he still plays a crucial role in the company today. Jack traveled around the United States as well as Cuba and Puerto Rico putting on roping schools, sharing his testimony and the word of God.

He spent his entire life working cattle and rodeoing. He bought his first set of heifers when he was 17 years old. He spent the bulk of his remaining years crossing and trading Corriente steers from Mexico and ranching in South Texas as well as West Texas, which was another one of his passions. He was a true cowboy in every sense of the word.

He is preceded in death by his parents Dick and Mary Stephenson, and his brother Larry Stephenson and his wife Patsy.

He is survived in death by his wife, Marjorie Stephenson; son, Jacky Stephenson and wife Margaret; daughter, Lori Donnell and husband Jamie; son, Robb Stephenson and wife Amanda; seven granddaughters who he affectionately called "his girls," Lacie Young and husband Stewart, Courtney and husband Jay Russell, Allison Donnell, Jordan Greer and husband Jerrid, Emily Stephenson, Olivia Stephenson, Madilyn Stephenson, and great-grandchildren, Payton Greer, Presley Greer, Haze Greer, who is the only boy in a slew of girls, Millie Young and Eleanor Burrous.

Jack's family has so many people they would like to thank; the many friends and family around the country who prayed for Jack, his church family at Christian Faith Center, their great friend Kathryn Menke, who is more like family and spent so much time visiting him these last few months, Myrna Kay and the wonderful nursing staff at Las Palmas in Cotulla and the wonderful people at Heart to Heart Hospice Care.

Pallbearers: Jamie Donnell, Jerrid Greer, Chico Hines, Dean Martin, Kathryn Menke, Jay Russell Burrous, Stewart Young and Scott Stephenson.

Honorary Pallbearers: Raymond Alaniz, Don Beasley, Todd Burnett, Scotty Dugger, Ricky Joe Lee, Joe Mathews, Mike Piland, Barry Berg and Danny Zuniga. Of course, there is a long list of friends that meant the world to Jack over the years, and we appreciate the friendship that you all have shown him.

In lieu of flowers, the family would love for donations to be made to Christian Faith Center, PO Box 128, Dilley, Texas 78017 or the 180 Ranch, PO Box 842, Dilley, Texas 78017 or River of Living Hope, 2783 CR 1301, Moore, Texas 78057

Visitation will be held in Stateroom B at Hurley Funeral Home in Pleasanton, on Thursday, May 4, 2023  from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm. A memorial service is scheduled on Saturday, May 6, 2023, starting at 11:00 am at the Christian Faith Center, located at 13848 S IH 35 , Dilley, Texas. Services will conclude at the church.

If you wish to share a memory, leave condolences or sign the guestbook, please visit www.hureyfuneralhome.com .  Thank you.