Douglas Thurman

Douglas Warren Thurman passed away Saturday, November 10, 2018 peacefully at his home in Caldwell, Texas.

He was born to Cora I. Closs and Warren Thurman February 1, 1933. Doug was the youngest of his brothers and sisters, and after losing his parents, was raised by his brother Hugh.

Doug began a long and productive rodeo career at 19 by joining the SRA in 1952 and the RCA in 1955, and was crowned the 1954 All Around Champion Cowboy. He was the Burwell, Nebraska 1952, 1953 and 1954 Bareback champion, and the 1952, 1953 and 1954 Bull Riding champion. Doug continued to compete in rodeo in saddle bronc, bareback, bullriding and calf roping, winning and placing in major rodeos in many cities including Houston, Denver and Cheyenne. He made the 1961 Dallas and 1964 Los Angeles finals. Doug currently holds a PRCA gold card and is a PRCA permanent member, he was recently inducted to the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame on April 7, 2018.

All the while he was rodeoing, Doug and his wife Sissy trained barrel racing horses and created the first barrel racing school in the Brazos Valley in 1961. Doug was a farrier and continued to shoe horses for many years, work cows and train horses. He mentored many adults and youth by supplying an arena, teaching bull riding, calf roping and barrel racing. He had a passion for helping young people get started in rodeo and supporting them however he was able to. He was a man of few words, and short on praise, but you always knew you could count on him, and when the praise came, you earned it. Doug could tell a story like no other and he really enjoyed telling stories.

Doug is survived by his wife of 30 years Gail Lois Merring Thurman, daughter Karen Denise and husband Roy Duvall of Checotah, Oklahoma, daughter Vanessa Leigh English of Bryan, Texas, son Warren and Jessica Thurman of New Orleans, Lousiana, stepdaughter Tammy Kaus and Brad Aaron of Caldwell, Texas, grandaughters Haley Carter Paulsen, Christie English, Angela Gabriel, and Karla Kaus, and grandson Douglas English, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.

Doug is predeceased by his first wife Eleanor Marie “Sissy” Thurman, his parents Cora Ida Closs Thurman, father Ray Warren Thurman, and his brothers and sisters.

Doug made many life-long friends while on the rodeo circuit. Special friends of his were Harry Kenney, Dilton Emmerson, John Carter, Bill Bay and Tommy Steiner. He will be missed by many.