young people were married on St. Patrick's Day of that year. They bought a lot for $25 and built a fine five room home on it for $2,500. On January 1, 1924 their first child Ralph Reeves Will, Jr. was born. A year later their second child, a little girl, died in her infancy. In 1928· their son, Frank Goodwin Will was born.

Over the ten year period between 1923 and 1933 Ralph and Estelle accomplished many things together. Ralph was instrumental in building the local Post of the American Legion's first permanent home and became it's Commander in 1929; Estelle, a charter member of the Ladies' Auxiliary, did her part. Ralph instituted and established the Chamber of Commerce and was on the board of the Roosevelt County Fair, both of which were quite successful. Every summer he spent two weeks in Camp as a Reserve Officer of Cavalry; a white officer in a black troop (that's the way it was in those days).

In the summer of 1933 Estelle became very sick and on June 30 of that year she passed away, leaving Ralph a widower with two little boys to rear, one nine and the other five years old.

1934 was a difficult year for Ralph. Focusing on work, rather than other thoughts, he served as County Agent for Curry County as well as Roosevelt County. His friends in Portales were concerned and helped him through this time of sorrow and travail. One good friend introduced him to Gladys Stone, a fine lady, a native of Portales, who had been away for several years -- first at college in Los Angeles, and later working in California, but now come home. Ralph and Gladys were in each other's company frequently in the home of the G. W. Carr, a prominent Portales businessman. At that time Ralph was asked to take a more responsible job with the Extension Service; it was a real step up and meant that he would go back to the central office at New Mexico A&M college as "head man". He thought it over and decided to accept the offer, and at the same time, to ask Gladys to marry him and move to Las Cruces with his two little boys. That summer Ralph Jr. and Frank left Portales; Ralph Jr. went to his grandparents Will in Las Cruces: Frank went to his aunt Mary's, who at the time lived near Silver City, New Mexico.

Ralph Will and Gladys Stone were married in September of 1934 at the home of Gladys' sister Roma Noble, who was living at that time in El Segundo, California. Everet was "best man" and Roma was "matron of honor". After the wedding, the newly weds came to Las Cruces, where they rented a house and brought their two boys, Ralph Jr. and Frank to live. It was the beginning of a completely new life for every one.

1935 was pivotal in Ralph's life. His devotion to the task at hand and the dedication with which he pursued it earned recognition for him, not only with his peers and fellow workers, but with top men in the Department of Agriculture who kept close watch over the Extension Service. An old mentor of his and very close friend, Mr. R. H. Hauter, had recently been appointed to a position of considerable responsibility with the Federal Land Bank in Oklahoma (or perhaps Texas, I'm not sure) and he talked to Ralph about coming to work in that organization. At the same time, other friends who had gone to work with The Resettlement Administration, later to become known as The Farm Security Administration, offered him an excellent job in their office in Amarillo, Texas. Ralph accepted the challenge in the Amarillo office and moved his family there in 1936. For the next five years it was his family's home.

Ralph Will, Sr. was brought up in a God-fearing, church-going family. From his earliest childhood he and his brothers and sister had attended Sunday school and church regularly. And so, it was a very natural thing for him to join a church immediately after arriving in Amarillo. Ralph, Gladys and the two boys all became active members of Polk Street, Methodist Episcopal