E. L. "Bert" Chilton Jr

E.L. "Bert" Chilton Jr. was born April 22, 1922 in Electra, Texas to E.L. "Bert" Chilton and Estelle Fillman Chilton and passed to the next life on September 5, 2016 at his home in Farmington. He graduated from Allen Military Academy and entered what was then Texas School of Mining , now University of Texas at El Paso. In 1941, while in Odessa, Texas he met, fell in love with and eloped with Elma Earl Powell. In October of 1942,Bert was appointed as an aviation cadet and ordered to report to Ft. Stockton, Texas for training. He successfully completed the special Flying Instructor's Course and joined the Army Air Corps to train fighter pilots for the World War II conflict. He was Honorably Discharged at war's end in 1945. Bert moved to Farmington in 1951 to work with his father at Chilton and Son Drilling Company. During this time he met Bill Craig of Durango, Colorado and began what was to be an enduring friendship based on their mutual love of hunting and fishing in the "high country". Chilton and Son Drilling was sold in 1959 when Bert Sr. purchased a ranch in Lampasas, Texas. Bert Jr. followed and the two established the 3C ranch. In 1965 the family returned to Farmington where Bert became the Shelly Oil jobber and formed the Chilton Oil Company and later with D.C. Turner, started Red Top Tank Company. Bert retired in 1986 to care for his wife who had suffered an accident and subsequent poor health.
Bert was preceded in death by his wife, father and mother.
He is survived by his son, Jesse "Skip" Chilton with his long term companion Alice West and daughter Susan (Richard) Hanson of Becker, Minnesota.
A viewing will be held on Saturday, September 10th from 1:00 to 2:00 pm prior to the 2:00 service at Bethany Christian Church, 711 E. 30th St. in Farmington. Burial at Memory Gardens will follow.
Arrangements are by Brewer, Lee and Larkin Funeral Home, 103 East Ute St., (505) 325-8688