Homer Mills

Homer Ferguson Mills, a native of Alpine, Texas passed away at the age of 71 on Monday, February 5, 2024 in Houston, Texas after many months battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He was a rancher, conservationist, wildlife enthusiast and a loving husband, father and grandfather.

Homer was born in Alpine, Texas on April 1,1952 and grew up on the family ranch in the Glass Mountains. Ranch life and work were a passion from a young age. His favorite pets were the dogie animals he’d help nurse back to health. Even after the family moved in to Alpine for the children to attend school, Homer spent every summer at the ranch working alongside the cowboys. Homer was an active member of 4-H and FAA raising sheep and participating in wool and livestock judging. At Alpine High School he was Student Council President, FAA President, Football All-District and Super All West Texas team member, Boys State delegate, and National Honor Society member. 

Homer attended Texas A&M University in College Station. He was a proud member of Corps of Cadets and served as First Sergeant of Company G2, Adjunct Officer on Second Battalion Staff, and had the distinguished honor of being the Executive Officer of the Ross Volunteer Company. Homer graduated in 1974 with a degree in Agriculture Economics. 

While attending Texas A&M, Homer met his wife, Druanne, and the two were married in 1975. They twirled across the dance floor in love for the next 48 years. They welcomed their son, Kenneth, in 1981. 

Homer worked after college as a manager at L&H Packing and Luby’s Cafeterias but his passion for West Texas called him back home. Alongside helping with and running the family ranch he worked as a fencing contractor, ranch manager, ranch consultant, real estate developer and County Appraiser. Homer and his fence crews built many hundreds of miles of fence up and down the rocky Chihuahuan Desert mountains. He consulted and ran a dozen ranches for one individual during their journey to acquire a million acres. 

Eventually he’d get the perfect opportunity to combine his passions with his work and for the next 25 years he would manage the O2 Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the Trans-Pecos, for Lykes Brothers Inc. Lykes gave him the ability to creatively explore ways to advance conservation and archeological studies of the land he loved. By partnering on research projects with Sul Ross and the Center for Big Bend Studies, he helped educate the next generation. 

Homer also gave back to the community by serving as President of the Alpine Cemetery Association and member of the School Board, Appraisal Review Board, Texas Wildlife Association and Texas Cattle Raisers Association among many others.

Preserving the century-long legacy of the Ferguson and Mills families’ ranching in the Glass Mountains was his strongest passion though, and he loved being able to share that special place with family and friends. He had a love for hunting arrowheads, finding the most beautiful agate, and constantly improving the property. He got special joy sharing the ranch with kids. He hosted father-kid hunts for many of his friends and enjoyed sharing love for the land with his son Kenneth and later as Pawpaw to Olin, Austin, and his granddaughter Evie. 

He leaves behind his wife, Druanne Mills; his son, Kenneth Mills; his daughter-in-law, Jamie Mills, his granddaughter, Evelyn Mills, his sister and brother-in-law, Max and Marsha Stabel, great-nephew Brandon Parr and two special loves, Olin and Austin Welch, as well as many beloved cousins. 

Homer was preceded in death by his Mother and Father, Eva Jeanne and George Mills, Sister Carol Ann Dacus and niece Amber Dawn Parr. 

The funeral will be Saturday, February 10, 2024, at 2p at First Christian Church in Alpine, TX with burial to follow at Elm Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Center of Big Bend Studies, Museum of the Big Bend, or a beloved charity of your choosing. 

The Mills family has entrusted Alpine Memorial Funeral Home with arrangements. Condolences may be left online at: www.alpinememorialfuneralhome.com