Othal Clayton (O.C.) Wimberly, 90, passed away peacefully on June 20, 2013, at home on his farm on the Colorado River near Austin. The second of six siblings, OC was born on November 24, 1922 to James Monroe Wimberly and Minnie Mae Turner in Tobey, Texas. OC grew up in the Spicewood/Marble Falls area where he attended elementary school in the Spicewood Schoolhouse. At a young age, OC went to work full time on the farm with his siblings to help their mother support the family. During World War II he was stationed at the Naval Aviation Training Facility in Corpus Christi where he served as a Navigator for pilot trainees. When the war was over, OC’s knowledge of cooking was put to use when he ran the mess hall for the entire base before his enlistment ended. OC married Doris Lucille Sims of Fredericksburg, Texas in 1945 and they returned to Central Texas in 1946.
OC worked primarily as a structural steel ironworker as a young man. He worked on many significant buildings and structures in and around Austin. Growing up harvesting pecans every fall, OC always wanted to farm pecans and in 1958 he bought a small native pecan orchard on the Colorado River. While still iron working and with the help and hard work of Doris and their three sons, he expanded that original orchard over the years into one of the highest producing pecan farms in the state. In 1977, OC retired from iron working and devoted himself full time to Pecan Farming.
OC Wimberly was a truly unique individual who will be remembered by many. His toughness matched only by his one-of-a-kind sense of humor, OC had a powerful presence wherever he went. With a work ethic rivaled by none and an intellect far beyond his education, OC set out from the Great Depression to make his mark and became the image of a self-made man. He was a no nonsense straight shooter, but he never forgot how to have a good time. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and was an accomplished practical joker. He was a gifted farmer, an innovative thinker, a good cook, and a great storyteller. We are grateful for the many ways in which OC influenced our lives. Friends, family and business associates will remember OC for his many accomplishments, his colorful stories (most of which are true) and for a long life well lived.
OC is survived by his three sons Steve, Barry, and Larry; daughters-in-law Nancy, Nena, and Billie; grandchildren Craig, Jenny Lynn, Turner, Clayton, and Laura; and one great- grandchild, Mary Bell. He is also survived by his older brother, Jim Wimberly and older sister, Sylvia Wimberley, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. In 2008, OC was preceded in death by his lovely wife of 63 years, Doris Wimberly.
We would like to thank all of OC’s caregivers for their time spent with him in his later years, in particular, Simona Monreal, who spent nearly a decade on the farm with OC and Doris and who added much quality to their lives.
Services will be held at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Mausoleum, 6300 W. William Cannon, at 11:00 am on Monday, June 24, 2013 with visitation from 10:00 am -11:00 am.
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