Obituary of Ferrell Clyde Backer, Sr.

Ferrell Clyde Backer, Sr. Ferrell Clyde Backer, Sr., was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and devoted child of God. He was born on August 26, 1930, in El Paso, TX, to Ermine Clyde Ferrell, and Allen Linden Backer. He was the third born and had 5 sisters, Dolia Janice, Jewel Grace, Barbara Allen, Ethel Mae, and Charlotte Lynn, and one brother, Linden Ray. He grew up in El Paso and told stories of his adventures from milking a mean cow and riding his horse.  When Dad was 7 years old, he was out having fun with his big brother, Linden. Dad was barefoot and stepped on a piece of glass and severed his artery. His brother was taught first aid as a Boy Scout and was able to stabilize the bleeder and got Dad home to seek medical help. There was an article written in the local newspaper praising the fact that his big brother saved his life and we are so grateful for our Uncle Linden’s heroic act! Unfortunately, my Dad had to grow up fast. His father, Allen Linden, passed away in October of 1946 when Dad was 16. When his Dad got sick, (4 years earlier), Ferrell quit school to help provide for the family. He loved cars and mechanics. His uncles introduced him at an early age to working on cars. But my Dad eventually got restless and decided to leave home and travel the states for a couple of years. He finally made it to California and that is where he met his beloved sweetheart, Wanda Ruth. They married in 1953 and settled in El Monte, Ca. Dad worked for Bud Miller Ford in Monrovia, CA, up till 1956 and from there he went into business with the famed race car driver, Mickey Thompson. They owned a shop in El Monte, CA, called Mick’s Service Center. For the next several years he was involved in the world of drag racing, (along with my mom who loved to race as well), and built engines for Mickey Thompson as well as Leonard Woods who was well known for the Willys Gasser racing cars with the Stone, Woods and Cook team. Dad told a story of Mr. Woods who had a young son that enjoyed watching the drivers compete and while dad was busy getting the Willys ready to race, Mr. Woods’ son would come and report to him that Mom, who was known as “Miss Wanda,” “won again”. After several years of success with racing and partnering with Mickey Thompson, my dad thought it best to sever their working relationship and moved on. My parents bought their first home in La Puente, CA, where they raised their family. After Dad sold the business in El Monte he was hired by Owl Rock Products in Irwindale, CA. Dad served as their heavy equipment/Plant manager. He worked for Owl Rock until he was forced to take an early retirement in 1990 due to a back injury that rendered him partially disabled. He and my mom moved to Lake Havasu to enjoy their retirement years. My father’s love for racing and building engines did not entirely end after his drag racing years. He found a new passion with boats. He built an LS 7, twin turbo charge engine that ran about 1200 horse power, (which he governed down to keep from blowing the heads). It was a fast, beautiful boat. My dad loved racing down the Colorado River and I for one can tell you that it felt like you were going to take off in flight. One time I was with my Dad and thought we were taking a cruise down the River. Someone came by with their boat and challenged my dad to a race. I saw that look on my dad’s face and told him that I would rather wait on shore, so I dove off the boat and swam ashore and my Dad was off to the races. By the way, that boat that challenged my Dad, ate my Dad’s wake. Besides fast boats, he loved fishing with my mom and they had many fun-filled years enjoying beautiful Lake Havasu and Mountain Lakes in Lytle Creek, CA, doing just that.  Another fact about my Dad, is that he was a diehard Ford fan. Upon our departure after our numerous visits to Lake Havasu, Dad would always bid us farewell with his famous punchline, “don’t let any Chevy’s pass you.”  Besides his love for his wife, family, and engines, he loved the Lord. He was raised by two godly parents. His father was a preacher. However, once Ferrell left home in El Paso and ventured out on his own, he stopped attending church. My mother was not raised with any formal religious belief. She however, believed in God and wanted to go to church. I recently found the story of how they became christians written by my dad in approximately 2002 in his own words, which I will now share and it is entitled… To tell the way Wanda and I became a christian…  “I’ll have to go back as far as I can remember which was when I was about 5 years old. My Dad was a very good, conservative church of Christ preacher. I remember having worship services in a school building. It was in a Mexican community. My dad spoke Spanish fluently and he taught many Spanish speaking people. I remember after worship service, going to the Rio Grande River where he baptized many. At that time, it was a big, swift river. He would put 2 or 3 men down stream in case the person got away in the swift current while being baptized.  In about 1938 we moved up the valley from El Paso. He got permission to use an unoccupied house for a church building. In a couple of years the house was overflowing. The members bought a piece of property closer to town. He and the members built a building in the evenings, (after they got off work), that seated 75-100.  In 1942 my Dad got very sick and suffered until he passed away in 1946. The church members bought another piece of property in the Mesa, which is now called the Mesa church of Christ. It has approximately 250 members. My mother had a hard time keeping 6 kids in The church, but she really tried hard. I traveled the states for a couple of years and met Wanda in CA and got married. I had a business and one of my associates was a Nazarene. He talked Wanda and I into going to church with him. This lasted until my mother got wind of it. She got in her V.W. and drove from TX to CA after us with a Big stick and a Big Bible. When she arrived, she said, “Ferrell you know better than this.” She opened her Bible and started teaching Wanda. After 2 or 3 days, we were looking for a church of Christ.  We started attending the church of Christ in Baldwin Park, CA. After a time, we were both baptized by a very dear servant of God, Ted Vaughan. We have now been Christians for 49 years. (The End)” What a happy ending! Out of all the stories and memories that he could have written from a life well lived, it is this one and only story he chose to write down. This obviously meant everything to my Dad to preserve this story which he kept LOCKED up in his safe and says a lot about his true character. I for one, saw my Dad as Superman! There wasn’t anything he could not do. He was the smartest, strongest, funniest, sweetest man alive.  And, he could definitely leap tall buildings in a single bound. He was my super hero!! For those of you who knew my Dad on a personal level, knew him for his wise cracks and jokester style. He loved to play tricks on people and had a very special scary mask that he would like to wear. The sight of him wearing his mask would definitely make your heart skip a beat. He always had a funny comment. His humor would either draw a laugh from my mom or her sternly saying, “FERRELL!” which meant, that was enough. My Dad deeply loved my Mom. He was an exceptional husband who loved her with the love of the Lord. I find great comfort in knowing that he is now with her in Paradise.  Services in honor of his life will be held on, July 11, 2020, at 10:00 am, at Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home in Lake Havasu City. Services were entrusted to the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home. Thoughts and condolences can be sent to the family at www.lietz-frazefuneralhome.com. To send a free card go to www.sendoutcards.com/lietzfraze.