L I V I N G
On the Texas South Plains, three generations carry on RJ Rowden’s legacy of hard work, trust in each other and love for farming.
G R A N D
magine having 10 kids and trying to eke out a living on a cotton farm in dusty West Texas nearly a century ago. And then getting sick. That’s what happened to tenant cotton farmer John Rowden in 1927. Weakened by tuberculosis, he walked into a bank in Brownfield, Texas, with his wife, Martha, and their 11-year-old son, RJ. “These two are taking over the farm,” John told the banker. “We want to buy it, but I don’t know if they’ll make it or not. I don’t have a clue because I’ve got to go to the hospital. You can loan them the money or not.” For whatever reason, the banker gave them a loan. A year later, Martha and young RJ,
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