Walter B. Haynie, former Texas Baptist pastor and church starter, died Dec. 20 in Muenster. He was 95. He was born on Oct. 8, 1926, in Amarillo to Wilson Dan Haynie and Violet Lurline McAdams Haynie. In the midst of the Great Depression, he struck out on his life adventure at age 11 with a sixth-grade education, first working in the rice fields of South Texas and then on the railroad. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater aboard the USS LST 743. When he returned home from the war, he met and married Marian Joe Dolby, and he answered God’s call to the ministry. In 1952, he graduated from Howard Payne College with a double major and honors. Later, he graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His ministry took him to Texas churches in Charlotte, San Antonio, Highlands and Cedar Creek, and he helped organize Hispanic mission congregations in the Charlotte and San Antonio areas. In Nocona, he founded Shepherd of the Hills Baptist Church. Inspired by his great-great-grandfather John Haynie, a circuit riding preacher in the 1800s, he had a vision to establish and build a cowboy church. At age 80, he founded the Montague County Cowboy Church, initially holding worship services in the local sale barn. He also was pastor twice in Terral, Okla., and he served on the mission field in Honduras and Afghanistan. After the death of his wife Marian, he married Clara Shults, who served with him in ministry and missions. He served as secretary and chaplain of the “Old Trail Drivers of Texas,” and in the late 1990s, he organized and headed up the Chisholm Trail Cattle Drive moving a herd bound for Montana through Terral, Okla. In 2013, he was named a distinguished alumnus of Howard Payne University. He continued preaching until age 93, and even during hospital stays in the past year, he shared a Christian witness with his doctors and nurses. He was preceded by his wife Marian; daughter Melody Haynie Darby; son Mark Haynie; brothers Dan Haynie and Richard Haynie; and sisters Dorothy Felts, Barbara Hale and Harriett Vaughn. He is survived by his wife Clara; daughter, Deborah Haynie; son, Mike Haynie and his wife Doris; sisters Dolores Jones and Inez West; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Howard Payne University Alumni Association at 1000 Fisk Street, Brownwood, TX 76801 or Montague County Cowboy Church, P. O. Box 4, Montague, TX 76251.
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