Donald (Cotton) Rister

Donald Joel (Cotton) Rister, 91, passed from this life to Heaven, Friday November 29,2019 at his home in Roby, Texas. Services will be 11:00 am Monday, December 2, 2019 at First United Methodist Church of Roby.  Visitation will be 4:00 – 5:00 pm Sunday at the Roby Funeral Chapel directly west of the courthouse, 111 S. Concho Street in Roby.

Cotton was born January 5, 1928 in Roby, to K.J. and Getta Lodaska Pair Rister. He attended school at Sylvester and Roby. Just before graduation at Roby in 1945, he joined the United States Navy and served aboard the destroyer USS Barton in the Bikini Island where his ship was one of a fleet that participated in the Atom Bomb test. Cotton was honorably discharged in 1947. Cotton worked for United Geophysical until 1958 and again returned home to the family farm for good. He purchased the family farm where he raised cattle, alfalfa, and coastal. Cotton married Beverly Joe Bruce in Longworth, Texas February 17, 1962. They enjoyed 57 wonderful years together.

Cotton was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Lonnie Rister, who was killed in France in World War II, Jack Rister and Bob Rister; brother-in-law, James Glenn.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly of Roby; his brother, Bill Rister (Karyl) of Abilene; two sisters, Shirley Key (T.J.) of Abilene and Dorrine Glenn of Cedar Park; sisters-in-law, Lillian Rister of Waco, and Bonnie Rister of Abilene; and many loving nieces and nephews.