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Frank Litterst Jr. '43 December 29, 2016 8:45 AM updated: January 3, 2017 1:58 PM

MEMORIAL FUNERAL CHAPEL COLLEGE STATION obituary
2901 TEXAS AVE SOUTH, COLLEGE STATION, TX 77845 | 979-694-8615

Frank C Litterst Jr.
June 15, 1922 - December 26, 2016

Visitation
Monday, January 02, 2017 | 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Memorial Funeral Chapel
2901 Texas Avenue South, College Station, Texas 77845
Driving Directions

Funeral Service
Tuesday, January 03, 2017 | 1:00 p.m.
A&M United Methodist Church
417 University Drive, College Station, Texas 77840
Driving Directions

Frank C. Litterst, Jr., passed away on December 26, 2016 at his home in College Station at the age of 94. He was born in Harris Co. on June 15, 1922. He graduated from Houston Lamar High School in 1939. He entered Texas A&M in the fall of 1939, a proud member of the Class of '43 (the Class that won the War.). He was a Ross Volunteer and the Commander of Battery "A" Coast Artillery. During World War II, Frank's class left A&M en masse prior to graduation, and Frank was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served in New Guinea as an artillery officer from 1943 to 1945.

In his Junior year, Frank met the love of his life, Royce Katherine Dudley, on a blind date to Franklin's Night Club. Frank later took Royce back to Franklin's and proposed. They were married May 7, 1943 and their marriage lasted for 58 years until her passing in 2002.

He returned to Texas A&M to finish his degree plan, graduating in 1947 with a degree in Animal Husbandry. He was a rancher and worked in the cattle industry, successfully operating his own ranching operation from 1947 to 1964. He then began working as a beef cattle specialist with the Texas Agriculture Education Specialist Program. In that role he conducted over 350 educational beef short course programs in beef cattle production across the State of Texas.

In 1975, Frank joined the Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, retiring in 1989. He taught Beef Cattle Production and Animal Science Practicum courses for Animal Science and Agricultural Education students and managed the Department's beef cattle center. During his tenure at Texas A&M, Frank effectively translated his life experience as a rancher and beef cattle specialist into a colorful and meaningful classroom style that educated over 8,000 Aggies from all over the world.

He was a Superintendent for the Junior Beef Heifer Show at the Texas State Fair and for the Junior Market Steer Show at the Houston Livestock Show. He was a long-time member of the Houston Livestock Show Range Bull and Heifer Committee and developed the evaluation instrument for range bull grading used by most major livestock shows today. He was also instrumental in contributing to the development of the model, standards and application of the USDA Feeder Cattle Grading System in use across the US.

Frank was recognized numerous times in his life for his achievements as a Texas Aggie, a teacher and a cattleman. He was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award in 1975, TAMU Collegiate FFA Outstanding Professor College of Agriculture in 1977, TAMU Former Students Association Distinguished Teaching Award in 1984, TAMU Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2009, TAMU Department of Animal Science Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2013 and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2014.

Frank established scholarships for students in the Department of Animal Science and the TAMU Corps of Cadets. He was Co-Class Agent for the Class of '43. During his life he was an exemplary Texas Aggie supporting the students, the athletics, the Corps of Cadets, and the Association of Former Students. He was the face of the Department of Animal Science and an icon for the Texas beef cattle industry and Texas A&M. He was loved and respected by many and he will be forever admired and greatly missed.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, Frank C. Litterst, Sr. and Eileen Elizabeth Newman Litterst, and his wife, Royce Katherine Litterst.

Frank is survived by his three children: Frank Litterst III (Patsy), Kathy Gough (Carl '69) and Mike Litterst '73 (Carlette '75). He is also survived by seven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.

Visitation is Monday, January 2 from 5:30 - 8:00 PM at the Memorial Funeral Chapel, 2901 Texas Ave. South, College Station, TX 77845. Funeral services will be on Tuesday, January 3 at 1:00 PM at the A&M United Methodist Church, 417 University Dr., College Station, TX 77840 (Northgate).

The family wishes to thank Frank's caregivers: Bonnie, Linda, Alice, and the staff of Comfort Keepers and Tender Loving Care.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Frank's name to Hospice Brazos Valley, 502 West 26th St., Bryan, TX 77803 (979-821-2266) or The Association of Former Students, Texas A& M University at http://www.aggienetwork.com/memorial
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(Published in) The (Bryan-College Station) Eagle (on) December 30, 2016

Longtime A&M beef instructor Frank Litterst Jr. dies at 94

By BLAIR FANNIN Special to The Eagle | 0 comments
Frank Litterst Jr., whose colorful teaching style of beef cattle production hit home with more than 7,000 Aggie students and hundreds of Texas beef cattle producers spanning two decades, died Monday. He was 94.

Litterst was described by colleagues as a living legend for the Texas beef industry.

Visitation will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Monday at Memorial Funeral Chapel, 2901 Texas Ave., in College Station. Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at A&M Methodist Church, 417 University Drive, College Station.

He operated numerous ranches during a 20-year period. In July 1965, he became a beef cattle specialist for a cooperative program between Texas A&M University and the Texas Education Agency, traveling more than 350,000 miles to provide agriculturally oriented short courses across the state for a 10-year span.

"Mr. Litterst was loved and revered by all he touched and mentored -- faculty, producers, stakeholders and students alike," said Larry Boleman, associate vice chancellor for Texas A&M AgriLife. "He was an icon in both the Texas beef industry and as a lecturer in the department of animal science at Texas A&M. He combined the unique ability to translate science-based information into common language to teach beef producers and students to better their ranches and further their knowledge of cattle. He used his wit, humor, ranching experiences and unquestionable love for his students and ranchers to teach them both the art and science of beef production as only he could."

"Other professors knew their subject, Litterst had lived it," said Joe Paschal, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock specialist in Corpus Christi. "I was a student, a graduate student, an employee and a friend of his throughout. Any student could approach him. He had a lot of international students that maintained contact with him over the years and often visited him or arranged for him to come see them. He bridged the generations, older ranchers as well as young students could relate to him and respected him."

During those travels, he visited more than 2,400 ranches, helping cattlemen improve herds and increase profits. He also served as junior market steer superintendent with the Houston Fat Stock Show, now the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He was also superintendent of the Junior Beef Heifer Show at the State Fair of Texas from 1968-1975. During his time with the Houston Fat Stock Show, he helped design a scoring system that is still used today by major livestock shows and contributed to the development of U.S. Department of Agriculture Feeder Cattle Grades now used throughout the nation. In 1975, he joined the animal science faculty at Texas A&M to manage the beef cattle center.

After retiring from the Texas A&M department of animal science in 1989 as senior lecturer, he remained active in AgriLife Extension cow-calf clinics and as a popular speaker at beef cattle demonstrations.

Jim Banner, publisher of the Southern Livestock Standard in San Antonio, who also studied under Litterst at Texas A&M, said in 2003 "He taught with a common-sense approach. He didn't like his students; he loved his students."

Litterst was raised on a small farm between Katy and Houston. He was the son of former Aggie quarterback Frank Litterst Sr. He followed in his father's footsteps and came to Texas A&M, where he became a Corps of Cadets captain and a Ross Volunteer. He joined the U.S. Army in 1943 during World War II, along with most of his classmates.

His first job was in feed sales, but one of his father's former classmates, Herman Heep, helped him get started in raising cattle. For nearly 20 years, he operated ranches in Texas and other states. In 1965, Litterst became a beef cattle specialist with the Texas Agricultural Education Adult Specialist Program.

In 1975, O.D. Butler, head of animal science at Texas A&M, recruited Litterst to teach and manage the Beef Cattle Center in College Station. Litterst's unique combination of classroom lecture, personal experiences, ranch stories and jokes made him a favorite among beef cattle production students.

Litterst was a longtime supporter of animal science students through generous scholarships and served as Class Agent for the Class of 1943. In 2009, the Association of Former Students recognized him with its highest honor, the Distinguished Alumnus Award, and he was named an Outstanding Alumnus of the department of animal science in 2013. In 2014 he was awarded the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award.



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