Audie Eugene Conder, Jr.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15

For Audie Eugene Conder, Jr., of Abilene, Texas, the race is won! His temporal vessel completed its service on January 17, 2016, and his spirit has flown Home, to dwell forever in the glorious presence of our Lord and Savior. What a blessed life he lived here for 80 years! But it now pales in comparison to the eternal weight of glory that is his because of the Grace of God, and Audie’s steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior.

He was born in Rule, Texas on September 1, 1935 to Audie, Sr., and Ellen Johnston Conder. His older sister, Erlene Falkner, and his younger brother, Johnny Mack Conder, both of Abilene, have been regular visitors to his bedside in the Hospice unit at Hendrick. He married Ruth Marlene Crofford, the love of his life, 61 ½ years ago on June 6, 1954, when they were both 18. Family is the most important thing in the world to them, next to their faith. Together, they trained up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord their four children: Doug, Don, Kregg, and Kristie. Each of them have gone on to marry and train up the next generation of this godly family in the heritage of the Lord. Doug married Denise Nicks and they live in Amarillo. Don married Shiela Morgan, and they live in Burleson. Kregg married Anne Richmond. They live in Midland. Kristie married Mike Jones, and they live in Wills Point. Audie and Marlene now have 15 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren, with the 9th due in March.

Audie graduated from Rule High school in 1953, then spent the summer painting the hospital in Olton and delivering bread for his uncle Walter. He went to work for Dowell in October, in the Rule office. In 1958, they transferred to Colorado City, where they lived for a little over a year. In 1959, he transferred to Abilene, where they have lived since then. He worked for Dowell for 22 years, resigning in 1975. Next, he started his own company, Conder Tank Cleaning, which provided service to the oil and gas industry. After selling his company, he went to work for the Texas Railroad Commission in 1978. He worked there for 25 years, until his retirement in 2003.

Audie was a diehard fan of the Wylie Bulldogs. He served on the Wylie School Board for 9 years, beginning in 1971. Six of those years, he was president. High school and college athletics gave Audie many hours of enjoyment. He and Marlene have traveled countless miles over the last five decades to watch all kinds of sporting events. His favorites were those involving either his sons, his grandchildren, the Wylie Bulldogs, or the ACU Wildcats. Every morning, he loved to read the sports page and drink his coffee, even in his hospital bed.

Audie and Marlene have been members at Highland Church of Christ since 1969, rarely missing a service. Many dear friendships have grown there over the years, and the members of their small group have become family. The love and support given them by the Body of Christ means more than words could ever express.

Diligence, faithfulness, service, and humility define Audie’s life on this earth. He and Marlene taught their children to work hard and work well. They are a family who do things with excellence. Whether it was planting a garden, building a present for a grandchild, maintaining his house and property, helping many of us with innumerable home repair and improvement projects, teaching young men how to work in the oil patch, or just making you feel like you were the center of his universe, Audie was the man for the job. It didn’t matter to him if you were family, friend, or even a stranger, he was always ready and willing to help. His room at the hospital has been the scene of continual celebration since the first of December because so many wanted to come and express their love and gratitude for what he has meant to them over the years.

Even though his body was failing, his sense of humor never did. When he was moved into a large room in the hospice unit on the top floor of the hospital, he joked that he had “moved to the Penthouse.” A family member replied that he would “soon be moving from the Penthouse to his mansion,” and we who love him are grateful to now be able to celebrate his change of address.

“The measure of a man is the measure of his heart,” and by every measure we can use, Audie’s heart is extraordinary. To say he will be missed is like saying the sea is full of water. While true, it is completely inadequate in expressing the scope of the matter. Though our hearts grieve the loss of his physical presence with us, we are overwhelmed with joy at the thought that, as a family member said, “He is now a part of our great cloud of witnesses.” We give thanks to the Lord for the gift to us of this life well lived. Well done, Audie!

The family of Audie Conder would like to express our deepest appreciation to Dr. Anton Melnyk for his heart of compassion and incredible dedication to Audie, as he cared for him during the 10 years since his diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma. We would also like to express gratitude to Sheeba Thomas, M.D., the wonderful and caring staffs of the Myeloma Clinic at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, the 6th floor of the Skilled Nursing Center at Hendrick Medical Center, and the Inpatient Hospice Unit at Hendrick Medical Center.
Memorials to honor Audie’s memory may be sent to the following ministries: Christian Homes and Family Services, P.O. Box 270, Abilene, TX 79604, Great Cities Missions, 3939 Belt Line Road, Suite 705, Addison, TX 75001, or Highland Church of Christ Missions, 425 Highland Avenue, Abilene, TX 79605.

The arrangements for the celebration of Audie’s life are under the direction of Piersall-Benton Funeral Directors. Visitation will be held there on Tuesday, January 19 from 5 to 7 pm. The funeral will be held at Highland Church of Christ on Wednesday, January 20 at 10 am, followed by the graveside service at Elmwood Memorial. Condolences may be offered to the family online at www.pbfuneraldirectors.com.