Ollie F. and Nora Gena (Brazeale) Liner

Ollie and Gena Liner were for many years strong supporters of the farming and agricultural community in Plainview and Hale County. Ollie was the county agricultural agent for more than three decades, and Gena was a county home demonstration agent and a teacher of generations of 4-H Club members.

Ollie F. Liner was born in Burneyville, Oklahoma in 1919. After the family moved to West Texas, he graduated from Frenship High in 1937 and from Texas Tech in 1941 with a degree in animal husbandry. After serving for three years in the Pacific theater in World War II, he briefly taught vocational agriculture, then became a county agricultural agent in Farwell, and took the same position in Plainview in 1950.

During his long career here, Ollie Liner was instrumental in the establishment of the Hale County Weed Control District and in organizing the Panhandle Parade of Breeds, held annually in Plainview. Under his leadership, many local farmers and ranchers became leaders and officials of organizations such as the Texas Soybean Association, Grain Sorghum Producers, Texas Corn Growers, Cotton Ginners Association, and Texas Farm Bureau.

His 4-H livestock judging teams won many honors at district, state, and national competitions. He was general superintendent of the Hale County Stock Show for 34 years and served as cattle superintendent of the South Plains Fair for many years. In gratitude, both dedicated an annual show to him. He received many other honors, including awards from the Hale County Farm Bureau, Texas 4-H Adult Leaders Association, Soil and Water Conservation District, Texas A&M University, District II County Agents, Agricultural Extension Service, High Plains Research Foundation, and :Plainview Chamber of Commerce.

In the early 1970s Ollie was recognized as having produced the best result demonstration handbook in Texas. Over the years, he trained more than 30 assistant agents, some of whom are still in service as county agents around Texas. When he retired in 1984, his was the longest tenure of any county agent in Texas. After his death in 1984, the Ollie F. Liner Scholarship for agriculture students was established in his memory by Hale County Bank and Harry Igo at Texas Tech. Over the years, more than two dozen Tech students, many from Hale County, have received funds from the scholarship. In 1989 the former Hale County Agriculture Center was refurbished and renamed the Ollie Liner Center.

Nora Gena Brazeale was born in Ozark, Missouri in 1932. Gena graduated from Ozark High in 1950 and from Southwest Missouri State University with a degree in home economics in 1955. She worked for two years as a county home agent in Stockton, Missouri, then in 1957 moved to Plainview, where she worked for eight years as associate, assistant, and county home demonstration agent. She married Ollie Liner in 1965. Both were members of the First Baptist Church, where Gena sang in the choir and taught Sunday School.

Under Gena Liner’s guidance, many Hale County 4-H members won district, state, and national awards. For many years she assisted with the annual High Plains Cotton Carnival and Festival, including narrating the Cotton Style Show and working with the queen’s contest, and with the Lions’ Club’s queen’s contest. She served on the Hale County Heart Association. The Hale County Farm Bureau honored Gena in 1962 for outstanding service to rural life.