TexArley.com - Biography

Born Arley Lawson Jr on the farm of Wingert & Fromme Farm in Mullinville, Kansas (S.W. Kiowa County, Kansas) December 1, 1922. His father was Arley Sr, rasing 13 children, 7 Boy's, and 6 Girl's, and his mother was Mary Ann (Short).
Background Wingert & Fromme - Click Here
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Arley Jr' went to school at the Kiowa School in S.W. Kiowa County, Kansas. It was a One room School House. He lived on a farm in Bucklin (Ford County) Kansas while growing up before going into the Marine Corp. Bucklin, Kansas located 14.9 miles from his birth place. View Map - Click Here - Opens In New Window

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In 1941 Arley Jr' enlisted in the Marine Corp and served until 1942. Arley Jr' was medically discharged due to injurys obtained while serving with the Marine Corp, and relocated back to Kansas, where he settled in Dodge City, Kansas and held various jobs.

One day he was making a trip to Cimarron , Kansas to visit some friends and when he was approcing the city limits he spotted this young girl setting on the front porch, and stopped to visit with her. During his visit they formed an irresistible chemistry and he ask to date her and then within a few months they became married, her name is Willie Mae Koehn year 1946. "Mae" everyone called her came from a mininite family and also worked hard raising her children, she was born in Fairview, Oklahmoa May 21, 1931.

Cimarron, Gray County, Kansas located 19 miles west of Dodge City, Kansas.

Some History of Cimarron, Kansas

The Santa Fe Trail Cimarron, Kansas

Arley Jr' was a Father of 10 Children 6 Boy’s and 4 Girl's.

Throughout his career, he worked hard raising his family, and worked all kinds of jobs and was very good at what ever he did.

Jobs he worked at was fry cook, truck driver and while driving truck was gone during the week and home on the week-ends, where he played music with his country and western band as the drummer. He also was a welder, craftsman, mechanic, draftsman, salesman and owned his own auto-mechanic shops one in Bakersfield, California and one in Dodge City, Kansas.

He got his start in the music business, playing drums as a hobby, then playing with a group of men at local night clubs. He himself then formed his own band called Tex Arley and his Bluff Creek Cowboys.

The band went performing throughout Western Kansas, also in places throughout Oklahoma. While performing in Oklahoma he meet up with Charlie Huff a local disc-jockey in Oklahoma City who became a great friend that help Tex with his music career, some said Charlie Huff was his Band Manager.

Tex Arley and his band recorded a few songs on Huff Recording Label Records where Tex was the lead singer, (People always said Tex sounded so much like Ernest Tubb - Big time Country and Western singer during his time. Listen To Ernest Tubb! (60 second audio) - Click Here - Opens Your Windows Media Player. Tex Arley and His Bluff Creek Cowboys were listed on a few juke boxes throughout Dodge City during their time playing the night clubs.

Tex Arley and His Bluff Creek Cowboys did personal appreances at Dodge City Day Events that where held during his band career, and at one Dodge City Day Event they had battle of the bands at the City Auditorium, and his band took first place and won $100.00 silver dollars. Richard and Verinna Kohen - Nephew and Niece of Tex Arley also was his band members during this event.

Day of the event for the silver dollars - pending

(Will fill in more on Charlie Huff later)

As Arley Jr's family grew larger, he had to come off the road with the trucking business and had to quit his band business, because he was not making enough money to support his family.

Arley Jr' moved his family around where jobs took him, Dodge City, Kansas, Wichita, Kansas, Cimarron, Kansas, Bakersfield, California and back to Dodge City, Kansas, where he passed away in 1981. His resting place is Dodge City, Kansas.

Located: Maple Grove Cemetery - N Matt Down Rd, Dodge City, KS

Arley Jr' lost a son 4 years of age in 1965, of Pneumonia named Jeffery and another son named Jessie in 1968 of Leukemia age 4.

Jeffery lies at rest in Dodge City, Kansas and Jessie lies rest in Bakersfield, California.

His patriotism always stood out for his country our great USA.

He worked hard raising his children to do right and to do right to others. He was a great teacher to all his children, taught them to do good in what ever they did.

All of the children give their dad and mother recognition of their achievements for raising their family, which was number one in their life while living on earth.

Will Be Adding More - Keep Checking Back!