Jack and Hazel Cross

Jack Marion Cross and Ruby Hazel Shannon Cross were lifelong agricultural advocates whose devotion to rural youth and community service left an enduring mark on East Texas. Married on March 23, 1940, in Hugo, Oklahoma, the couple shared a 64-year partnership defined by hospitality, hard work, and youth mentorship.

Life and Partnership

In 1965, the Cross family relocated with their daughter Marka to a farm west of Winnsboro, Texas. Jack announced he was "don huntin' for a farm," inspiring the name of their homestead, Dunhuntin' Angus Farm.

Around this time, Jack pioneered a specialized career in the cattle industry by designing and building a mobile hoof-trimming rig. He traveled across Texas and numerous other states servicing dairies, beef ranches, and youth livestock projects, gaining fame for his storytelling, his trademark banter with cattle, and his willingness to teach his trade to younger generations. While Jack was on the road, Hazel managed the farm operations and booked his client appointments. Known for her hospitality, Hazel often fed dozens of church guests on Sundays, opened her home to local youth, and served for years as a dedicated 4-H leader.

The Birth of the Winnsboro Livestock Show

During his travels to junior stock shows across the region, Jack recognized that young people in Winnsboro lacked a hometown venue to exhibit their club projects. To solve this, Jack partnered with Winnsboro vocational agriculture teacher Burke Bullock in 1969–1970 to launch an open annual show.

• In October 1970, they held the first Winnsboro Autumn Trails Junior Livestock Show.

• For its first 17 years, the competition was staged outdoors in the local rodeo arena without a single rainout.

• Hazel noticed that children too young for 4-H had no way to participate, prompting her and Jack to create the "Suck Bucket" class. This event—where toddlers and young children exhibited bucket-fed calves to win a trophy—became the traditional opening contest for the show for decades to come.

How the Jack Cross Pavilion Came to Be

As the show grew to encompass multiple beef and dairy breeds, sheep, and goats, the need for a permanent, weather-protected facility became evident. Jack Cross and Burke Bullock spearheaded a door-to-door fundraising campaign, rallying local businesses, donors, and agriculture boosters to finance the construction of a covered facility in Winnsboro's City Park. The annual Winnsboro Hay Show, established in 1979, was also utilized to help fund and sustain the livestock facilities and events.

In 1995, community members Eddy and Joyce McCarley formally petitioned the Winnsboro City Council to name the municipal facility in Jack's honor. Following council approval, the McCarleys alongside Randy and Stacy Riggs funded the production and installation of the permanent signage designating it the Jack Cross Pavilion. At the unveiling ceremony, Jack humbly remarked, "I'm the luckiest old man in the world".

Legacy

Jack never charged local FFA or 4-H exhibitors for his hoof-trimming services, viewing a student's gratitude and show-ring participation as payment enough. His contributions earned him the title of 1990 Man of the Year in Texas Agriculture, alongside honors from the Wood County Farm Bureau and the Winnsboro Chamber of Commerce.

Jack passed away in 2004, and Hazel followed in 2011. To commemorate their lifetime of encouragement to area youth, community members and Winnsboro FFA students dedicated a Live Oak tree and a memorial cross on the south side of the Jack Cross Pavilion, ensuring their contributions to local agriculture and youth education remain recognized.