WILLCOX Cowboy Hall of Fame inductees

FRED TELLES (112)
1922-2010
2013 COWBOY HALL OF FAME POSTHUMOUS AWARD

Fred Telles was born April 7, 1922, in Benson, Arizona. He had six sisters and two brothers. Fred grew up on the family homestead 5 miles southeast of Elgin, AZ. He attended the one room school house in Elgin from grades 1-8 and then went on to Patagonia High School where he graduated in three years. After high school, Fred attended the University of Arizona for one year.

Fred was married in 1944 to Carol Stearns and they had three children: Jack, Helen and Alfred. He and Carol were married for 55 years when Carol passed away in 1999.

Fred helped his dad whenever needed and also helped the neighboring ranchers when he wasn’t needed at home. Fred grew up in the era where cattle had to be doctored for screw worm so at a young age he was always roping calves to doctor. He went to work for Richard Stearns on the Rose Tree Ranch as soon as he graduated from high school and worked 5 years there until Richard sold it and bought the Bar CL Ranch located between Pearce and Courtland. Fred was the ranch manager at the Bar CL until it was sold in 1952.

While working for Richard Stearns, Fred was also saving his money and in 1944 bought his first ranch in Courtland. This was the first of many ranches Fred owned over the years. In 1960, he sold the ranch in Courtland and bought the VJ Ranch east of Gleeson. In 1968, he added the Double U Ranch which was just down the road. In 1975, Fred moved to Willcox and bought the Box Bar Ranch from Harry Saxon’s daughter, Helen Myers. In the 1985, he bought the X- Triangle Ranch in Animas, New Mexico.

Fred lived his entire life on ranches in Arizona. He broke and trained horses for his ranch work, and he registered many horses with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) over his lifetime. Fred was a member of the Willcox Elks Lodge, the Arizona Cattle Growers Association and was a life member in the AQHA. Fred joined the Cochise County Search and Rescue and provided them with horses when needed. He was a member of the Cochise County Sherriff’s Posse and a member of the Paint Horse Association.

Fred lived to be 87 years old. He passed away February 2, 2010.