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*In his typical work week, Blasingame slept in a camp house without [[electricity]] and rode a hundred miles per day.​

*In his typical work week, Blasingame slept in a camp house without [[electricity]] and rode a hundred miles per day.​

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'''Thomas Everett Blasingame''', known as '''Tom Blasingame''' (February 12, 1898 &ndash; December 27, 1989) was a [[Texas]] [[cowboy]] for seventy-three years. At ninety-one, he was still on the job at the [[JA Ranch]] south of [[Amarillo]]. Two days after [[Christmas]] in 1989, he dismounted his [[horse]], Ruidosa, stretched out on the [[grass]], folded his arms across his chest, and died.<ref name=ranches>{{cite web|url=http://www.ranches.org/tom_blasingame.htm|title=Tom Blasingame|publisher=Ranches.org|accessdate=December 16, 2019}}</ref> Blasingame received many honors for his longevity and dedication to ranching.​

'''Thomas Everett Blasingame''', known as '''Tom Blasingame''' (February 12, 1898 &ndash; December 27, 1989) was a [[cowboy]] for seventy-three years, an apparent record achievement; no one else apparently worked longer than he. At ninety-one, Blasingame was still on the job at the [[JA Ranch]] south of [[Amarillo]], [[Texas]]. Two days after [[Christmas]] in 1989, he dismounted his [[horse]], Ruidosa, stretched out on the [[grass]], folded his arms across his chest, and died.<ref name=ranches>{{cite web|url=http://www.ranches.org/tom_blasingame.htm|title=Tom Blasingame|publisher=Ranches.org|accessdate=December 16, 2019}}</ref> Blasingame received many honors for his longevity and dedication to ranching.​

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==Background==

==Background==

<blockquote>

<blockquote>

I like to break [[horse]]s. They raised their own horses here at JA and they'd break about forty broncs every spring, 4-year-olds. They was wild. They had run on the range. In the long run that was the best. A 4-year-old is pretty well hardened and hard to hurt, and he's got a good tough heart, too, not like these horses nowadays that are halter broken when they're winter colts not even a year old. I never did hit the horses much while I was breaking 'em, maybe a slap on the neck or somethin' just to let 'em know they done somethin' wrong. A horse is pretty smart. He knows when you're abusing him, and when you're not."<ref name=ranches/></blockquote>​

I like to break horses. They raised their own horses here at JA and they'd break about forty broncs every spring, 4-year-olds. They was wild. They had run on the range. In the long run that was the best. A 4-year-old is pretty well hardened and hard to hurt, and he's got a good tough heart, too, not like these horses nowadays that are halter broken when they're winter colts not even a year old. I never did hit the horses much while I was breaking 'em, maybe a slap on the neck or somethin' just to let 'em know they done somethin' wrong. A horse is pretty smart. He knows when you're abusing him, and when you're not."<ref name=ranches/></blockquote>​

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Back at the JA, Blasingame lived on Campbell Creek in a camp house without electricity during the week and came to Claude in Armstrong County] east of Amarillo and north of the ranch, on weekends to see his wife, the former Eleanor Aloe Morris (1914-1999), the daughter of a neighboring rancher whom he married on November 2, 1933. At the time of her death, Eleanor was living in [[Boise]], [[Idaho]], the city of residence of her son, Thomas White Blasingame (born June 25, 1935),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/thomas-blasingame/e51106072098|title=Thomas Blasngame (White)|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=December 16, 2019}}</ref> and her daughter, Nancy B. Etheridge (born July 1, 1940). The Blasingames had four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.<ref name=PPHM/>  

Back at the JA, Blasingame lived on Campbell Creek in a camp house without electricity during the week and came to Claude in Armstrong County] east of Amarillo and north of the ranch, on weekends to see his wife, the former Eleanor Aloe Morris (1914-1999), the daughter of a neighboring rancher whom he married on November 2, 1933. At the time of her death, Eleanor was living in [[Boise]], [[Idaho]], the city of residence of her son, Thomas White Blasingame (born June 25, 1935),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/thomas-blasingame/e51106072098|title=Thomas Blasngame (White)|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=December 16, 2019}}</ref> and her daughter, Nancy B. Etheridge (born July 1, 1940). The Blasingames had four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.<ref name=PPHM/>