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Hatfield was born on a farm near Anson in Jones County, Texas, to Luther H. "Dukes" Hatfield (1902-1978) and the former Lema Goza (1906-2002)<ref name=ssdi/>, a native of Madison County, Texas. Hatfield had a sister, the late Doris Montag, and two brothers, Bruce M. Hatfield (born ca. 1937) of Big Spring, Texas, and Jerry W. Hatfield (born 1939) of Snyder.<ref name=lema>{{cite web|url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/032202/obi_032202057.shtml|title=Obituary of Lema G. Hatfield, March 22, 2002|publisher=''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal''|accessdate=September 23, 2009}}</ref> His father nicknamed him "Buster", which was shortened to "Buck". Hatfield attended Noodle High School (named for the community of Noodle) near Merkel in Taylor County, Texas, but did not graduate.<ref name=shirley>Statement of Shirley Hatfield, widow of Luther Wallace Hatfield, Midland, Texas, March 8, 2008</ref>  

Hatfield was born on a farm near Anson in Jones County, Texas, to Luther H. "Dukes" Hatfield (1902-1978) and the former Lema Goza (1906-2002)<ref name=ssdi/>, a native of Madison County, Texas. Hatfield had a sister, the late Doris Montag, and two brothers, Bruce M. Hatfield (born ca. 1937) of Big Spring, Texas, and Jerry W. Hatfield (born 1939) of Snyder.<ref name=lema>{{cite web|url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/032202/obi_032202057.shtml|title=Obituary of Lema G. Hatfield, March 22, 2002|publisher=''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal''|accessdate=September 23, 2009}}</ref> His father nicknamed him "Buster", which was shortened to "Buck". Hatfield attended Noodle High School (named for the community of Noodle) near Merkel in Taylor County, Texas, but did not graduate.<ref name=shirley>Statement of Shirley Hatfield, widow of Luther Wallace Hatfield, Midland, Texas, March 8, 2008</ref>  

Hatfield subsequently enrolled for the 1967-1968 academic year at Trinity Valley Baptist Seminary and College, which had been established in 1960 in Kennedale in Tarrant County near [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]] in what the institution calls the "cradle of fundamentalism."<ref name=trinity>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/9446/seminary.html|title="Trinity Valley Baptist Seminary and College"|publisher=geocities.com|accessdate=September 20, 2009}}</ref> He graduated from the seminary, with much of his work done by correspondence. On its website, the seminary describes itself as "Independent, Fundamental, King James Only."<ref name=trinity/>

Hatfield subsequently enrolled for the 1967-1968 academic year at Trinity Valley Baptist Seminary and College, which had been established in 1960 in Kennedale in Tarrant County near Fort Worth in what the institution calls the "cradle of fundamentalism."<ref name=trinity>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/9446/seminary.html|title="Trinity Valley Baptist Seminary and College"|publisher=geocities.com|accessdate=September 20, 2009}}</ref> He graduated from the seminary, with much of his work done by correspondence. On its website, the seminary describes itself as "Independent, Fundamental, King James Only."<ref name=trinity/>

   

   

On March 31, 1952, Hatfield married the former Shirley Faye Webb (born 1934) in Sweetwater in Nolan County in West Texas. A native of Merkle, she has resided in Midland since 1999. Both generations of Hatfields moved to Snyder in 1953 to operate a restaurant, the Sweet's Shop Drive-in.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/301/1278067/restaurant/Texas/Sweets-Shop-Snyder|title="Sweet's Shop of Snyder, Texas"|publisher=urbanspoon.com|accessdate=September 20, 2009}}</ref> Hatfield's mother worked in the business for more than forty years.<ref name=lema/> The Sweet's Shop remained in family hands until 2007, when Jerry Hatfield sold it.<ref name=shirley/>

On March 31, 1952, Hatfield married the former Shirley Faye Webb (born 1934) in Sweetwater in Nolan County in West Texas. A native of Merkle, she has resided in Midland since 1999. Both generations of Hatfields moved to Snyder in 1953 to operate a restaurant, the Sweet's Shop Drive-in.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/301/1278067/restaurant/Texas/Sweets-Shop-Snyder|title="Sweet's Shop of Snyder, Texas"|publisher=urbanspoon.com|accessdate=September 20, 2009}}</ref> Hatfield's mother worked in the business for more than forty years.<ref name=lema/> The Sweet's Shop remained in family hands until 2007, when Jerry Hatfield sold it.<ref name=shirley/>

After his twenty-one years at Faith Baptist, Hatfield entered the field of evangelism for three years and pastored Grace Baptist Church in Early in Brown County in Central Texas until his retirement in 1994.<ref name=obit>L.W. "Buck" Hatfield obituary, ''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal'', February 15, 1995</ref>  

After his twenty-one years at Faith Baptist, Hatfield entered the field of evangelism for three years and pastored Grace Baptist Church in Early in Brown County in Central Texas until his retirement in 1994.<ref name=obit>L.W. "Buck" Hatfield obituary, ''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal'', February 15, 1995</ref>  

    

    

The Hatfields had three sons and a daughter: Larry Don Hatfield (born 1953) of Midland, Robert "Bob" Hatfield (born 1958) of San Angelo, Texas, Shari Faye Hatfield (born 1962) of Hobbs, [[New Mexico]], [[New Mexico]], and Ronnie Keith Hatfield (born 1964) of Sweetwater. Hatfield died at Cogdell Memorial Hospital in Snyder some three months after the diagnosis of cancer of his adrenal glands. Services were held at Faith Baptist Church with the Reverend Jason Rogers officiating. Interment was at Hillside Memorial Gardens in Snyder.<ref name=obit/>

The Hatfields had three sons and a daughter: Larry Don Hatfield (born 1953) of Midland, Robert "Bob" Hatfield (born 1958) of San Angelo, Texas, Shari Faye Hatfield (born 1962) of Hobbs, [[New Mexico]], and Ronnie Keith Hatfield (born 1964) of Sweetwater. Hatfield died at Cogdell Memorial Hospital in Snyder some three months after the diagnosis of cancer of his adrenal glands. Services were held at Faith Baptist Church with the Reverend Jason Rogers officiating. Interment was at Hillside Memorial Gardens in Snyder.<ref name=obit/>

   

   

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Article written by Billy Hathorn

Article written by Billy Hathorn