Garden City Residents Remember Sheriff "Booger" Pruit
By: Jenne Anderson
Updated: January 24, 2013
GLASSCOCK COUNTY -- A Glasscock County legend was laid to rest on Thursday. Sheriff Royce "Booger" Pruit passed away last Monday at age 75.
"Booger was like a second father," said Garden City resident Nancy Hillger.
"We always looked up to him," explained Ronny Hirt.
"He was witty, and he always had a comeback," stated Randy Brown, the Medina County Sheriff.
Just a few words from the hundreds of people who came out Thursday morning to pay their last respects to Sheriff Booger.
"He began his career when I was born and spent his entire life out here," said Sheriff Brown.
Booger served as the Glasscock County Sheriff for 47 years, making him the longest serving sheriff in American history.
But those close to him say he was more than the local sheriff, he was a father figure to everyone in the community.
"As a teenager he would stop us and tell us to slow down," recalled Hillger. "And if we were in any kind of trouble he'd say, 'I'm going to call your parents!'"
"He kept us in line," said Hirt. "And he didn't have to say a whole lot, but when he did say something, you believed in him."
In addition to patrolling the county, Booger also served as the Glasscock County Tax Assessor.
But if you put all his titles aside, many say he was better known for his humor and witty remarks.
"I remember him saying the one time that he was kind of like a hound dog on the porch," stated Sheriff Brown. "He said, 'You know, I just kind of lay around now, but the women still stop by and pet me!' so he was quite a character."
Even though Booger stepped down as sheriff in 2008, we're told he continued to serve the entire community until the end.
"Nobody can ever fill his shoes," said Hillger. "He's just the most wonderful, loving person that anybody could ever know."
Friends of Sheriff Booger tell us he got his infamous nickname from his sister when he was younger.
She always called him a "little booger" and it looks like the name stuck with him until the end.
Garden City is looking to do another memorial in the weeks to come.
Like Jenne Anderson's page on Facebook!
"Booger was like a second father," said Garden City resident Nancy Hillger.
"We always looked up to him," explained Ronny Hirt.
"He was witty, and he always had a comeback," stated Randy Brown, the Medina County Sheriff.
Just a few words from the hundreds of people who came out Thursday morning to pay their last respects to Sheriff Booger.
"He began his career when I was born and spent his entire life out here," said Sheriff Brown.
Booger served as the Glasscock County Sheriff for 47 years, making him the longest serving sheriff in American history.
But those close to him say he was more than the local sheriff, he was a father figure to everyone in the community.
"As a teenager he would stop us and tell us to slow down," recalled Hillger. "And if we were in any kind of trouble he'd say, 'I'm going to call your parents!'"
"He kept us in line," said Hirt. "And he didn't have to say a whole lot, but when he did say something, you believed in him."
In addition to patrolling the county, Booger also served as the Glasscock County Tax Assessor.
But if you put all his titles aside, many say he was better known for his humor and witty remarks.
"I remember him saying the one time that he was kind of like a hound dog on the porch," stated Sheriff Brown. "He said, 'You know, I just kind of lay around now, but the women still stop by and pet me!' so he was quite a character."
Even though Booger stepped down as sheriff in 2008, we're told he continued to serve the entire community until the end.
"Nobody can ever fill his shoes," said Hillger. "He's just the most wonderful, loving person that anybody could ever know."
Friends of Sheriff Booger tell us he got his infamous nickname from his sister when he was younger.
She always called him a "little booger" and it looks like the name stuck with him until the end.
Garden City is looking to do another memorial in the weeks to come.
Like Jenne Anderson's page on Facebook!
