"Big Lee"

Daniel Lee Alford III, affectionately known as “Big Lee,” passed away peacefully on January 3, 2025, at the age of 84. He was a man of strength, hard work, and unshakable dedication—a true steward of the land and his family’s legacy. 

As a 1959 graduate of Caldwell High School, Big Lee excelled both in academics and athletics. He went to state in poetry and hurdles, as well playing football. Big Lee achieved his Texas FFA Lone Star Degree his senior year of high school. He continued his education and football career at the University of Texas in Austin, where he met his wife of over 50 years, Mary Agnes Collerain Alford. The two married on December 22, 1962 and built a life raising their two sons, until Mary passed in 2013.  

Big Lee devoted his life to ranching on some of the same Burleson County land his family had ranched since 1832. As a sixth-generation rancher, he worked to preserve and nurture the land. Big Lee’s deep connection to the land was not just a career, but a calling. His dedication and tenacity ensured the Alford legacy would endure for generations to come. Big Lee always said, “It’s not a way to make a living, it’s a way of life. The land is not a piece of property to be bought and sold. It is a part of your soul”.  

Beyond the ranch, Big Lee served on several committees of the International Brangus Breeders Association. He was recognized as Commercial Producer of the Year in 2010. He served as a Director of the Advisory Committee of Post Oak Savannah Ground Water Conservation District. Big Lee also served as an elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell, always striving to make a positive impact. 

He is survived by his sons, Daniel Lee Alford IV and Michael Bruce Alford (wife Cindy Alford), his granddaughters, Emily Grace Alford, Autumn Verity Alford, and Amity Dulcinea Alford, as well as his devoted companion Brooksie Fuchs. 

The pallbearers are Raymond Jurica Jr., David Ray “Sonny” Schoenemann, Kyle Koch, Shawn Kalina, De Hitchcock, and Victor Coronado.

Honorary Pallbearers are Don Smith, Charles Doonan, Dennis Drgac, Sidney Youngblood, Dr. Glenn Cochran, and Stanley Faulkner.

A memorial service will be held at Strickland Funeral Home in Caldwell Texas on Saturday, January 11th at 11 am, followed by interment at the Masonic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell, Texas or Cal Farley Boys Ranch.