Dates
Retired Concho County Judge Allen Amos passed away on August 2, 2026, after a brief illness. He was born July 27, 1942 in Brady, Texas, to Edgar Preston Amos, Jr. and Lucille Nixon Amos of Menard. His name, Edgar Allen, honored his grandfathers Edgar Preston Amos, Sr., and Miles Allen Nixon, of Menard County. In his early years, the family moved several times for his father’s railroad job, and Allen rode the rails often, befriending railroad workers who gave him his own child-sized engineer’s cap.
The oldest of six children, eventually, Allen went to work as a ‘printer’s devil’ at the Menard News at age 13, where he learned to print with metal type on a flatbed press. He continued to work full-time as he finished school, graduating from Menard High School in June, 1960. After high school, he worked several jobs to help support his family, and hunted and fished to put food on their table.
Drafted into the U.S. Army on Valentine’s Day 1964, Allen quickly rose to the rank of sergeant, and served as an instructor on the training cadre, teaching soldiers to drive armored personnel carriers and fire heavy artillery. This experience gave him many adventures at the eventual cost of most of his hearing. He was in the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas until his service ended in 1966, when he returned to Menard.
Allen married Kathy Bishop of Cleo, Texas, on August 20, 1967. In May 1969 the couple welcomed their son, Robert Preston Amos, also named for his grandfathers, Robert Allen Bishop and Edgar Preston Amos, Jr.
The family made their home in Menard, where Allen worked for a company that included W.R. Loveless Propane, Mission Funeral Home and Ambulance Service, and Luckenbach Hardware. Allen managed the store, sold hardware, delivered and serviced appliances, installed and maintained propane tanks and drove a delivery truck. He earned his Emergency Care Attendant certification to drive the ambulance and care for patients.
Allen served on the Menard City Council, coached Little League, helped found Menard’s Pee-Wee baseball league and served as a volunteer firefighter.
In March 1979, Allen, Kathy, and Rob moved to Eden, Texas, where they bought and published The Eden Echo for 28 years. In Eden, Allen served as a member of the city council and as mayor pro-tempore. He coached Little League there for several summers before eventually helping to found an adult softball league, where he played ball up into his early 50s.
Allen found his calling when he ran for Concho County Judge in 1994. He personally visited every registered voter’s home to ask for their support. He was elected and took office in January 1995, serving until August 21, 2015. In more than two decades as county judge, Allen oversaw county administration, heard civil and criminal cases and served on more than 30 committees. He especially enjoyed performing weddings.
Judge Amos was a founding member of the Rural County Judges Association, which worked with the Texas Legislature to better serve the needs of smaller counties often overlooked or outvoiced in the lawmaking process. The association met with multiple state legislators and officials, even hosting Governor George W. Bush at one of their meetings. Judge Amos was asked to testify before the Texas Senate and also Congressional committees in Washington, D.C. He helped draft and pass legislation at the state level.
Other committees during his tenure, included the Concho Valley Council of Governments and Community Action Council, as well as the Texas Association of Counties Judicial Education Board.
Judge Amos continued to serve as a senior judge after his retirement, and assisted 13 other counties as a visiting judge when needed. He presided over more than 9,000 cases, without a single one being appealed or overturned. He never held anybody in contempt of court; he peaceably resolved every courtroom dispute.
His wife Kathy passed away in 2014. Allen married Melanie Caddell on May 6, 2017, bringing her daughter Angela, son-in-law Carlos, and grandson Ethan into the family.
Melanie accompanied Allen on fishing and sight-seeing trips, helped arrange and kept photos of the numerous weddings he continued to officiate. They had many adventures and made wonderful memories in Allen’s last years.
Allen was predeceased by his parents, first wife Kathy, brother Lynn Amos of San Angelo, and two sisters, Marilyn Charles of Brownwood and Toni Amos of Menard. He is survived by his wife Melanie of Eden; son Rob, his wife Elisha Amos, and their children Melinda Parker and Paul Parker, all of San Angelo; daughter Angela Flores, her husband Carlos Flores, Jr., and their son Ethan Flores, of San Angelo; brother Mike Amos and his wife Priscilla Amos, of Menard; sister Janelle Mogford and her husband Billy Mogford of Telegraph, Texas; Billy Escobar of Sulphur Springs, Texas, whom he loved like a son; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless friends.
Visitation will be at Harper Funeral Home in Eden on Wednesday, August 5, from 4:00 to 7:30. Graveside service will be at the Bear Creek Cemetery in Kimble County on Thursday at 11:00. Pallbearers are grandsons Paul Parker and Ethan Flores, nephew Collyn Schaefer and nieces Ashtyn Mogford, Krista Porter, Keysie Wilcox and Zoey Porter. Honorary pallbearers are Jerry Bearden, Mike Brown, Dwain Wilkinson, David Dillard, Scott Spoonts, Roy Blair, Ralph Sides, Tully Shahan, Randy Young, Bill Graves, Tim Schneider, Jim Schneider, Delbert Roberts, George Bean, and Chester Low.