Calvin Norris (Pop) Greely, Jr. was born to Calvin Greely, Sr. and Arrilla Pike
Greely on February 5, 1935 in El Campo, Texas. He went to be with the lord on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 in Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, Texas.
Calvin grew up in the Pin Oak Community of Wharton County and attended the E. A. Green High School. He was baptized in the Mt. Pilgrim Baptist
Church.
Calvin married Jewell Lewis in El Campo and to this union, four children were born: Beverly Greely, Lawrence Greely, Annette Greely, and Ramona Gayle Wilson. Calvin subsequently married Shirley Jones and to this union Kevin Wayne Greely and Stephan DeWayne Greely were born.
He began riding horses with his dad in the pasture at the age of three years old and won his first roping competition at the age of 14 and earned a total of $35.00. He has trained, ridden and owned great roping and steer dogging
horses. Calvin's career was a truck driver with his own small trucking company and rodeoing. He was a great roper, teacher, mentor tot he rodeo world. He trained and mentored two world champion calf roping champions, Joe Beaver and Fred Whitfield. He was well known for his horsemanship and positive attitude. If you did not win any money at an event, he would say " Don't hang your head, just go back in the practice pen".
His occupation and interests led him to the membership of the following organizations:
PRCA-Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
IRA- International Rodeo Association
SWCA- Southwest Cowboy Association
SPRA - Senior Pro Rodeo Association
USCRA- United States Calf Roping Association
NOTRA- National Old Timers Rodeo Association
NCOC- National Cowboys of Color
BPIR- Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo
2009 - Nominee for the National Cowboys of Color Hall of Fame