Arthur J. "Joe" Mercer III

Born Arthur Joseph Mercer III on June 6, 1947, in Temple, Texas to Arthur J. Mercer Jr. and Ura Louise Hudgens Mercer, Joe died on October 2, 2025, at the age of 78 at his home near Belfalls, Texas after a long, fierce battle with cancer.

He graduated from Temple High School in 1965 where he played football and participated in Golden Gloves. After a semester at Blinn College he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in July 1966 to serve in Vietnam until 1968 during the beginning of the Tet Offensive. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Sargent having received a Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnamese Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and rifle Sharpshooter Badge.

Joe returned to Texas to study at Trinity University, San Antonio and Texas A&M University, College Station where he graduated with a degree in Building Construction in 1974. He married Beth Ussery of Weslaco, Texas in August 1974 after graduation and moved to Houston to work with Brown & Root in their offshore marine division designing offshore drilling platforms.

Before he was transferred to Bahrain, he was offered a position with Ussery Engineering Inc. in Weslaco, Texas to help expand his father-in-law’s business in the design and construction of underground drainage and irrigation pipelines on agricultural land in the Rio Grande Valley. Joe and Beth moved to Monte Alto, Texas where they both worked for the family business.

Joe later left Ussery Engineering and started Mercer Apiaries, a commercial beekeeping business producing honey and providing pollination services to local farming operations for the production of cucurbit crops. Mercer Apiaries honey was featured in the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog. He served as the president of the Rio Grande Valley Beekeepers Association as well as the Texas Beekeepers Association, was a member of the Monte Alto Lions Club, and served on the school board of the Monte Alto ISD.

After the death of Beth’s father, Joe returned to the family business, changing the name to Mercer & Ussery Inc. and expanded the operation to include municipal water and sewer construction projects while Beth ran the agricultural construction projects. For a time, he held a private pilot’s license and flew a Mooney 252. They bought land, planted pasture, and raised Simbrah cattle naming that operation Filegonia Cattle Company. Both Joe and Beth were active in the Rio Grande Valley Simbrah/Simmental Association for many years. They raised Louisiana Catahoula Leopard dogs, had a good cutting horse and cow horse as well as burros for halter breaking calves. There were also a few chickens in the mix, as well as stray dogs who wandered in and stayed. At the time of his death, he owned a mule named Matilda because he had always wanted one and figured they would work well together being of like mind.

In 2008, the decision was made to shut down the business, pack up and move everything to Central Texas near Belfalls close to where most of his immediate family lived. Joe farmed some of his grandfather’s land until 2021 when he retired from farming to keep Beth’s cattle equipment running. He learned his mechanic skills from his father and uncle, Gary Hudgens, and was putting them to good use until his death. Joe rebuilt old cars with his brother, Mike, and could repair just about anything. The tanks on his and Beth’s land are stocked with bass, catfish, and perch that he introduced. He loved to fish and said that there was nothing more exciting than catching a tarpon on a fly rod before breakfast.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his wife, Beth; his brother, Mike Mercer and wife, Nancy of Temple; cousins, nieces and nephews; and a godson, Frank Barker of Cypress, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Salvation Army or to someone that needs your help.

A Celebration of Joe’s life will be held at Joe’s Shop on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 10:30 am.