Lawrence E. & Anne Accomazzo Moore
Lawrence E. & Anne Accomazzo Moore
Wilcox - Cochise County
Inducted in 2021
Lawrence Ellis “Larry” Moore Jr. and his wife Anne Marie Accomazzo are descendants of early Arizona pioneer farmers and ranchers.
Larry’s great-grandfather, Canadian born Peter Moore, came to Arizona Territory in 1893. He ranched in Rucker Canyon in Cochise County, branding the F Fire Hook. Peter later purchased the Whitewater Ranch in 1897 with his son Franklin. They stocked the ranch with cattle purchased from John Long and branded with the Rafter X. The Rafter X Ranch celebrates its 125th Anniversary year in 2022.
Franklin’s brother Fred joined as a partner and later bought out Franklin’s widow after his passing. Fred and Lucy Moore had four children, Frank, Lawrence, Mary, and Martha. Both Franklin and Fred had alternately served at times on boards such as the Livestock Sanitary Board, Arizona Cattle Growers’, Southeast Arizona Pioneer Cowboys as well as serving stints as Livestock Inspectors and Deputy Sheriffs.
Lawrence married Helen Kintzele from Colorado and the couple became parents of three children, Larry, Michaele and Peter. When Fred and Lucy retired and moved to Douglas, Lawrence and Helen moved to the ranch. They lived in the Rafter X headquarters house that was built in 1929 and raised their children on the ranch. His father Fred was a strong Hereford man, but when Lawrence began running the ranch, he went into a crossbred herd.
Larry was born in 1944 in Douglas, attended Rucker and Elfrida Elementary Schools; graduating from Valley Union High School in Elfrida. During high school he was active in FFA and played football, baseball, and basketball. Larry attended the University of Arizona where he studied Animal Science. While at the University, he was a member of the Livestock Judging Team and was an Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity Brother. Larry served in the Army Reserve for six years. (Spec. 5 ES, Company C, 8th Battalion, 40th Armor) To his family and close friends he is fondly known as “Lariat.”
Larry came up through the ranks. During his early years, Larry was employed during the summer at his family’s Rafter X Ranch and later employed full time. He always has had a love of the land, a thorough knowledge of animal husbandry and an understanding of herd management.
In 1974, Larry married Anne Marie Accomazzo, a graduate of Arizona State University and the Home Economics teacher at Willcox High School. The couple met one summer in 1971 when Anne worked at Paul & Julia Rigg’s West Well Ranch in Pearce. Julia was ill and Anne kept house, cooked the meals, and helped cowboy when needed. Julia passed away the end of June and Anne organized the food when friends and family gathered after the service. One young man caught her eye. He tipped his hat to the older ladies and took time to visit. She decided to keep track of that guy only to learn he was a friend of Julia’s son Roger – he was Larry from Rucker Canyon. In October 1972 Paul asked Anne to come cook for round-up and Larry came to help too. They began a letter writing romance and had their first date at the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Winter Convention at Hotel Westward Ho in Phoenix. Anne applied for the teaching position at Willcox High School so she could get to know Larry better beyond their letters. They have been married forty-eight years.
Anne, the daughter of Mark and Betty Kruse Accomazzo, was raised on a cotton and cattle farm in Laveen. Mark’s Italian father Dante immigrated in 1905 and established Pacific Farms branding the PF. She and her sister Peggy could set a hundred irrigation tubes in record time. One of Anne’s favorite chores was raking hay in the morning dew. While she was kept busy on the farm, she was also actively involved in activities at Tolleson Union High School and had time to participate in 4-H. Her brother Jimmy Accomazzo was inducted posthumously to the Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame in 2010. Her mother Betty was active in Cowbelles serving as state president; with Anne following in her footsteps in 1988-89. Betty was inducted into the “National Cowgirl Hall of Fame” in 1983 for her preservation of western Arizona history and was later inducted into the “Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame.”
Larry and Anne became parents of Cassandra Jo and Jake Tyler. They were adopted in 1983 and 1985 from Arizona Children’s Home. Both were active in 4-H and FFA. Cassie was named Arizona FFA Star in Agri-Business in 2001 and was crowned Rex Allen Days Rodeo Queen in 2002.
After Helen’s untimely death in 1976, Lawrence brought in Larry as a ranch partner. They had a cow-calf and stocker operation crossing lots of cattle out of Mexico through the stockyards in Douglas. Back in the days of crossing cattle in Douglas, all the business was done at the Gadsden Hotel. Larry remembers “We did business and wrote sales/purchase agreements on match book covers and napkins from the Saddle and Spur Bar in the Gadsden.”
Lawrence retired in 1980 and sold the Rafter X to Larry and Anne. In 1990, the Rafter X operation was expanded to take in two neighboring ranches, the century old Bar SS owned by the Whitehead family and the Geer Place in the western foothills of the Swisshelm Mountains and the Square Top Hills in lower Rucker Canyon. They acquired several brands, the “CJ” and “Bench S” and created the Bar M Bar Cattle Company. Larry was proud to involve his children as the fifth generation in the day-to-day operations on the ranch. The Bar M Bar was a long time Moore cattle brand.
Larry says with the cow-calf operation they were always looking at long term herd improvements while on the stocker side they were always worried about gain, rain, and market conditions.
Lawrence was inducted into the Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1984 and Larry was inducted in 2009. Anne was honored in 2019 when the Arizona State Cowbelles named her “Cattle Woman of the Year.” In 2020 Anne was named Arizona Cattle Growers’ “Top Wrangler.” The couple are involved with a number of agricultural and community organizations.
Anne was the founder of the Cattle Company Cowboy Exchange. The company features a line of Ranch House Barb*Wire China that blends vintage western and cowboy-chic motifs designed by Annie and signed with her cattle brand the Lazy M Lazy A that she inherited from her father Mark. In cooperation with the University of Arizona Animal Science Department and the American National CattleWomen, Anne helped produce the infamous beef by-product brochure “When is a Cow More Than a Cow,” known as “Wow that Cow” in present years.
In 2006, Larry and Anne made the decision to move closer to town rather than the fifty-mile drive from Rucker Canyon. They purchased a small ranch operation in Dos Cabezas and spent three years setting up a new Bar M Bar headquarters, ‘Hacienda’, barn and corrals. They leased their Rucker Canyon ranches and moved their Red Brangus herd to Dos Cabezas along with some horses and Border Collies. The ranch is called “Rancho Hacienda.”
Larry attributes his love of the grasslands and cattle to the legacy of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him. Anne credits her parents for her strong work ethics and determination to serve the agriculture industry and community.
Affiliations
Lawrence Ellis Moore
Cochise-Graham Cattle Growers Association – President 1981-1983
Arizona Cattle Growers Association – Board of Director, Chairman of Private Lands/water Rights and Co-Chair State Lands. Membership Chairman
Arizona Cattle Industry Research and Education Board
National Cattlemen’s Association – Young Cattlemen’s Conference: Arizona Delegate 1982, Private Lands Committee
Whitewater Draw Natural Resource Conservation District Member
Center for Holistic Resource Management – Savory Grazing School
Federal Land Bank/Farm Credit Services Southwest – Board of Directors 5 Years
Rucker Elementary School District #66– Board Member 30 Years – 1979-2009, President and Clerk.
Willcox FFA Alumni Association – Honorary Chapter Degree
Cochise County Cooperative Extension Service Board
Anne Accomazzo Moore
Future Homemakers of America – State Officer
National 4-H Congress Winner 1968
Project CENTRL Class IV
Arizona State Cowbelles – Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, President-Elect and State President
2019 Cattle Woman of the Year from Arizona State Cowbelles
2020 Arizona Cattle Grower’s Association Top Wrangler Award
Tucson and Willcox Cowbelles
