In Loving Memory of Thomas Mabry Foreman

Thomas Mabry Foreman, age 100, died on Monday, September 4, 2023, in Elkhart, Kansas.

Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 PM Central Time on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at the New Horizon Church in Felt, Oklahoma. Arrangements are under the direction of Hass Funeral Directors of Clayton, New Mexico.

Thomas Mabry Foreman was born August 14, 1923, on a farm in Wheeless, OK, to Arthur Cam Foreman and Josie Bell Mabry Foreman.

Mabry and his siblings, A.C., Marcia, and Aubrey faced extraordinary challenges in their formative years growing up in the Oklahoma panhandle, the heart of the “Dust Bowl”, during the “Great Depression.” Their father was unable to do physical work due to emphysema and the oldest brother was disabled. This left the two younger brothers, at just 10 and 9 responsible for the farm work. Like many of their neighbors, they lived off large gardens, livestock, and hunting jackrabbits.

These responsibilities, forced on the siblings at this early age, impacted all of their future families’ lives. When just 13 and 12 years old, Mabry and Aubrey wrote a letter to out-of-state landowners asking to farm their property on shares. The landowners agreed with no idea how young they were as they did not meet them until after the first successful crop was harvested. That started a lifelong relationship that allowed them to grow their respective farms.

Mabry attended school at Felt, Oklahoma, graduating in 1940. He and Marietta Burgin both attended Felt and, later, Panhandle A&M College in Goodwell, OK. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, every American’s plans for their future were altered. Mabry joined the Army Air Corp and became a bomber pilot and flight instructor, while Marietta, after graduating, taught high school first at Palco, Kansas and later at Felt.

With orders to ship out to the Pacific front in hand, the bomb was dropped, and the Japanese surrendered on his 22nd birthday, August 14, 1945. Military service abruptly ended and Americans were able to get on with their lives. He and Marietta were married six months later. They bought their first property six miles north of Felt. They lived there when both of their children were born, but built a house in Felt in 1950 because he needed a phone for business. Indoor plumbing was also nice as, typically for the time, they only had an outhouse.

Predominantly farming dryland grain sorghum and wheat, they soon expanded with leased land and a few purchases. Later, some were developed for irrigation raising corn and alfalfa for cattle feed. As the years passed, he expanded his stocker cattle operation, buying young calves from the Southeastern states, growing them on a ranch they purchased north of Felt, as well as on leased pasture, and a small feedlot.

In addition, he was instrumental in starting several farmer-owned businesses that benefited the community, including Felt Water Development which brought natural gas for irrigation development, and the Felt Feedyard.

Mabry’s passion was driving and seeing the country. He could never stay home for long. He and Marietta literally knew every back road within 200 miles. He loved seeing the crops, the conditions, the potential. Ranches in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Kansas, subsequently leased, were found by driving around the country and making inquiries.

After he had retired, one of his friends from Central Texas came up to see him, and they took a drive. His friend related that regardless of what small town, little café, or gas station, even as far as 200 miles from Felt, they would walk in and instantly be greeted with “Hello Mabry”.

This passion for travel played a major part in their children’s education and opportunities. Annual driving vacations were planned with a goal of seeing the country, and its history. By the time Ruth and Tom graduated from High School, they had driven to 49 states, to all but one of the provinces of Canada, and many of the states in Mexico.

One of Mabry’s proudest accomplishments was his role in founding The National Grain Sorghum Producers Association, which eventually was instrumental in putting those growers on par with the National Corn Growers regarding the USDA and farm programs. He served as their President for 24 years.

This gave him the opportunity to serve on the National Feed Grains Council and was their Vice President of overseas markets. He negotiated sales to the European market as well as Mexico, Japan, and South Korea.

While on official business for The Feed Grains Council, he used the opportunity to further his passion of driving and looking at the country. He would rent a car, talk someone into going along for the ride, and explore the countryside. Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, South Korea, Japan, Central Europe, England, and Mexico were all traversed.

In 1984, he had a quadruple bypass and was told to take it easy for a while. The family got a call saying that as a way to rest, they were on their way to the Arctic Circle because they had missed that on previous trips to Canada. While there, they took a plane and flew over the North Pole.

Mabry served on many civic boards over the years.

Cimarron County Agriculture Stabilization Committee – 23 years,

Oklahoma State ASC board -3 years

County Fair Board – 20+ years

Felt School Board -6 years.

Marietta died in 2010 and Mabry later decided to go to “assisted living”, in Elkhart, KS but was still driving and taking care of himself. Finally, well into his 90s, he decided to stop driving and was very fortunate to charm Karen Alexander into being his assistant and driver. They continued to make regular trips to the farm at Felt as well as pushing further to CO and NM where he had leased property for so many years. The family is eternally grateful for her caring relationship.

Recently he had the opportunity to celebrate his 100th birthday with family and to make a trip back to the Felt School Reunion where he saw many old friends.

Mabry is preceded in death by his father Arthur Cam Foreman, his mother Josie Bell Foreman, his siblings, A.C. Foreman, Marcia Rice, Aubrey Foreman, his daughter-in-law Mary Ann Foreman and son-in-law Danny Jackson.

He is survived by his daughter Ruth Jackson of Georgetown, TX. His son, Tom Foreman, Buckeye, AZ. Grandsons, Curtis Jackson, Georgetown, TX, Lt Col Ross Jackson, San Antonio, TX, Brian Foreman and his wife Jamie, Buckeye, AZ, and granddaughter Brenda Foreman Winn, Lubbock, TX.

Also by Great-grandchildren, Kaymen and Kira Foreman, Rheid, Lain and Maryn Winn, Sean, Alex, Luke, Otto, and Everett Jackson.