Roll Call Tribute

(Published in) Coleman News (on) March 3, 2016

F.C. “Jack” Kingsbery

F.C. “Jack” Kingsbery
“Jack” Kingsbery passed away February 25, 2016, in Kerrville, Texas. He was born May 26, 1922, in Santa Anna, Texas, to Howard T. and Mabel Woodward Kingsbery. He grew up on the Kingsbery family ranch in Coleman County. The Kingsbery family later moved to Bryan, Texas, where Howard served as head of the Texas Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA).
After graduating from Stephen F. Austin High School in Bryan, Texas, Jack entered Texas A&M in fall 1941 as a member of the class of ’45. In September 1943, as World War II dragged on, the entire A&M junior class marched to the local recruiting office and volunteered for service. Jack entered the Army Air Corps and trained as a B-24 bomber mechanic. He served in the 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, 458th bomb group, at Horsham St. Faith Air Base, Norwich, Norfolk, England. He was crew chief of the maintenance crew responsible for the B-24 bomber “The Shack.”
Jack was discharged in October 1945, and frequently described how good it was to see the Santa Anna Mountains from the bus coming home from Wichita Falls. While working on the Kingsbery family ranch he sustained a severely broken leg when a young horse fell with him. A norther blew in that morning, and it was many hours before he was found by a neighbor, so he contracted pneumonia as well. The incident delayed his return to Texas A&M until fall 1946.
At Texas A&M he changed his major from mechanical engineering to animal husbandry. Jack and his friends travelled all over Texas competing in rodeos to supplement their GI Bill benefits. He was an enthusiastic calf roper and team roper. He was president of A&M’s Saddle and Sirloin Club, and a charter member of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. In later years he and wife Evelyn became charter members of the NIRA Alumni Association and helped raise funds for rodeo scholarships. While attending A&M Jack designed a rodeo arena for Texas A&M and raised funds to build it.
After graduating from A&M, Jack bought cattle and began ranching and cowboying in South Texas. He rounded up “mossyback” wild cattle out of the brush country for ranchers who hadn’t been able to get help during the war years. He married schoolteacher and ranch woman Evelyn Bruce, also from Santa Anna, on June 30, 1951. They ranched in Zavala County near Batesville and Crystal City, raising crossbred cattle and Quarter Horses. The drought of the 1950’s devastated the cattle business, and they had to move their cattle several times as stock tanks and wells dried up. The grass eventually gave out so he spent two scorching South Texas summers burning spines off prickly pear cactus to keep their cattle alive.
Jack added Thoroughbreds to his Quarter Horse business, standing Native Native, a son of the famous Native Dancer, at stud at their farm near Crystal City. Jack acquired a Crystal City company and founded Kingsbery Manufacturing Company in 1963, making livestock squeeze chutes. He designed and built other ranch equipment, such as calf cradles, revolving saddle display racks, and steel gun safes. Jack was member and president of the Zavala County Agricultural Exposition, and was proud of having weighed all the 4-H and FFA show livestock for 50 years. He was member and president of the Zavala-Dimmit County Water Board for many years.
Jack and Evelyn began raising registered Beefmaster cattle, and he was elected to the board of Beefmaster Breeders Universal, helping promote and improve the breed. Jack was elected to the board of the borrower-owned Federal Land Bank (now Capital Farm Credit Association) and served several terms.
Jack wrote two best-selling books about his experiences in the cattle business: “Cowboy Wrecks & Rattlesnakes” and “Yes, I’m Still Alive.”
He was a member of First Baptist Church of Crystal City and the Lions Club.
Jack is survived by his wife of 64 years, Evelyn Bruce Kingsbery; four children: Ann and Mike Hilliard of Show Low, Arizona; Bob and Kerri Kingsbery of Frisco, Kay Bell of Kerrville; and Bruce and Karyn Kingsbery of Uvalde; seven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Margaret Bruce Robin of Houston; first cousins Kay Gray and husband Frank, of Santa Anna, Texas; Janet Holland and husband Mike, of Mineral Wells, Texas, Claride Mayo, of Alexandria, Virginia, Dr. John R. Woodward and wife, Dorothy, of Dallas, Texas; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and their children. A Kingsbery/ Bruce/Woodward family tradition of Thanksgiving gatherings started at the Kingsbery place in Crystal City in 1975 and is now maintained by the third generation with recent gatherings in College Station and Kerrville.
Services will be held Saturday, March 5, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. at the Santa Anna Cemetery. Visitation will be 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Friday evening, March 4, at the Henderson Funeral Home in Santa Anna.
Pallbearaers for Kingsbery: Bob Kingsbery, Bruce Kingsbery, Michael Hilliard, Michael Clay Kingsbery,
Lt (j.g.) Grant Kingsbery, USN, 1st Lt Cole Kingsbery, USAF.
In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to: Santa Anna Cemetery Association, P.O Box 14, Santa Anna, TX 76878; National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Alumni Scholarship Fund, 414 Buist Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85041; Alamo Hospice, 1400 Water Street, Kerrville, TX, 78028; or a charity of your choice.
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(Published in) Brownwood Bulletin (on) March 1, 2016

F.C. 'Jack' Kingsbery

Graveside services for F.C. “Jack” Kingsbery, 93, of Kerrville, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 5, 2016 at Santa Anna Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5:30 7 p.m. Friday at Henderson Funeral Home.

He died Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016 in Kerrville.

He was born May 26, 1922 in Santa Anna to Howard Thomas and Mabel Jarman Woodward Kingsbery. He entered Texas A&M where he pursued a major in animal husbandry and graduated after serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II in England.

On June 30, 1952, he married Evelyn Bruce in Santa Anna. He ranched in Zavala County, raising crossbred cattle and quarter horses. He founded Kingsbery Manufacturing Company in 1963 and wrote two best-selling books about his experiences in the cattle business: “Cowboys, Wrecks and Rattlesnakes” and “Yes, I’m Still Alive.” He was a member of the Baptist church and Lions Club.

Survivors include his wife, Evelyn Bruce Kingsbery of Kerrville; children, Ann Hilliard and husband Mike of Show Low, Ariz., Bob Kingsbery and wife Kerri of Frisco, Kay Bell of Kerrville, and Bruce Kingsbery and wife Karyn of Uvalde; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

http://www.brownwoodtx.com/article/20160301/OBITUARIES/160309970
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Obituary written by son

F.C. “JACK” KINGSBERY ‘45

F.C. “Jack” Kingsbery, Class of 1945, passed away February 25, 2016, in Kerrville, Texas. He was born May 26, 1922, in Santa Anna, Texas, to Howard Thomas and Mabel Woodward Kingsbery. After graduating from Stephen F. Austin High School in Bryan, Texas, Jack entered Texas A&M in fall 1941. In September 1943, as World War II escalated, the entire A&M Junior Class marched to the local recruiting office and volunteered for service. Jack entered the Army Air Corps and trained as a B-24 bomber mechanic. He served in the 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, 458th bomb group, at Horsham St. Faith Air Base, Norwich, Norfolk, England. He was crew chief of the maintenance crew responsible for the B-24 bomber “The Shack.”

Jack returned to Texas A&M in the fall of 1946 where he and his fellow Aggies travelled all over Texas competing in rodeos to supplement their GI Bill benefits. Jack was president of A&M’s Saddle and Sirloin Club and a founding member of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. In later years he and wife Evelyn became charter members of the NIRA Alumni Association and helped raise funds for rodeo scholarships. While attending A&M Jack designed the Texas A&M rodeo arena and raised funds to build it where Olsen Field now stands.

After graduating from A&M, Jack bought cattle and began ranching and cowboying in South Texas. He rounded up “mossyback” wild cattle out of the brush country for ranchers who hadn’t been able to get help during the war years. He married schoolteacher and ranch woman Evelyn Bruce, also from Santa Anna, on June 30, 1951. They ranched in Zavala County near Batesville and Crystal City, raising crossbred cattle and Quarter Horses. The drought of the 1950’s devastated the cattle business, and they had to move their cattle several times as stock tanks and wells dried up. The grass eventually gave out so he spent two scorching South Texas summers burning spines off prickly pear cactus to keep their cattle alive.

Jack added Thoroughbreds to his Quarter Horse business, standing Native Native, a son of the famous Native Dancer, at stud at their farm near Crystal City. Jack acquired a Crystal City company and founded Kingsbery Manufacturing Company in 1963, making livestock squeeze chutes. He designed and built other ranch equipment, such as calf cradles, revolving saddle display racks, and steel gun safes. Jack was member and president of the Zavala County Agricultural Exposition, and was proud of having weighed all the 4-H and FFA show livestock for 50 years. He was member and president of the Zavala-Dimmit County Water Board for many years.

Jack and Evelyn began raising registered Beefmaster cattle, and he was elected to the board of Beefmaster Breeders Universal, helping promote and improve the breed. Jack was elected to the board of the borrower-owned Federal Land Bank (now Capital Farm Credit Association) and served several terms.

Jack wrote two best-selling books about his experiences in the cattle business: “Cowboy Wrecks & Rattlesnakes” and “Yes, I’m Still Alive.”

Jack is survived by his wife of 64 years, Evelyn Bruce Kingsbery; four children: Ann (‘74) and Mike Hilliard, Bob (‘77) and Kerri Kingsbery, Kay Bell (‘78), and Bruce (‘88) and Karyn (‘85); seven grandchildren, including Barbara (’02) and Brian Bowers (’02), Grant (’13), and Bonnie (‘13) Kingsbery, Cole (’13) and Samie (‘14) Kingsbery; and nine great-grandchildren.