Gerald (Jack) McNeill was a consummate farmer.  He loved his land in Oklahoma and had a talent and the drive for progressive farming techniques.  In the early 1960's, he worked closely with Oklahoma State University, testing new varieties of wheat on his acreage around Thomas.  

In his last years, gardening was his passion, growing abundant crops of wonderful tomatoes and other vegetables.  If thumbs were really green to show one's ability to cultivate — in a garden or a field, his two would have been a deep shade of forest.

A fund is being set up to provide a scholarship for a student of Longonot Primary School who shows interest and potential in the field of agriculture and agronomy. At Longonot, children are being taught micro-climate gardening and land has been given for this purpose.  Many of the little garden plots tended by the children  have a small tree in the center to create moisture for the vegetables grown beneath.  Around the plots are branches of thorn trees to protect their plants from animal intruders.  The lessons learned will provide for these children throughout their lives.  Perhaps with this scholarship assistance, the next Kenyan Nobel Prize winner* will come from Longonot Primary School.

Jack was interested and pleased by the project at Longonot Primary School and with the orphaned children in Rwanda.  He had long had an interest in teaching the people in developing countries better farming skills, feeling that this was the way to lead to a better world.  

In Kenya, seeing the cattle tended by the Masai on the Mara is so reminiscent of Jack's cattle ranch in Colorado during the late 1940's and 50's.  His hardships as a cattleman were much the same as theirs... prairies are unforgiving places.  Yet, the bonds to the land are great.

Therefore, we have chosen this way to honour our father's  memory.  

Mary and Edmund Fry

Rhonda and Morgan Golden

Martha and Tim Poole

John and Kelly McNeill

Contributions may be sent to the following addresses:
Mary McNeill Fry                                                                                                                 

Bloom Where Planted   — G.E. McNeill Memorial Scholarship Fund                         

801 S. Pasadena Avenue                                                                                              

Pasadena, CA 91105  

bloomwhereplant@aol.com                                

Tim Poole                                                                                                                                      

G.E. McNeill Memorial Scholarship Fund                                                                            

% Oaklawn Baptist Church                                                                                                        

200 Oaklawn Avenue                                                                                                                  

Hot Springs, AR 71913

 

*Wangari Maathai received the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her “contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”