Thomas D. Buckley

 

Thomas Dennis Buckley was a member of the Chap­pell community since 1917. He was born in Gentry Coun­ty, Mo., on Dec. 18, 1897, to Dennis and Susan Buckley. When he was eight years old, his family, consisting of two brothers, Frank and John, a sister, Elizabeth, moved to Lamar, Col., where they made their home until 1917 when Tom and~his brothers moved to the Chappell area. Tom received his education in Lamar and at St. Mary’s in Leavenworth, Kan. Upon arriving in Chappell with his brothers, they lived in a bunk house on wheels and hired out to break sod using a one-cylinder Rumley. In 1918, he was in the military service for part of the year, and upon his discharge, worked for the railroad for the next two years. After that, he returned to the Chappell community as his parents were living here at that time. It was then that Tom began farming and lived on his farm in Garden County until his death on June 12, 1979.

However, Tom was not forgotten after his death. In his Will, he requested that a trust be established from all of the revenue of his estate, after certain bequests were paid. All of Tom’s land and assets were liquidated and all of this revenue was placed in the Trust. The Trust was established to make contributions to organizations operated exclusively for religious, charitable, educational, literary, scientific purposes, or to organizations dealing with the prevention of cruelty to children. All organizations must be tax exempt under the United States Internal Revenue Code. The present Trustees serving on the board are Bill M. Hughes, James P. Jacobs, and Walter W. Peterson. The counsel and secretary of the Trust is Dwight E. Smith.

From the Trust’s inception through the present date, the Trust has made grants to all area hospitals, the Miller Memorial Nursing Home, the City of Chappell for the city parks, the Chappell library, the Chappell Senior Citizens, the Big Springs Volunteer Fire Department for their rescue unit, the Big Springs swimming pool and library, and various other organizations. In addition, the Trust has pur­chased an ambulance for the City of Chappell, and have built a new building which houses all the fire fighting equipment, the ambulance, and contains a meeting room with a large kitchen area. At the present time, the Trust is assisting with the building of a new Catholic church for the St. Joseph’s parish here in Chappell. Tom was a devoted Catholic during this lifetime, and was very in­terested in providing support for the church, as well as other Catholic organizations. The Trust also gave the Deuel County Historical Society money to help in the publishing of this historical book.

Tom, during his lifetime, was a very quiet man, but due to his foresight, much good will be accomplished in his name through the trust for many more years to come.

 

 

 

Page by Travis K.