A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste!

Finley Engineering Company, Inc.
FINLEY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Fred and Mary K. (Jimmie) Finley were both born in Barton County and graduated from Lamar High School in 1937. They married in 1941 and they were a team who worked together to make the world a better place for their having been here.
Fred received a degree in electrical engineering from University of Missouri at Rolla in 1941. He was an Army Officer in World War II and participated in D-day at Normandy Beach in 1944, and he retired from the National Guard with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After military service, he returned to Lamar and was one of the founders of Finley Engineering Company.
Jimmie returned to college in 1964 and eventually earned not only her Bachelor’s degree, but also two Masters’ degrees, and she worked as Lamar Elementary School Counselor for many years.
They were both enthusiastic supporters of education and they took every opportunity to assist students in any way they could, whether by offering advice, encouragement or financial assistance.
Jimmie died in 1990 and Fred died in 1996. In 1993, Fred established the Finley Charitable Foundation and limited its mission to contributing to charities or individuals in or benefiting Barton County.
In 1998, The Trustees announced their intention to award $1,000 renewable scholarships to the top 25% of the graduates in Barton County, which numbers about 40 per year. Other awardees include Lamar Community Betterment (Plaza Theatre, TATS, Art Council, Lamar Community Theatre), Lamar Swim Team, Liberal Recreation, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Barton County Senior Citizens Center, and AOK Youth Development Services.

Hi!
I ran across this and wanted to insert it and point out something in it. I met Fred Finley once in the breakroom at the office. I talked breifly with him and told him I had been an employee for a few years and that I had heard his name but never actually met him till then. We shook hands and he said, "Well son, sounds like you been doing right by the company to have been that busy that we never met till now." Seemed like a good man. I never met Mary (Jimmie) but she must have been quite a person from her achievements. They were both enthusiastic supporters of education and they both took every opportunity to assist students in any way they could, whether by offering advice, financial assistance, or encouragement. Being this was the type of people they were, and were they still alive, and if they had both known me better to realize that I had an ambition to absorb knowledge of the world I live in, I can't help but feel that they would have harbored some ill feeling about the "theft of my livelihood" by Randall Kim Little. Not bragging but I was blessed with a very active and eager mind which makes this a very "damaging assault" on my life that Mr. Little delivered. As Mr. Orrell put it in conversation to me----"William, Kim was an idiot to get rid of you." "He probably couldn't even do the things that you do."
One time in talking to Charlie in the office I had made reference in wondering if my drawings were good enough. I had done some work for the Independent Telephone Dept. as a loaned out employee from the Bell Dept. Charlie said, "William, don't ever worry about your drawings---I will tell you right now that I would put your field notes up against anyones back there in ITD without any doubts whatsoever." Thanks Charlie!
I'm out of here for now.