A.B. Fisher

Jus’ A. B.

Born April 12, 1941 in St. Francis, KS to C. K. and Nellie Fisher, A.B.’s parents wanted to name him after his paternal grandfather, Abraham Billet, but (reportedly) felt that was “just too much name,” thus his birth certificate reads simply “A. B.” As a young child, when asked his name he would often shake his head slowly and repeat, “jus’ A. B. … jus’ A. B. …”

He thoroughly enjoyed life growing up on the family farm near McDonald, KS with his younger brother Bob and a small group of very close friends. As a young boy he relished the freedom and adventure that beckoned to him and his friends with each new day. He loved the animals, the farming, and especially the business of agriculture – an enterprise that his outgoing personality, carefully honed interpersonal skills, and genuine fondness of people, served especially well as an adult.

He attended McDonald Grade School and High School, graduating in 1959, and went on to study Agronomy at Kansas State University. At K-State he pledged Acacia Fraternity, and from that experience emerged many friendships he has cherished and maintained throughout his life.

A. B. met his future bride, Judy Ruda, at a 4-H dance when he was 14 years old. Immediately smitten, he came home that night and woke up his parents to tell them, “Tonight I met the girl I’m going to marry!” Eight years later on June 16, 1962, he made good on that promise, and lived with the love of his life for just over 56 years. When people would ask him marital advice he would invariably tell them, “Don’t marry someone you can live with; marry the one you can’t live without.” His love for “his Judy” knew no bounds – they were partners in love, in business, in everything. After a brief time living on the family ranch south of Bird City, they moved to McDonald in 1964 where they raised their two children, Lisa and Abe.

A. B. loved people. He loved being among them, talking to them, teasing them … and helping them in any way he could. This defining characteristic was the source of both his greatest joys and greatest achievements in life. He had a zest for life, boundless energy, a quick wit and many passions – but none greater than his family. Chief among his oft repeated mantras was the emphatic, “family trumps everything.” A. B. believed this and lived it with an unconquerable generosity. He was adamant that his children and grandchildren know that – come what may – “home” always means open arms and safe haven.

A. B. also loved to laugh: he laughed with others, joking and playing with them at every opportunity. He delighted in orchestrating jokes and pranks on others, but didn’t mind at all when he and his unchecked exuberance became the brunt, insisting that “if you can’t laugh at yourself … you’re missing a pretty good joke!”

A. B. was an intense and focused businessman, and above all relished the challenge and the opportunity of “the deal.” He assumed management of the family farming business as a young adult, and took great joy in expanding it and developing it in new directions. His desire to recognize, encourage and develop the skills and abilities of his employees fostered a deep and mutual loyalty and close friendship between them in many cases – most notably with his close friend and foreman of more than 30 years.

In spite of the intense focus on his business, A. B. refused to let work get in the way of fatherhood. He took pride in the fact that he never missed an activity of his children, and always made time to help with 4-H projects and school activities, relishing their victories, large and small. In his rare free time he indulged a passion for water skiing, taking the family as often as possible to the lake on Sunday’s and the occasional weekend – a source of many fond family memories.

Later in life, in his semi-retirement, A. B. developed a new passion for hunting and shooting sports. He was a lifetime NRA member and a great supporter of the sport. He began developing his ranchland for hunting, and in later years one of his greatest joys was being on the ranch, very early in the morning, watching and listening to it “come alive.” Although he never served in the military, A. B. had a great respect and gratitude toward those who serve. He made it a point to engage and thank servicemen and women whenever he would encounter them; frequently buying them a meal or offering them other financial support if he discerned a need, and assuring them that he was “part of the silent majority … and there are more of us than you think.” He was fiercely, proudly patriotic.

A.B. attended the McDonald Federated Church with his family as a young man, and enjoyed fellowship of the “Young Life” youth group. During his time at K-State, in preparation for his marriage he was baptized, received his first communion, and was received into the Catholic Church in 1961. He received sacramental Confirmation on June 26, 2018, at the Goodland Regional Medical Center, eight days before he was called home.

A.B.’s fierce patriotism was honored when, after a brief but intense battle with relapsed cancer, he slipped away peacefully on the evening of July 4, 2018 at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, KS. From the window of his 11th floor room fireworks displays could be seen commencing across the city.

A. B. is survived by his wife, Judy Fisher of McDonald; brother Bob and wife Sheryl Cox of Hays; daughter Lisa and husband Troy Osborne of Overland Park, and their daughters DeAdre Osborne of Garden City, and Madeline Osborne of Fort Wayne, IN; son Abe and wife Janet Fisher and their sons Caleb, Connor, and Creighton of Milwaukee, WI.

Visitation will be Monday, July 9, 2018, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at Baalmann Mortuary, Atwood. Funeral Mass will be Tuesday, July 10, at 11 a.m., at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Bird City, KS, with a Rosary service at 10 a.m. that morning. Burial will follow at Grace Cemetery, McDonald. Memorials are suggested to the McDonald Fire Department or McDonald EMT, in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. Online condolences: www.baalmannmortuary.com