Martha was raised on the V Bar Ranch in northeastern Oklahoma, just 3 miles from the Kansas state line therefore Mike always liked to joke that Martha grew up “30 miles from nowhere”. The women in her family were a strong influence on her and she has always felt blessed to have been raised in a family that held strong ties to agriculture with the only outside jobs held by her maternal and paternal grandmothers who were schoolteachers and her mother an RN. Those occupations were in addition to their title as rancher’s wives as they were often the chief cook, vet and hand when needed.

Martha graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1984 from the College of Human Sciences with a Communications/Journalism degree. Mike’s partnership with Martha began in 1985. With their love for the land, cattle and horses they were blessed to grow their ranch and livestock marketing business. Mike often laughed and would tell folks his only culture was agriculture and he was very proud of that.

Martha has been working in many compacities on the ranch over the past 35 years. She says she would like to think she has worked her way up the ladder. Her days of going to pasture had slowed down to manage the office but currently she is making time to get back in the saddle and enjoy the time working with family. Although her title is best deemed office manager, she is known for her cooking and is often wearing the hat as ranch cook, serving up tasty food and a good dose of hospitality. When asked of her greatest accomplishment? It would be gaining the titles of “Mom” and “Mimi”.

While Mike’s absence is felt greatly by all, his strong sense of faith, family and friends remains on the forefront. God has given them two sons and daughter in laws who likewise love the ranching business and continue on with the legacy set forth by Mike and Martha. Besides raising cattle and horses the A Bar Ranch is excited to see the next generation growing up with the culture of agriculture with Merrit and Michelle’s son Myles and daughter Maysa.