Barbara L. Foley
Barbara L. Foley passed away Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016. She was born on March 22, 1931 in Jameson, MO, to John R. and Edna Doll Somerville. During her childhood and teenage years, she worked in her father’s hardware store and lumber yard. When she was only ten years old, she ran the store while her father was gone two weeks for surgery.
She was very active in Jameson High School and was Valedictorian of her graduating class of 1949. She also was involved in 4H and won three state honors. Remembered as “Suzy”, she remained loyal to Jameson her entire lifetime. She served as President two different times for the Alumni Association. Later in life, she returned to the school to teach business and history.
Upon high school graduation, she went to Missouri University, and following her dad’s influence, majored in Business and Public Administration. She worked at three jobs during the college years – graduate assistant and sponsor in the freshman dormitory, teacher’s assistant to three business professors, and graded papers for several hundred students, as well as working 40 hours a week at a local theatre in Columbia. With all of this, she still was on the Dean’s Honor Roll each semester.
Upon graduation, she was offered a job at Radcliffe College, the female branch of Harvard. However, wanting to remain in the Midwest, she was fortunate to be chosen to be part of the executive training squad for Macy’s in Kansas City. Macy’s had five on the squad, one student from Iowa, Nebraska, K-State, Kansas University, and Missouri University. She was the Missouri graduate. Her retail career followed as an Assistant Buyer and then Buyer for Macy’s. After two years at Macy’s, the position of Children’s Buyer at Harzfeld’s was open. She was approached about the job, and due to recommendations of Macy’s manufacturers, she went just across the street to this prestigious and exclusive store.
The years at Harzfeld’s were a wonderful part of her life, a beautiful store with beautiful clothes, buying trips to New York, California, Florida, and Texas markets, attending Boadway shows every trip and eating at wonderful restaurants. She also devoted hours to manufacturers there. She was asked to come in early to the market shows in order to preview their lines and give opinions on upcoming trends. Her reputation became known and she was offered jobs at the May Company in Cleveland, B. Altman & Co. in Philadelphia, and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. Each one was turned down so she could stay close to home. After eight years, she was asked to come to Neiman Marcus in Dallas for an interview. She reluctantly declined because she was engaged to be married.
While at Harzfeld’s, her parents entertained her entire department at Jameson once a year. The ladies loved to come to the Somerville home and Somerville store. Every year, Barbara decorated the store for her father at Christmas and went with him to Kansas City gift shows.
She left the retail career to marry Wiley Foley on Oct. 20, 1962. Over the next five years, she went to night school and some summer school to pursue a second degree in teaching. She became certified to teach elementary, business, history and several other areas. She taught at Breckenridge, Gallatin and Jameson. Her new career spanned 25 years.
In teaching, she was more than just a classroom teacher. Her students won state contests with history projects. She did unique projects such as presidential campaigns. She took trucks and had students clean up the entire city of Gallatin to illustrate that good citizens served their community. She sponsored classes that won float contests during homecoming. She helped students secure scholarships by calling colleges before schools and counselors. She encouraged students to be their best and try for district and state officers in organizations (one girl tried out to be a treasurer and was so successful that she got to be president). Her students excelled in all areas of public and extemporaneous speaking. One year, eight students had won different district and state contests. All students did projects and spoke in class. She wanted every student to be a speaker and they were.
In her teaching career, she realized that women were not paid as much as men. She took it upon herself (and other women teachers did not know) to meet with the School Board and explain how her college degree cost the same as a man; she had to get the same hours of education and she worked equal time. The Board listened and that year raised all women’s salaries to the same level as men for equal work. She never told the other women, but always admired those men on that School Board. Later, salary schedules became a normal part of teaching.
Throughout the years, she had other occasions to attend board meetings and always to defend some student. Several were able to graduate because of her efforts.
One student, who was unable to attend her last semester of school, was taught three classes at home. Barbara made out daily lesson plans and went by their home twice a week to give tests and grade her work, all free of charge, to see that this girl graduated. The Board told her she could do it, but no extra money would be given for being a tutor. She did it either before school or after school. Her pay was not in money, but in satisfaction to help this girl. The girl will never forget the teacher, and the teacher will never forget the girl.
She loved athletics and was President of the Gallatin Booster Club for four years. It expanded during that time to recognize all sports in two banquets yearly. During the summertime, she was the only woman to serve on the summer baseball league for many years. Her son excelled in sports and was also in Junior Olympics. She worked every day with Eddie and was to see him reach the nationals.
Having been active herself in 4-H Clubs, she became a project leader. Her daughter won over 1,000 ribbons one year and received the State Good Citizen Award and a trip to National Congress.
Barbara’s background at the Jameson School taught her to not just give her best, but 100% plus effort and that she could compete with any other individual. She projected this ideal to her students and more especially to her own two children. They became successful in college and in life. That was her biggest joy.
Her community involvement included her home school support, as stated before, as well as serving as President of the Jameson alumni several years. In Jameson, she became an Eastern Star and was a member over 50 years. (The chapter transferred to the Gallatin chapter.) She also became a member of the Gallatin DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). She also belonged to the DAR for over 50 years and for several years was Chapter Regent, and several times held State Offices. She also belonged to PEO.
She was a member of the Daviess County Historical Association, a former member of the American Association of University Women, and a member of the Missouri University Alumni Organization. In teacher organizations, she belonged to the Daviess Co. Teacher’s Organization and the Missouri Teachers Organization. She also worked tirelessly for the Lick Fork Cemetery Board her entire married life.
She belonged to the First Baptist Church of Gallatin, where she taught a young married class for over 25 years. She also taught Bible school each year. Her church teaching had started early in life. In high school at Jameson, she taught a junior class of young boys ages nine and ten. She served on nominating committees, social committees, pulpit committees, and wherever needed. The influence of her church was in every area of her life. Her mother told her once, “If you have a religion to live by, you’ll have one to die by.” She had this religion and lived it every day of her life.
The world saw all of these involvements, yet silently there were others. She had helped families to secure children in adoptions, given basketball shoes to boys who had none, written speeches for many other adults, wrote letters to help people secure jobs, gave work to high school students and most of all, gave encouragement to anyone who ever needed it. In later years, she lived close to her children. She was able to see her grandsons who were now an important part of her life.
Her legacy was of a common woman who did uncommon things by touching one-on-one each life she encountered. Each person remembers the little things she did that helped mold their life to be better.
Each child would call her blessed because she truly blessed them. Each was special to her in their own way, using their own gifts. She carried their memories all her life and into eternity. Her own children knew her best, what she believed and how she lived. She now lives through their lives just as she always did.
When you see a red bird, pick a flower, or walk in the wind, you will feel her presence. When the snow is softly on the ground or the rain is fresh, you will feel her joy. When you are happy, or even sad, she will be close to you. Life temporarily ends here, but love never does. Always feel that love, and as children, whether school children or her own precious two, rise up, and call her blessed. Give this special love to others. “Her Children Rise Up and Call Her Blessed” Proverbs 31:28
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents; infant son, Michael S. Foley; husband, Wiley Foley; and brothers, Jack and William Somerville.
Barbara is survived by her children, Anne (Scott) Rauth of Kansas City, Edward (Cindy) Foley of Tonganoxie, KS; and grandsons, Benjamin, Jameson and Christopher Rauth and Graham Foley.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, at the First Baptist Church in Gallatin. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at 10:00 a.m., with coffee and cinnamon rolls, two of her favorite things. A private family interment will be at Lick Fork Cemetery, south of Gallatin. In lieu of flowers, since you (each student and friend) have given her bouquets through the years, she has requested that you please do a good deed for someone, and that will be special. Memorial contributions will go to a project at the Jameson Park, and may be left at the funeral home. Arrangements are under the direction of McWilliams Funeral Home in Gallatin.
(paid obituary)
