Jerry Moran: “I am here today to pay tribute and to honor and to mourn the passing of an American farmer, a Kansas farmer, an…”

“I am here today to pay tribute and to honor and to mourn the passing of an American farmer, a Kansas farmer, an entrepreneur, a businessman, a philanthropist, a good friend, and mentor, Cecil O'Brate. Cecil was a strong advocate for Kansas and was committed to helping others succeed, and he is worthy of our tribute today and into the future. Cecil was born in 1928 in Enid, OK, during the Great Depression. He became a Kansan; graduated from Syracuse High School in our State; and before completing college in 1948, he left school to farm 3,000 rented acres in Kansas. Ironically, at the time of his death, he owned and operated tens of thousands of acres of farming land, including the original 3,000 he leased. Through investments in Southwest Kansas communities and support for various organizations in Kansas and across the country, Cecil O'Brate and his wife Frances have positively transformed countless lives. He established a business called American Warrior in 1984, which became one of Kansas's largest independent oil and gas producers in our State. And in 2013, Cecil and Frances established the O'Brate Foundation, which awards college scholarships and teaches life skills to students, most of whom grew up in the foster care system or below poverty level. Cecil loved to help other people succeed, particularly young people.…”