Ashby Foote's mother passed away recently. We offer our condolences to the Foote family during this time of grief. Visitation and funeral service will be held at 1 PM today at Bellwether Church. Mrs. Foote lived quite the life as described in her obituary posted below.
Marian “Happy” Skaggs was born May 28, 1929 in Pratt, Kansas. She was the youngest child of Minnie and Clay Skaggs. It was an eventful time for America and west Kansas. The Roaring 20’s had subsided, the stock-market crash of 1929 was five months away with the Great Depression soon to follow. Then the ‘Dust Bowl’, a hard drought that lasted from 1930 to 1936 hammered parts of Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas to include Pratt. When asked about the Dust Bowl, Happy would recall her silhouette outlined in fine dust on the pillow when she awoke in the morning. Hard times like those taught important life skills like determination, faith, thrift, patience and a good sense of humor. Character traits that served Happy well for 96 years.
Marian got her nickname when her much older brother, Curt returned home from KU and seeing her for the first time, remarked, “She sure is a happy baby!” The nickname captured her demeanor. Happy was a cheerful encourager whose glass always seemed half full.
Happy graduated from Pratt High School in 1947. From there she enrolled at Kansas State and pledged Tri-Delta Sorority but fate would intervene with college life when 2nd Lt. Ashby Foote Jr. stationed at nearby Ft. Riley showed up early at the Tri-Delt House one evening pretending to be another 2nd Lt. who had a blind date scheduled with Happy. They hit it off immediately and got married in Pratt on 16 April, 1949 complete with crossed sabers. Now a couple, Ashby and Happy’s next assignment was Bamberg, Germany.
Happy, with Ashby by her side, embraced with zeal the vagabond life of Army wives where whole baggage was packed up every 2 or 3 years for the next posting. It was a challenge but the upside was brand new places to see and explore and whole new circles of friends to make at distant locales all across America and Germany as well. It was a rhythm Happy and Ashby excelled at even as the family expanded from two to five.
Happy had a beautiful soprano voice and pursued singing and theater at Pratt High School’s Glee Club, Mixed Chorus and class plays and later in choirs and community theaters in the many Army posts where she and Ashby were assigned. In the 1960’s our living rooms featured a deluxe stereo console accompanied by a fine collection of Roger’s and Hammerstein vinyl LPs. It was great music to grow up with.
Happy was a gamer, from bridge clubs to puzzles (both crossword and jigsaw), board games with kids and grandkids and in her later years she excelled at solitaire with her handmade cedar lap board and a deck of cards always close by. The shuffling of cards and slapping on the board was a familiar sound for those nearby.
Happy was an avid reader and often wanted to discuss her understanding of great works by William Faulkner and others. She had a special affinity for the writings of Barry Hannah, whose literature course writings at Mississippi College (60-61) she had been privileged to grade as a teaching assistant while Ashby spent a year of duty in South Korea.
One of Happy’s most favorite things was visits from her grandchildren and great grandchildren who always brought a quick smile and twinkle to her eye. The smaller the child the more the sparkle.
In addition to her parents, Happy was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 60 years, Col. Ashby Foote Jr.; her sister, Ruth Skaggs Walker and her brother Curt Skaggs.
She is survived by her son, Ashby Foote III (Suzie), Jackson,
Grandchildren include Turner Foote, Clinton, Sarah Ashby (Eff) Norwood, Jackson, Stuart Foote, Jackson and Tommy Foote, Jackson.
Great grandchildren include, Bella Foote, Ocean, Forest, June, Rose and Fisher Norwood, Jackson.
Survived by her daughter, Cissy Foote (Fred) Anklam, Columbia, Mo.
Grandchildren include Martin Anklam, Columbia, Mo., Kappy Anklam (Gregg) Scholla, Richmond, Va., and Corey Anklam (Andrew Prasse), Washington, D.C.
Survived by her son, Taylor (Kathleen) Foote, Clyde, NC.
Grandchildren include Reed Foote, Charleston, SC and Selby Foote, Syracuse, NY.
Special thanks to Happy’s caregivers at Ridgeland Place Memory Unit and also to her special companionship over the past year with Stuart Foote.
There will be a Memorial service for Happy on Saturday, 31 January, 2026. Visitation at 1pm at Bellwether Church, 4624 Old Canton Road in Jackson with the Service at 2pm. She will be interred next to Colonel Ashby at the West Point Cemetery in New York at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Mississippi Museum of Art.
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