Max Mcbride

Max Virgil McBride

December 4, 1934 – May 11, 2022

Max McBride was born December 4, 1934 to parents, Virgil and Pauline McBride, in Woods County, Oklahoma. He grew up living and working on the family ranch west of Aline, Oklahoma with his sister, Janice. Max attended Valley Green and Oakdale schools,  then graduated from Cleo Springs High School in 1952. During his school years, Max showed many of the registered McBride Ranch Herefords that the family raised, and he also enjoyed baseball. After graduation, Max went to work for the family ranch in the Aline and Cleo Springs area. On April 14, 1955, Max married his partner for life, Vereta Green. Shortly after marriage, Max and Vereta branched out and began their life journey ranching and farming in the same Aline and Cleo Springs area.

Max was very focused on ranching and knew how to put in long days of hard work and did that most of his early life. Although ranching was the main core of life for Max and Vereta, for a few years after cutting their own crops, they did custom wheat harvesting in Kansas, joining in with other cutting crews there.

When he had any down time in his early life, Max enjoyed pretty much anything that involved horses. He and Vereta were members of the Cherokee Roundup Club. Max enjoyed seeing a good rodeo and even did some competitive roping. Max and Vereta went to countless events, and every year they could be seen at the National Finals Rodeo when it was in Oklahoma City. Horse racing was also great entertainment for Max, and he really enjoyed races when family horses were involved. Max also collected and restored several horse drawn buggies and adopted many wild Mustangs from the Helena Correctional Facility, then brought them to the ranch where they were broke and taken care of for many years.

McBride Ranches were members of the Grand National Quail Club, and Max enjoyed hosting hunters for many years. Quail hunting and fishing with the family provided many great times and memories that lasted a lifetime. Max and his family received the Oklahoma Farm Bureau State Farm Family of the Year, Aline-Cleo FFA Honorary Chapter Farmer Award, and numerous other awards involving cattle, ranching and roping.

Max and Vereta had the same core belief when it came to family. It was by far the most important aspect in life. Max, like Vereta, enjoyed going to every school event in which their two kids, Paula and Marty, were involved. When grandkids came along nothing changed, except the trips became longer and more frequent. Later in life, Max and Vereta enjoyed traveling across the country and the world by plane, automobile, camping trailers and cruise ships. They enjoyed traveling with family and accumulated great memories from this as well.

Another one of Max’s hobbies was collecting antique automobiles, which were never driven, except for the Volkswagen Bug. That car was strictly for the grandkids, which they drove everywhere on the ranch. Additional entertainment for the grandkids was a collection of interesting animals that included several miniature horses, ostriches, and emus.

Vereta, Max’s wife of 66 years, passed away in November of 2021. He missed her dearly, and we are certain that he and Vereta are having quite a reunion. Max loved his family and he often told Vereta his main goal in life was to leave a lasting life legacy for his kids and grandkids, which he accomplished.

Max is survived by his daughter, Paula Baker and husband, Kenneth of Aline; son, Marty McBride and his wife, Colette of Stillwater; grandchildren, Kyle Baker (Melanye) of Aline, Kory Baker (Maggie) of Ringwood, Brittany Johnson (Van) of Balko, Bethany Lanie (Trent) of Wakita, Bailey Sneed (Trey) of Stillwater, and Caleb McBride of Tulsa; great grandchildren include Aaron and Hayden Baker of Aline, Eli, Anna, Nora, and Lena Baker of Ringwood, Zayden and Hattie Lanie of Wakita, and Zoey Sneed of Stillwater, as well as many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the many caregivers and the Fairview Fellowship Home for their loving care.

Max was heavily involved in the upkeep and care for many years of the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, so the family requests any memorials be made to the cemetery through the Funeral home.

Service for Max will be Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. at Cleo Christian Church.  Viewing will be Friday from 11:000 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  Burial will follow at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery with arrangements by Lanman Funeral Home, Inc. of Helena.  www.lanmanmemorials.com  Facebook: Lanman Funeral Home Inc.