Tom Marvel, 92, a life-long cowboy and horseman, passed away peacefully at his home in Elko, Nevada, on October 28, 2016. Thomas Jenkins Marvel was born on June 7, 1924, in Battle Mountain, Nevada, the second son of Louise Jenkins Marvel and Captain Ernest Ray Marvel. Tom's family owned and operated the W.T. Jenkins Company, first established by his Welsh grandfather, who came to Nevada in 1872. At one time the W.T. Jenkins Company ran as many as 33,000 sheep and 8,000 head of cattle across five Nevada counties. Tom started working as a cowboy in 1932 at the tender age of 8. He helped with the cattle and packed supplies to the sheep camps. By the age of 13, Tom was very apt at packing a horse himself. Tom quit school after the eighth grade and went to work full-time as a cowboy. Tom got his first job with the Cattle Association out of Elko, Nevada. Then soon after, he went to work for Bill Nichols at the 25 Ranch near Battle Mountain as a "cattle rep" for the W.T. Jenkins Company. By 1941 the WWII draft demanded the service of thousands leaving the W.T. Jenkins Company in need of accomplished cowboys and leaders. Tom's dad, Cap (Ernest), called upon young Tom to assume responsibility as cowboss of the company. At 17 years old, Tom took over control and management of all the cattle. Riding long hours in the saddle was a life that he loved. In 1944, Tom met the love of his life, Rosita Camarillo Petit, the daughter of Alfred and Rosa Petit and granddaughter of Adolfo Camarillo and Justin Petit of Ventura County, California. Rosita had come to Battle Mountain by train to visit a classmate. On December 28, 1945, during Tom’s furlough from the U.S. Army, Tom and Rosita were married in St. Mary Magdelan’s Catholic Church in Camarillo, California, the town named for Rosita's grandfather. (Tom had enlisted in the army earlier that year.) During WWII, Tom served his country in Okinawa in the Air Corps photographing and developing film of enemy combatants. Meanwhile Rosita, delivered the first of their seven children. While still at war, Tom became Catholic, a faith he practiced and loved for the remainder of his life. Upon Tom's return from the War, the Marvels settled in Nevada and began a life of cattle ranching. The time Tom spent in the army (close to 3 years) was the only extended period he ever spent away from the ranch. In 1947, the W.T. Jenkins Company purchased the 25 Ranch west of Battle Mountain. Tom and his family moved out to the ranch on the Humboldt River. Tom was cowboss, and "The Outfit" was then running about 8,000 head of cattle. In 1964, the 25 Ranch sold along with the rest of the W.T. Jenkins Company. Tom and Rosita acquired the Martin Ranch south of Battle Mountain where they moved their family and ran cattle. In 1986, Tom and Rosita sold the Martin Ranch and moved to California for a time where Tom trained cutting horses and made a greater name for himself in the horse industry. However, they later returned to Nevada and the home that Tom loved. Tom continued to live his life as a cowboy and even rode colts well into his 90's. In 1996, Tom Marvel received the "Vaquero Award" given by the California Reined Cow Horse Association for contributions of outstanding horsemen to the cow horse industry. Also that year, the Nevada Cattlemen's Association awarded Tom membership into the 100,000 Mile Club. This honor is bestowed on cowboys who have ridden 100,000 miles or more in their lifetime. In 2013, Tom was awarded membership into the "Buckaroo Hall of Fame" honoring buckaroos and cowboys of the Great Basin. Tom was a true cowboy his entire life with a strong love of family and a deep faith in God. His legacy will forever live in the hearts of his family and those that knew him well. Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Louise and Ernest Marvel, his brothers, Richard ("Dick") and John Marvel, and their spouses. Tom is survived by his loving wife of almost 71 years, Rosita Marvel, his 7 children and their spouses, Tom (Theresa) Marvel, Suzy (Harvey) Barnes, Mike (Theresa) Marvel, Sally (Billy) Freeman, Joe (Camma) Marvel, Pete (Kathi) Marvel, and Amy (Steve) Seifert; 28 grandchildren, and nearly 40 great-grandchildren, plus numerous nieces and nephews. Services will be held in Elko, Nevada, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church with a Rosary on Thursday, November 3 at 6:30 p.m., and a Funeral Mass on Friday, November 4 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations "In Memory of Tom Marvel" can be made to the Battle Mountain Cookhouse Museum, P.O. Box 663, Battle Mtn., NV 89820.
