bmonthly November 2024

Hopestone Grateful for Dewayne Bryan

by Julie Vaclaw

what’s inside...

November is National Gratitude Month and here at Hopestone we have so much to be grateful for! One of our biggest blessings comes in the form of a local man, Dewayne Bryan, who will be hosting his Dad’s Walk 2024 Fundraiser, November 7 th through the 9 th .

Once again, Dewayne is inviting anyone who wants to come out and walk with him to benefit two of his favorite local non-profits, Hopestone Cancer Support Center of Bartlesville, and Paths to Independence.

In 2021 Dewayne decided to walk to raise money for a friend who was battling brain cancer. He was no stranger to cancer before this life-changing event, with close family members who had battled cancer and a sister-in-law who continues to battle cancer today.

Because of his concern and desire to help those battling this terrible disease, his mission to help aligned perfectly with Hopestone’s mission to support and empower the cancer community of Bartlesville and the surrounding area. In 2022, Dewayne decided to expand his Dad’s Walk to include Hopestone to raise funs for those who were undergoing treatment.

This year’s walk donations with every

past Hopestone on Frank Phillips Blvd. and stop at the Osage Casino Bartlesville, to host a banquet and fundraiser with live auction and music. On Saturday, November 9 th , they will get an early start and finish the walk to downtown Copan around noon. After they arrive in Copan, they will kick off another day and evening of fellowship with live music, BBQ, and drinks. All

donations will go to support Hopestone Cancer Support Center of Bartlesville and Paths to Independence.

Thank you, Dewayne for all that you do to support these great causes in our community.

We are truly grateful for your strong and generous heart!

The event at the Osage Casino will be huge. Some of the live auction items are amazing, ( Zach Bryan tickets and some other signed stuff, including an autographed 2020 World Series winner Corey Seager jersey, Philadelphia Eagles stuff and maybe KC Chiefs as well. There are many beautiful gift baskets and items for the Silent Auction, too. For the BBQ in

upfront

Welcome to November and the start of the Holiday season, friends. At this time of the year the trees have changed into their glorious colors. We have set the clocks back, and now it gets dark around 5:30. Sooner or later - I believe it will be sooner rather than later - we will no longer fall back or spring forward. I’m so ready for that to happen.

This month’s feature story was written by our historian queen, Debbie Neece. The feature is all about the old courthouse. What a beauty she was and still is today! She sits on top of the hill which overlooks Frank Phillips Boulevard and our beautiful downtown. It was 1913 when they broke ground to build the golden Arch of Justice. In 1914 it was officially opened in all its splendor. This cathedral of a building was the anchor of Bartlesville for decades. She still keeps watch over Bartlesville.

This year has just flown by. I’m writing this Upfront at 1:57 am on October 18th. We have 41 days until Thanksgiving, which this year is on November 28th. What really gets me shaking my head is that we have 68 days until Christmas. As you may already know, if you’ve been to Walmart, just a few weeks ago they set up their Christmas section. Halloween is still two weeks away! Christy and I need to start buying gifts for our five grandbabies. (We love to spoil them and we will!) This is our absolute favorite time of the year where we have all of our kids together. It’s all about family and good eating!

This November will be 8 years since I lost my mom at the age of 70. Prior to her death she had been in and out of the hospital for 3 years. I wanted to share a story about her and the power of prayer. She was in the hospital, and I had gone there to take her lunch. While sitting there the nurses came in to give her a breathing treatment, which they had done everyday prior to this. During the treatment everything that could go wrong went wrong. As they put the mask on her, she felt like she could not breathe. Within minutes we were running down the hallway at Saint Francis to ICU not knowing what just had happened. As we arrived they shut the curtain. At this moment I was in shock because just 6 or 7 minutes ago we were having a normal conversation and ready

to eat lunch. As the minutes went by with no information, I called Christy to let her know what was going on and that she needed to come to the hospital. Thirty minutes went by, and a doctor told us every organ in my mom’s body was shutting down. The doctor would need to intubate her to save her life.

Christy had called Amber and Charles Colaw to join us at that hospital. As I stood over my mom who had many tubes coming out of her along with a breathing machine, I was lost. The moment Charles and Amber got there, we surrounded my mom and started to pray. The doctors gave her next to no chance of survival. If she survived, they were not confident she would be normal. As we prayed over her, we could feel the Holy Spirit in the room. Angels were guarding her, and we could feel their presence in the room. It was one of the most beautiful things I had witnessed in my life. This all happened in September. My mom was intubated for over 2 months.

I went to Tulsa everyday and actually lost my job because of it. I was not going to give up on my mom and knew she would pull out of this. Day after day I would sit with her, hold her hand, and pray for specific things to happen. Three months later on Christmas day the doctors felt she was strong enough to come off the breathing machine, and she did. As we stood over her, she opened her eyes but could not speak. Tears were coming down my face. I said “Merry Christmas, mom. I love you.” With just her lips moving and no sound she said “I love you.” Even though she had another year of recovery going to different facilities, she was able to move back home. We had 2 more years with her before she passed away. We got to share two more birthdays, two more Thanksgivings, and two more Christmases with her. I miss my mom. We grew closer in those two years than we’d ever been.

The power of prayer is the strongest thing we hold as believers. Matthew 18: 19, 20 Jesus says if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. God bless, Keith

Volume XV Issue XI

Bartlesville Monthly Magazine is published by ENGEL

PUBLISHING

New office located in the B the Light Mission 219 North Virginia Avenue, Bartlesville, Oklahoma 74003 www.bartlesvillemonthly.com facebook.com/bartlesvillemonthly

Publisher Brian Engel brian@bartlesvillemonthly.com

Graphics Engel Publishing matt@engelpublishing.com

Director of Sales & Marketing Keith McPhail keith@bartlesvillemonthly.com

Community Liaison Christy McPhail christy@bartlesvillemonthly.com

Project Manager Andrea Whitchurch andrea@bartlesvillemonthly.com

Administration Shelley Greene Stewart

Delivery and Distribution

Tim Hudson Calendar/Social Media calendar@bartlesvillemonthly.com

Contributing Writers

Debbie Neece, Kay Little, Kelly Hurd Aaron Kirkpatrick, Jay Hastings, Joe Colaw Brent Taylor, Keith McPhail, Jay Webster Abigal SIngrey, Mike Tupa Maria Gus, Lori Just Miriam Walker, Joe Todd

Contributing Photographers

Bartlesville Area History Museum Travis Miller

Kids Calendar

Jessica Smith

A

Creative

Design by Engel Publishing

TREVA McPHAIL

Coach Barney Hay

by Lori Just

In the world of sports, wins and trophies often take center stage. However, one local basketball coach stood out not just for her achievements on the court, but for her unwavering commitment to a higher purpose. For 30 years, Barney Hay dedicated her life to coaching young women, guiding them not only to be successful athletes but also to become strong, principled individuals grounded in faith.

Barney was born in Independence, KS, but was raised in Fredonia. After graduating high school, she went on to Pittsburg State to pursue basketball and successfully made the team.

“I quickly realized that the reality of being an athlete came with challenges,” she confided. “By the end of my first semester basketball wasn’t as important as work. I had been employed since my freshman year of high school and found more fulfillment in that. And that’s okay, and later it helped me with recruiting. I wanted my players to play for the right reason, not just because their mom or dad wanted them to play.”

She also didn’t like how college ball was played 3 on 3 as she grew up in the school yard playing 5 on 5 with the boys. So, when she accepted college wasn’t for her, she decided to move to Kansas City and work for Hallmark Cards.

“And the funniest thing, they had a basketball team and guess who played? Me,” she said laughing. “And it was 5 on 5 so it was right down my alley. They also had a softball and bowling team. I did them all.”

Barney was happy and did her passion - working and playing sports. She continued to play until her and her high school sweetheart, Ron, got married in 1970. They had met at church camp in high school and did a long-distance relationship as he lived in Potawatomi, KS. He’d come down on weekends and spend time with her.

“When he went away to college, we decided not long after that it was not working so we broke up,” she said. “He then went on to medical school at Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City. And I was there at Hallmark. Neither one of us remember how I got his phone number, but I called him up to go bowling. And the rest was written.”

The newlyweds moved to Wichita, KS after Ron graduated medical school to finish his residency. They lived there six years until Ron opened a family medical practice in Bartlesville then eventually moving to the ER at the hospital. They also had two sons, Jeff and Kevin. Then, in 1988, Barney’s focus took a drastic shift toward coaching.

“We attended First Wesleyan Church as a family and went to social gatherings all the time,” she said. “I was real good friends with Gary Baldwin from when we went to church camp as kids. He was then the girls basketball coach at OKWU so we always small talked about basketball. He said ‘why don’t you come out and visit during practice sometime. I know you love the game.’”

She went to a few of his games, they talked shop and then he invited her to visit during practice. She said, “maybe.”

“I had no idea in my mind about coaching; never,” she continued. “I went a few times and he asked me to join his staff. And I asked, ‘doing what?’ And he answered, ‘well, I need someone to go raise some money for me.’ And I scoffed and said ‘oh jeez, I’ve never done that in my life. I can’t do that.’ And he assured me I could.”

Barney set out to do it and found it was challenging. But she’d go to practice and saw what was going on and get caught up in it all and started making comments like “why the heck are you doing that?” or “What about this?” During that, Gary asked her to be his assistant coach.

“I said let me ask Ron,” she said. “I had two kids at home. Coaching would require traveling and being gone. Ron would get called out at night. So we had to work around that obstacle. We found a young, married couple that was willing to take on that role for us as parents while we were gone which worked out very nice. So that’s when it all started.”

She assisted under two additional head coaches, Don Hoeck and Jerry Johnson. Then she was approached to be the head coach and was hesitant at first.

“I knew being a head coach you had to take on a whole different role,” she explained. “I talked it over with Ron and he said,‘why not?’ Boy, was I nervous. Suddenly, all the responsibility of the budget, bookkeeping and recruiting was all laid on my lap. I thought ‘oh mercy.’”

OKWU’s women’s program has experienced remarkable highlights throughout its history, yet it has followed a rollercoaster journey, marked by both successful seasons and challenging campaigns.

She knew the kind of assistant she needed and knew what it would take to make or break the program. She wanted an assistant who was strong in all the areas that she felt weak. She found someone who was already invested in the girls team and was a junkie for basketball, Jason Collins.

“My first year was the most challenging for me because I had to learn how to be the disciplinarian,” she said. “The head coach

is the mean person instead of the assistant coach mending the rip. Assisting was easy. I didn’t like the ripping. It was hard for my girls to take the adjustment.”

Jason was her assistant for two years until she had to find the next person. She found a former player, Sandra Cloud, and, together, they took the Lady Eagles and won the National Christian College Athletic Association DI National Championship for the 2004-05 season — despite a losing record (16-20).

“It was the first time OKWU had won the Nationals, so it was an honor,” she said. “That team was not my most talented but was the easiest to coach; very determined. They had a great work ethic and knew what it took to be successful. They had a goal to go to Nationals.”

As head coach she had three National Championship appearances, three regional champions and was Coach of the Year twice and was entered into the OKWU Hall of Fame in 2006.

Also, during this time, she was asked to coach two national champion teams overseas through a sports ministry organization. One year she went to Africa and China the next.

“That was a blessing,” she said. “I had no idea how that would change my life and outlook on coaching.”

The teams chosen for overseas were girls from all over the United States. Barney had never met any of the girls and would meet them at the international airport and then as soon as they hit the ground after the next flight, they’d play a game.

“We never lost a game; the girls were all amazing,” she said.

However, during her last season at OKWU, she had to retire due to a severe arm injury that required surgery for nerve damage. She said it was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

“I didn’t have a choice,” she said. “It was either retire or lose the use of my arm.”

After her surgery, she was supposed to have recovery time. But she went with the team to Nationals that year against her doctor’s and husband’s advice.

“I thought it was my place and my team and I wanted to be there,” she exclaimed.

However, while coaching from the sidelines, she was accidentally plastered by a girl that came off the court for a loose ball.

“I was trying to get out of the way, but couldn’t go any further due to the wall,” she recalled. “I tried to protect arm, but she ran into me and hopped right back up and I went down and collapsed. So they took me back and made me lay down. I had to finish watching the game from a gurney in the hallway going to the gym. Some deal. We ended up losing by 3 points. What a heartbreaker. Looking back, I should not have gone for my health, but as a coach you are going to be with your team.”

When she returned home, her doctor gave her firm orders that she needed to relieve stress in her life. She jokingly asked, “So I got to get rid of Ron?” But her doctor assured he was not joking around and that she needed to leave coaching. She retired after 18 years of college ball.

“In my heart, I knew I had to do it,” she said. “I didn’t want to. I had more to give.”

She spent a few years in physical rehabilitation and was feeling down about giving up her passion. So one night, she was at dinner at Chilis with her husband, cousin and his wife when she was expressing that “sitting around was more stressful than coaching”

“I told them, ‘I wish the Lord would just tell me what to do,’” she said. “And then out of the blue here comes my former assistant, Jason, he was the Copan High School Head Coach. And he

stopped at my table and asked how I was doing. Then he passed, then came back and asked me ‘are you doing anything?’ And I said ‘no’ and he said “I got a deal for you, come be my assistant. I need you.’ I told him I’d think about it.”

She said her cousin just stared at her and said, “Why do you have to think about it? There was your answer. The Lord gave you an answer. What’s wrong with you?”

She didn’t know, so she went up to his practice the next day and agreed to be his assistant. She was happy that she could go back to being an assistant and doing what she loved. She was there three years until she was recruited for the Bartlesville High School. At the high school level, several of the head coaches already knew her and she knew them, so they fit together like a puzzle. She went to two Regional Championships, were Conference Champions and Area Conciliation Champs and had a record setting season of 26-0. She coached until she finished out 30 years of coaching.

When she reflects on those three decades, she recognizes that her philosophy on coaching is different than most.

“It wasn’t about the wins and losses,” she explained. “It didn’t matter to me. What was important was developing the young women I coached to be successful on the court and in real life. In basketball, you can learn to listen, care, be a friend, and it requires confidence, resiliency, determination and respect - so a lot of components for the real life they would be facing. I had to show tough love, but at the same time show them love as individuals.”

Barney expressed that it was crucial for her to develop Christian morals and ethics to the young women.

“I always wanted my players to know I’d be there for them no matter what day or night and that still holds true to this day,” she said. “Yes, I coached to win, but not if I had to compromise Christian morals or values. For me, coaching was my mission field. To share the love of Jesus by planting seeds about Him. I hope and pray I did my job so I can hear Him say the words ‘well done my good and faithful servant.’”

She said the greatest feeling someone could ever have is to see the development of those individuals you are helping to be successful. She never backed down from being a witness for Him on or off the court. She is so appreciative of the support she received from OKWU as well as to each of the high schools as well as First Wesleyan Church, the Bartlesville community and her family.

“I got to be who I wanted to be; I love basketball,” she said. “How blessed I was. How my coaching career developed was all in God’s plan. He was there guiding me to where I needed to go at the time. Forget national championships, if I led one girl to the Lord in 30 years, that is the biggest win for me.”

Bartlesville’s Golden Arch of Justice

by Debbie Neece

Before the establishment of a court system, law and order was difficult to enforce in Indian Territory. And, almost total lawlessness prevailed until Oklahoma’s Statehood in 1907. In fact, the shortage of town, U.S. and Deputy Marshals, complicated by the distance they traveled to enforce the law, often created situations of self-governing that bordered on vigilantism at times.

Quoting Bob Fraser, former CEO of Woolaroc, “Indian Territory was a refuge for the worst of the worst…it was wilder than the wild west. There was no law west of St. Louis and no God either. In the blink of an eye, by 1920, Frank Phillips is here and buildings are going up. We went from the most dangerous part of the country to a small town of sophistication.”

From 1840-1907, the Cherokee Nation enforced their laws with Cherokee “Light Horse” mounted police. However, there was very little law enforcement governing the criminal activity of white settlers. To face this lawlessness head-on, President Ulysses Grant appointed Isaac Parker as U.S. District Judge to preside over the Western District of Arkansas, which included present Oklahoma. Parker held court in Fort Smith and became known as the “hanging Judge” for his quickness to execute more than 175 would-be criminals during his 21 years of bench service. Until statehood, roving U.S. Marshals and Deputy Marshals carried pocketsful of arrest warrants naming lawbreakers of all races. The pursuits were often lengthy, so the posse traveled with a chuck wagon and jail wagon to transport their prisoners. This was the only legal Indian Territory law enforcement who brought criminals to Territorial Court justice.

Beginning in 1890, the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention was charged with naming all seventy-seven counties in Oklahoma. Named for the first President of the United States, George Washington, Washington County was not named until statehood; and, after much “heated” discussion among the towns within the county, Bartlesville was selected as the county seat.

On December 1, 1896, the qualified voters of the town of

Bartlesville filed a petition in the U.S. Court for the Northern District of Indian Territory at Vinita, to have Bartlesville incorporated. The Articles of Incorporation were received January 15, 1897.

From the incorporation of Bartlesville in 1897 to Oklahoma’s statehood in 1907, the railroad was crossing North America; there was a building frenzy; a feverish oil rush was gripping the territory; and, U.S. Courts had been established at Nowata and Vinita, but not at Bartlesville. Then, early pioneer William Johnstone announced construction of a three-story brick building mid-block on the west side of Johnstone Avenue between Third and Fourth Streets. The first United States District Court for Bartlesville, Indian Territory, was held in the second-floor courtroom with the Elks Club Rooms on the third floor.

One of the more humorous stories of the time was when the U.S. District Court was in session on the second floor, while prominent Bartlesville residents were holding an Elks Lodge meeting on the third floor. The Lodge meeting got a little out of control and the judge had to declare a recess while the beer barrel leakage, seeping through the third floor onto the court room was stopped and mopped up by the Lodge members. At that time, Indian Territory was legally “dry” and there were eighteen lawyers listed in the 1907 Bartlesville City Directory to prosecute or defend the innocent until proven guilty.

Beyond the usual taxation situations, one of the common nuisances brought before the Court was spitting on the sidewalks. The sidewalks were little more than 12-inch wooden planks laid over deep muddy ruts and ladies’ long dresses often swept across the sidewalk and became stained by a careless tobacco-chewer’s

Looking East toward the Washington County Courthouse on what is now Frank Phillips Blvd.

disgusting expectorated saliva. Interestingly, later the Coffeyville Brick Company created a special run of highly collectable bricks with “Don’t Spit on the Sidewalk” imprinted.

According to the late Kansas Historian, Ivan Pfalser, “The Don’t Spit on the Sidewalk brick kicked off a health campaign that eventually swept the country. Dr. Samuel Crumbine of the Kansas State Board of Health badgered the state legislature into passing several laws in relation to public health and food sanitation inspection practices. Although Crumbine had few facts to back him up, he knew that tuberculosis carriers could transmit the disease to others through contact so he centered his campaign around the public drinking cup, roller towels and sidewalk spitting, thus the wording on the bricks.”

Bartlesville’s first jail was located at Second Street and Johnstone Avenue and referred to as the “hen coop.” The “unfit” structure was a serious topic of City discussion when U.S. Marshals refused to house prisoners in the dilapidated and unsanitary conditions. By 1908, the matter had reached the District Court Grand Jury who ruled the jail was “unfit for any purpose” and demanded the structure be replaced. So, a twocell concrete block building was constructed as the second jail on 4th Street, between Dewey and Johnstone Avenues. Besides being cramped quarters, there were serious weather-related complaints…too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. And, the close proximity of the fire department was a detriment to the sleep patterns of the prisoners as sirens sounded at all hours. Jail was not meant to be comfortable.

In 1909, the Washington County Commission spoke to the City Council about clearing the houses in the 300 blocks of Shawnee and Delaware Avenues in order to build a new Washington County Courthouse and jail in the center of the block. However, it took three bond elections to pass; on April 2, 1912, a bond issue of $115,000 finally passed.

In 1913, Inland Construction Company of Chandler, OK broke ground on the Washington County Courthouse designed by architect P.H. Weathers of Guthrie, OK. On September 24, 1913, the building was but a skeleton of the re-enforced concrete structure it would soon be; however, as customary, the Bartlesville Masonic Lodge No. 284 A.F.&A.M. presented an impressive and highly attended ceremony as they laid the courthouse cornerstone.

The event began with the Lodge members assembling at the Masonic Building, located at the southeast corner of East Third Street/Frank Phillips Blvd. and Johnstone Avenue from where the Bartlesville Band lead them in precession to the future courthouse. After notable speeches, the massive hand-chiseled cornerstone was hoisted into place and a time-capsule was placed inside. The cornerstone had been appropriately inscribed with the names of the Board of Commissioners, Bartlesville Masonic Lodge officers and construction officers. Then, the stone received a Masonic blessing: a chalice of corn poured over the stone, symbolic of plenty; a chalice of wine, symbolic of passion; and a chalice of oil, symbolic of peace.

Touted as fireproof, the four-story structure was built in Second Renaissance Revival style design, with a combination of stone and brick exterior, enhanced by a sweeping double staircase to the second-floor entrance below a lighted golden arch entry. The interior was graced with oak woodwork, a Tennessee marble staircase and two elegant chandeliers over the oval court room. Construction came in under budget at $94,750.

On January 26, 1914, the Washington County Commissioners ordered an electric sign to be placed atop the Courthouse. According to a June 1914 newspaper article, “Workmen are busy building the iron framework which is to hold the electric sign over Washington County’s new courthouse. The word ‘Washington’ is to be spelled in letters six feet high and below it the word ‘County’ will be emblazoned in five-foot letters.”

On May 2, 1914, the Washington County Courthouse held a rain-drenched “Gala Day” grand opening with a decorated automotive parade, music, speeches, bunting decorations and tours of the new courthouse. Although the courthouse had

installed its 50-foot rooftop iron flag pole in March, in time for the celebratory events, the building was still bald of its famed electric sign, which was not hoisted until June 1914.

Entering Bartlesville from the west, visitors were greeted by two brightly illuminated beacons…the “Bartlesville” sign over Third Street at Keeler Avenue and the “Washington County” sign over the courthouse at Third Street and Delaware Avenue. The iron framework spelling “Washington County” contained 256 electric lights of 110 candle power each and could be spied from the “mound,” west of town. The Bartlesville-Interurban Company paid two-thirds of the cost of installation; the county paid the other third.

With the jail on the top floor of the courthouse, criminal visitors often complained about the sway of the electric sign and building during storms. In 1915, prisoners voiced their concerns about the dangerous roof and their own safety; fearing the electric sign would be swept away, along with the roof of the building. The jailer reported “some were praying; while other prisoners were hysterical.” After investigations, it was reported the sign was secure; however, there was a slight fourth floor water leak.

The courthouse has been the location of various celebratory events. The first call for draftees from Washington County to serve in World War I was issued August 6, 1917, with a gathering at the patriotically decorated courthouse. The list included 584 men who were to report at 9 a.m. on August 11. Judge J.R. Charlton spoke in the community send-off ceremony, after which the men marched in a parade from the courthouse to the railroad station, where a special train awaited to take them to San Antonio, Texas, and thence to Camp Travis for basic training.

In 1921, the County Commissioners began speaking about

The iconic Washington County arch lit up at night.

the removal of the courthouse sign citing the cost of upkeep. However, July 11, 1922, the James H. Teel American Legion was making plans for their convention, including illumination of the Washington County Courthouse sign for the three nights

of the convention; changing the Bartlesville sign to Welcome American Legion at Third Street and Keeler Avenue; and staging elaborate decorations at the Union Railroad Station to greet the Legionnaires in style as they stepped from the train.

In 1923, nine Washington County jail prisoners created a jail riot, flooding the jail, resulting in Judge Farrel penalizing them with a bread and water diet for three days and no tobacco for fourteen days. That year, a series jail breaks happened when several crafty criminals received sawblades from visitors and were able to escape out a fourth-floor window, only to be seen, reported and recaptured.

Apparently, repairing the courthouse sign in time for the American Legion convention did not happen. An August 1923 Morning Examiner article stated, “After two years of darkness, the electric sign on top of the county courthouse will be lighted again, it was decided Thursday by the Board of County Commissioners. The sign was in need of new bulbs and reconnection of electric wires. The Bartlesville Interurban cared for the repairs.” The Commissioners often moved a little slow and it was reported October 1928, the County Commissioners had finally ordered the electric sign on the courthouse building repaired and repainted, designating $60,000 from the 1928-1929 county highway fund to bring the sign back to working order.

However, 13 years later, October 1941, the County Commissioners ordered the Washington County electric sign to be dismantled and removed from the roof of the courthouse, citing the weight of the sign was causing roof damage and leaks due to years of swaying wind stress. For 27 years, the large electric sign was a greeter for Bartlesville visitors near and far. When it was illuminated, travelers could see the beacon from the

Chandelier in the old courtroom.

Osage Hills; and, for locals, it was an icon some still speak of.

While the electric sign was the topic of town conversation, there was drama erupting in the Osage Hills that would soon spill into Washington County and onto the courthouse steps. William “Bill” Easley, Osage County cattle king and empire builder, married into an Osage family November 1891 and from his marriage, he acquired access to his wife’s Osage headright and allotted land. As their family grew, children born prior to 1907 acquired a portion of the Osage wealth, allowing the Easley family fortune to grow. Soon his fortune had grown to include his Rocking Chair Ranch and the town of Herd. Easley was not beyond “bucking” the legal system to make his point; but, when family troubles began to brew, that was a personal matter.

Most men of that era were gun-toters and Easley was no different. A verbal argument at the Herd store erupted into a fist fight, which led to an all-out gun battle when Easley was knocked to the ground. Easley’s son-in-law, Duel Binning’s .38-caliber revolver was met with Easley’s .45-cal Colt, resulting in a shot that hit Binning right between the eyes, killing him instantly. Easley was found not guilty by self-defense; however, the bad blood between Duel’s brother Clem Binning and Bill Easley was a festering wound.

The air of Bartlesville was thick with rumors and tense anticipation on March 2, 1926, when Clem Binning and Bill Easley were both subpoenaed for court testimony…at the same time. From the split second their eyes locked, fire erupted…gun fire that is. When the smoke cleared, Bill Easley lay lifeless. The short trial that followed brought fifty-seven witnesses to testify in favor of Clem Binning’s plea of self-defense and Binning was acquitted.

The construction of the Washington County Courthouse in the center of Third Street was also a problem. The placement interrupted the traffic flow, prompting the re-routing of Third Street and the shortening of Second Street. Famed oilman, Frank Phillips passed away August 23, 1950 and as tribute to Mr. Phillips, on September 27, 1951, Third Street was renamed Frank Phillips Blvd. with a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting behind the

courthouse. The new path of Frank Phillips Blvd. wrapped around the courthouse to the north, solving the traffic issues.

The Frank Phillips Blvd. bridge was built to create a third main artery access to Highway 75, as well as ease the heavily traveled Hensley Blvd and Adams Blvd. Effective March 1969, in honor of Mayor William Hensley’s 18-year service as Mayor, First Street was renamed Hensley Blvd. Then, later that year, to honor K.S. “Boots” Adams, 7th Street was renamed Adams Blvd.

Frank Phillips Blvd. ribbon cutting.

Adorned with decorative awnings the Washington County Courthouse was once a popular location for photo opportunities as the courthouse steps were a gathering place for G.A.R. Conventions, Civil War Reunions, Armistice Day celebrations, school and club photographs, etc. After nearly six decades of service, Washington County court at 501 SE Frank Phillips Blvd. was about to begin a new chapter.

In 1932, the Federal Building, erected at 420 S. Johnstone Ave., was also an architectural masterpiece. The brick and granite structure was designed by architect James E. Wetmore. The building facade was divided into two distinct zones, a lower level of smooth faced stone, the upper level of brick. This division was enhanced by unique window treatments, the colorfully tiled roof, a single roof dormer and the U-shaped footprint. The building was occupied by the post office on the ground floor, federal and county offices on the second floor and the federal court room and offices on the third floor. The Federal Building was also home of the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Mines, Department of Treasury, Selective Service and U.S. Navy Recruiting office.

In June 1973, Washington County purchased the Federal Building for $115,000 and relocated court operations to 5th Street and Johnstone Avenue, after the post office moved to its new location on Jennings Avenue. The National Guard continued occupying the original courthouse for a few years, until the county listed the building for sale in 1980. The following year, two oil partners announced plans to restore the structure, but they lost their financing. The once elegant courthouse was abandoned; yet, when the weeds grew tall and vandals broke the window panes, she was tenaciously determined to survive.

January 26, 1981, members of the community succeeded in placing the “Old Washington County Courthouse” on the National Register of Historic Places. Between 1972 and 2020, Washington County has been recognized with twelve properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the entire Bartlesville Downtown Historic District, which “encompasses the oldest sector of the city’s central business district, consisting of

75 buildings, 49 of which are contributing.”

In 1984, South Country Builders rehabilitated the building as First Court Place and placed a lighted Tribute Fountain in the shape of the courthouse façade with a plaque in support of the men and women who served to protect our freedoms, presented by First Court Investments, Inc. The restoration team also opened the small aged brass time-capsule that was tucked away with the cornerstone of the building, marking the seventieth anniversary of the time-capsule. To their surprise, the container held the 1913 Evening Enterprise and Morning Examiner newspapers detailing Bartlesville happenings, the city’s annual report, two

buffalo nickels, two Lincoln pennies, the Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma, a United States flag, names of the Masonic Lodge members who participated in laying the cornerstone and time-capsule, a copy of Bartlesville’s 1910 city charter, list of the names of county officers, and a post card picture of the courthouse. Fresh items were placed in the time-capsule to be opened in another 70 years.

Bartlesville has always been a city of forward-thinking individuals from the pioneers that settled the Caney River, to the oil men who won and lost fortunes, to the risk-taking entrepreneurs who faced defeat with defiant resolve. This is Bartlesville, the City of Legends.

There is a history plaque placed near the stairs on the west side of the Old Washington County Courthouse that reads: “Built by a group of proud and determined people in 1914, First Court Place stands as a testament to the determination and spirit which links the county forefathers with their counterparts today. Despite the fact that the country had been in skirmishes in Mexico and was on the verge of World War I, the people of

Bartlesville knew the importance of building a courthouse and looking toward the future. Bartlesville geologists conducting the first wide scale survey discovered the Augusta-El Dorado oil fields, the city made plans for a large addition to the interurban trolley system and the streets were filled with a mixture of horses, buggies and a few automobiles.”

Graham-Rogers Insurance was formed in 1967 and purchased the old courthouse in 1998. After renovations, President Jerry Lesch moved their operations to the building, where the company has resided ever since.

Bartlesville has been blessed by a host of architects who staked a building for their notoriety and photographers who have left a collection of images that document the town that grew within their camera lens. And, there have been star-eyed entrepreneurs with hearts filled with a passion to continue the mission of restoration and preservation. April 2024, the old Washington County Courthouse received two brothers who trained for this opportunity since childhood.

Their father was local building contractor, Bobby Hindman,

who taught his sons the “value of hard work and compound interest.” Working beside their father in the roofing business broke their fear of heights and taught the youngsters the rules of investment. All of these lessons laid the foundation for the humble, productive, family-oriented men they have become. Bartian born, Dallas and Bryan Hindman, partners in Archway Properties, are well versed in the real estate business; however, the courthouse is their first commercial property venture and they are excited at the opportunity to learn everything there is to know about the building, while restoring the treasure to its upmost glory.

The courthouse still holds glimpses of the past that makes a person’s heart take pause and want to know more. The crackless marble staircase shines like installed yesterday. And, behind the building’s only jail cell door resides a storage closet; where once thick steel reinforced cement walls and barred windows contained offenders, the walls have been jackhammered to open the spaces while leaving bits of history shining through. In the oval courtroom, where once judge and jury decided fates,

an original curved wooden bench and two elegant chandeliers remain. Throughout the building, the crown molding formed and placed over a century ago has weathered time almost scarless. And, where once a dumbwaiter carried food to fourth-floor prisoners, electrical components secretly hide.

During the early years, the building served Washington County as the county seat, courthouse, county jail, county and legal offices and most importantly…she has stood sentinel as the majestic focal point at the east end of Bartlesville’s main street district. And yet, for all that has changed, somethings remain the same; standing behind the fourth-floor arched window, now covered with modern window treatments, the view is still the same all the way to the Osage Hills and the water tower capped “Mound” and Graham-Rogers Insurance continues to be located at the “old courthouse.”

Perhaps one of the most exciting things to be witnessed from that fourth-floor, behind the golden arched window, will be the future Dallas and Bryan Hindman of Archway Properties bring as caretakers in the next century. County Clerk’s Office.

Around Town with Edgar Weston

by Debbie Neece and the Bartlesville Area History Museum

Welcome Back…Our next stop on Johnstone Ave. is a visit with our friend Frank Griggs at 409 S. Johnstone Ave.

Frank Griggs was the greatest story ever told…through a camera lens. Griggs was a young broom salesman on the street corners of New York when a happenstance brought George Eastman, of the Eastman Kodak Company, into his world. Under the wing of Eastman, Griggs worked as Eastman’s photographic apprentice. Then, Eastman encouraged Griggs to “go west,” so he hopped aboard a westward train and arrived in Bartlesville in 1908, where his first sight was the smoke-filled southwest sky of the smelter operations.

Throughout Griggs’ seven-decade photography career, he peered through the camera lens and witnessed the massive history unravel that formed the fabric of Washington County and the surrounding area. He photographed community happenings, graduating classes, sporting events and changing street scenes. He climbed oil wells, dodged bucking broncs and carried heavy camera equipment everywhere he traveled. His friends were preachers, bankers, judges, lawyers, bootleggers, outlaws, doctors, Indian chiefs, early aviators, U.S. Presidents, company executives and area residents. He was trusted friends with Frank Phillips and H.V. Foster, and kept their secrets. He was a household name in Washington County and was invited to some of the most prestigious parties and events.

He captured the Dewey Roundup from 1908-1949 in print,

negative and panorama images. He recorded WWI and WWII soldiers called out to war. He documented the foundation and progress of the oil industry throughout Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. He chronicled the Winnie Mae being loaded into railcars on her final journey to the Smithsonian Museum after Wiley Post’s death. And, while he photographed “everyday” life experiences, he created a photographic scrapbook that wove a timeline of Washington County history while savoring the memories and telling the stories along the way.

Griggs once spoke almost poetically about the marvel of witnessing the Wolf and Fox Hunters in the Osage and the foggy mist that encapsulated the Mullendore Ranch before sunrise highlighted eighty coyote hides tacked on the barn.

Mr. Griggs was awarded a life membership with the Professional Photographers of America (1964), won a BlueRibbon award from the Oklahoma Professional Photographers Association in their Annual Photographic Exhibit, featured in newspapers and Channel 8 TV in Tulsa (1971), recognized as the Historian of the Year by Washington County Historical Society (1973) and much more.

After Frank fell and broke his hip in 1980, he recovered at Heritage Villa Nursing Home for a period of time. Although his memory never failed and his candle for life never dimmed, at the age of 93 young years, Frank N. Griggs died in Bartlesville on April 7, 1982 and was laid to rest in Memorial Park Cemetery.

For Frank Griggs, building riches was not his life’s goal; it was the building friendships and enjoying the adventures. In as much as George Eastman nurtured the talent of Frank Griggs, so Mr. Griggs kindled the photographic spirit within Ray Tingler, Bob Heil and others who became well-known photographers of their time.

To Be Continued…

NOVEMBER CALENDAR SPONSORED BY

OKWU Womens Basketball vs Dakota Wesleyan

6PM; Mueller Sports Center

OKWU Men’s Basketball vs Dakota Wesleyan

8PM; Mueller Sports Center

Bruin Varsity Football vs Putnam City West

7PM; Custer Stadium

1 2 16

OKWU Womens Soccer vs Tabor College

5PM; OKWU Soccer fields

OKWU Men’s Soccer vs Tabor College

7:30PM; OKWU Soccer fields

OKWU Womens Basketball vs Seminole State College

1:30PM; Muller Sports Center

Bruin Varsity Football vs Capitol Hill

7PM; Custer Stadium

Christkindl Market

11AM; Hilton Garden Inn

OKWU Volleyball vs Bethel College

12:30PM; Muller Sports Center

Christkindl Market

OKWU Womens Basketball vs Tabor

25-29 1-3 20-30 29-30 30 20 28 19 10 4 8 9

11AM; Hilton Garden Inn

2PM; Muller Sports Center

OKWU Men’s Basketball vs Tabor

5PM; Mueller Sports Center

Stranglefest Submission Only

Jiu-Jitsu

7PM; The Center

Fantasy Land of Lights on Foot One Night Only Johnstone Park

OKWU Womens Basketball vs Friends University

5:30PM; Muller Sports Center

OKWU Men’s Soccer vs Friends University

7:30PM; Mueller Sports Center

Bruin Girls JV Basketball vs Union 4PM; Bruin Fieldhouse

Bruin Girls Varsity Basketball vs Union 6PM; Bruin Fieldhouse

Christmas in the Ville Opening Night 5:30PM; Downtown Bartlesville

Thanksgiving BreakNo classes

Oklahoma Heritage Farm Festival & Pumpkin Patch

Mon-Thurs (9:00am-6:00pm) Fri-Sat (9:00am-7:00pm) Sun (1:00pm-6:00pm) 38512 US Highway 75 Ramona, OK

Fantasy Land of lights 6PM; Johnstone Park

Woolaroc Wonderland of LIghts 5PM; Woolaroc

Fri, Nov 1

Times Vary

Oklahoma Heritage Farm Festival & Pumpkin Patch

Call for times (918) 371-7887

38512 Highway 75, Ramona, OK 74061

The event runs through Sunday

Sat, Nov 2

8 PM History and Haunts at the Dewey Hotel Dewey Hotel Museum, 801 N. Delaware St.

The event is held every Saturday.

Fri, Nov 1-5

8 AM

2024 Shop Hop Crafty Candle Shoppe, 222 SE Frank Phillips Blvd

Fri, Nov 1

1:30 PM

Gardening Short Course

Bartlesville Southern Baptist Church, 5111 Nowata Road

7 PM

The Smith Brothers Live Crossing 2nd, 215 E. 2nd Street

8 PM

Lollipops – Friday Movie Night on the Lawn Lollipops Woodfire & Grocery, 311 S. Dewey Ave.

Sat, Nov 2

All Day

Dewey Automotive Swap Meet

Downtown Dewey

6:30 PM

Hops for Hope Bartlesville Municipal Airport, 401 Wiley Post Road

6:30 PM

Nineteen O Eight - Murder Mystery Dinner

NineteenOEight, 311 ½ S. Dewey Avenue

Sun, Nov 3

6:30 PM

Americans with No Address East Cross Church, 820 S. Madison Blvd, Bartlesville

Mon, Nov 4

5:00 PM

Beginning Spanish

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

6:00 PM

Intermediate Spanish Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

Tues, Nov 5

12:00 PM

In the Kitchen with Susan

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

Thursday

Friday

8:00am - Noon

Tues, Nov 5, 12, 19

6:00 PM

Hummingbird Panel - 6 Week

Stained Glass Workshop ending OKie Stained Glass, 137 Southeast Washington Blvd.

Wed, Nov 6

6:00 PM

FREE – Wednesday Citizenship Class

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

Thurs – Sat, Nov 7-8-9

All Day

4th Annual Dad’s Walk 2024 with Dewayne Bryan Hopestone Cancer Support Center and Paths to Independence

Thurs, Nov 7

10:00 AM

FREE – Thursday Citizenship Class Bartlesville Public Library 600 S. Johnstone

4:30 PM

Veterans Day Social Hour Crossing 2nd., 215 E 2nd Street

Fri, Nov 8

8:00 PM

Lollipops - Friday Movie Night on the Lawn Lollipops Woodfire & Grocery, 311 S. Dewey Ave

Sat – Sun, Nov 9-10

11:00 AM

OKM Music’s Christkindl Market Hilton Garden Inn, 205 SW Frank Phillips Blvd.

Sat, Nov 9

3:00 PM

Bartlesville Art Association 6X6 Fundraiser

Cooper and Mill Brewing Co., 200 S. Dewey Ave.

6:30 PM

Dancing with the Bartlesville Stars

Bartlesville Community Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Sun, Nov 10

6:30 PM

Americans with No Address East Cross Church, 820 S. Madison Blvd, Bartlesville

Mon, Nov 11

5:00 PM

Beginning Spanish Class Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

6:00 PM

Intermediate Spanish

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

Tues, Nov 12

6:00 PM

Johnstone Irregulars Book Club

Bartlesville Public Library 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

7:30 PM

No More Talk of Darkness, Bartlesville Community Concert Assoc.

Bartlesville Community Center, 300 S.E. Adams Blvd.

Wed, Nov 13

6:00 PM

FREE – Wednesday Citizenship Class

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

The class is held every Wednesday.

Thurs, Nov. 14

10:00 AM

FREE – Thursday Citizenship Class

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

The class is held every Thursday.

Fri, Nov 15

8:00 PM

Lollipops - Friday Movie Night on the Lawn Lollipops Woodfire & Grocery, 311 S. Dewey Ave.

The event is held every Friday.

Sat, Nov 16

10:00 AM

Monthly Lego Club

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

7:00 PM

Stranglefest submission only Jiu-Jitsu

Bartlesville Community Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd.

8:00 PM

Karaoke at Crossing 2nd Crossing 2nd, 215 E 2nd Street

The event is held every Saturday.

Sun, Nov 17

6:00 PM

Joseph Habedank Concert

First Baptist Church, 405 S. Cherokee Ave

Mon, Nov 18

11:30 AM

Red Cross Blood Drive

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

5:00 PM

Beginning Spanish Class

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

6:00 PM

Intermediate Spanish Class

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

Both Spanish classes are held every Monday.

Tues, Nov 19

Fantasy Land of Lights on Foot, One Night Only

Johnstone Park, 100 N. Cherokee Ave.

Wed, Nov 20 – Dec 30

6:00 PM

Fantasy Land of Lights hosted by Bartlesville Daybreak Rotary

Johnstone Park, 100 N. Cherokee Ave.

Thurs, Nov 21

12:00 PM

Fast, Fresh & Fabulous with Chef Hilary

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S Johnstone Ave.

2:00 PM

Gentle Reads Book Club

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

5:00 PM

The Gifts Market Place

Bartlesville Community Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd.

Sat, Nov 23

6:30 PM

NineteenOEight - Cocktail Making Class

Nineteen0Eight, 311½ S. Dewey Ave.

Fri, Nov 29 – Dec 22

5:00 PM

Woolaroc Wonderland of Lights

Woolaroc Museum &Wildlife Preserve 12 miles SW of Bartlesville on State Highway 123/45 miles NW of Tulsa

Sat, Nov 30 – Jan. 5

2024 Season of Christmas in the Ville Downtown Bartlesville, 201 SW Keeler Ave.

Check for Hoursfor each day at https://www.bartlesvillechristmas.com

Sat, Nov 30

8:00 AM

Elkdom Holiday Craft Show

Bartlesville Elks Lodge, 1060 Swan Drive

We live, work, and play in Bartlesville, and we’re proud to serve our neighbors with integrity

Experienced, Honest, Local

Presidential Welcomes

by Debbie Neece

Oklahoma has never been a favorable place for would-be presidential candidates to pay a campaign visit. Why? Because as a state, Oklahoma holds only 7 Electoral College votes; tied with Oregon, Connecticut and Iowa. Of course, there are 22 other states who have even less electoral votes than Oklahoma. In 2024, the big guys in this tally are California 54, Texas 40, Florida 30 and New York 28. The Electoral College is not a place, rather each state is allowed as many electoral votes as its congressional delegation. The sum of all Electoral College votes is 538 and for the 2024 Presidential election, the White House is awarded not to the popular vote, rather to the candidate with at least 270 electoral votes. So, you see, since Oklahoma holds a mere 7 votes, we are not a desirable state to politically romance; however, we have welcomed our share of Presidents.

Prior to Oklahoma’s 1907 statehood, President Ulysses Grant visited the red soil of Oklahoma in 1874 to meet with Cherokee leaders at Vinita, Choctaw chiefs at Caddo and the Creek Tribal Council at Muskogee.

In July 1900, while campaigning for vice president on William McKinley’s ticket, Theodore Roosevelt spoke to the second reunion of the Rough Riders in Oklahoma City. McKinley became

President; however, he was assassinated September 1901 and “Teddy” Roosevelt became President. Roosevelt returned to Oklahoma Territory for a week long wolve/coyote hunt in 1905. During that time, Chief Quannah Parker of the Comanche Nation visited the camp. After returning to the White House, Roosevelt was influential in the creation of the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge; and, November 16, 1907, he took quill pen in hand to sign Presidential Proclamation 780, declaring Oklahoma the 46th state.

On February 24, 1920, a most significant Chautauqua speaking engagement occurred in Bartlesville with the arrival of former president William Howard Taft. As the Santa Fe train arrived, Taft was greeted by every Boy Scout troop in the area, standing at salute. Taft was a high-executive official of the Boy Scouts of America so the opportunity to meet such a prestigious man was significant for the scouts. Taft was treated to a celebratory parade; he presented a speech at the Carnegie Library (currently the Kane law office); he was escorted to a luncheon at the home of H.V. Foster; and spent the afternoon at the Country Club. That evening, Taft was the guest of honor at a dinner presented by the Bar Association at the Hotel Maire where guests highly praised Taft for his efforts to “heal our nation” after WWI. Before a packed house at the Bartlesville High School, Taft took the stage at 8 p.m. to deliver his lecture and received a standing ovation.

K.S. “Boots” Adams and Dwight D. Eisenhower were close friends. In January 1960, K.S. and Dorothy Adams attended an Eisenhower Presidential White House dinner. In 1963, Adams presented a portrait of former president Dwight Eisenhower to the

Taft visits the Foster’s Home in 1920.

Eisenhower and Boots Adams

Eisenhower Library in Abilene, KS. In 1966, Adams and Eisenhower played golf at the Eldorado Country Club at Palm Springs, CA.

And most importantly, on August 31, 1965, rain-drenched Bartlesville became “Bootsville” for a day in celebration of K.S. “Boots” Adams’ 66th birthday. An army of workers attended to every decorative detail beginning with a “Happy Birthday Boots” banner flying over his home that morning. A special guest flew into Bartlesville Airport to be in attendance…Boots’ friend, former president, General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Chartered busses steadily made their way downtown in preparation of one of Bartlesville’s most elaborate parades ever…filled with bands, inflatable balloons and birthday themed floats. The streamer draped streets were lined with sharply dress executives and umbrella welding spectators; windows of the 19-story Phillips building were decorated with Boots 66; U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds streaked across the cloudy sky; and “boot-scooting” happened throughout the evening. Adams was showered with gifts and he carried an ear-to-ear smile all day; however, just like Cinderella, at midnight, Bootsville became Bartlesville again and returned to business as usual.

March 15-16, 1982, Oklahoma history was made. For the first time in the state’s 75-year history, President Ronald Reagan was the first-ever sitting President to visit the State Capitol building or address the Oklahoma Legislature. Reagan arrived on Air Force One at Tinker Air Force Base in OKC, attended a reception at the Skirvin Plaza Hotel that evening, and addressed the joint session of House and Senate in the House chamber the following day, which was broadcast on Oklahoma Educational Television statewide.

October 15, 1960, a Bartlesville motorcade journeyed to the Tulsa airport to welcome Vice President Richard Nixon to Oklahoma and to witness his quick political address before he jetted off to Illinois. In attendance were Pat Nixon’s two aunts who arrived via bus from Ponca City. Former vice president Nixon visited Bartlesville on September 23, 1966 when Denzil Garrison was candidate for Second District Congress. Nixon flew from Casper, WY, and was greeted at the Bartlesville airport by K.S. Adams, Mayor William Hensley and Denzil Garrison. Following the rally that drew an estimated 10,000 to the streets of 4th and Johnstone Avenue, Nixon continued on to Omaha, NE.

In 1997, Bartlesville showed she knows how to party with a year-long Centennial Celebration. January brought a month-long history party and the re-construction and barn-raising of two historic structures – the Nellie Johnstone No. 1 oil derrick and the Johnstone-Keeler Store at the Community Center. April 1419 Oklahoma Energy Centennial Week brought former President George Bush and Governor Frank Keating into the celebration. Bush was the guest of honor and received a standing ovation at the Centennial Commission Dinner. And, the grand finale was September 13-20 with Indian Summer, Cow Thieves and Outlaws at Woolaroc, Vince Gill concert and fireworks at Custer Field, and a Wild West Show at Prairie Song.

Of the 28 states from which U.S. Presidents have originated, Oklahoma has never supplied an “Okie” to the White House; however, we have had plenty of Presidential Welcomes.

Did You Know?

During his 35-year newspaper career, James Young reported on Oklahoma presidential visits from Eisenhower through Reagan and every governor from Johnston Murray to George Nigh. Young was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 1986.

Now You Know *

President Nixon and Denzil Garrison

President Nixon in Bartlesville

President Bush and Tom Sears

Three Successful Generations The Story of Bartlesville’s Magerkurth Family

by Kay Little, Little History Adventures

Recently, I was given information about a Bartlesville military veteran who became very successful in his civilian life. As I researched his life, I found that his father and grandfather contributed greatly to Bartlesville history, but we do not usually hear about this family.

Philip Magerkurth was an early Bartlesville pioneer. He operated a blacksmith shop and was also a city marshal at one time. One of Phil’s sons, Fred P, was employed with Fournier Brothers Service Station, later the J.E. Curtis Supply Company and in his last days, operated Fred’s Handy Service. His 2nd wife was another Bartian, Tresa Clements. She also had her own business.

Fred and Tresa had a son, Larry John, who was a 1956 Col-Hi graduate. He married a 1958 Col-Hi graduate, Barbara Carey, shortly after her graduation. They moved to Tulsa, where Larry attended Tulsa University and worked at Nelson Electric Company. Larry went on to OSU and graduated with an engineering degree. Larry and Barbara then moved to St. Charles, MO, where he worked for McDonnell Douglas Corporation (MDC). Several years later MDC moved Larry to CA and he obtained his MBA from the University of Southern CA. Larry also served his country in the U.S. Navy Reserves.

While Larry worked for MDC, he was a chief engineer, a senior director, and president of a subsidiary company. He worked with NASA’s early space programs and worked with four of the original astronauts. Larry retired from MDC after 30 years. He then worked at Dowty Aerospace, Lockheed Aerospace and British Aerospace. He retired again in 2004.

In addition to all these jobs, Larry volunteered in his community and church. He also was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). He was very dedicated to the SAR. Larry was a speaker at several conferences and was inaugurated as President General. While serving as President General, he expanded educational programs: a model Continental Congress for high school students and a model Continental Army for ROTC students. He fought for Congress to ban desecration of the U.S. flag. There is not enough room here to list all his accomplishments.

Larry’s wife, Barbara, was also very active in the community and church. When they lived in California, Barbara became a florist and was a floral designer for the Rose Parade. She worked with Larry within the SAR, by serving as president of the California SAR Ladies Auxiliary.

Larry was known for his integrity, his Christian walk, his laughter, friendship and kindness to strangers. He wanted to help make the world a better place. I believe he did. Probably my favorite thing I read about him was that Larry knew that throughout life’s struggles, God’s path would reveal itself in marvelous ways and in God’s time.

Larry died December 13, 2022, with the memorial service held in California. He and Barbara were married 64 years and had 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren. Larry and Barbara’s parents and grandparents would be proud of the legacy they left.

ABILITY WORKS

GATHERING AT THE ROC

COW THIEVES & OUTLAWS

CONVOY OF HOPE

by Jay Webster

It was more stairs than you were counting on to reach the second-floor loft space. You’re mouth breathing, but you’re finally here. You crack the door to a venue you’ve never been in before. There are thirty or forty people milling around in the general cocktail party formation. You desperately scan the dark room for your friend. Oh, thank God, there they are. And they see you. Your social anxiety settles to just light armpit sweat and a bit of dry mouth.

“Is this your first time at a DreamersLIVE!?” Asks someone holding a clipboard. You nod cautiously. They smile and get you a name tag, and a perky person standing next to them hands you something a little smaller than a business card with Group

Two written on it. “You’ll need this later. Don’t worry about it for now.”

Around you, people are laughing and talking. It must be nice to know people. There’s music and wine. You can’t believe in a town the size of Bartlesville that, you can be in a room full of people and still not know anyone. Your friend finally approaches and gives you a hug just in time. You were contemplating leaving, but you didn’t want to face those stairs again so soon.

Your friend brings you up to the bar. There are drinks and coffees and treats, and you get introduced to an animated blonde lady, Ann-Janette, who warns you in advance that she’s

a hugger and then proceeds to do just that. From there, she immediately introduces you to some more people. You’ve been here ten minutes, and you already know five new people.

This is where I step up to the microphone and say something like, “Friends, we are so excited that you came out to a DreamersLIVE! Event. Raise your hand if this is your first night.” You reluctantly agree as you take a seat with your friend.

“I know it takes a lot to get out of the house and show up to an event you likely know nothing about at a location “sight unseen”… And this is the hard part for us because you will say, “What is Dreamers?” And we’ll say, “We really don’t know. The best we can come up with is it’s sort of a cocktail party with a mini-TED Talk that eventually finds its way into a bunch of conversations. But our friend Archana would just say Dreamers is where all the cool people hang out.” Here, you would laugh because we’re mostly lovable and disarming, and now you’re only mildly concerned you’re in a cult or about to be asked to join a timeshare.

And from there, we talk about whatever. The value of community. How to survive the holidays without killing any family members. Managing our thought life. Seeing the good in others and then telling them. What it means to be a safe place for others. The value of being wrong. Anything but politics. In short, we talk about anything that helps us human better.

None of it is rocket science. The conversations just sort of create awareness about what’s already inside each of us, like helping you recognize a tool you are already holding in your hand. And now that you know it’s there, you can use it with surprising dexterity.

Then I might say something like, “This is our favorite part of the night. This is the part where we get to hear from you. When you came in tonight, you got a card with a number on it. Hold up your cards real quick. Perfect. OK, so if your card says Group One, can you please come over here.” Then, everyone breaks up into groups. It’s usually about five or six people. And then that’s it. Someone in the group will have a card with three or four conversation questions about whatever we just talked about; everyone will introduce themselves, and when it’s your turn, you’ll give your thoughts. (I promise it’s mostly painless.)

But here’s the diabolical part. While you’re in these small conversations, you’ll be meeting and getting to know other people…almost imperceptibly. You’ll get to know them so well that when you see them at QT or The Walmarts, you’ll be able to have an easy conversation with them and ask about stuff in their lives.

And then, just as your conversation group is finishing up, that animated blonde lady will get on the mic once more. She’s so nice, but you try not to make eye contact in case she might hug you again or offer you another cookie. Then she says something like, “OK, we have one more thing to ask you to do before we go…” Oh God, here comes the sales pitch. They’re getting ready to ask for my mother’s maiden name.

“On your chairs, there’s a small piece of paper that says “Let’s stay in contact.” I want you to find three people you enjoyed meeting tonight and swap whatever contact information you feel comfortable exchanging. Could be your phone number or email or myspace account…” You laugh because no one uses MySpace anymore. She is adorable.

And that’s it. You finish your wine while you talk to your new friends and realize the Ville is so much more diverse than you thought it was. No money has left your pocket, and no vital information has been compromised. And you decide you’re glad you took the risk to come out tonight. Wait…is it only seven o’clock? There’s time to go out to dinner and still be home to watch Dancing with the Golden Big Brother.

Could this night get any better?

That’s the way we felt the first time we hosted a DreamersLIVE! event three years ago. Since that time, we’ve hosted events in museums, bars, breweries (there’s a difference), bookstores, kitschy retail outlets, and even our own backyard. The goal has always been the same: introduce people to people they might not otherwise know and build community. After three years, here’s what we’ve learned: There’s a great deal of talk about misinformation and distrust and the great divide in our nation. How do we combat all that? Where is the hope in repairing our nation? To us, the answer is a simple one: community. In community we learn to talk (and listen) to each other again. In community, we no longer see people as one-dimensional cardboard cutout caricatures. We have the opportunity to see each other as humans again. And I know it’s trite and a bit overused in this season, but truly we discover we have much more in common than what separates us.

If you were going to destroy a nation, isn’t this divide the way you would do it? Bombs just bring more bombs, but turning a people in on themselves - that’s perfect. If we fight ourselves, we’ve already done the heavy lifting for our enemies. So how do we resist? How do we fight back? Community. Don’t wait on anyone else, be the best neighbor you can be. Don’t let someone on TV force a national narrative of hate on you. Go out of your way to be loving even to those you disagree with.

And then, here’s the next trick: increase your circle of community to multiple circles. Not just church or your family, but where you shop, and where you get coffee, and where you buy plants or watch youth soccer teams. Learn people’s names, ask questions about their lives, be encouraging (even when you disagree), and be kind… like your country depends on it because it does.

See you here next month, friends.

Mildred, are you okay?

My doctor refilled my pain medication, but when I went to the pharmacy on Saturday, they were out of that medication. When I called the clinic after hours number, they said I have to wait until Monday to speak to someone in the office.

Same thing happened to me last week, but I go to an MDVIP Physician. I just called my Doctor’s cell phone number. We were able to find another local pharmacy that had my pain medication in stock, and sent a prescription there.

Access your doctor anytime and get your medications when Access your doctor anytime and get your medications when Access your doctor anytime and get your medications when you need them. that’s the MDVIP difference! you need them. that’s the MDVIP difference! you need them. that’s the MDVIP difference!

B the Light Update: We Are Thankful!

Fall is in the air, and with it, comes some amazing updates from B the Light!

But first, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, which is literally around the corner, we’d like to send a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported our summer outreaches and fundraisers! This summer was amazing, and without the faithful support of those in the community, along with our Bartlesville residents with the same desire to see the homeless population decrease here in town, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.

SO THANK-YOU!

With the summer now behind us, we are moving forward to continue to help those most at risk in our community. One of the ways B the Light has implemented this, is by the use of Charity Tracker. This software enables nonprofits like ours, as well as government agencies and churches, to work together.

Being able to show our grantors the extent of what we do is critical in moving forward. Our city carries quite a bit of generational poverty, and the likelihood to duplicate services given is already taking place. This is a small step B the Light takes to ensure we are not enabling our neighbors in need, but at the same time, allows us to help them to the full extent.

We continue to network with other resources in Washington County, as well as the surrounding areas, to ensure that our homeless neighbors have options until we’ve been given the green light to open. In case there was any doubt in the community as to why we’re not open yet, our light is still red, but only because we continue to experience

roadblocks and hurdles put into place by the DEQ.

HOWEVER, October 25th, we will finally receive the testing necessary by the DEQ, that will satisfy the requirements that were put into place.

A project mission like this draws attention from many different areas, and it often feels like we’re moving one step forward, twelve steps back. But in that, we are not discouraged nor will we stop moving forward, as the end goal has not changed. Our neighbors that sleep under the stars are waiting on us.

The resource list we’ve put together includes organizations from all over the city, that help women going through violent situations, people wanting to get back into the workforce, those wanting to get off of drugs and get sober, and we have several places listed that have openings for people to get off the street. The goal is to provide at least three resources for each person that comes to us for help.

We’re better together, and even when we are given the green light to open, we’ll continue to draw on our resources from the city.

We are still looking for 500 Partners with a Purpose! This number would be a substantial way to move us forward on a regular basis.

ALSO - if you’d like to schedule a tour of B the Light, please let us know by calling: 918-288-0009, or contact us at bthelight.org.

Be on the lookout for information regarding our Open House!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!

The Native American Warrior

. . . Defining Life

by Miriam Walker

And whatever dreams she might have had before she woke up, had no time to be replaced before she crashed head on into reality.

Danielle does not remember the car accident, only that it had begun to rain.

Every new story provides a window into the life of somebody else. From a distance a person’s hurts may seem small, but up close and connected, we’re able to see the pain that they feel. Fortunate is the one, who is able to walk through the door into that life, to catch a glimpse of their story.

I was fortunate the day I met Danielle LaSarge. We were setting up for the sale at B the Light, and she arrived with a group of college students from Oklahoma Wesleyan University; in a wheelchair.

We often search for miracles in those larger than life grandiose spectacles, that happen once in a lifetime. But are we really looking hard enough? Search harder; miracles happen everyday.

Danielle’s life began with birthday parties and fun memories. But those memories turned dark, as she began getting molested by her stepfather. She was just five years old. For the next nine years the nightmare continued.

Children, sifting through the details that remain etched in their memory, are painfully aware that something is missing; something’s been lost. And if something is lost, can it ever be found again?

Danielle was removed from her home and placed in foster care at the age of 14, but not before those vivid memories of her beginning, tried to define her ending. And then those memories ran headfirst into basketball, and everything changed.

Basketball came naturally to her, and it was the one thing that she could control. Her skill, passion, and dedication to the game, catapulted her into a full scholarship to play at Central Christian College of the Bible in Missouri. Life was on the way up for Danielle.

Escape- the act of leaving.

A writer will often dive into a book, allowing them to be somewhere they’re not. Danielle tried her best to escape the horrific trauma that was shaping her future. She abused drugs as a way of coping; as a way to forget. But she

could not escape. The deepest truth of any pain, can sometimes be hushed by the faded haze that comes with drugs or alcohol. But the deepest truth is always there, and the haze always dissipates, until all you’re left with is the pain. And the truth.

At the age of 16 Danielle moved in with her coach, and she was adopted three days before she turned 18. This was a defining moment in her life. She went on to graduate high school, eager to begin her dream of playing college basketball.

And then life tried to define her again.

“There’s probably a lot more I should remember from that night,” she tells me. “It was a Friday, I was giving a player a ride home after helping coach a basketball game, and I remember my sister was in the back. I remember the rain.”

Her car hydroplaned off the highway, flipped over, and crashed into a tree at a very high rate of speed. Her friend was ejected from the car, and when the paramedics arrived at the scene, Danielle had no pulse. She was comatose and on life support for a week.

She woke up in the 2nd hospital they took her to, suffering from a traumatic spinal cord injury, broken ribs, punctured lungs, and no ability to speak. Lost too, was her ability to walk. It seems that life’s reservoir of cruelties was trying to define her once again.

Speech therapy, occupational therapy, and the physical pain was hard, but the hardest thing of all for our Native American warrior, was the loss of being able to play basketball. This time Danielle coped not with drugs, but with determination, drive, and a desire to defy the odds.

And defying the odds is an understatement in Danielle’s story. She is now a student at Oklahoma Wesleyan University. She speaks at churches, schools, and for various sports teams, giving her testimony. She is the assistant for the women’s basketball team, and is choosing to look at life through a different window.

Danielle shares, “Don’t let your circumstances define the path that you choose. We must focus on what’s ahead, and do all the things to make life better for ourselves.”

From the vivid and also vague glimpses of our past, we shape our own story. We are all powerless to change what we’ve gone through, and this is an unfortunate reality of everyone on this planet. Our perception of the past may never change. Yes, it happened. Yes, it is still horribly traumatic. But our future takes on the perception we choose to give it. We are never powerless over our future, or how we choose to look at life in the here and now.

Danielle is one of the strongest young ladies I’ve ever met, and it was a complete honor turning her words and her life into a story.

We could all learn something from a warrior.

In the World of Social Media...

by Kelly Hurd

When I write, I do it from my heart. I don’t like writing just to fill a page. So, I’ll admit – this is my secondchoice article for November.

The first one I wrote about a recent experience and lesson learned on a dead-end road of sorts. But after I sent it, I thought I’d rather just keep that one to myself – so you’re reading #2.

In the world of social media, the concept of privacy has been diminished drastically. Rarely does anyone keep things to themselves. What I had written about in the first article, was a situation that had hit the fan on social media.

Many days as I scroll on Facebook, I see stitches from operations I don’t want to see, anger over issues that I don’t need to know about, exposed pregnant bellies of women I don’t even know, and political propaganda I didn’t ask for. Social media at times can be lacking in social graces and occasionally seems to be the world’s bathroom wall with trolls creeping under every bridge and looking for opportunities to pop up in comments with the most gosh awful spews coming straight from the gutter.

Anyways, along those lines of thinking – I decided to just keep that article for myself. I know the story that I wrote about - inside and out. I have peace about it. It can just sit in my files.

Part of what led me to pull it from this month’s mag was

that others were involved. They weren’t named, but none-the-less, if they would have read it, they would have known where they fit in the story – and I care about them, and wanted to protect them from public opinion.

It seems privacy has become more of a policy than a practice these days.

But imagine with me for a moment – what if:

When you wanted to wish someone a Happy Birthday, you mailed them a card or called them on the phone?

When you disagreed with someone, you kept it to yourself or walked into their office to discuss it –privately?

Husbands and wives shared their pregnancy with family and friends in real time first, rather than prime time?

Every relationship you’ve had since being a teenager wasn’t searchable in your status updates?

Community watch pages monitored their posts and took down all the negative and defaming ones?

There were no photo filters? Lol

We all want to have our own diary of sorts – but the oldtime diaries used to also come with a lock and a key. They were private thoughts and private moments that only intimate family members could have access.

Now, I’ll admit, sometimes I write the best darndest posts on Facebook that no one sees… because on those, I set the post setting to “Only Me.” I want to remember whatever it is, and let’s face it, Facebook has become our modern-day Scrapbook – but some of my posts are not for the thousands of “friends” on my Facebook account. They’re private – not secret – just private, mine and only mine.

What if we decided to protect the reputations and hearts of others in what we do, or do not post on social media or write about in a magazine… What. If.?

Well, here’s to untold stories and private lives that stay that way!o

Thanks for scrolling through my thoughts On the Road with me this month! Happy Thanksgiving!

Caregiver and Home Care Services

srussell@mcgrawrealtors.com

Wishing you all a Happy Veterans Day!

Wing, Administrator Affordable apartments where you can enjoy new friends and feel right at home! We have independent living apartments available to rent for those ages 55 or older. All apartments are unfurnished, 1 bedroom, $950 per month

Bartlesville Health & Rehab Community provides a wide range of quality health care services. Locally owned, BHRC offers 24-hour licensed nursing care, skilled nursing services, long-term care, and in-house physical, speech, and occupational therapy. And now, BHRC offers memory care for those with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders. This brand-new Memory Care Center (Memory Lane) is a secure 16-room unit with aroundthe-clock nursing care. For more information or to schedule a tour, call (918) 333-9545. 3434 Kentucky Place • 918-333-9545 • www.bartlesvillehealthandrehab.com

What’s in the Pantry?

by Aaron Kirkpatrick

A few weeks ago, I was enjoying a late-night Instagram Reels binge session in our living room. My wife and kids were asleep, the house was dark, and I was kicked back on the couch, engaging in semi-conscious scrolling. My teeth were brushed, my contacts were out, and I was just waiting to doze off before dragging myself to bed. Don’t judge; you do it too.

In between videos of orange cats bullying dogs and news reporter bloopers (don’t judge my algorithm either!), I heard a crunching sound coming from the direction of the pantry. My initial thought was that our bulldog had risen for a late-night snack. I turned on my phone’s flashlight and sat up, pointing it toward the food bowl. Instead of Beans—yes, the dog’s name is Beans—I saw the blur of a small animal racing away.

I once heard a biologist refer to mice as “nature’s potato chip,” because “You find them everywhere, and everything eats them.” I’ve never eaten a mouse, but they are indeed everywhere in Oklahoma. We’ve fought them in every house we’ve ever owned.

Being at the bottom of the food chain has made mice clever. The old saying about not being able to build a better mousetrap is nonsense. Oklahoma mice learned to outsmart snap traps generations ago. Poison is inconsistent and runs the risk of hurting the dogs. That really just leaves sticky traps. These come in your run-of-the-mill glue box traps and the SUPER sticky gel traps.

In our perennial war with mice, we use all available options. We’ll win for a while, killing them off and driving them out. Then, the mice regroup and strategize before moving back in and launching a new assault on our home. When I saw something small dashing away from the dog’s food bowl, my first thought was, Here we go again. I got up, dug out a few traps, set them, and laid back down on the couch to resume scrolling.

A few minutes later, I heard a commotion again from the direction of the pantry. I repeated the process with the flashlight, but this time, instead of a blur, I saw something

under a shelf in the pantry. I use the word “saw” loosely because, without my contacts in, I’m basically blind. Squinting hard, I could see a gray shape moving, but not running away. I guessed it had backed itself into a box and felt trapped.

Hoping to confuse it with the light, I kept my phone trained on the mouse as I approached. I still couldn’t see it well, but as it turned in a circle, I saw a long, thick tail. “Oh no!” I thought. “It isn’t a mouse. It’s a RAT!” We’ve dealt with mice plenty of times, but we’ve NEVER had to fight rats. They’re more destructive and harder to kill off. Forgetting about disorienting it, I hurried back to the drawer for a super sticky gel trap. I opened the trap and slid it under the shelf like a soldier clearing a bunker with a grenade, hoping it would step in the gel trying to get away from me.

My aim was better than I expected, and the trap actually hit the animal. Startled, it turned to face me, and I was finally close enough to see it clearly. It wasn’t a rat. It was a BABY POSSUM!

The situation was now simultaneously better and worse: better because we don’t have rats, but worse because the baby possum was stuck on three different sticky traps. I wanted to unstick it without being bitten, but every time I got close, it turned and hissed in fear and warning. I tried talking in soothing tones. I hummed it a tune. I apologized. None of that calmed the little guy.

Finally, I had an idea. I ran to the kitchen and put on my wife’s oven mitts. Now protected from tiny teeth, I was able to safely grab the possum by the scruff of the neck. I gently pulled the sticky traps off its feet, fur, and tail before taking it out the back door and releasing it in the grass. It shuffled away, escaping under our fence.

I have no idea how he got in the house, and he hasn’t returned. I like to imagine that baby possum was reunited with his family, and when he recounts this story, his family calls him a liar, because no serious possum would ever believe in a giant, half-blind, half-dressed ape with crab claws who rescued a baby possum in trouble. But that’s exactly what happened.

Forgotten Heroes

by Mike Jerry Tupa

“Far off I hear the rolling, roaring cheers. They come to me from many yesterdays,

From record deeds that cross the fading years, And light the landscape with their brilliant plays, Great stars that knew their days in fame’s bright sun.

I hear them tramping to oblivion.”

— Grantland Rice (18801954)

Kurland, Renick, Bowerman, Nash, Endacott, Pitts, Thompson, Darling, Murrell, Shipp, Skurcenski, Haldorson, Price, Kusleika, Hagan.

Forgotten heroes? At one time they were the brightest stars in Bartlesville’s sports constellation.

The rollcall goes on: Pitts, Browning, Bunge, Tucker, Freiberger, Carpenter, Adams, Beck, Wilke, Ebling, Fortenberry, Pralle, Martin — and scores of others, too many to list.

These were the men of glory that stormed the basketball hardwood like pistons of gritty grace, or the coaches who inspired them, during an era almost too long ago to remember. They were the Phillips 66ers.

We must not forget.

The Phillips team sprang from the bloody ashes of World War I when sports squads that blossomed throughout the nation to help returning warriors heal from unseen wounds of war.

Phillips Petroleum formed the 66ers in 1920 to represent the company in men’s competition.

In 1923, the 66ers landed a superstar — Paul Endacott, the first great talent in University of Kansas hoops history and future Phillips president. He was inducted in 1972 into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In the late 1930s, the 66ers burst into a national power in amateur/industrial league basketball. For more than a quarter-century, high-level corporate teams such as the 66ers rivaled or surpassed pro basketball for talent, news coverage and quality of play.

Numerous college All-Americans opted to play for

company-sponsored teams because of the guarantee of a career — usually one with a promising future — beyond their playing days.

One of them was Bob Kurland, publicized as the first true seven-footer in basketball history. Spurning a pro offer, Kurland played from 1946 through 1952 for Phillips. During that time he played on two U.S. Olympic men’s basketball teams (1948, 1952).

In 1948, Kurland and his 66er teammates beat NCAA champion Kentucky for the national amateur championship and control of the 1948 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team.

Through their final season (1967-68), the 66ers — clad in red uniforms in home games — had dominated the amateur realm — 11 AAU national championships, 11 NIBL national titles, 3 ABL national titles and twice winning the U.S. Olympic Trial playoffs.

66ers’ home games (College High gym or Adams Gym) created magical memories enduring decades among those who attended — spunky, screaming spectators shoe-horned together in the always not-enough seating and the draconic intensity and golden quality of the talent on both the 66ers and foes.

The 66ers cumulative record through 48 seasons was 1543-271 (.851). Twelve 66er players qualified to play on U.S. Olympic Basketball Team rosters. Four former 66ers players/ coaches are in the Naismith HOF: Endacott, Kurland, Clyde Lovellette and Louis Wilke.

Former 66ers standout Bobby Plump was the real-life inspiration for “Jimmy Chitwood” in the film “Hoosiers.”

Time and tastes took their toll on corporate teams. With the rise of the NBA — and ABA — and high pro salaries, amateur teams couldn’t attract anymore most of the top college talent.

But Phillips fielded strong teams to the inevitable end.

The lights went out for the final time on the 66ers 56 years ago.

The glory of what they achieved — and the incredible personalities and highly-skilled gladiators that breathed life into the team’s soul — shines beyond its time.

Former Phillips 66ers greats R.C. Pitts, left, and Bob Kurland reminisce during a team reunion several years ago in Bartlesville.

UnitedHealthcare offers reliable Medicare plans with benefits built to be used

If you're looking for coverage you can count on at the right price, this plan has predictable medical and prescription drug costs, plus valued extras. With Extra Help from Medicare, your premium is reduced to $0 each month.

AARP®

Medicare Advantage from UHC OK-0002 (HMO-POS) includes:

$24 monthly premium for medical and prescription drug coverage

$4,000 dental allowance for covered services like cleanings, fillings and crowns

$80 credit every quarter for OTC products in-store or online

$300 allowance for eyewear, plus $0 copay for a routine eye exam and lenses

Let’s connect today.

Alex Tarasenko

Licensed Sales Agent

918-688-1197, TTY 711 everythinginsurancegroup@gmail.com www.everythinginsurancegroup.com

Free gym membership

No referrals to see any provider in our Medicare National Network

$0 copay for Tier 1 prescriptions

$0 copay for primary care visits

Plans are insured through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or one of its affiliated companies, a Medicare Advantage organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in the plan depends on the plan’s contract renewal with Medicare. UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company pays royalty fees to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. AARP and its affiliates are not insurers. You do not need to be an AARP member to enroll. AARP encourages you to consider your needs when selecting products and does not make specific product recommendations for individuals. AARP does not employ or endorse agents, producers or brokers. Benefits, features and/or devices may vary by plan/area. Limitations, exclusions and/or network restrictions may apply. If your plan offers out-ofnetwork dental coverage and you see an out-of-network dentist, you might be billed more. Network size varies by local market. OTC benefits have expiration timeframes. Call your plan or review your Evidence of Coverage (EOC) for more information. Annual routine eye exam and $100-500 allowance for contacts or 1 pair of frames, with standard (single, bi-focal, tri-focal or standard progressive) lenses covered in full either every year or every two years. The fitness benefit varies by plan/area and may not be available on all plans. The fitness benefit includes a standard fitness membership. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your doctor prior to beginning an exercise program or making changes to your lifestyle or health care routine. Gym network may vary in local market and plan. Network size varies by local market and exclusions may apply.

©2024 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Y0066_240717_021101_M

H5253-172-000

25SPRJ84127

Wendell Willkie for President Remembering the Anti-Third-Termer Candidate

by Debbie Neece

Wendell Lewis Willkie’s parents were both lawyers; and, his mother was the first woman admitted to the Indiana bar. Wendell’s childhood was notably mischievous and didn’t meet parental approval. However, by eleven, he became a junior entrepreneur selling newspapers to townsfolk and small buildings to farmers. Then, he worked himself through Indiana University, where he received a law degree.

When the United States declared WWI on Germany, he enlisted in the Army. After the armistice, he stayed to represent court-martialed servicemen. That was the beginning of Willkie’s “right-fighter” mentality. He returned to Indiana, hung his own law shingle, and began toying with the idea of political office. Although Willkie was a 1932 Democratic Convention delegate, he eventually supported Franklin Roosevelt as the party’s nominee, even contributed to F.D.R.’s campaign fund; still, they remained staunch policy adversaries.

From the moment F.D.R. was elected the 32nd President of the United States, his presidency was challenged by the Great Depression and later WWII. In 1933, Willkie became the president of Commonwealth and Southern Corporation (C.S.C.), the largest public utility holding company in America. One of Roosevelt’s New Deal policies was to expand the U.S. electrical grid, which led to the creation of the Public Utilities Holding Company Act to regulate and break-up large utility holding companies, like the C.S.C.

The C.S.C. was Willkie’s bread‘n’butter; so, he hit the road speaking to the press and public against F.D.R.’s shortcomings and future catastrophic loss to utility investors. Insightful or not, in 1939, Willkie put on his right-fighter hat again, changed political affiliation, and challenged F.D.R.’s unprecedented third term as the 1940 Republican presidential candidate. He told the news reporters, “I haven’t left the Democratic party; the Democratic party left me.”

Willkie was hailed as the anti-third-termer candidate in the 1940 presidential race. During a Tulsa political rally, one would have thought great royalty had arrived as an estimated 25,000 lined the streets in cheer as Willkie made his way to the Tulsa Fair Grounds where another estimated 50,000 hailed his arrival. His platform centered not about the political issues but the length of which F.D.R. had residency at the White House. Four

hours prior to speaking at Tulsa, Willkie’s “Battle of America” speech was delivered to a mass gathering at Coffeyville, KS., where he taught high school history and coached boys’ basketball, from 1913-1914.

“If there was ever a time in the history of this country when every democrat, every republican, every independent, should say that we should limit the power of office and the length allotted to its occupancy by one man, it is now.” Wendell Lewis Willkie.

Upon his death in 1944, grief-stricken messages poured in from both political parties and from leaders across the world who echoed the same sediment: Willkie was a leading political influencer with “courage in his convictions” who platformed on being right rather than being president and had formulated an unwavering stance for international peace.

The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution was formally proposed by the U.S. Congress on March 24, 1947, and was ratified on February 27, 1951. Although challenged many times, the amendment stands thanks to Wendell Willkie.

Dad’s Walk

Hopestone Grateful for Dewayne Bryan

by Julie Vaclaw

November is National Gratitude Month and here at Hopestone we have so much to be grateful for! One of our biggest blessings comes in the form of a local man, Dewayne Bryan, who will be hosting his Dad’s Walk 2024 Fundraiser, November 7 th through the 9 th .

Once again, Dewayne is inviting anyone who wants to come out and walk with him to benefit two of his favorite local non-profits, Hopestone Cancer Support Center of Bartlesville, and Paths to Independence.

past Hopestone on Frank Phillips Blvd. and stop at the Osage Casino Bartlesville, to host a banquet and fundraiser with live auction and music. On Saturday, November 9 th , they will get an early start and finish the walk to downtown Copan around noon. After they arrive in Copan, they will kick off another day and evening of fellowship with live music, BBQ, and drinks. All donations will go to support Hopestone Cancer Support Center of Bartlesville and Paths to Independence.

In 2021 Dewayne decided to walk to raise money for a friend who was battling brain cancer. He was no stranger to cancer before this life-changing event, with close family members who had battled cancer and a sister-in-law who continues to battle cancer today.

Because of his concern and desire to help those battling this terrible disease, his mission to help aligned perfectly with Hopestone’s mission to support and empower the cancer community of Bartlesville and the surrounding area. In 2022, Dewayne decided to expand his Dad’s Walk to include Hopestone to raise funs for those who were undergoing treatment.

This year’s walk begins on November 7th, 2024, at the Claremore American Legion and will finish two days later with Dewayne and friends generating donations with every step. Approximately seventy miles total! This year, he will be adding a new event on Friday, November 8th , where they will walk

Thank you, Dewayne for all that you do to support these great causes in our community.

We are truly grateful for your strong and generous heart!

The event at the Osage Casino will be huge. Some of the live auction items are amazing, ( Zach Bryan tickets and some other signed stuff, including an autographed 2020 World Series winner Corey Seager jersey, Philadelphia Eagles stuff and maybe KC Chiefs as well. There are many beautiful gift baskets and items for the Silent Auction, too. For the BBQ in Copan, it will be a big event with some other items, live music and a BBQ. They are requesting a $10 donation be made however, no one is ever turned away.

AscensionSt.JohnJanePhillips CardiacandVascularScreeningProgram

CarotidArteryEvaluation

Plaqueinthecarotidarteriescanreduceblood flowtothebrainandmayincreasetheriskof stroke.Itisalsoamarkerforheartattackrisk.Duringaninternalcarotidarteryevaluation,an ultrasoundprobeisplacedonyournecktodeterminethepresenceofplaqueorblockage. 15minutes,$40

CardiacFunctionEvaluation

Anultrasoundprobeisplacedonyourchesttoevaluateheartfunctionandcalculateyour ejectionfraction ,theamountofbloodpumpedoutoftheheartduringeachbeat. 15minutes,$40

Ankle-BrachialIndex

Bloodpressureisrecordedfrombothanklesandarmstoscreenforperipheralvasculardisease. Theankle-brachialindexevaluatesbloodcirculationthroughoutthelegs,andisalsoanindicator ofheartattackrisk. 15minutes,$40

(Seereversesideformorescreeningoptions)

AscensionSt.JohnJanePhillips DiagnosticImaging

3500SEFrankPhillipsBLVD

Bartlesville,,OK74006

918-331-1598

ascension.org

Screening is the Key

. . . For Preventing Heart Attacks

by Abigail Singrey

With sweater weather upon us, many people may take on extra strenuous tasks such as chopping wood, breaking ice or shoveling snow. This extra stress on the heart can lead to heart attacks. It’s important to pay attention to your heart rate when doing out-of-the-ordinary exertions.

“Prepare your body for strenuous work this winter through exercise,” said local cardiologist Dr. Anderson Mehrle of Ascension St. John Jane Phillips Medical Center. “It’s important to hydrate even during these winter months and listen to your body. Take breaks when you should take breaks.”

Mehrle often gets asked if preventing heart disease is the same as preventing heart attacks. It’s not quite that simple, he says, but preventing heart disease lowers the overall risk of heart attacks. Coronary artery disease, often a precursor to heart attacks, continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Disturbingly, CAD is being diagnosed at younger ages, which could be attributed to factors such as diet, increasingly sedentary work conditions, and other environmental and lifestyle influences. The primary factor in preventing heart disease is monitoring your health and making changes as needed.

“Lifestyle changes are underappreciated, but can make a huge difference,” Mehrle said.

He emphasizes the importance of weight management for people of all ages to help prevent heart disease. Mehrle frequently recommends the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet and encourages patients to stay active by joining a gym or the Wellness and Fitness Center at Jane Phillips Medical Center. Additionally, new evidence highlights that getting sufficient sleep is crucial in preventing heart disease.

“Even young people, particularly young men in their 20s, should assess their diet, physical activity, alcohol and tobacco use, as well as family history,” said Mehrle. “For example, if a male family member had a heart attack before the age of 55, that’s a significant red flag.”

Early detection, through a physical exam and lab work, can help calculate a 10- or 30-year risk of developing heart disease.

There are several modifiable risk factors for coronary artery disease: obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets. In addition, medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol are major contributors.

“For hypertension, the target blood pressure is now less than 130/80,” said Mehrle. “High blood pressure over the years leads to hardening of the arteries, making them less flexible and more susceptible to cholesterol buildup.”

Cholesterol is a key player in heart disease, and levels should be carefully monitored. An LDL greater than 190 often prompts treatment, especially with a family history of heart disease. Statins are commonly used to lower cholesterol, but newer non-statin therapies, including a twice-yearly injection, are available as well.

“If you have heart disease or have had a heart attack, your LDL goal may be even lower,” Mehrle said.

Blood sugar control is also vital, particularly for individuals with diabetes. Managing diabetes and achieving a hemoglobin A1C of less than 6 to 6.5 can significantly lower your chances of developing heart disease, according to Mehrle.

Also, various screening tools can help identify early signs of CAD. Mehrle recommends carotid artery intimal thickness measurements, which are simple ultrasound tests, and a CT calcium score to assess calcium deposits in the arteries.

“The higher your calcium score, the greater your risk compared to others in your age group,” he said.

Additional tests, such as abdominal aortic and carotid artery ultrasounds, can also provide valuable insights. Your primary care doctor can also order a treadmill test, which can be a useful tool.

“Understand your numbers, know your risk, and be proactive about your heart health,” Mehrle advises. “Remember the old adage: it’s never too late to start. With heart health, it’s never too early to start.”

This is part one of a three-part series. Look for part two on surviving a heart attack next month.

TECH TALK TRI COUNTY TECH

GIVING TUESDAY

On December 3, Giving Tuesday will mark the biggest giving day of the year for Tri County Tech. This event gives our community a chance to unite for a meaningful cause and create a lasting difference in the lives of those in need. The Tri County Tech Foundation is delighted to be part of the global movement, joining thousands of organizations for the most significant giving day of the year. The Tri County Tech Foundation has set a goal to raise $5,000 in just 24 hours. No amount is too small, and anyone is invited to contribute to this goal. Those funds will be used by the Foundation to provide tuition assistance, emergency aid, and food assistance to students in need.

DITCH THE DEBT! SHARPEN A SKILL!

Tri County Tech offers affordable adult programs to get you into a higher-paying career fast! With our flexible evening programs, you can get certified in under a year! In-house financial assistance is available, and 90% of students qualify.

Looking to gain a skill and head to college? Most of our programs have continuing college credits that can be applied to a degree! Choose from courses in healthcare, computer, trade skills, and more!

Have questions? Contact us at 918.331.3333 or EnrichingLives@TriCountyTech.edu

Did you know that Tri County Tech is more than just a school? We also offer low-cost quality care in a state-of-the-art dental clinic, in partnership with the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. You receive a FREE screening appointment to identify any service you need. Treatments are provided by students and are supervised by our faculty and a licensed dentist. Use the QR code or call 918.331.3218 to learn more and schedule your FREE screening today!

Have you heard about our newly renovated cosmetology salon? They’re open and ready for your business! All services are performed by students under the supervision of a licensed instructor. Call 918.331.3236 or book using the QR code to schedule your appointment today.

UPCOMING TRAININGS

Explore our FREE trainings on essential topics like SAMS and UEI: How to Get Set Up for Obtaining Grants and Volunteer Firefighter Grant Finding. Or take the next step and enroll in one of our CPR courses. Need something more tailored? We offer customized trainings to fit your needs!

Contact us at 918.333.3255 or email Training@TriCountyTech.edu to learn more.

The deadline to apply for our January CNA program is January 10. You can start your career as a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) in just a few short weeks. Nursing homes, hospitals, adult daycare centers, personal homes, and assisted living facilities all require nursing aides to act as a helpful liaison between the RN or LPN and the patient. On average, our graduates earn $10-$12/hour upon entering the workforce.

Morris McCorvey

Bartlesville’s Beloved Poet

by Kay Little, Little History Adventures, with aid from Nathan Thompson & Abigail Singrey

“Somebody has to create poetry, or the whole of civilization will come apart.” Morris McCorvey

When I was asked to write a tribute to Morris McCorvey, I knew I wanted a quote from my young friend, Christy Ervin. She was a homeschooler who marched to the beat of a different drum, much as Morris did. “Morris McCorvey profoundly shaped my journey in the arts and beyond. As one of my first directors, he was the catalyst for many threads that wove together my inspiration and success. His influence extended through multiple plays through the public library, multiple summers at the West Side Community Center, where I was able to delve into invaluable lessons in acting, improv, music, poetry, art, culture, and history. His encouragement led me to unforgettable experiences, including performing on stage with the 5th Dimension. Morris was a man of exceptional integrity— honest, blunt, and transparent—who consistently pushed me to discover and realize my potential. Morris’s impact on my life and the entire community of Bartlesville was immense, and his legacy will continue to inspire and guide me.

Morris McCorvey always inspired his students.” Morris did not look at the color of the skin, the age, or the school of his students.

While researching information about Morris, I found the following tribute from Nathan Thompson, a reporter for the local radio station. He said it so well.

“A Bartlesville icon in the arts and nonprofit work has died after a long battle with cancer.

Morris McCorvey, who is the former executive director of the Westside Community Center, community volunteer, actor and a well-known poet, died Friday, September 6th. He was 73.

Born in inner-city Oklahoma City, McCorvey attended Friends University on a football scholarship, but it was his love of English literature that spurred him through his college career, exploring acting and poetry.

McCorvey first came to Bartlesville in 1980 as an artistin-residence for the Oklahoma Arts Council to teach poetry at Jane Phillips Elementary School. In 1985, he founded the

Dustbowl Players — an acting troupe for students.

Through his community engagement, he was named the executive director of the Westside Community Center in 2004. During his tenure, McCorvey established several programs, including afterschool care, activities for senior citizens and other things that still go on today.

One program that McCorvey started was the “Work Ethics Prosper” program, also known as WE Prosper, which teaches teens the skills they need to become employed. WE Prosper continues today.

Once his tenure ended at the Westside Community Center, McCorvey continued his pursuit of amplifying the arts. In 2023, McCorvey recorded an album at Red Cat Recording Studio that combined the smoothing sounds of jazz, combined with the spoken word of poetry, entitled “Hoboetry.”

McCorvey leaves behind a large immediate family, and several extended “family members” whose lives will always be impacted by the quiet, solid leadership of Morris McCorvey.”

I found another article written several years ago by our own Abigail Singrey. She had a great quote about Morris. “Morris McCorvey had an office, but he rarely used it, because he felt isolated from the outside world. He was a man who liked to be in the midst of things: where the action was. He loved working at a place that was overrun with kids every day. He enjoyed theater because of the interaction with the other players and the challenge to himself artistically. He wrote poetry because he believed it was “the breathless feeling that keeps us going every day.”

As Morris said, “I took the road not taken, and it has made all the difference.”

Give Thanks. . .

And a Look at the Notable Benefits of Doing So

by Joe W. Colaw

A true and whimsical story of giving thanks caught my attention; In his book FOLK PSALMS OF FAITH, Ray Stedman tells of an experience H.A. Ironside had in a crowded restaurant. Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited him to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, “Do you have a headache?” Ironside replied, “No, I don’t.” The other man asked, “Well, is there something wrong with your food?” Ironside replied, “No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat.”

The man said, “Oh, you’re one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don’t have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!”

Ironside said, “Yes, you’re just like my dog. That’s what he does too!”

The Bible tells us to “give thanks”!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

The Bible instructs us to “give thanks” and scientific research affirms thanksgiving and the attitude and action of giving thanks, if practiced regularly, can keep you healthier and happier.

A group of researchers looked at the combined effects of gratitude and sleep quality on symptoms of anxiety and depression. They found that higher levels of gratitude were associated with better sleep, and with lower anxiety and depression.

Alex Korb Ph.D., in an article published in Psychology Today, Nov. 20, 2012; “The Grateful Brain, The Neuroscience of Giving Thanks” suggests that thanksgiving has 17 notable benefits.

• Reduces depression.

• Greater propensity to receive promotions at work.

• Improves one’s self esteem.

• Increases one’s energy.

• Contributes to a strong immune system.

• Decrease blood pressure.

• Increases sleep quality.

• Reduces negative stress and enhances ability to handle stress.

• Higher probability to eat healthier.

• Develop healthier and deeper friendships.

• Increases productivity in the home and workplace.

• Contributes to improved job performances

• More people enjoy being around thankful people.

• Reach goals faster.

• Increases feelings of happiness and wellbeing.

• Reduces negative emotions such as envy, hatred, and anger.

• Increases positive emotions. Some of us pause and affirm this is a great idea but we have all kinds of difficult and depressing things happening around us, it is difficult to give thanks. Researchers suggest a wide range of ideas to increase our thankfulness.

Every morning verbally say 3-5 things for which you are thankful. They can be some of the simplest of life’s provisions. Words of kindness toward others will often ignite a spirit of thanksgiving in you! I once heard a person say to a stranger; “I don’t know you, but I noticed you have a very nice smile and your smile warms my heart, thank you!” The stranger responded with such gratitude that the simple statement of kindness and thanksgiving stirred good in both of them.

Serving others is a way to demonstrate thanksgiving. Volunteer at one of the caring centers of our community. There are several. Smile and speak words of appreciation for the day, life, sunshine, friends, etc…, it will stir good in your heart, soul and mind as well as those you meet.

Give Thanks!

Soldier Bones & Mementos

by Brent Taylor

I often hear a quote with various iterations attributed to everyone from Churchill to Twain, “If you are not an insurrectionist at eighteen, you have no heart. And if you are not a flag-waving patriot at the age of thirty-five, you have no brain.”

This seems truer as time goes by. In my youth, as the Star Spangled Banner was played at sporting events, I listened with insouciance. Now, I get chills when I hear the National Anthem, a complex but flawed song that is difficult to sing, but still a brilliant gem, chiseled from the passion of patriots fighting for the remarkable idea of inalienable rights and equality, which was and still is an imperfect ideal, one still molten in the press of human pining and American ingenuity.

I have been reading Rick Atkinson’s book about the Revolutionary War, “The British Are Coming: Lexington to Princeton 1775-1777. After the first large-scale engagement of the Revolutionary War, the Battle for Bunker Hill, soldiers who had died on that battlefield were buried quickly, sometimes en masse, the quick separated from the dead by a few spades of Massachusetts Commonwealth soil. Occasionally, some years hence, a tibia or femur would emerge from that hallowed hill, a restless remnant of that great struggle just north of Boston.

Those who gave their lives for the cause of liberty at Bunker Hill were buried not far from their homes, farms, shops, and churches. However, other Americans who died for the cause of freedom were laid to rest in foreign countries. Bringing home the dead has never been easy. According to the American Battle Monuments Commission, 218,000 individuals are buried or memorialized in foreign sites around the globe.

In the nation’s early years, most troops were buried where they fell. During the Revolutionary War, it was common for a soldier’s personal effects to be collected and auctioned to his peers. In more recent wars, families learning about their Soldier Dead claimed the belongings as a way to remember and grieve for them. As the dead came home, so too did the things they carried. Japanese swords, German Lugers, an

Italian accordion, a tobacco sack full of diamonds, a shrunken head, uniforms, helmets, wallets, rings, letters, and photos. Whatever remained was recovered and sent to Kansas City, Missouri. The items were cleaned of blood and grime. An inventory was attached to the belongings and they were sent to the next of kin.

According to another Rick Atkinson book, the final installment in his trilogy of World War II, The Guns at Last Light, when World War II ended, many families elected to bring their dead loved ones back home to be buried. Most traveled by ship and then rail, coming back home in a somber inverse diaspora. Among those waiting was Henry A. Wright, a widower who lived on a farm near Springfield, MO. One by one, his sons arrived at the local train station. Sergeant Frank H. Wright was killed on Christmas Eve in 1944 at the Battle of the Bulge. Then Private Harold B. Wright, who had died of his wounds in a German prison camp on February 3, 1945. And finally, Private Elton E. Wright, killed in Germany on April 25, 1945. Gray and stooped, the elder Wright watched as the caskets were each carried into the rustic bedroom where each boy had been born. Neighbors kept a vigil overnight, carpeting the floor with roses. They bore the brothers to Hilltop Cemetery for burial side by side by side, beneath an iron sky. Thus did the fallen return from Europe, 82,357 strong.

What a sobering reminder of the cost paid by those who gave their lives so that others may hold close to their hearts the self-evident truth of creation, that all of us are created equal, endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This creed of equality, according to Edmund S. Morgan does not give us equality, but rather, “...invites us to claim equality, to seek and demand a better place.” The fight to maintain this claim of equality is why soldiers fight and die. It is also the reason that it is a continuing restless cause, one that stirs old bones like those at Bunker Hill, both the quick and the dead animated with a wind of hope that brings soldiers mementos to life reminding us of our entrusted duty to honor those who gave their lives for freedom.

OKLAHOMA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

55 Over 55

Dora Patzkowski Nominated for Award

by Maria Gus

Since 2022, the organization behind NextGen Under 30 has been taking time to recognize more Oklahomans who make a difference. On October 17, 2024, the 55 Over 55 Awards will unveil a new class of more experienced professionals and the contributions they have made to Oklahoma.

Successful Oklahomans selected each year are those people making a difference and impacting the quality of life for many Oklahomans in the areas of agriculture, aviation, education, engineering, finance, foundations, government, healthcare, law, manufacturing, non-profit organizations, public service, sports, technology, the arts and so much more.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. nominated Bartlesville’s own Dora Patzkowski for this award. As a Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor, Patzkowski has been bringing compassion and hard work to her district for the past five years.

The job description for a tribal councilor is to make good law or amend law and to watch over the budget. It also entails being a liaison between the Cherokee Nation government and the people of District 12.

As with any leader, Patzkowski says the challenge lies in finding balance. “Mentally you have to study legislation and make decisions with the budget to serve the majority of the people,” said Patzkowski, “then you have to be able to be hands on, boots on the ground within your district boundary.”

For Councilor Patzkowski, whether it is helping an individual or a group, the biggest reward is helping people.

In the last five years, Patzkowski has sponsored numerous pieces of legislation, of which she is proud, but being able to bring Cherokee Nation Career Services and Cherokee Nation Human Services to District 12 are among her greatest achievements. The building where these are located also serve as a Cherokee community organization.

Patzkowski says she owes much to her family, who has been very supportive of her dedication to others.

“(A leader) must have a team for the support of campaigning, holding down the fort (home), and much travel.”

Patzkowski doesn’t plan to take a break after her recognition from the

55 Over 55 Award. She still has a lot she hopes to accomplish for the people of District 12. “Healthcare and Housing continue to be the biggest issues facing Cherokee Nation, along with Government-to-Government relations with State Leaders,” added Patzkowski. “While we have made huge progress in both Healthcare and Housing, our relationship with Governor Stitt continues to lack mutual respect. While Cherokee Nation strives to serve and work together, we just want to be respected.”

Councilor Patzkowski’s first term in office started in August of 2019. That first year of service included Covid and an opportunity to rise to the occasion. “Covid 19 was here and impacted so much of the way I was able to be those boots on the ground as well as meeting with other leaders to accomplish the work that was so needed,” said Patzkowski. “Undoubtedly, this was an unprecedented situation and called for creativity, learning and a much different way of serving.”

“As a Cherokee citizen, I am most grateful for the history of my ancestors, what they endured, and for that I am here today to share our history and culture,” said Patzkowski.

If you would like to learn more about Cherokee Nation services in the District 12 area, call Dora Patzkowski at 918316-5216 or email her at dora-patzkowski@cherokee.org

Gift-Giving Season

The Center Has Something For Everyone On Your List

It’s gift giving season at The Center, and we have something for everyone on your list. Kick off the holiday season with Elf Jr: The Musical on Friday, December 6 at 7:00 PM. Underwritten by ConocoPhillips, this show is presented in partnership with Children’s Musical Theatre of Bartlesville and includes an all-star cast of local talent. Proceeds will benefit The Center and CMT.

Young and old alike can experience Buddy, a young orphan, who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. This show will definitely get one in the mood for the holidays! Bring the entire family and save money by purchasing various family packages.

Looking for something to put under the tree? Purchase individual or short season tickets to the remaining three Broadway in Bartlesville! shows. Start off the new year with Pretty Woman: The Musical on January 6, 2025 at 7:00PM. This modern spin on Cinderella will have you ready to fall in love all over again. On February 23 at 7:30pm, bring the family out for The Addams Family, the comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family. Finish off the season with Dear Evan Hansen on March 6 at 7:30pm. This Tony-award winning musical is deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it.

Gift cards are also available and may be redeemed for any show at The Center.

Financial support from the National Endowment for the

Arts, Oklahoma Arts Council, and these local sponsors make it possible for The Center staff to present the 20242025 Broadway in Bartlesville! series: * Arvest Wealth Management * bMonthly Magazine * ConocoPhillips * Copper Cup Marketing * Cortney McClure Design * Mr. and Mrs. Paul Crawford * Examiner-Enterprise * Green Country Village * Keleher Architects * KGGF KUSN KQQR * KRIG KYFM KWON KPGM * Melody’s Creative Cuisine * Nowata Road Liquor * Phillips 66 * Price Tower Arts Center * Robinett/King * Dr. and Mrs. Richard Rutledge * Dr. and Mrs. William D. Smith * Sparklight * Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory * Ms. Terri Taylor * Truity Credit Union * Visit Bartlesville.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call The Center box office at 918-337-2787. The Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and evenings and weekends during scheduled concerts and events, and is located at 300 SE Adams Blvd., in Downtown Bartlesville. Learn more at www.bartlesvillecenter.com.

918-766-2361

Ron Jones Local Soldier Recalls Service in Vietnam

by Joe Todd

Ron Jones was born 17 Sep 1948 in Tulsa. The family moved to Collinsville, and he graduated from high school in 1966. After high school, he attended the Tulsa Business College until he was drafted May 1968.

Along with the other draftees, he was sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana for Basic Training. They trained with the M-14 Rifle, went through the obstacle course, the gas chamber and learned how to set claymore mines. He said Basic was discipline and learning how to take orders. Basic lasted eight weeks and he stayed at Fort Polk and went to Tiger Land for advanced infantry training.

He said the advanced training was more of what they had in Basic but more intense and said Tiger Land we geared toward Vietnam. He finished his training in November 1968 and received orders for Vietnam. He flew on a commercial flight from Tulsa to San Francisco then on to Vietnam. The airplane landed in Da Nang and said when he got off the airplane it was a rude awakening, the heat and the smell.

He was in Da Nang for a couple of weeks, then assigned to the 101st Airborne Division and sent to Camp Evans, north of Hue. Camp Evans was a tent city and informed that he was infantry and told he would carry an M-60 machine gun instead of the M-16 and he was very pleased with that. The M-16 rifle had a tendency to jam. He then found out he had to carry the machine gun and four hundred rounds of ammunition. Another man on the patrol also had to carry four hundred rounds of ammunition for the machine gun.

He was told to take all the tracers out of the ammunition so the enemy could not tell where the fire was coming from. Every fifth round in the ammo belt was a tracer round. On one patrol, they left the base, and he did not remember where the base was located. They were out several hundred yards and the base came under attack. The enemy was between them

and the base, and they were not sure what to do. They didn’t fire on the enemy because there were too many and it was a small patrol that would have been wiped out.

When he went out on patrol, many times he walked point, which was at the front of the patrol. They always stayed off the paths because the paths were always booty trapped. They always had a destination point and the point man led the way to that point. Many time, they went through elephant grass which was six to ten feet tall. At night they stomped the grass down for a position and sat on their helmets and no one slept during the night.

He normally went out on patrol two or three times a week and most were in the daytime One thing, they always had to be on the lookout for booby traps. He never tripped any but some of the guys did. Most of the booby traps were punji stakes, which would go through the bottom of the boot. They were given jungle boots with metal plates on the bottom for protection.

During the monsoons, it rained constantly. It rained every day and sometimes it was a hard rain and sometimes it was just a drizzle, but everything was wet. On May 10, 1969, he was on patrol and they came under enemy fire from an ambush. He was wounded the first day. This was Hamburger Hill, Hill 937. He was wounded by a mortar and medevacked out and the battle lasted 10 days. He felt sorry the guys left in the battle and felt he should have been there for them.

He recalled the poverty in Vietnam and felt sorry for the children when they went through the villages. He was in Vietnam one year and when he landed in San Francisco, he got down kissed the ground. He was discharged May 1970, moved to Bartlesville and began working for Reda Pump.

Your Baby, Our Cover

Judges Choice Winner will receive a photo session ($350 value) plus have your child on our January 2025 Cover!

• Your baby must be under 18 months of age.

• Your baby must be able to securely sit up by themselves.

• Legal guardian or parent must bring child and give consent.

Registration opens on Nov. 8 at noon at bartlesvillemonthly.com. Facebook voting will be held December 6 at noon CST to December 13 at noon CST.

QUESTIONS? Visit us online at bartlesvillemonthly.com for more details. Entries are limited to the first 100 online reservations.

• Photos will be taken in the Amanda Stratford Photography Studio.

• Must be available November 15, 16, or 17 for photo shoot.

Spots fill quickly. Be ready at noon!

TUBA CHRISTMAS

DECEMBER 15 | 3:00-4:00 PM

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE

DECEMBER 17 & 19 | 6:00-9:00 PM

Vist our website for more information on tour hours, events, and rental rates.

The Missing Bill of Rights

by Jay Hastings

In September, 1789, the Bill of Rights, which contained the 12 constitutional amendments, was finalized for proposal to the states. President George Washington ordered clerks to create 13 additional copies, one to be distributed to each state. It was eventually ratified in December, 1791. In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared December 15 as National Bill of Rights Day.

Today, eight states maintain their copies - Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Some have been misplaced or remain altogether missing; others have their own interesting histories.

Near the end of the Civil War, a Union infantryman who was occupying Raleigh, North Carolina, broke into the state archives and stole the state’s copy of the Bill of Rights to keep as a souvenir. The unnamed soldier took it home to Tippecanoe, Ohio, and pawned the document a year later. It resurfaced briefly when the pawn dealer tried to sell it, but disappeared again in the 1920s.

An antique collector later purchased the North Carolina copy of the Bill of Rights but claimed it could not be traced to any particular state. His downfall came when he tried to resell the document to the National Constitution Center Museum. As part of the proposed transaction, the document was inspected by Washington historians who found a faint bit of handwriting on the back side of the document. It turned out, the handwriting belonged to the very same North Carolina state clerk who, in 1789, had signed it for record keeping purposes before placing it in the State Archives.

In 2005, the FBI was brought in at the request of the state’s Governor. An undercover agent posing as a philanthropist met the antique dealer and his attorney in a high-rise office building in Philadelphia. Once the “buyer” submitted a four million dollar check to the attorney, they called for a delivery man who was waiting in a coffee shop down the street. As he arrived in the office with the original North Carolina copy of the Bill of Rights in a box, FBI agents burst into the room and seized the document.

When most states ratified the Bill of Rights, they sent a separate letter noting approval or disapproval of each amendment. Delaware, however, simply signed and affixed a seal to its copy of the document and sent it back. Delaware’s copy then became a federal record and was kept in the custody of the State Department, and was eventually placed into the National Archives. In 2003, the National Archives agreed to loan the document back to the State of Delaware for a periodic display.

Some original copies were destroyed or are missing. Georgia’s copy was presumed burned during the Civil War and New York’s was burned during a fire at the state capitol in 1911. Pennsylvania’s copy was believed stolen in the late 1800s and Maryland is not sure what happened to its copy.

Two original copies have resurfaced. One was gifted to the New York Public Library in 1896, and is theorized to be Pennsylvania’s missing copy. In 2003, the two states agreed to share the document, which was later put on public display in Pennsylvania. The other copy that resurfaced was gifted to the Library of Congress and, while there remains ongoing debate as to its origin, one has to wonder, could it be Maryland’s?

The Better Way to Bank

Savings

Banking with a credit union means that we’re dedicated to helping members improve their financial lives. This makes Truity stands apart from other financial institutions! Giving you fantastic savings!

4.50 % APY

Mortage

A local lender can make all the difference when buying a home.

1. Round up your change with every debit card swipe.

2. Deposit it into your savings account.

3. Watch your savings grow!

SaveUp Spirit Cards