Roosevelt News

-- East Coast Edition –

-- Printed in Loving Memory of Wanda J. Jackson 1934 - 2011 –

News Center

Read old/current issues and send news or comments online at:

http://www.234enterprises.com/RooseveltNews/newscenter.htm

Editors:

E-mail: mmay@234enterprises.com

Carolyn Niebruegge May Michael L. May

Vol. 1, Is. 3 August 5, 2011

From the Editor

As I worked on our computer archiving the second issue of the Roosevelt Newsletter and cleaning off files we no longer needed, I reflected back on my first attempt at editing a newspaper. That was the 1963-64 school year. I had been selected Editor of the Whirlwind, the Snyder High School newspaper. It was published weekly in the Kiowa County Democrat, the local Snyder paper. It is almost impossible to believe the changes in how we do things even though I have lived through the changes and made each transition with little anxiety.

When I was editing the Whirlwind, we had a number of “reporters” who were members of the staff. They were assigned an event to report on for the next issue. They would give me a hand written copy of what they had to say. I would do some minor editing, sit at my manual Royal typewriter and type it up, then after review by the teacher who was the Whirlwind sponsor deliver it to Henry Martin, the publisher of the Kiowa County Democrat, who would I am sure typeset it to be printed in that week’s paper. Of course, the papers mostly went out through the U.S. Mail. So several days after turning in the rough copy to Mr. Martin, we would see the paper printed.

As I sit at the computer today, I can easily make changes to the written word as I hit the “delete” or “backspace” key. I hit the “spelling and grammar check” button and my work is checked and errors are underlined for me to correct. Our “reporters” send us information in emails which we receive within minutes of them hitting the “send” button. I can “copy and paste” what they send into my newsletter file, make editorial changes, and have them ready for the next addition within minutes. No retyping of anything. If the articles are sent in different fonts, I only have to highlight them and change to the font we are using for the newsletter. When we have the issue ready to “print,” we hit the send button in our email and “subscribers” all over the world have the newsletter within minutes.

What changes we have seen over the years! It makes us wonder what will happen in the next 50 years.

cnm

Content Contributors for the Week

Judy Conrad

Charles Curtis

Carolyn Martin

Geary McDowell

Kaye Perkins Weaver

All those who sent messages to the Email “Bag”

Thank you all!

Remembering…

Coming next week -- “Remembering Nash’s Store”

Thoughts from the Squirrel Lair

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Kaye Perkins Weaver (class of 1971). Kaye relayed a quote to me from her Uncle Audey Perkins, who lived south and east of Roosevelt and has since passed. It went something like this, “At age 80 it either doesn’t work or if it works, it hurts.” There are probably several of us less than 80 who would agree with him.

Roosevelt High School Reunion 2011

Watch this space for news on the upcoming Roosevelt High School Reunion which will be September 30 and October 1. We will be bringing you updates on the plans for the Reunion. In addition, we will include a list of all of those who have sent in their registrations to attend. Watch to see who of your classmates/friends plan to attend and encourage those who are not on the list to come. The more the merrier!!

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Reservations for the 2011 Roosevelt High School Reunion have been received from the following: Those in red are new this week.

Class of 1947: Bobbi (Alford) Buckner

Class of 1948: Cotton (Muse) Mathis and James

Class of 1949: Bob Sheets

Class of 1951: Lena (Kenimer) Harris

Class of 1953: Tom Alford; Shirley (Webb) Cook and Dober; Evelyn Walters

Class of 1955: Beverly Gray and Don Taylor

Class of 1956: Rose (Chance) Anderson; Dwight Peterson

Class of 1957: Jim Law and Alice; Johnny Block

Class of 1958: Merle Jones and Kathy Falconer; Ronald Hebensperger and Janet; Arden Beavers and Sharon

Class of 1959: Jerry Alford; Norwood Pollard; Gene Janes and Janice

Class of 1961: Paula (Miller) Block

Class of 1962: Joe Mac Ankney; Howard (Rex) LaFever and Mary

Class of 1963: Johnny Alford; Karen Denton and Tommy

Class of 1964: Bonnie (Pollard) Phillips and John

Class of 1965: Michael May and Carolyn

Alumni Website

We have renewed the account that Wanda Jackson had set up at the photo sharing website, picturetrail.com for the Roosevelt Alumni: http://www.picturetrail.com/rooseveltalumni. She had posted many pictures from past reunions, class panels, and old schools buildings along with write ups about them. We thought you might find these interesting if you haven’t visited this site in the past.

Local News

Remembering Roosevelt Back When…

Glenda Sparks Hyneman has started a Wonderful new Group in Facebook called “Remembering Roosevelt Back When…” It has literally gone VIRAL. It’s been a blast so far. Almost “choked” my Droid--I got 40 messages from the site in 40 minutes. Please join in on the fun and ask Glenda to accept you into the group. She promised she’d accept all “comers.” Give her a test.

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Relay for Life

Roosevelt was well represented in the Kiowa County Relay for Life event held at the football field in Hobart on July 29. Relay for Life is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relays, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length. More information on the Relay for Life events and the meaning behind them can be found at http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/whatisrelay#whatisrelay. The funds raised go for research as well as for helping those who need prostheses, wigs, etc., as a result of pouts with cancer. Because of the extreme heat, many of the participants in the Kiowa County Relay were unable to stay through the night. The Snyder FFA Chapter did stay through the night and prepared breakfast for the Relay participants very early in the morning providing much needed nourishment.

The Roosevelt team was lead by Team Captains Carolyn Martin and Tonya Burton. Team members included Glenda Jenkins, Krystal Lancaster, Dodie Burton, Billie Burton, Kelsey Ragland, Danny Lou Cole, and Mollie Bullock. The team had a snow cone stand to help raise funds. The Roosevelt team was honored to have Cody Jenkins serve as their “drag queen” who along with helper Daniel Fulton canvassed the crowd for donations for the cause. (All teams had a “drag queen” circulating through the crowd to collect donations. A contest was held to see which “drag queen” could collect the most. The results were not yet available.) The team raised at least $1200 but final totals are not in at “press” time. This is outstanding as it was the first year for the Roosevelt team to participate in the event and the temperatures were at record breaking highs. Kudos to the team members. Hopefully, next year will bring both more participants and supporters and definitely lower temperatures.

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How Hot Is It?

Geary McDowell, for those of you who do not know him , is the son of Kenneth and Pat McDowell, who many of you older residents most certainly knew. Kenneth and Pat spent their earlier years in Roosevelt and the latter part of their lives in Snyder. Gary was in the class of 1969 but moved to Snyder where he graduated. His claim to fame (other than being a career educator) is that he is “a certified card carrying” storm chaser, ham radio enthusiast, and weather lover extraordinaire. If you don’t care for the weather you see on the “Texoma” TV stations, you may want to look Geary up on Facebook and see if he would agree to be your friend. He keeps his Facebook friends up to speed on Texoma weather. Knowing his expertise, I asked if he would do a write-up on the extreme weather that those in southwest Oklahoma and northern Texas have been experiencing. Following is his assessment of the current situation there. mlm

Thanks Mike for asking me to put something together on the weather. This is major, and we have not yet seen the damage or death toll from it I am afraid.  July has gone down in the record books as the hottest month on record in Oklahoma. The last week of July and the first week of August have turned deadly with extreme heat and high heat indexes. We have been running 102-107 most days for weeks now.  Last week we started consistently running 107-112 and this week we look to run 108-113 before heat indexes are applied.  Plant life is being permanently damaged or killed and people along with pets and livestock will greatly suffer this week and longer.  Home air conditioners are failing as the older units were not designed to handle this extreme heat, especially for days and weeks at a time. The NWS Storm Prediction Center is saying the same thing I have been telling people about when they think relief will happen--about mid September.  We could easily be looking at six more weeks of this!  There has been no rain since early last spring. We greatly need a hurricane of at least a strong Category 3 to come into the Louisiana/Texas border area. Then we have a good chance of rain to break this heat and drought.  Cache went on mandatory water rationing effective Aug. 1, NO outside watering at all.  I cannot imagine why Lawton has not done any rationing yet. I expect it any day and then the heat will increase.  We are able to help keep the heat down a little with the greenery around town. But once you break 110, what difference does it make?  It is too blasted hot!  :) Fires continue to be a problem as almost daily one breaks out somewhere. The least spark fuels the dry grass to rapidly burn and winds often make it very difficult for the firefighters to contain the blazes.

Following are statistics as of August 2, 2011: Consecutive days over 100 degrees and total days over 100 degrees: Lawton, 42 and 58; Wichita Falls, 42 and 68. Last measurable rainfall: Lawton, .07 inches on July 4^th; Wichita Falls, .14 on May 24. Rain deficit as compared to normal: Lawton, -11.6 inches; Wichita Falls, -13.91 inches.

The following information and graphics are courtesy of the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma. You can follow their information on the Internet at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/enhanced.php.

The summer heat continues in full force. Bouts of summer-like heat began early in the spring season, with triple digit heat reported in Wichita Falls, TX in April!!! Since that time, temperatures well into the 90s to several degrees above 100 have been the rule there. Farther north and east into Oklahoma City, OK, it has also been hot, but not like the intense heat experienced over much of western north Texas and western Oklahoma. Warm (both high and low) records have been significantly broken at both locations. The current period of hot temperatures has been compared to some of the more intense summers of the past.

Many questions have come into the National Weather Service in Norman, OK with requests for record data at both Oklahoma City, OK (OKC) and Wichita Falls, TX (SPS). If you click here for Oklahoma City and here for Wichita Falls, we have done a comparison table with some of the more notable hot summers, including the daily high temperatures from June through September. Also, by clicking the tabs at the top of the page, you can access up-to-date records concerning hot temperature streaks, records, and interesting facts. For some perspective on what is considered "normal" for this time of year, you can click here for Oklahoma City, OK and here for Wichita Falls, TX, which will give you the 30-year climatological averages beginning in 1971 and ending in 2000.

Temperature and Precipitation Plot for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for 2011

Temperature and Precipitation Plot for Wichita Falls, Texas for 2011

We have also included a link to the heat-safety page. With the summer season in full force, outdoor activities are also on the increase. Be sure to prepare yourself for the extreme heat if you plan to be outside for an extended period of time (drinking plenty of water, etc.). Checking in on the National Weather Service in Norman, OK web-page is a good place to start. You can also familiarize yourself with things like the heat-index (this document tells you more than you probably would want to know).

Heat Related Fatalities Versus Other Types of Severe Weather	Heat Index Chart

For the most up-to-date weather information, you can click here and go to the
National Weather Service Norman, OK Homepage.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/oun/enhanced.php

This is a graphic we have seen way too often lately in SW Oklahoma.

This chart is a comparison of the data for Oklahoma City as talked about above.

This chart is a comparison of the data for Wichita Falls, TX as talked about above. Grandfield, OK has been declared as the hottest community in July so the Wichita Falls temps are a better representation of their temperatures.

Of course with the extreme dry weather, winds that have varied from none to 80 mph occasionally, sparking power lines due to the winds, careless humans, etc. the fire danger is high.

This is one of best visuals issued by the Norman NWS advising people how to use simple common sense and stay alive during this extreme heat spell.

The Excessive Heat Warning actually covered all of Oklahoma and north central Texas. This only illustrates what is covered by the Norman NWS.

What about records? This graphic demonstrates the ten warmest months in OKC and Wichita Falls since weather records have been kept. WOW! Look where July of 2011 landed!

Stay cool y’all and Hookem’ Horns.

Geary McDowell, KE5IRK, Storm Team Net Control

Birthdays and Anniversaries

We have compiled all of the birthday and anniversary information we could from Wanda’s files. We are sure we are missing some. Please send us the birthdays and anniversaries for your family and friends so that we can have as complete as list as possible. We are going to start with what we have from Wanda’s files so if we miss you, please send us the information so we have it for the news next year. In addition, should any of the birthdays or anniversaries we list be wrong, also please let us know.

Happy Birthday To:

August 7 – Christian Dane McCannon
August 10 - Matt Alonzo
August 10 –  Tanya Henson

August 10 – Michelle (Neuwirth) McCormack
August 11 –  Shawn Ragsdale
August 11 –  Jesse Alonzo
August 11 –  Greg Ragsdale

Happy Anniversary To:

August 10 –  Trapper & Dierra (Davis) Heglin

August 11 –  Frank & Shirley Lucus
August 11 –  Steve & Debbie Boyd

Humor

Secrets to a Long Happy Marriage

An old woman was sipping on a glass of wine while sitting on the patio with her husband, and she says, “I love you so much I don’t know how I could ever live without you.” Her husband asks, “Is that you or the wine talking?” She replies, “It’s me…talking to the wine.”

Submitted by Charles Curtis

From the Email “Bag”

July 28, 2011

My dad, James Leslie "Tes" Johnson is in the VA Center at Lawton, OK, and would like people who knew him to drop by the Red Wing and say hello. His niece, Jonna Shklar, does that and keeps some tabs on him, since my wife, Nancy, and I and our son, David, live far away. We are in Oak Park, IL, and David is in Portland, OR. I went to elementary school, 1-2 grade, and part of 4^th grade, in Snyder, OK, and 3rd, rest of 4th through 8th in Cooperton, before we moved to the City for most of the 9th, and then to Los Alamos, NM, for the rest of high school. My uncles, Marvin and Dewey Johnson, and aunts, Eunice and Ruby Fern, used to live in Roosevelt, as did my aunt Opal Hill, with her son, Jarrel, who was about my age. So I spent a lot of time in Roosevelt and have been to at least one of the reunions. My wife Nancy was born in Alpine, TX, but we met at college at NMSU, in Las Cruces, NM, where David was born.

Recently we and David were in Japan, where we visited Okinawa, Kyoto, and the region around Mt. Fuji, which David climbed, after the typhoon passed on and the weather cleared. We have friends in the Kyoto area that came with us and also helped David climb. Now we are recuperating back at home in Oak Park.

I am happy to see that others value Wanda's contributions and her news about the area will be carried on.

Jimmie Johnson

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The following is being reprinted with the permission of the sender:

July 28, 2011

Well, I can be too direct at times without knowing it so I seldom email unless I know a person real well.  FYI, I didn't enjoy high school and was glad to get out of town.  I have no plans to ever attend a reunion.   My parents are gone.  The house is sold.  I have no connections people wise with the town anymore.  

Yet I must say that I like the newsletter.  I have read both issues so far.  I like reading newsletters just reunions are not for me. I didn't know that John had died of a heart attack nor that Brett had died, not that I was close to either one of them. I do thank you and those that got this going.  

I still wear my class ring so I do care about the town a bit.  I went to school for 12 years and earned that ring, even though it ages me if someone looks at the year on it.  At least I don't look my age I have been told.  

I love to bike and have a ride at the end of August--the Hotter than Hell ride in Texas.  I haven't ridden a lot lately due to the heat yet I have got to get some ride time in. I am baby sitting my BF's cats as he is on the Iowa RAGBRAI bike ride this week so I got to go.

Anonymous

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July 30, 2011

Ya’ll are doing a great job. Big shoes (Wanda J. Jackson) to fill. Thanks.

Alan Gibbons

Obituaries

Paul Mahoney (Local Resident)

http://rayandmarthas.com/CurrentObituary.aspx?did=87389d92-674c-4e54-9f05-743ef36c343e

Julia Ann (Judy) Ayers (Class of 1959)

http://rayandmarthas.com/CurrentObituary.aspx?did=a6142bc6-d2b5-4659-9dc0-14ba40c06f1b

Useful Links:

Becker Funeral Home of Snyder, OK

http://www.beckerfuneral.com/?page=snyder

Ray and Martha’s Funeral Home of Hobart, Mt. View, and Carnegie, OK

http://rayandmarthas.com/

Roosevelt Cemetery Layout

http://www.234enterprises.com/Roosevelt%20Cemetery%20Layout.htm

Roosevelt Cemetery Markers (Picture Trail)

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/listing/user/rooseveltcemetery

Roosevelt Cemetery on Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99397&CScn=roosevelt&CScntry=4&CSst=38

Hobart Rose Cemetery on Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99399&CScn=Hobart+Rose&CScntry=4&CSst=38

Hobart Resurrection (Catholic) Cemetery on Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2246374&CScn=Resurrection&CScntry=4&CSst=38

Mountain Park Cemetery on Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99042&CScn=Mountain+Park&CScntry=4&CSst=38

Snyder Fairlawn Cemetery on Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=98391&CScn=fairlawn&CScntry=4&CSst=38

Spring Hill Cemetery in Cooperton on Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99577&CScn=Springhill+Cemetery&CScntry=4&CSst=38&

News Center -- Always Available Online

Remember--past, current, and all future editions of “Roosevelt News -- East Coast Edition” can be viewed online from any computer at: http://www.234enterprises.com/RooseveltNews/newscenter.htm. We highly recommend that you bookmark this link.

In addition to viewing all copies of the paper, you can use this website to send comments or news items to us for publication.  Simply enter your name, your class year (if a Roosevelt graduate), your email address, and the comments you want to make or the news item you want to send and click on “Submit Information” button at the bottom left of the page.  The information that you submitted will show on your screen under a title of “Form Confirmation”—confirming that what you entered was sent to our email. 

Email Addresses

This newsletter is an email edition. The only way for you to receive it and keep up-to-date with your friends from Roosevelt is for you to keep us informed of changes to your email address. So please be sure to notify us at mmay@234enterprises.com should your email address change. We also encourage you to send us email addresses for friends and family who might also like to receive the newsletter so that we can include them on our list.

Feedback

We welcome your comments and feedback on the Roosevelt News -- East Coast Edition. mmay@234enterprises.com