-- East Coast Edition –
-- Printed in Loving Memory of Wanda J.
Jackson 1934 - 2011 –
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. 2, Is. 23 Dec.
21, 2012
From the
Editor
Just to prepare you to read
on or move on to the next segment of the paper—the “Old Man” is getting ready
to step back up on his soapbox. Yes I’m
getting ready to give some of my closing thoughts on the “Sandy Hook Elementary
Tragedy. In my lifetime, this is one of
the all time tragedies because it involved innocent little children. It didn’t help that we have a Granddaughter
the age of many of those killed. I try
not to imagine the fear in their little eyes as the event unfolded. I can’t remember an event that had so many
confusing and erroneous statements relative to the happenings. Some blame social media and they may be
partially right, but the finger may be more accurately pointed at the media in
general attempting to get a “scoop” at the expense of the victims’ families.
Obviously, this event brings
up a discussion on gun control. Let me
say up front guns are a very small part of this problem (yes, my opinion). I am a gun owner. I know that I have at least 3 shotguns and 1
22 rifle in my house (plus a fairly high powered pellet rifle). Good or bad, I’m not sure I could put my
hands on more than one of the shotguns and the pellet gun—and have no idea
where any shotgun shells are, but do know that I have no .22 cal. shells. Two of these guns were custom “stocked” by a
close friend for my Father and Father-in-Law.
I think one of them was shot once and the other probably not at
all. The other two include a 20 gauge,
double barrel owned by an uncle and a 12 gauge pump that I got as a
teenager. Neither has been fired in over
40 years, but I still want them and in fact I want one more—a Smith and Wesson
“Governor” six shot pistol that can chamber and fire 2.5 inch .410 shells, .45
Colt rounds, and .45 ACPs. Pistols like
this are commonly referred to as “snake guns.”
That’s what I want it for (primarily).
We have way too many Copperheads and they appear to be getting
thicker. However, I would suggest that
an intruder facing the “business end” of this weapon might be just a little bit
alarmed thinking that possibly “this may not turn out well.”
Back to the “gun
control”—major changes in gun control will be discussed at length over the
coming days, weeks, and months as a result of this event and I do believe that
change will come. Will our 2nd
amendment right be challenged? I believe
partially—but not significantly. I
firmly believe that assault weapons will be banned. However, that said, I would support that most
of the people who do legally own these weapons have them as a “trophy” in their
gun safe. They may or may not even fire
them. I must admit that I really don’t
see a need for any law abiding citizen to own an assault rifle (such as he
used). They were designed for no purpose
other than to kill people—a lot of people in a very short period of time—which
is exactly what this perpetrator did.
Under current law, the guns used were purchased legally by the shooter’s
Mother. No question that more stringent
requirements for purchasing guns of any kind would be a step in the right
direction. However, in summing up my
thoughts on gun control, I agree with my cousin who posted a poster on Facebook
that read, “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a
gun.”
The next area I want to
address is the safety of children in schools.
It appears that this school had all of the right policies in place—short
of armed officers and scanning equipment at the door. I do think we need to consider greater
security than is currently in use at most schools and would say that I would
hate to be the one receiving all the calls that schools across the country will
receive this week asking about what security procedures they have in
place. I certainly consider greater
security advantageous. You can’t get rid
of ALL the guns. If one is looking to obtain
a gun, they WILL get it regardless of what laws are in effect.
We also know that this
individual did have some long term mental issues--issues that may not have been
dealt with properly. Apparently, even
though his Mother knew he had these issues, she regularly took him to a gun
range to fire these weapons. Beyond
that, which I consider extremely inappropriate activity for a son with a mental
imbalance, one can only guess at what challenges she may have faced with
him. I reference the following article
that my daughter sent me this afternoon describing the horrifying experience of
another Mother attempting to deal with a son having “on again, off again”
mental imbalance and the limited resources afforded her by the mental care
community: http://anarchistsoccermom.blogspot.com/2012/12/thinking-unthinkable.html. This article most certainly adds a new
dimension to the complexity of what parents of mentally ill children face.
Through possibly no fault of
her own and a flawed treatment system, this Connecticut Mother is now dead, her
son is dead, and 26 other innocent children and adults at the elementary school
are also dead. Over last weekend, I saw
an interview with a doctor stating that in his opinion the state of our health
care for the mentally ill is in shambles and that inadequate insurance coverage
for proper treatment for those affected is a large part of the problem. I purport, as I believe was the case here
that the failure of people close to individuals with mental issues not
admitting that there is a problem or their lack of assistance, even if they
recognize the issues most certainly lead to such tragedies.
In summary, would more
stringent gun control and greater security in the
mlm
Content
Contributors for the Week
Charles
Curtis, Class of 1965
Bill
Hancock
All
those who sent messages to the Email “Bag”
Thank
you all!
Remembering…
Here is this weekend’s query
about
“Name some
businesses have been across the street south of the old high school. And
who owned them?”
Let us know what you know!
Here’s what we learned
last week
Northeast corner of
Highway 9 and Main Street
Golly, this was a
toughie. Darla Bynum guessed that a used-car lot was on the northeast
corner of Highway 9 and
Ruth Ann McNutt and others
thought another ice cream place may have been on the site, but doesn’t know for
sure.
Sam Malone saved the day by
telling Patti Johnson that Clint Terry operated a used car lot on that corner
before the Dairy Queen. Jerry Wilson had the same memory about
Clint “Red” Terry who “sold me the ’50 Mercury—still one of my
favorites.” Richard Chase said Terry was a partner of Bud Adkinson’s in
another used-car business across the street from Peet’s Grocery in 1958.
“He sold me a ‘49
Vernon Williams opened the
Dairy Queen May 2, 1959. The first day’s receipts were $36.60. It
was THE place to be on weekend nights. Bill and Pat Cook bought from
Vernon Williams April 15, 1973. Do any of you friends know when the DQ
closed?
# # #
White Swan Laundry
Joe Hancock says “Fran's
Cafe in the White Swan Laundry building was a classic. Early morning crowd
gathered there. Great place to eat.”
# # #
Craft
Larry McElreath wrote, “I want to mention that
Bonnie Craft's son, whose name was Bobby, played for the Bearcats in the early
'60's in the fullback position. Tex Bartlett was the coach, running the
single wing. Bobby went on to play football at Cameron University and was
on the same team as Joe Don Looney. I'm really not too sure if Bobby
played on scholarship or was just a walk-on. He was one tough
hombre! Not very fast, very easy-going,
and a great team player. Everybody
really liked him. He kinda had the personality of his mother, Bonnie, who
was the waitress at Fran's. Just a great personality that you enjoyed
being around.”
#
# #
Shorty Derrick’s Station
From Jim Harris: “Dad
worked for Shorty at his Gulf station (SW corner Highway 9 & Bdwy) for
about eight years after Cecil Tull retired and sold out his propane business on
Iris and the Frisco Railroad tracks about 1970. Dad ran Shorty's
propane route north and west of Hobart and Lloyd Hazle generally ran everything
south and east of
# # #
Restaurant at Fifth and
Broadway
From Todd Hancock:
“When I was in high school, we would eat our pre-game meals there when they
used to feed us about 4-5 p.m. before football games. I remember great chicken fried steak.”
# # #
Service Station on Southwest
Corner of Third and
From Susan Harris Sala, who got details from her
brother, Fred Polley, who ran the station at the southwest corner of Third and
Washington with John Allred beginning around 1949. “In the summer of 1950
John Allred went on harvest and Fred owned and operated it until he was drafted
into the army because of the draft. This was around Sept. 1950 and then Fred
sold it to Jenks Burns.”
Vernon Harris was involved with the station from
about 1945-49. Mr. Eichor was the distributor. Johnnie Polley did
not work at the station.
Also, Susan notes that when her parents met, her
mother, Emma, was working as the bookkeeper in an implement store
owned by Buck Brower.
#
# #
Miscellaneous
From an anonymous
friend: “Cornell T. once impressed me. I saw him open two bottles
of pop at the same time with his teeth in the little store across the street
from the high school. What was the store called? Good Frito Chili
Pies!”
# # #
Emilie Krieger would love to
know if anyone has any information on the bell that was in the bell tower at
Thoughts from
the Squirrel Lair
A Baby’s Hug
We were the only family with
children in the restaurant. I sat Erik
in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said,
“Hi.” He pounded his fat baby hands on
the high chair tray. His eyes were
crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he
wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a
zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed
and unwashed. His whiskers were too
short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road
map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose
wrists. “Hi there, baby; hi there, big
boy. I see ya, buster,” the man said to Erik.
My husband and I exchanged looks, “What do we do?”
Erik continued to laugh and answer, “Hi.”
Everyone in the restaurant
noticed and looked at us and then at the man.
The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from
across the room, “Do ya patty cake? Do
you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows
peek- a-boo.”
Nobody thought the old man was cute. He
was obviously drunk.
My husband and I were
embarrassed. We ate in silence; all
except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring
skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.
We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me
to meet him in the parking lot. The old
man sat poised between me and the door.
“Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,” I
prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I
turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be
breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my
arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled
himself from my arms to the man.
Suddenly a very old smelly
man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and
submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover
beneath his lashes. His aged hands full
of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his
back. No two beings have ever loved so
deeply for so short a time.
I stood awestruck. The old man rocked
and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, “You take
care of this baby.”
Somehow I managed, “I will,” from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in
pain. I received my baby, and the man
said, “God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.”
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks.
With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car.
My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly,
and why I was saying, “My God, my God, forgive me.”
I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child
who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who
saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian
who was blind, holding a child who was not.
I felt it was God asking, “Are you willing to share your son for a
moment?” when He shared His for all eternity. How did God feel when he
put his baby in our arms 2000 years ago?
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the
If this has blessed you, please bless others by sending it on. Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of
what is really important. We must always
remember who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we feel
about others. The clothes on your back
or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at
all; it is how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are.
This one is a keeper.
'It is better to be liked
for the true you, than to be loved for who people think you are......'(Amen! )
I believe we could all take
lessons from Gods little children!!!
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.
Cooperton Valley Picture Trail
The “
Christmas
As we approach
Christmas next Tuesday, we thought you might find some of the following
Christmas articles interesting and inspiring.
Christmas in
THIS IS REALLY
SOMETHING. ENJOY!
It looks like the house is
jumping. As the story goes, the guy who
owns this house lives north of
Turn on the sound, run in
full screen (left click the little box at the lower right of the You Tube
screen)
http://www.flixxy.com/best-christmas-lights-display.htm?utm_expid=1298512-10
********
The True Story of Rudolph
There is an email that tells
the “true story of Rudolph.” It is a
very interesting and inspiring email.
When checking it out, we found that the email may not be completely
true. The following link gives the email
version and the purported true events of how the story of Rudolph really came
about. Read and enjoy the email for
yourself and then read the true events.
Regardless of how Rudolph came to be, it is a good lesson for us.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/christmaslore/a/rudolph_the_red_nosed_reindeer.htm
********
Christmas Trees around the World
Enjoy the video of some of
the world’s most spectacular Christmas trees.
Your sure to be in a better mood after two minutes of holiday music and
wonderful scenes.
********
Top 10 Most Unique Christmas Trees around the World
These are very
interesting. Some are better than others
but believe you will enjoy!
Click on the link
below. Read about each tree and click on
the video to view the tree and hear the music.
Each is a You Tube video so click on the little box in the lower right
hand corner to view in full screen.
http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/2012/12/top-10-most-unique-christmas-trees-around-world
News
The
Roosevelt Senior Citizens Center is closed for the holidays. They will reopen for lunch on January 8,
2013. We will provide the menu in the
next edition.
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 we
list be wrong, also please let us know.
Happy Birthday
To:
December 21 – Pat Sanders
December 22 – Mike Montgomery
December 23 – Santos Balderas
December 23 – Dago Torres
December 24 – Jacey Pearl Funkhouser
December 25 – Norwood Pollard, Class of 1959
December 26 – J. R. Howard
December 26 – Lance Cole Carter
December 26 – Robert Long
December 26 – Janeena Hendry
December 27 – Haylee Hopkins
December 27 – Randy Jackson, Class of 1964
December 27 – Shawn Dickinson
Happy Anniversary To:
December 23 – Johnny
&
December 23 – Billy Glenn & Edna Pitts
Humor
Avocados
A wife asks her
husband, "Could you please go shopping for me and buy one carton of milk
and if they have avocados, get six."
A short time
later the husband comes back with six cartons of milk.
The wife asks him, "Why did you buy six cartons of milk?"
He replied, "They had avocados."
If you're a woman, I'm sure you're going back to read it again! Men will get it the first time.
My work is done here.
From the Email
“Bag”
December
14, 2012
I don't claim to know a lot
about anything, only the things I experience and things I hear on news
reports. I do know that all disabilities
cannot be resolved by adapting curbs, adding bus lifts and special
elevators. People with Epilepsy are not to have driver’s licenses, not
suppose to drive which puts them in a legitimate disability state. I know
people who hide this illness because they want to work and drive and I think it
is a very dangerous thing. There are legitimate reasons for a person to
be eligible for disability that has nothing to do with wheelchairs. I've
worked with people in wheelchairs. I also know people who have not been
able to get disability who are really sick and get fired because they are unable
to do jobs and are still denied disability insurance. One thing employers
are very sticky about is attendance and tardiness. Crawl in if you want
to keep a job. This system is so screwed up. The ones who need
don't get and the ones who don't need, get. Anyone who has seen someone
have a bad seizure is something you would rather not see again. There are
other reasons people can't work other than physical. I don't believe 49 percent
of Americans would rather not work and get free stuff. I am still trying
to figure out what this free stuff is people are talking about. Since my medical and pharmaceutical co pays
are going up in 2013 and so are my daughters, I'm waiting to see if we can
afford doctors or medicine and a monthly deductible has been added which will
come out of my pension check. That thing seems to drop more and more
every year. I worked for almost 30 years and Federal, State, FICA and
City got theirs before I even saw mine. I don't consider Social Security
an entitlement. I paid for what I get. I am sure they will let me
know When and If I no longer qualify. HLN news reported that people are
living longer but sicker. I don't want to be sicker just to live
longer. So far I have some quality of life left. I have no desire to live just for quantity.
I resent negative things said about impoverished people because I am one.
It brings to mind the old saying "Don't judge a person until you have
walked in their shoes and believe me no body wants to walk in my shoes.
Just one persons opinion
Linda Newson, Class of 1968
Obituaries
Johnny
Newton, 78, Indiahoma
http://www.beckerfuneral.com/sitemaker/sites/becker0/obit.cgi?user=845285Newton
Useful
Links:
Becker
Funeral Home of Snyder, OK
http://www.beckerfuneral.com/?page=snyder
Ray
and Martha’s Funeral Home of Hobart,
http://www.234enterprises.com/Roosevelt%20Cemetery%20Layout.htm
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/listing/user/rooseveltcemetery
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99397&CScn=roosevelt&CScntry=4&CSst=38
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99399&CScn=Hobart+Rose&CScntry=4&CSst=38
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2246374&CScn=Resurrection&CScntry=4&CSst=38
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99042&CScn=Mountain+Park&CScntry=4&CSst=38
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=98391&CScn=fairlawn&CScntry=4&CSst=38
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