-- 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. 26 Jan.
11, 2013
From the
Editor
Are you prepared for a
generation change? If you’re our age you
may have already experienced it or if not—it is most certainly looming in your
“not so distant future.” With the
passing of Carolyn’s Mother on December 22, 2012, Carolyn, her brother, all of
our first cousins on her side of the family, and I became the “new” oldest
generation within our family. Her Mother
was the last of our parents to pass and you ask, “What does this mean?” Well, it means that our roles now shift as we
are viewed as the true “seniors” within the family. With that come some new
responsibilities. Most importantly we
are the ones that the younger in the clan now look up to as the “old timers”
and the ones that should be able to fill them in on family history. If you haven’t thought about that some day
becoming your responsibility you should consider it now and prepare. As the seniors on my side of the family
started to pass, I all of a sudden realized that family history—not
documented—was quickly dying with them.
My cousin, Earl May was a great community and family historian who had a
wealth of information between his two ears.
Fortunately, his knowledge of the Cold Springs community that he lived
in (and I grew up in) almost his entire life is document in the volumes of
“Pioneering in
Beyond the aforementioned,
with a generation change, you start to refocus your attention so that it is all
directed “downward” to your children and grandchildren. Even after the loss of the last parent, there
are pleasant times ahead. But for now,
let me digress. You start married life
essentially care free other than working to support yourself and your
spouse. In my case that was fairly easy
as my wife ALWAYS carried more than her share of that responsibility. Then come children and new responsibilities
and challenges. You spend the next
segment of your life raising them and getting them “out of the door.” Oh but that’s most certainly not the
end. College looms and potentially mates
and children for them. With them gone
and on their own you think now we can have some quality time to ourselves. Well, not exactly. By the way, you’ve just experience a semi-generational
change with the children beginning their adult lives. Now you all of a sudden face the challenge of
aging parents. You may have a number of
years ahead of you helping care for them.
Hopefully, that will not be a painful task, but the potential for that
is a real possibility. After passing
through that period you arrive at today when if you are fortunate, you still
have your mate, children, and grandchildren.
This is a time to enjoy your family—every minute of every day because
“your race” is much nearer the end than the beginning. Be kind to all, love, share, and enjoy life
to its fullest. Yes, life is good…
mlm
Content
Contributors for the Week
Jerry
Alford, Class of 1959
Wayne
Rickerd, Class of 1945
All
those who sent messages to the Email “Bag”
Thank
you all!
Thoughts from
the Squirrel Lair
A Father, a Daughter and a Dog
This is a true story by
Catherine Moore
“Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!” my father
yelled at me. “Can’t you see anything?”
Those words hurt worse than
blows. I turned my head toward the
elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my
eyes. I wasn’t prepared for another
battle.
“I saw the car, Dad. Please don’t yell at me when I’m driving.” My voice was measured and steady, sounding
far calmer than I really felt.
Dad glared at me then turned
away and settled back. At home I left
Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts…dark,
heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo
my inner turmoil. What could I do about
him?
Dad had been a lumberjack in
The years marched on
relentlessly. The first time he couldn’t
lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside
alone, straining to lift it. He became
irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he
couldn’t do something he had done as a younger man.
Four days after his
sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack.
An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR
to keep blood and oxygen flowing.
At the hospital, Dad was
rushed into an operating room. He was
lucky; he survived. But something inside
Dad died. His zest for life was
gone. He obstinately refused to follow
doctor’s orders. Suggestions and offers
of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally
stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.
My husband, Dick, and I
asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and the rustic
atmosphere would help him adjust.
Within a week after he moved
in, I regretted the invitation. It
seemed nothing was satisfactory. He
criticized everything I did. I became
frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking
my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began
to bicker and argue.
Alarmed, Dick sought out our
pastor and explained the situation. The
clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed,
asking God to soothe Dad’s troubled mind.
But the months wore on and
God was silent. Something had to be done
and it was up to me to do it.
The next day I sat down with
the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed
in the yellow Pages. I explained my
problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain.
Just when I was giving up
hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, “I just read something that might
help you! Let me go get the article…”
I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done
at a nursing home. All of the patients
were under treatment for chronic depression.
Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given
responsibility for a dog.
I drove to the animal
shelter that afternoon. After I filled
out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as
I moved down the row of pens. Each
contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired
dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to
reach me. I studied each one but
rejected one after the other for various reasons—to big, too small, too much
hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in
the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the
run and sat down. It was a pointer, one
of the dog world’s aristocrats. But this
was a caricature of the breed.
Years had etched his face
and muzzle with shades of gray. His hip
bones gutted out in lopsided triangles.
But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.
I pointed to the dog. “Can you tell me about him?” The officer looked, then shook his head in
puzzlement. “He’s a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of
the gate. We brought him in, figuring
someone would be right down to claim him.
That was two weeks ago and we’ve heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow.” He gestured helplessly.
As the words sank in, I turned
to the man in horror. “You mean you’re
going to kill him?”
“Ma’am,” He said gently,
“that’s our policy. We don’t have room
for every unclaimed dog.”
I looked at the pointer
again. The calm brown eyes awaited my
decision. “I’ll take him,” I said. I drove home with the dog on the front seat
beside me. When I reached the house I
honked the horn twice. I was helping my
prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch. “Ta-da!
Look what I got for you, Dad!” I said excitedly.
Dad looked, then wrinkled
his face in disgust. “If I had wanted a
dog I would have gotten one. And I would
have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it!
I don’t want it.” Dad waved his
arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.
Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and
pounded into my temples. “You’d better
get used to him, Dad. He’s staying!”
Dad ignored me. “Did you hear me, Dad?” I screamed. At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands
clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate. We stood glaring at each other like duelists,
when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in
front of him. Then slowly, carefully he
raised his paw.
Dad’s lower jaw trembled as
he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion
replaced the anger in her eyes. The
pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was
on his knees hugging the animal.
It was the beginning of a
warm and intimate friendship. Dad named
the pointer
Dad and
Two days later my shock and
grief deepened when I discovered
The morning of Dad’s funeral
dawned overcast and dreary. This day
looked like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews
reserved for family. I was surprised to
see the many friends Dad and
And then the pastor turned
to Hebrews 13:2. “Do not neglect to show
hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without
knowing it.”
“I’ve often thanked God for
sending that angel,” he said.
For me, the past dropped
into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the
right article…
Life is too short for drama
or petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly. Live while you are alive. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.
But do share this with
someone. Lost time can never be found.
God answers our prayers in
His time….not ours.
Editor’s note:
My friend, if you have a dry eye--you need help! -- mlm
Remembering
Nostalgia
For all you “older”
folks: And the younger ones who will never get to experience
all this stuff that helped to form the lives of the older ones. Never look down on
someone unless you are helping them up.
Turn on the sound, run in
full screen (left click the little box at the lower right of the You Tube
screen)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYzexwXphIs
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 “
Interesting
Tidbits
They Sold
Trigger
Anyone
under 50 probably won’t understand or care about this but those of the older
generation will find this interesting.
http://dablogfodder.blogspot.com/2012/03/they-sold-trigger.html
News
The
Roosevelt Senior Citizen Center serves lunch on Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The cost is $4 for
those 60 and over and $5 for the younger generation. Stop in and enjoy a good meal while visiting
with your friends.
The
menu for next week is as follows:
Tuesday,
January 15: Chicken Spaghetti, Mixed
Vegetables, Salad Bar, Rolls, and Cake
Thursday,
January 17: Streak to Chicken Strip
********
Jerry’s Famous Peanut Brittle
We would like to apologize
for a typographical error listing an incorrect telephone number for Jerry
Hayslip last week in our editorial in which we referenced his “Famous” peanut
brittle. The correct phone number is 580-726-2161. Call him and get some--NOW.
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:
January 11 – Shane
Everhart
January 12 – Curtis Liles, Class of 1979
January 12 – Lisa (McCollom) Liles, Class of 1975
January 13 – Leon Chain
January 13 – Kyli Ellison
January 14 – Jill Harmon
January 14 – Sharon Raasch
January 14 – Leslie Smith
January 14 – Lauren (Thurmond) Wilson
January 14 – Dante Smith (Jerry’s son)
January 14 – Eusebio Alonzo, Class of 1977
January 15 – Cotton Talley Mathis, Class of 1948
January 15 –
January 16 – Carolyn (Wiser)
Melton, Class of 1967
Humor
Pregnancy Q & A
Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children are enough.
Q: I’m two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes
college.
Q: What is the most reliable method to determine
a baby’s sex?
A: Childbirth.
Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody
that sometimes she’s borderline irrational.
A: So what’s the question?
Q: My childbirth instructor says it’s not pain
I’ll feel during labor, but pressure. Is
she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be
called an air current.
Q: When s the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you’re pregnant.
Q: Is there any reason I have to be in the
delivery room while my wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word “alimony” means anything
to you.
Q: Is there anything I should avoid while
recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.
Q: Do I have to have a baby shower:
A: Not if you change the baby’s diaper very
quickly.
Q: Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act
normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.
From the Email
“Bag”
01/03/2013
Mike,
Would you be able to send me the
snail-mail address of Nelson Davis? I would like very much to send him a
card regarding Olene's passing.
Thanks so much.
Regards,
Judy Johnson Erickson
Class of 1954
********
Editor’s note: the following from Kate Stafford is
in reference to the improved condition of her sister Francis Herod’s daughter
Connie.
01/03/2013
Mike & Carolyn
The blood clot dissolved and
she is better. Thanks for asking.
Kate Stafford, Class of 1955
********
01/04/2013
Mike,
Thanks a bunch. I
would truly appreciate the address. The house that Nelson & Olene's
son lives (next to them) is the house that my parents moved there after
WWII. We lived in
My Dad was injured in a Jeep
wreck in
However, he was told by his
Dr. to quit trying to lift hay, etc. and move to town. We sold the ranch (to
Olene's parents) and moved in to
Thank you again. I
will look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Judy Johnson Erickson
RHS, class of 1954 (class
size 14: motto, "Small but Mighty" :)
********
01/04/2013
Michael,
Does anybody out
there have any pictures of the Babbs Switch Store just south of the
Gary Wax
405-737-4107
********
January
5, 2013
Interesting take on the mass shootings over the last several
years. ALL but the AZ Shopping Center
shooting were in GUN Free Zones. The
Maybe we should BAN Gun Free Zones? Maybe we should legislate the segregation of
severely mental from public access?
Swords, Crossbows, Belt-fed semi-automatics, ... there will always
be an answer to stupid gun control.
Sorry about Mom n law, God Bless the Family
Phillip R Liles, Class of 1973
Certified Protection Professional by American Society for
Industrial Security
1989 - 1993
********
January
5, 2013
Dear Carolyn, Mike and
family,
Forgive me for contacting
you via the "business address" on a personal matter, but it is the
only address I have and I didn't want to miss extending my sympathy to you in
your time of sorrow. It is obvious that you have many good memories of
your Mother and I hope in the days ahead the memories of the good times you
shared with her will heal the hurt that now fills your hearts.
With sympathy,
Linda Orr Hash, Class of
1961
********
01/08/2013
Mike
& Carolyn
Margetta passed away this
morning around 8:35 a.m. Dewayne called me yesterday to advise she was in
her last hours. He went home for the evening, but went by the
nursing home to check on his way to work and was there as she peacefully
passed.
Margetta was a long-time
resident of
Margetta's services will be
handled by Buchanan Funeral Services in OKC (405-722-5262). Further
information will be available on their website
(BuchananFuneralService.com) where obituary info will be posted and
condolence messages can be left for the family.
Should anyone like to
contact the children, their mailing address follow:
Dianne's mailing address
is:
Dewayne's mailing address
is:
Rendell's mailing address
is: 6136 N. Drexel,
Finally, I just want to
thank you and your wife for all the work you do on the Roosevelt News.
Take care --
********
01/08/2013
Mike, I just wanted to
report that (Mom), Margetta Stafford peacefully passed away today 1/8/2013 at
8:30 am. She has struggled with
Alzheimer’s for many years, but after a recent stroke her body began to give
out. I was able to be with her this
morning when she took her last breath. Mom turned 87 years old on
December 9.
Her struggles are over!
Her earthly journey is
complete!
Rest and reward are at hand!
Dewayne Stafford, Class of
1969
********
Editor’s note: The following note (written by Geary
McDowell’s Father-in-Law) describes his current battle with cancer. We thank Geary for sending this to us and
send our best wishes and prayers to Phil, Geary’s wife, Kathy, and their entire
family.
01/08/2013
I had a PET scan on December
27. The purpose of it was to see if I
had cancer in the lymph node just in front of my right ear and if so, had it
gone anywhere else in my body. There was
also a question of whether it was a new cancer and a different kind than the
Squamous Cell Carcinoma I had before. It
turns out that not only is it the same kind I had before, but is the same ONE I
had before. It has just returned but has
not gone anywhere else in my body except that area of my face and one part of
my right ear canal. They believe it
could be just as aggressive as it was previously so they want to start
treatment right away. He said it is a
much stronger cell than he originally thought it was and it showed up on the
scan with a lot more intensity than expected. They are going to do 30 sessions of radiation
and see if they can get it with that. He
said that even if he could operate he wouldn’t recommend surgery as the number
one option because with this cancer’s history of aggressiveness he might miss
one little cell by just a centimeter and it would come back. With the radiation they will get the whole
side of my face and ear canal and the nerve line down my neck. He said that as the radiation progressed I
would have a dry mouth and probably develop trouble swallowing. The swallowing problem could get bad enough
that I couldn’t swallow food and would have to have a feeding tube, but that
isn’t too likely. I assumed that would only be a temporary measure
if I had it but I never did ask him that question directly. Man I’d hate not to ever be able to eat a
piece of steak or a chocolate cupcake again. He said they would need to keep watch on the
skin on my face because it could become disfigured with the amount of radiation
I’ll get. They ran me thru a hearing
test. Since this is partially in the ear
canal the cancer and/or radiation might affect my hearing so they wanted a
baseline. I asked what they could
possibly do about it if it did affect my hearing and he said “give me a hearing
aid if it got bad enough”. (daaaaa!)
So that is all of the good
news I can come up with right now. I
know all of that stuff above sound pretty bleak but I’m totally convinced that
God is still on His throne and prayer changes things. I’ve given it to Him so it is His problem now. I’m
concerned about it but can’t say I’m really worried. However, I guess I’ll continue to remain an
“interested party” throughout the whole process (lol).
Put me on your prayer list
and keep me there for a while and we’ll see how it all plays out. I feel pretty good. I’ve had some discomfort in my right ear
during the past week and my face hurts just a little, but if you had one that
looks like mine yours would probably hurt too.
Thank you for your concern,
Phil
********
Editor’s note: Following are plans for Margetta Stafford’s
services. Thank you, Dewayne for making
this information available.
01/08/2013
The plans are to have a
Memorial Service for mom at the Roosevelt Church of Christ on Saturday January
12, 2013 @ 11:00 am. Friends &
relatives are all welcome to join us.
There will not be a viewing
or graveside service.
Dewayne Stafford, Class of 1969
Obituaries
Margetta
(
Obituary
was not available at time of publication.
Useful
Links:
Becker
Funeral Home of Snyder, OK
http://www.beckerfuneral.com/?page=snyder
Peoples
Cooperative Funeral
http://www.peoplescooperativefuneralhome.com/who-we-are/history
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
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?=cr&CRid=99577&CScn=Springhill+Cemetery&CScntry=4&CSst=38&
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