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. 2, Is. 46                                                                                      May 31, 2013

 

 

From the Editor

 

Last Thursday night upon hearing from two different friends in Roosevelt that Johnny Block had just passed away that evening, I immediately knew the content of this week’s editorial for the “Roosevelt News – East Coast Edition.”  It would be “Remembering Johnny Block.”

 

You see, although I have not lived in the Roosevelt community for nearly 48 years I have unique ties to Johnny.  In the early 60’s as a teenager, I was a member of the Roosevelt Riding Club and very much enjoyed calf roping at the arena in Roosevelt, west of the old Baptist Church.  Johnny and his brother Dale were two of the “elder members” that I looked up to.  Well, they were most certainly elder to me.  I so remember all the good times we had there and the fact that both Johnny and Dale were a big part of the reason that the whole operation worked.  That was the “tie” that I personally had to Johnny.  Besides, Johnny, I also had a tie to Paula as her Dad, Marvin, made every rope that I ever owned and used.

 

Little did I know at the time that there was a much stronger relationship between Johnny and our family.  You see, Johnny was one of my Mother’s (Gayle (Carpenter) May) First Graders when she taught at Roosevelt.  In fact, I think that Johnny was in her first First Grade Class.  I often heard my Mother say over the years that Johnny would come up to her, put his arm around her and ask, “Miss Carpenter, can I sit on your lap?”  BTW, Carpenter was my Mother’s maiden name and this all happened prior to her marrying Dad.  Over the years, with the many times she told me that, I don’t think she ever really totally explained what all was behind it.  As Johnny told me much later in life, he did not like school and didn’t want to be there.  His sister was on the floor above him and he would have been much happier could he be up with her rather than “trapped” on the first floor with his fellow First Graders.  He went on to explain that he was sure that he spent a large part of his First Grade year sitting on my Mother’s lap and crying because he was so unhappy.  Hardly sounded like the big, burley Johnny Block that I knew.  But he insisted that it happened just that way.

 

The last time that I took Mother to the Roosevelt High School Reunion prior to the time she passed away in 2001, Johnny again, walked up, put his arm around her and again asked, if he could sit his 300 pound plus frame on her lap (No, I didn’t have a scale and am guessing what he weighed at the time—if I’m heavy, I do apologize).  By then, my Mother’s Parkinson’s Disease had left her without the ability to speak, so she just giggled that little giggle that so many may remember.

 

At the last Roosevelt High School Reunion, I saw Carolyn over visiting with Johnny and Paula.  She motioned me over to show me an extremely generous donation that Johnny had given her to help defray some of our costs associated with the putting out the “Roosevelt News – East Coast Edition” each week.  I tried to give it back to Johnny and tell him that such a large amount was not necessary and he shoved it back insisting that I take it.  Following his gesture, he said, “Mike that’s for your Mother and how kind she was to me.”  He most certainly touched my heart with that comment.

 

I know that throughout the years he and my Mother continued to share that bond that had begun a few years before I was born.  I trust that already he and Mom have run into each other and if so, I can assure you that he has again asked if he can sit on her lap.  In fact, if they’ve met up, I’m sure that not only has he asked, but she has obliged.  Johnny thank you for loving my Mother and giving her a laugh so many times throughout the years with that repeating question.  Now when I can’t, please give her a hug for me and tell her how much I miss her and bemoan the fact that she wasn’t able to live long enough to see her Great Grandbabies.  Tell her that they’re beautiful and one of the two little girls looks a lot like her.  Please RIP Johnny Max Block and God be with Paula and their children and grandchildren as they face the coming years without Johnny.

 

mlm

 

 

 

Content Contributors for the Week

 

Gaynelle Gray

Dan Hayslip, Class of 1962

Kate (Roberts) Stafford, Class of 1955

 

All those who sent messages to the Email “Bag”

 

Thank you all!

 

 

 

Thoughts from the Squirrel Lair

 

Putting Up the Flag

 

Watch and listen to this and be thankful we can do just what he says.  Too many Americans take this privilege for granted.

 

http://puttinguptheflag.com/

 

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The Protective Mother

 

This just proves that a mother will protect her young regardless of the size of the attacker.  Amazing that something as small as a squirrel could fight off the larger dog.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1230489/Squirrel-attacks-dog-Hero-squirrel-saves-baby-eaten-dog.html

 

 

 

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 “Cooperton Valley” Picture Trail site has been renewed for all to enjoy.  Thanks to Karen (Johnson) Mason for funding this site for the coming year.  This site has many pictures from past Cooperton School reunions.  We hope that you will find these photos interesting if you haven’t visited this site in the past (or if you have and wondered where it went).  Go to http://www.picturetrail.com/coopertonvalley to visit the site.

 

 

 

Roosevelt High School Reunion

 

Hello Alumni:

 

With the summer months upon us, I wanted to send out this reminder that the 2013 Roosevelt Alumni Reunion is just around the corner.  You should have Friday, September 27th & Saturday, the 28th marked on your calendars as the weekend chosen by the alumni at the last reunion to hold this year’s.  I hope you are ready for a weekend full of fun visiting with old friends and classmates. 

 

The Alumni Committee is currently planning the activities for the weekend so watch for additional information around mid-summer.  As you may be aware, there have been questions concerning the alumni association’s use of the grade school as the location for future reunions.  I want to assure everyone that the 2013 Reunion will be held at your home town of Roosevelt, Oklahoma at the grade school.  I wish I could assure you of that for all future reunions but at this time, negotiation between us and the city are ongoing but we will keep you posted.

 

I would like to ask everyone who receives this notice via email to help get the word out to all our classmates and friends who do not have an email address.  Please contact all your friends via telephone, Facebook, twitter etc.  Also, I would like to encourage everyone to go to www.classreports.org and register as alumni of Roosevelt High School in Roosevelt, Oklahoma, Class of 2009.  That will give us an entire alumni database for all graduating classes where we can post news of future reunions, keep up to date on all alumni and never worry about missing out because you have changed your contact information.  Please see the attached news release that we hope to get published in the Hobart Democrat-Chief.  I have included instructions to register for the class of 2009 following the news release.  We have posted on our website examples of what we will use it for in the future.  Please keep in mind, this is only an example but will be updated later as the committee makes plans for the reunion weekend.  You may also visit other class sites to get ideas on what you might want to see us do with ours (Pasadena High School Class of 1972 in Texas is a great example).

 

Finally, regarding the reunion, if you have any suggestions or events you would like considered, please contact any member of the committee as soon as possible or send an email to danhayslip@sbcglobal.net. You can also post your suggestion at classreports.org.

 

Looking forward to seeing you all soon and I am excited about getting our own website up and running.  If someone has old class pictures they would like to scan in and send to me, I will get them uploaded to the website.  Hope this will be the best reunion yet.

 

Dan Hayslip

214-796-3131

 

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Roosevelt High School Graduates Gather Online

All alumni from Roosevelt High School are participating in a Class Reunion Website at http://classreport.org/usa/ok/roosevelt/rhs/2009/.  There are no registration fees required to join in the fun.  Each class member has full participation privileges.

This Class-Based Reunion Website features dynamic changing content daily. Stop in to view current Class News.  Exchange opinions and stay up to date with the Message Board. View the Featured Alumni Biography of the day.  Send a birthday greeting to a class member listed in the Upcoming Birthdays panel. Reunion Announcements, Book and Movie Reviews, Favorite Recipes and Featured Links will keep one checking in regularly to see what's new.

Class of 1962 member Dan Hayslip has volunteered to serve as Class Administrator for this all alumni database.  Dan would like to invite all Alumni to stop in and fill out a profile so they can be reached regarding the next Class Reunion.  Once you see everything that you can do at this website, I’m sure each individual class will want to establish their own for the year they graduate.  All that is needed is one person to volunteer as Class Administrator.

This Class-Based Reunion Website is hosted by Classreport.org.  For a refreshing change from the large commercial alumni directories, Classreport.org provides non-commercial class reunion websites for every graduating class of every high school, and extends full access to all class members without regard to financial ability.  Classreport.org has no advertising, no pop-ups, no spam, and no registrations fees.  Classreport.org pledges to never sell names and addresses to third parties and to let the website be administered exclusively by Roosevelt High School Alumni.  Other alumni classes from Roosevelt High School can be accessed at http://classreport.org/usa/ok/roosevelt/rhs/.

INSTRUCTIONS TO REGISTER AT WWW.CLASSREPORTS.ORG

 

1.  Go to www.classreports.org

 

2.  Right click on Oklahoma, then click on Roosevelt, click on Roosevelt High School and finally click on 2009.

 

3.  Right click on “CLICK HERE TO REGISTER”

 

4.  Right click on the first letter of your last name at the time of graduation.

 

5.  Right click on “CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR NAME”

 

6.  You must input an email address in order to register but you may click “NO” to not have that address displayed to others.  If you do not have an email address, you can go to yahoo.com or any other email server and create one for free.  Be sure and remember it and the password you create as you will need that to login in the future by just going to your 2009 class page.

 

7.  Once you have everything input, click on register and then on “EDIT MY PROFILE”.  This should take you to where you can input all your contact information, a picture, slide show, website, anything you like.  Many people include their high school picture and some also add a recent picture also.  Classreports always defaults to No, in response to allowing your address or email to be viewed by others so be sure and check yes if you want that information available to others.  Your phone number will never be available to anyone but the class administrator.

 

8.  Be sure and page down and include your birth date and information on spouse and children.  Please be sure and include a short bio as it serves to make the website much more interesting.

 

9.  Once your profile is input, click on submit data and you can go to the class page to view all the information on the reunion as it is updated. 

 

 

 

Interesting Tidbits

 

Oklahoma Weather

 

Editor’s Note:  We received the following from Geary McDowell.  Good reading and we all should take his advice.

 

Reading Carolyn’s comments about the Moore, OK tornado of May 20th reminded me of a phone call my youngest daughter, Dayna KE5OKC, made to me after she passed through Moore on I-44 on her way to Tulsa on the 25th.  She said (and she is a trained and experienced storm spotter/chaser) the devastation was much worse in person than in any photos and videos she had seen and she was aware she was on the far west side of Moore and could see the worst. 

 

That got me to thinking, as I was still recouping from the two day outbreak.  I used to be back to normal in a day after an all-nighter or several hours of monitoring or chasing storms; it takes a little longer now in my old age.  I had spent over 13 hours on Sunday and over 12 on Monday.  As you know, others probably do not; I have been involved in some way with severe weather studies or experiences since growing up in Roosevelt.  Spending many nights in the elementary cellar or that of Uncle Buddy Thomas’ with him holding the door shut.  I became much more interested while living in Snyder and listening regularly to the HAM radio Skywarn team in Altus, which use to the best group of spotters in Oklahoma. 

 

I remember coming home from teaching on May 3, 1999, and it seemed like forever while watching the most massive tornado I have ever seen on video or in person, and I have seen hundreds in person.  I finally became a HAM in 2006 due to my interest in severe weather.  Then on May 4, 2007, watching video of Greensburg, KS being destroyed knowing we had training teams out that night in western OK and the TX panhandle on storms that missed us.  I had been net control operator (sending out, taking reports, relaying reports to local news media and NWS from our spotters, and tracking our teams) for a few months then.  All teams had returned home except one, they chased and reported on a storm that moved from TX into KS (through OK of course) as long as they could hit the repeaters.  I watched my monitoring system and watched them go into Greensburg behind the tornado.  We have a radio repeater system that covers a little more than all of SW OK.  Then on May 20, 2013, we had two teams out east of Lawton on the first cell going severe that day.  They chose to follow that one which went tornadic around the Bray, OK area.  They missed out on the Moore one, but I know teams that were on it and I continued to monitor the Moore cell on my system at home, which is set up where I can operate from here unless things get really ugly and I’m told to move operations for the county EOC to the EOC office underground.   And I watched the destruction on TV as so many did, as well as live feed from some the professional storm chasers I know who were there on the storm.

 

I do not fear tornadoes or severe storms, but I do have great respect for them.  I preach preparedness all the time, no matter the time of year as you have often read on my Facebook wall.  Yet, no matter how much destruction one has seen with their eyeballs on it or by video, you never get use to what a major storm can do in such a short time.  Hurricanes we can see coming for days or weeks.  A tornado, it CAN be on you in an instant.  We have a good idea now where they will occur (within reason) and about when, but that is still not an exact science.  Warning times have increased greatly.  But people must listen.  The people of Moore listened, it is unimaginable there are only 24 dead.  To those of us who have a purpose to educate, warn, and preserve others, that is 24 too many.  As a parent and retired teacher, the death of the children is especially difficult to deal with.

 

We learn from each storm we experience.  I have seen larger than softball, about small cantaloupe hail twice, been in the storm that dropped it.  Wished I had had a camera!  I was just thankful to survive it!  I have seen in person hundreds of tornadoes on the Great Plains.  I lost a home in a tornado.  The Moore storm is the perfect reminder to everyone, know the types of weather you have where you live.  Have a NOAA Weather Radio, S.A.M.E type you can program, severe weather plan at home and work, review it as seasons change, and make sure your family knows it.  Remember your animals.  And one of the most important points, know where you will meet if you get separated.  Think a minute about those parents whose children were in the two elementary schools who survived and were moved.  Parents could not get there immediately.  You cannot plan for every possible event, but you can for most.  Prepare, review, practice, and revise.

 

Sorry for getting carried away ol’ friend, but you know my passion for severe weather and keeping people safe while we learn from each storm.  Even with the massive destruction, it is wonderful to see people prepared and taking action to survive such a major storm.

 

Geary

 

********

 

Walking the Path of the Tornado

 

The link below is to an article on CNN written by CNN reporter, John D. Sutter.  It is rather long but he gives a very interesting and thought provoking “take” on the tornado and the impact of its aftermath.  It is well worth the time it takes to read.

 

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2013/05/us/sutter-walk-oklahoma/

 

********

 

Cicadas

 

I just had to add a follow up to the article I did last week on the 17 year Cicadas.  Those Cicadas are even more prevalent this week.  Each morning we wake up to the “noise” of the mating song of the male Cicadas and each morning it is louder than the day before.  They have been everywhere this week.  Each day Mike dumps many out of the skimmers of the swimming pool.  Our six-year-old granddaughter, Paige, and her friends delighted in catching them over the Memorial Day weekend.  She had containers to put them in.  Amazing all the little girls were enthralled with this activity while the boys shied away.  The Cicadas have been out about 2 weeks and they say they will be around 6 to 8 weeks so guess we have several more weeks to go.

 

 

 

News

 

Roosevelt Senior Citizens

 

The Roosevelt Senior Citizens closed for the summer after serving the meal on Thursday, May 30.  They will reopen on Tuesday, September 3.

 

 

 

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:

 

June 5 – Tyler Mahoney

 

Happy Anniversary To:

 

June 2 – Bill & Jean Ann (Schrader) Lyde, Class of 1962

 

 

 

Humor

 

Is it my time yet? 

 

A 54 year old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.  While on the operating table she had a near death experience. 

 

Seeing God she asked, "Is my time up?"

 

God said, "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."

 

Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck.

 

She even had someone come in and change her hair color and brighten her teeth!  Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.

 

After her last operation, she was released from the hospital.  While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance.

 

Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I thought you said I had another 43 years?  Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the ambulance?"

 

God replied: "I didn't recognize you."

 

 

 

Food for Thought

 

Voting without Reading!!!

 

Even though this video is almost a year old, the same thing continues to go on.  Everyone should listen to what Rand Paul has to say.  However, it makes too much sense for Washington politics.

 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/svGDZOW-brA?rel=0

 

********

 

Michigan Congressman’s Evaluation of Obamacare

 

This should be a must “listen” for every American.  If you aren’t concerned about Obamacare, you should be after listening to this.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=G44NCvNDLfc

 

 

 

Obituaries

 

Johnny Block, 73, Class of 1957

http://www.rayandmarthas.com/CurrentObituary.aspx?did=a1c41f8a-001e-4152-a5c4-63bbc4bc55c0

 

Useful Links:

 

Becker Funeral Home of Snyder, OK

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

 

Peoples Cooperative Funeral Home of Lone Wolf, OK

http://www.peoplescooperativefuneralhome.com/who-we-are/history

 

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

 

Centerville Cemetery (west of Mt. Park) on Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2176228

 

Cooperton Green Valley Cemetery on Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=98552&CScn=Green+Valley+Cemetery&CScntry=4&CSst=38&CScnty=2165&

 

Cooperton Spring Hill Cemetery on Find A Grave

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

 

Gotebo Cemetery on Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=98525

 

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

 

Roosevelt Cemetery on Find A Grave

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

 

Saddle Mountain KCA Intertribal Cemetery on Find A Grave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99439

 

Snyder Fairlawn Cemetery on Find A Grave

 

_

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