-- East Coast Edition –
-- Printed in Loving Memory of Wanda J.
Jackson 1934 - 2011 –
Read old/current issues online at:
http://www.234enterprises.com/RooseveltNews/newscenter.htm
Editors:
E-mail: mmay@234enterprises.com
Carolyn Niebruegge May Michael L. May 
Vol. 3, Is. 35 Mar.
14, 2014
From the
Editor
We pray that with our most
recent decisions that we really have this “melanoma thing” behind us. We are able to take that stance only because
of faith. We started this challenge
thinking that it was just a matter of having this cancer surgically removed which
was then followed by, well yes, but, there is a slim chance that some of these
cells have slipped into the lymphatic system.
If you want to check that out, it must be done prior to removing the
melanoma. Although we were told that we
were most certainly in a “gray area” of whether this could have happened or
not, attempting to check this out would result in a two week delay in getting
the melanoma removed. This wait was
concerning, but we both felt it was worth knowing. However a turn of events made that decision
much more difficult. We went through the
dye test and were successful in quickly identifying the sentinel lymph node
(the one that drains the portion of the face where the melanoma was
located). That was the good news, the
bad news was that lymph node was located at my lower jaw rather than in my neck
as the doctor had hoped. That added to
the complication of making a decision to remove that particular node. The node found was one of the lymph nodes
surrounding the Parotid Gland (which supplies saliva to the left side of the
mouth). More importantly, the main
facial nerve that supports the left side of the face goes directly through that
area. When the doctor came in to talk to
us immediately before surgery he explained the complications involved with
attempting to remove that lymph node and the potential damage that could
result. He indicated that just touching
that nerve could cause significant damage to that nerve which could cause
paralysis to that side of the face and cause the eyelid to droop affecting my
vision. Given that my left eye is the
only eye I see out of this potential problem caused us to totally reconsider
the benefits of removing and testing that lymph node. Although the risks were low, the potential
end result was significant and would be greatly regretted should the nerve be
damaged and then find that the testing was done for naught. Long story short, Carolyn and I totally
agreed that we were not willing to take that risk. After telling the doctor of our decision, he
said, “I think you made a wise choice.”
The most amazing thing about this decision was the ease with which we
both made it. I have no question with it
being so easy that we indeed had help from above in making that decision. While we were waiting to go for the dye test
Carolyn passed me her phone with a post from one of her Facebook friends
saying, “Good Morning, This is God. I
will be handling all of your problems today.
I will not need your help. So
have a good day.” We felt that this
message did not appear due to chance, but due to fate. That thought gave us confidence to believe in
our decision and have faith that God was indeed “in control” and guiding us to
do what he felt was best. With that we put
our minds at ease, our trust in him, and directed the doctor to only remove the
melanoma.
I must say that all has gone
quite well since surgery. I have taken
only two pain pills and have felt very little discomfort. I had been very worried over what kind of
pressure that would be put on my eye from closing the incision after removing
the tissue. Fortunately none of that has
occurred. The doctor was optimistic that
he was able to remove all of the melanoma, but obviously that is just his
opinion and the final answer will only come when we receive the pathology
report. We should have that by the time
we go back to see the doctor next Monday.
Now we wait and see if the doctor feels there is anything additional
that we should follow up with. The short
term benefit is that the melanoma has been removed and my sight has not been affected.
I would be remiss to not say
thank you for all of your prayers that I know have been sent up on our
behalf. With that, all I can think of to
say is, “God will be handling all of your problems today and not need your
help, so have a good day.”
mlm
Well,
we are almost back to normal after all the renovations in the house. I am very glad to have our office back in
place. As I looked over what I put
together the last three weeks while operating from the laptop either on my lap
or the kitchen table, I realized I duplicated some things. I apologize for that—just didn’t remember
what I had used the week before and didn’t go back and check as I should
have. Hopefully, I will do better from
here out.
cnm
Content
Contributors for the Week
Jerry
Alford, Class of 1959
All
those who sent messages to the Email “Bag”
Thank
you all!
Remembering
Editor’s Note:
The following appeared in this week’s edition of the
Fight to Preserve History of our State
Editor’s note: I was shocked when I read about this bill to
destroy the Oklahoma Historical Society.
The OHS is the guardian of the history of our state. It is essential to have that entity making sure
that historical artifacts and stories are not lost. Please join in contacting your senator or
representative to tell them how important the Historical Society is.
Open letter to my friends
by Denzil D. Garrison,
Emeritus OHS Board Member
We are under assault and we
must fight back. House Bill 3028, the
legislation filed in the dark of night at the last minute, would destroy the
Oklahoma Historical Society as we know it.
My entire career has been dedicated to public service. I
was a county attorney, state
representative, state senator, and legislative director for Governor David
Boren. I have served my country in
uniform and I have volunteered my time for a long list of good causes. With that said, I am most proud of my service
to the Oklahoma Historical Society. I
joined the OHS Board of Directors in 1976 and served two terms as
president. I helped write the current
OHS Constitution and Bylaws and fought shoulder to shoulder to secure funding
for the
Historical Society is one of
the top three historical societies in the entire nation, with recognition from
both the Smithsonian and the National Archives.
This consolidation bill would abolish OHS membership, reduce the Board
to an advisory panel, and transfer all assets and funds to the Tourism
Department, which has been under assault for years as a bloated, inefficient
political agency with a revolving door in the director's office. In terms of reputation and creative business
plans, there is no comparison between OHS and Tourism. I urge each of you to call your state senator
or representative. I know that
works. When I was in office, a few phone
calls reflected real interest among my constituents. A lot of phone calls meant it was a
groundswell. The general numbers to call
are: 405-521-2711 for House members and 405-524-0126 for Senate members. Call today and let them know what you
think. It is time to stand up for
preserving our heritage.
Thank you,
Former Senator Denzil D.
Garrison,
Thoughts from
the Squirrel Lair
Tommy and God
Father John Powell, a professor
at
Some twelve years ago, I
stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first
session in the Theology of Faith. That
was the day I first saw Tommy. He was
combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I had ever seen a boy
with hair that long.
I guess it was just coming
into fashion then. I know in my mind
that it isn't what's on your head but what's in it that counts; but on that
day, I was unprepared and my emotions flipped.
I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange...Very
strange.
Tommy turned out to be the
"atheist in residence" in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or
whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace
for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the
back pew.
When he came up at the end
of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone, "Do
you think I'll ever find God?" I
decided instantly on a little shock therapy.
"No!" I said very emphatically.
"Why not," he responded, "I thought that was the product you
were pushing."
I let him get five steps
from the classroom door and then I called out, "Tommy!
I don't think you'll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will
find you!"
He shrugged a little and left my class and my life.
I felt slightly disappointed
at the thought that he had missed my clever line --
He will find you! At least I thought it
was clever.
Later I heard that Tommy had
graduated, and I was duly grateful. Then
a sad report came. I heard that Tommy
had terminal cancer. Before I could
search him out, he came to see me.
When he walked into my
office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as
a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes
were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe.
"Tommy, I've thought
about you so often; I hear you are sick," I blurted out.
"Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer
in both lungs. It's a matter of
weeks."
"Can you talk about it, Tom?" I asked.
"Sure, what would you like to know?" he replied.
"What's it like to be only twenty-four and dying?
"Well, it could be worse."
"Like what?”
"Well, like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty
and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real biggies
in life.”
I began to look through my
mental file cabinet under "S" where I had filed Tommy as
strange. (It seems as though everybody I
try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.)
"But what I really came
to see you about," Tom said, "is something you said to me on the last
day of class." (He remembered!)
He continued, "I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you
said, 'No!' which surprised me. Then you said, 'But He will find you.’ I
thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at
that time. (My clever line. He thought about that a lot!) "But when the doctors removed a lump
from my groin and told me that it was malignant, that's when I got serious
about locating God. And when the
malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists
against the bronze doors of heaven. But
God did not come out. In fact, nothing
happened. Did you ever try anything for
a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up
with trying. And then you quit."
"Well, one day I woke
up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall
to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit. I decided that I didn't really care about
God, about an afterlife, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left
doing something more profitable. I
thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had
said: 'The essential sadness is to go
through life without loving.’ But it
would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without
ever telling those you loved that you had loved them."
"So, I began with the
hardest one, my Dad. He was reading the
newspaper when I approached him.
"Dad."
"Yes, what?" he asked without lowering the newspaper.
"Dad, I would like to talk with you."
"Well, talk.”
"I mean. It's really important."
The newspaper came down three slow inches.
"What is it?"
"Dad, I love you, I just wanted you to know that." Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious
satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of
him. "The newspaper fluttered to
the floor. Then my father did two things
I could never remember him ever doing before.
He cried and he hugged me. We
talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to
see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me."
"It was easier with my mother
and little brother. They cried with me,
too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each
other. We shared the things we had been
keeping secret for so many years. I was
only sorry about one thing --- that I had waited so long."
"Here I was, just
beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to. Then, one day I turned around and God was
there. He didn't come to me when I
pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an
animal trainer holding out a hoop, 'C'mon, jump through. C'mon, I'll give you
three days, three weeks.' Apparently God
does things in His own way and at His own hour.
But the important thing is that He was there. He found me!
You were right. He found me even
after I stopped looking for Him."
"Tommy," I
practically gasped, "I think you are saying something very important and
much more universal than you realize. To
me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him
a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of
need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He said: 'God is love, and anyone who lives
in love is living with God and God is living in him.' "
"Tom, could I ask you a
favor? You know, when I had you in class
you were a real pain. But (laughingly)
you can make it all up to me now. Would
you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have
just told me? If I told them the same
thing it wouldn't be half as effective as if you were to tell it.”
"Oooh, I was ready for you, but I don't know if I'm ready for your
class."
"Tom, think about it. If and when
you are ready, give me a call."
In a few days Tom called,
said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for
me. So we scheduled a date. However, he
never made it. He had another
appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class. Of course, his life was not really ended by
his death, only changed. He made the
great step from faith into vision. He
found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of
man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined.
Before he died, we talked
one last time. "I'm not going to
make it to your class,"
he said.
"I know, Tom."
"Will you tell them for me? Will
you...tell the whole world for me?"
"I will, Tom. I'll tell them. I'll do my best."
So, to all of you who have
been kind enough to read this simple story about God's love, thank you for
listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere
in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven --- I told them, Tommy, as best I could.
If this story means anything
to you, please pass it on to a friend or two.
It is a true story and is
not enhanced for publicity purposes.
With thanks, Rev. John
Powell, Professor,
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
Magic Piano
A remotely controlled piano
in a train station interacts with people as they
walk by. What happens next is amazing.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=679509288760097
********
The Majestic Clydesdales
As always, the Clydesdales
are so much fun to watch.
http://wallythekat.tripod.com/A_Pages/AA-Videos-YOU-Tube/Clydesdales.html
News
The
Roosevelt Senior Citizens has reopened from the summer break. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. Lunch for Seniors is $4 and for the
younger generation is $5.
The
menu for next week is as follows:
Tuesday,
Mar. 18: Meatloaf w/brown gravy, Mashed
Potatoes, Green Beans, Rolls, Salad Bar, Dessert
Thursday,
Mar. 20: Pork Chops, Mashed
Potatoes/Gravy, Corn, Rolls, Salad Bar, Dessert
********
The
********
The
The drawing will be held
Saturday, April 19 during the Museum's annual Easter Bake Sale in front of the
Museum.
You do not have to be
present to win. Your support of the Museum is greatly appreciated!
The
********
It’s A Spring Thing
The Southern Kiowa Chamber
will hold its 2014 It’s A Spring Thing at the
Vendor Fair from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m.
Decorated Bike Parade at 11
a.m.
Dog Parade at noon
Easter Egg Hunt at 2:30 p.m.
The Easter Bunny will be there for pictures.
Bring your camera.
Concessions are available
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be picture opps
available with various cartoon characters, moon bounces, live entertainment,
and bingo.
Mark your calendar and plan
to attend.
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:
March 14 – Becky (
March 14 – Inez Sensabaugh
March 15 – Mike Morris
Happy Anniversary To:
March 20 – Beth & Martin
Mahoney, Class of 1960
Humor
True Friendship
A testimony to true friendship...
A man brings his best buddy home for dinner unannounced at 5:30 pm after work.
His wife begins screaming at him as his friend just sits and listens.
"My hair & makeup are not done, the house is a mess, the dishes aren't
done, I'm still in my pajamas and I can't be bothered with cooking tonight! What the hell did you bring him home
for?"
"Because he's thinking of getting married."
Food for
Thought
Daylight
Savings
When
told the reason for daylight savings time, the Old Indian said, “Only the
government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket,
sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket.”
Obituaries
Ola
McPhail, 79, Snyder
http://www.beckerfuneral.com/sitemaker/sites/becker0/obit.cgi?user=1264103McPhail
Paul
J. “Jim” Whitson, 74,
http://www.jacksonfuneral.net/memsol.cgi?user_id=1261836
(Editor’s
Note: Jim was one of our faithful
readers and sent us many good articles to include in the newsletter. The lack of Jim’s contributions to the
“Roosevelt News -- East Coast Edition” will be truly missed. RIP Jim.)
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=2176228
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?=cr&CRid=99577&CScn=Springhill+Cemetery&CScntry=4&CSst=38&
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=98525
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=99397&CScn=roosevelt&CScntry=4&CSst=38
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=99439
_
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