PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402
Email: butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net
Phone: 580-490-6823
Thanks to a couple readers this week we almost have everyone identified in the group photo taken in 1981 of some Ardmore Memorial Hospital nurses. Here is the list:
01 Marquita Johnson McGee
02 Carolyn Smith
03 Judy Knox
04 ?
05 ?
06 Virginia Camp
07 Sandy Farney
08 Dave Moser
09 Shirley Anderson
10 Betty Thomas
11 Marla Weldon
12 Sheri (Broughton) Hamblin
13 Dee Clark
14 Ann Willis
15 Linda Darling
16 Villine Brown
17 Peggy Parker
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/MemorialHospitalStaff1981.jpg
With 15 out of 17 identified, I hope someone will come through with the names of those other two nurses. Hopefully by the next T&T I will be able to tell the story about me and Peggy Thomas that took place in 1970.
Below is a request for help on someone that was mentioned in my T&T in 2003. Maybe someone knows?
“Butch, I was searching for Ed & Stella Williams of Ardmore and came across your website with postings from Dustin Luther, a great grandson of Ed’s, I believe. The reason that I am looking for info on Ed & Stella is because their son, Paul Dale Williams is the father of my sister and brother. My mother, Dorothy Jo Elliott was first married to Paul Williams and had my sister and brother. She and Paul divorced and then my mother married my father, William Garrett and they had me. My father adopted both my brother and sister. My mother passed away in 2007 at age 86. My father passed away last month at age 95, and my sister and I have been wondering about Ed and Stella, and Paul. Do you have any means of getting in touch with Dustin Luther? The website that he had in your newsletter in 2003 is no longer available. Do you know where Dustin lives? My grandparents were Laura and John Elliott and they lived at 902 9th Ave NW. They both passed away in the mid 1970’s. I had an Uncle there, Clyde Leeman who was a half brother to my grandfather. Clyde’s wife was Maude. All of these relatives are buried in Rose Hill Cemetery. Please let me know if you have any idea where Dustin might live.” -Jan Roseman, Houston, TX
Also if we can find Hank Offerman who wrote in below (2003), maybe Hank can help on the above. “Hello Butch, Just learning of your newsletter via Dustin Luther (my Cousin) and following the Ed Williams (My Great-Grandfather) stories. I can fill in a little about John Thurman and hopefully help trigger some memories. John “Ed” Williams’ second wife Stella, was John Thurman’s mother, that the connection Kenneth Eck is referring to. John (Robert) Thurman was with the American Embassy in Guatemala, Peru and was also in Washington DC. He died before his mother. Sorry what info I have is limited. I’m not even sure if I ever met him as a kid, just know the family stories from doing genealogy. I am greatly interested what turns up, I have fond memories of visiting my Great-Grandparents, it’s great reading other peoples memories of them.” -Hank Offermann
Jill had a little bite of some kind on her shoulder last week and all that evening, night and the next morning it like to drove her crazy itching. She remember the Absorbine Jel I bought a year ago for my neck, and put just a dab on the bite. Never bothered her again, worked great. I bought this bottle at Tractor Supply, its in the horse liniment section.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos10a/Absorbine021010.jpg
SOAPBOX: Those of you who have been with me on here over the past 15 years knows from time to time I speak about the dangers of pit bulls and the need to legislate them for the safety of Oklahomans, both young and old, and hold the owners accountable for their dog’s actions. The past few days I’ve posted two messages on my Facebook Wall and boy did I get a response, both pros and cons, but thankfully the majority agreed with me that some kind of legislation was needed. I think there were over 400 Posts on my Facebook Wall, and I don’t know how many LIKE buttons were pressed to some of those Posts by others. I still believe in my lifetime somebody somewhere in the state of Oklahoma will do something about this ever growing problem. And I do appreciate those of you who had the courage to step forward, post a message on my Facebook, because I know its a very controversial topic. It is my hope the death of my lifetime friend from childhood days growing up in NE Ardmore, Tony Cantrell, did not die in vain last Friday night.
http://www.kten.com/story/14511467/neighboorhood-speaks-out-after-dog-attack
Here is Tony’s Obituary from The Daily Ardmoreite
http://www.ardmoreite.com/obituaries/x401817535/Virgil-Anthony-Tony-Cantrell
I hope many of you will go to Tony Cantrell’s online obit at the funeral home and sign the Guest Book. I will mean a lot to the family at this sad time.
http://www.griffin-hillcrestfh.com/obituaries.htm
From This and That newsletter archives May 2, 1998:
In far southwestern Carter county, Oklahoma is a tiny community called Rexroat, Oklahoma. But during the Oklahoma oil boom years, 50 and 70 years ago, Rexroat was like many communities in this county, a bustling town. The town has the same name as State Senator U.T. Rexroat from Carter county. In 1931 Senator Rexroat introduced a bill that would establish County Managers for county governments in Oklahoma. The bill did get out of committee, but that was about it, I think.
Oh Wednesday, July 6, 1921 in Rexroat, Oklahoma an oil worker died as a result of bullet wounds inflicted by a night watchman there. The night watchman was George Pollock who claimed to represent the law in Rexroat. According to Pollock, Willie Jessie “Bill” Williams, was on Main Street in Rexroat, drunk, carrying an automatic pistol, and gunning for his two brother-in-laws. Night watchman Pollock was notified and when he came up to Williams, Williams reached behind him, and came out with the pistol. Pollock shot Williams twice, who died later in the Healdton, Oklahoma hospital. Pollock immediately had a friend drive him to the sheriffs office in Ardmore, where he turned himself in, and held on murder charges. George Pollock claimed he had been deputized as a special officer out of the sheriff’s office.
Q. What is the official folk song of Oklahoma?
A. Oklahoma Hills by Woody and Jack Guthrie
Q. What was the first town in Oklahoma to enjoy electricity?
A. (answer in next week’s newsletter)
Gas prices today in the Ardmore area……
https://oklahomahistory.net/gasprices.htmlSome mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..
“Greetings Butch, I always enjoy the newsletter and website. Attached are a couple of announcements of interest for your readers. One on the next 101 Ranch Collectors show at Perry, Oklahoma in 2012. We are always looking for more and new vendors. The other is a Cherokee Outlet & OK cattle industry history book coming this summer. Thanks.” -Jim Albright
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/101RanchShow2012.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/TheVanishedHerd.jpg
“Butch, Are you familiar with the Bellwood Community North of Mill Creek, Oklahoma? There was a school there until 1944 and the average attendance for the eight grades was around 45 students. My latest book “Bellwood Cowboy” is the life story of Artie Quinton who was born in the Bellwood Community in 1912. He is still alive today and lives alone in Mill Creek. 98 years old and blind, he is still one of the best known men in the area. He worked for Daube Ranch for almost fifty years.
Artie’s mother died when he was seventeen months old and he was raised by a grandmother until age 12 when she also died. I’m including a picture of the Howard family, the family who raised him. The picture was taken in the summer of 1914, when artie was about 19 months old. Top row left to right. Cecil Howard, Albert (Ab) Howard, Edwin Howard, Ben Howard. Bottom row left to right. Etta Howard, Leonard Howard, Artie Quinton (sitting in his grandmother’s lap), Martha Howard.
The Bellwood community today is sparsely settled. The old school has been turned into a residence. The most historically significant thing that happened in the Bellwood Community was in 1912. Carlos Beasley shot and killed a fellow student as he exited the outhouse at the school. They were both around eleven or 12 years old. The boy who was killed had the last name of English. The killing was ruled an accident in a court of law and Carlos Beasley went on to win the world championship in saddle bronc riding in 1920.” -Ted L. Pittman tedlpittman@hotmail.com
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/ArtieQuinton.jpg
YouTube – Tourism Attractions in Ardmore, Oklahoma
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zowl6yPr6bU
Appears 47 cemeteries were moved when Texoma was built:
http://www.usgenwebarchives.net/ok/marshall/cemetery.htm
“Butch, I was wondering if anyone out there from the Madill area remembers the old ship, “The Pirate” that used to sit in dry dock at the south end of town near the Grill Restaurant? This was reportedly Frank Buck’s old ship and how it ended up in Madill I have no idea. I do remember playing on it a lot when I was young and imagining myself to be Frank Buck bringing back wild animals from Africa or India. If anyone out there has any photos or information about this ship, I would appreciate hearing about it for an upcoming book I am writing on the early days in this area.” -Towana Spivey
“I’m sure a lot of your readers have problems with fire ants. I was just down at my pond feeding my channel cats which is quite a sight to see. I put them in last fall and feed them every evening. Sounds like a bunch of hogs at the slop trough. As I was going back to my house I decided to spread some hay around my tomatoes. After 3 or 4 pieces I started to feel the sting of fire ants. I started to trying to rub them off both hands and arms. In the process I raked a bunch off on my feet. Of course I had on thongs. By the time I got the 50 yards to the house both hands, arms and feet were burning like fire. I washed all the areas with soapy water and then put an antibiotic cream all over the effected areas. It’s been about 30 minutes and all the burning is gone. I may still have some of the red spots in the morning but I don’t think they will be too bad. Just thought your readers might like to know this. P.S. Yesterday my rural mail carrier came to my door and said my mail box was infested with fire ants. I used a fire ant killer and this morning most were dead. Today I sprayed a hornet spray in the box, on the pole and around on the ground. We live at Alberta Creek on Lake Texoma and we have a serious fire ant problem.” -Carl Garrett
Does anyone know where I could find out if Della “Dell” Garvin or Conklin was tried in the Indian court system for the murder of Roy Garvin? And if I could find out where Roy Garvin was tried for the murder of Littleton Hobbs Conklin? I dont have the date of the murders but they happened somewhere in Garvin County, Oklahoma. Littleton was born March 13,1873. I dont have his death date. Dell was born Aug 6, 1881 and died May 19th, 1970. Thanks.” -Shay Deatherage-Billings
Take the Car Quiz
http://www.americantorque.com/game/car-show-50s/
“Hello Butch, Just wanted to let you know that my Aunt, Annie Frances Conway passed away, Monday night, April 18, 2011, at the age of 99 years and almost 10 months. She had lived in the Berwyn/Gene Autry area since 1917. Her 2 sons had planned to have a big 100th birthday celebration for her on June 25, 2011 but God had better things for her.
She and Uncle Bernie Conway built a home in 1938 on a bluff overlooking the Washita River and she continued to live there for the rest of her life. She was an icon in the Berwyn/Gene Autry area for 93 years. A lot of your subscribers have known her for many many years and I know they would like to know of her passing. She was my mothers sister and I had given her the name, “THE GRAND OLD LADY OF THE WASHITA.
She will certainly be missed by a lot of people. God speed to heaven and Happy Trails, Aunt Annie.” -Joe Dale Black
“Butch, I found a clipping from The Daily Ardmoreite that was from several years ago. Not exactly sure when it appeared in the paper but the picture was taken in 1917. It was of the Dixon Boot Repair Shop, that was then at 25 N. Washington. It has in the picture, a Richard Taylor, Jim Sutton, H.J. Dixon, Harvey Garrett, Seaborn Weldon, Taylor’s mother, Ned Sutton and an unidentified worker at the far right. Seab Weldon was my grandfather and he was a deaf mute and made boots for several years here in Ardmore as well as in California. He made boots for many of the cowboy’s i.e. Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Jimmy Wakely, and many others that I can’t remember. Even after he moved from California back to Ardmore, he would get requests for boot orders from them and he’d mail them out to California.” -Betty Dighton, Ardmore
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/DixonBootRepair1917a.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/DixonBootRepair1917b.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/DixonWorker.jpg
“Hi Butch, I got your name cruising the internet. I am a researcher in Denver doing work for my book to be published by Schiffer Publishing, LTD in 2012. The subject is my collection of vintage photographs but each has a quilt in them. I have a cabinet card photograph of Lula Effie Caudell who married Walter Caldwell who developed Caldwell Hill, east of Ardmore. She was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church. She is standing in front of a crazy quilt with a cross embroidered in the center square. I need more information about her, Mr. Caldwell (other than the bio on the net), and I can?t find the Primitive Baptist Church Lula might have attended. Any info on Walter Caldwell is appreciated” -Janet Finley, Denver, CO
Primitive Baptist Church in Wilson, Oklahoma
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/PrimitiveBaptistChurchWilsonOK.jpg
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos11a/LulaEffieCaldwellQuilt.jpg
“My book about growing up in Gene Autry, Oklahoma is now available on Kindle books. It is only $2.99.” -Doug Williams
Gene Autry, Oklahoma- A Lifetime of Memories
“I am looking for a old classmate. Max Dwight Butler. He graduated same year with Carl Vaile in 1967. He and Jeanne his wife moved away from Ardmore. If anyone know their whereabouts, please let me know.” -Carol Brown
Note: Carol, I have the answer you are looking for, but I guess I lost your email. Please contact me again. -Butch
“I was a kid from Oklahoma who never wanted to be a singer, but was told I could sing. And things snowballed.” -Patti Page
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ek3eCbfqp0
See everyone next week!
Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443
Save on long distance calls, just a couple cents a minute!
http://www.CheapLongDistance.org
Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ardmorecriterion.com/
Oklahoma Bells: https://oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
American Flyers Memorial Fund – Administration Webpage
https://oklahomahistory.net/crash66.html
Official AmSerican Flyers Memorial Website
http://www.brightok.net/~wwwafm
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Base Website
http://www.brightok.net/~gsimmons
Mirror Site of the Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
https://oklahomahistory.net/airbase/
Carter county schools, past and present
http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
Carter County Government Website
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/
Ardmore School Criterions
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com
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