Duchess Corner

We give you this rose from our garden as a present for your patience, understanding and staying connected with this NW Okie and her two Pugs. We appreciate everyone for helping us learn and preserve our memories and heritage. We know we couldn't do it without you. Thanks to you all! You can also view more of our Roses & Tomatoes at Oakie Webshots - Roses & Tomatoes Album.

We understand that some of you couldn't get last week's newsletter to open last Sunday. Our database had locked up after someone tried to insert a comment and had some trouble. After repairing our database and submitting a troubleticket, we had it working again the next day. We are sorry for any inconvenience that it may have caused some or all of our readers. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jack & Robert! There are a few birthdays of special people this weekend, June 10, 2006 that we would like to send a special "Happy Birthday." Happy Birthday to Jack Riddle of Ignacio, Colorado and to our youngest son, Robert Wagner. We also understand that June 10 is the Queen of United Kingdom official birthday. Hey! Jack & Robert, you are in good company, aren't you?! Here is a southwest Colorado sunset reflecting on the clouds in the southern skies south of Bayfield, Colorado -- just for you this Friday evening.
View/Write Comments (count 3)   |   Receive updates (2 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Vacations & Covered Wagons of 1950's...

This is the time of year that families pack their motorhomes (covered wagons) for summer vacations. We were looking through our old photos of the mid-1950's and found this photograph of a 1951 Plymouth Suburban Wagon that we used one summer to take a summer vacation to the Rockies. We think it might have been when the young girl in the picture was 14 years of age or so, but with no date on the photo its hard to state the exact date. Gene McGill is atop the roof of the Plymouth wagon, while his oldest daughter (Connie Jean) is pulling tight a rope of some sort along side the wagon. If you see Connie Jean, ask her how old she was in this old photo with the 1951 blue Plymouth Suburban Wagon.

We think that this blue '51 Plymouth wagon was the old blue station wagon that Vada (Paris) McGill traded in for a newer light blue Oldsmobile that she bought at an auto dealer in Waynoka, Oklahoma while Gene was on a fishing trip with his buddies. We have forgotten the year of that transaction, but Vada had come to the end of her road with that old (1951) Plymouth wagon which (we are told) should have come to the end of its road a year or two earlier. We did a web search through Google and found this likeness of our Plymouth wagon on the web of the another 1951 Plymouth suburban wagon on an old vintage car site. 1951 Plymouth suburban wagon. It looks similar to the '51 Plymouth wagon of ours with an almost identical same dent near the front, right fender.

Speaking of motorhomes and covered wagons, checkout this 1955 photo of our makeshift Pontiac station wagon with homemade matching tear-drop trailer. Cooking supplies were stored in the backend with storage of tent, bedding and camping supplies stored inside this little trailer. This covered wagon was orangish and white and was used during the summer of '55 on our trip from northwest Oklahoma to the Yukon Territory of Alaska. We journeyed to Alaska with the six of us in this Pontiac station wagon and teardrop trailer rig in 1955, the year one of my sisters (Dorthy) turned 12. Seems to this NW Okie, that we ate a lot of doctored, "Dinty Moore Stew" on that Alaska trip in '55 -- something about "corn clam chowder" comes to mind, also. We left on our journey soon after school was out and did not return until September, a week or so after school had already started. This shy NW Okie remembers having to walk into a full classroom of Mrs. Van Pelts second grade class at Washington Elementary school -- scared to death. (We wonder if that is why this NW Okie doesn't like being late!) AND... We are reminded that the the reasons for the '55 summer long trip was that 1954 was a bad year for polio in Alva (Oklahoma) and they were expecting an even worse outbreak in 1955. Also, We spent the summer of 1954 at the ranch north of Waynoka to keep us away from the swimming pool and from other kids.

While we were in the Yukon Territory near Whitehorse and Dawson, Yukon Territory during the Summer of 1955, we took this photo of "The Yukoner" that had been sitting there for ... not sure how long after its last journey up the Yukon River. The name on the wheelhouse of this sternwheeler reads, "AKSALA" (ALASKA in reverse). It was the first boat up the Yukon river from whitehorse to Dawson. We wonder if the Yukoner is still setting in this same spot or has been restored or completely demolished. Whitehorse is captiol of Yukon Territory.
View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Obituary: Helen Lee (Snapp) London - 08/05/1912 to 06/03/2006...

Helen Lee, daughter of Lucy (Welty) and Bunk Snapp was born in a log cabin near Packard Creek 9 miles West of Freedom, Oklahoma, August 5, 1912. She passed away at the Alva Share Medical Center on the 3 June 2006, at the age of 93 years, 9 months and 28 days. She attended the White Cloud and the Fairvalley Rural Grade Schools and graduated from the Freedom High School with the Class of 1930. She and her mother operated the Snapp Ranch after the death of her father, fixing fence, caking cattle from a wagon and what ever needed to be done. Miss Snapp was married to Levi London in Alva on May 22, 1941 making their home on the Snapp Ranch. To their marriage two children, Vilene and Jim were born. In 1978 they moved to Freedom, Oklahoma to make their home. Mr. London passed away on April 17, 1978. She was a member of the Freedom Museum and the "Freedom Old Cowhand Association" and was honored the "Old Cowhand for 2004."

Helen (Snapp) London's mother was Freedom, Oklahoma's "1st Honored Pioneer Rancher of 1956." Mrs. Lucy Welty Snapp was chosen to be the honored Pioneer Rancher of the Freedom Rodeo celebration. Lucy and her husband Bunk started their ranching operation on a site east of Freedom, and Lucy worked on the range right along with Bunk throughout their lifetime. Bunk and two sons Frank and Jim preceded Lucy in death. During the years following their deaths, Lucy and her daughter Helen managed the ranch. Helen later married Levi London and they continued with much the same operation as Bunk and Lucy had established. A daughter, Vilene, and a son, Jim, were born and reared there. At the time of Lucy's death in 1974, she was 96 years of age. Since that time Helen continued to keep the Bar-S Brand of her parents. Today the original ranch is intact and is managed by Lucy's grandson, Jim London. He along with his wife, Deb, his son Levi, and daughter Randus, live in the same house where Lucy and Bunk began their ranching.

Helen had always marveled on the advances from her birth to her later years in life. Mrs. London was preceded in death by her mother on July 22, 1974, her father on July 21, 1933, two brothers, Frank on July 17,1926 and Jim on September 28, 1939. Helen is survived by her daughter, Vilene Hansen of Alva and her son and his wife, Jim and Deborah of Freedom. Two grandchildren, Levi London and his wife Amy of Sachse, Texas and Randus London of Stephenville, Texas. A number of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Contributions may be made in her memory to the Freedom Ambulance Service or the Freedom Fire Department. -- Wharton Funeral Chapel - Helen London Obituary
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Oklahoma Centennial 2007...

"I think you may enjoy this information: Oklahoma Centennial and perhaps put the home site on your website." -- jan View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

The Rest of the Story...

Coach Davison Memories... "Actually, I remember two nicknames ... MUD (Marvin Ulyssess Davison) and Stit (his mispronouncement of Still Yet)."

... "He was also lovingly known as 'Tiger Jack'."

Marvin "Jack" Davison... "Coach Davidson had a couple of nicknames -- "Mud" -- his initials and "Stit" --- if you had a class with him you know where that comes from. A good man who will be missed by all who came in contact with him."
Gas & Weather... "$2.699 for gas sounds a whole lot better than $3.159. That is the price that showed up at our Conoco here in Bayfield, Colorado today, Monday, June 5, 2006."
View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Turkey In Full Strut...

"Thought you might find this interesting. It was taken thru my kitchen window. At the time there were five hens and five toms. This is the best of the 6-8 pictures I took that day." -- Jim Bradley

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Early Bunch of Missourians at Eagle Chief...

We think this photo was taken 7/10/1916 or 1914. On the back of the photo was the following description, "Taken by Eagle Chief with a bunch of Missourians" with "7/10" and "16 (or 14)" written to the left side. We assume that is the date. Are their any Missourian descendants out there that had ancestors that had taken a photo at Eagle Chief in Oklahoma in 1914 or 1916?
View/Write Comments (count 2)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Grandpa Bill McGill, Dog and friend...

Among other old photos we ran across in our treasure box was this old photo of Grandpa Bill McGill, on right; a bird dog lazily sprawled on the steps and a barefoot young boy seated, sprawled on the steps on left. Maybe someone out there seeing this old photo will have a flashback or memory jog and know who this young person is.


View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

The Yukoner Magazine (pdf file)...

This Yukoner Magazine is published four times annually by Greenlink Publishing, Whitehorse, Yukon. Their website is www.yukoner.com. There is an interesting story "A Romance of the Klondike - The Kathleen Wheeler Story" by Anne Tempelman-Kluit at this link of The Yukoner Magazine. The Aksala (Alaska in reverse) was the first boat of season arriving at H. B. Co. dock Fort Selkirk, May, 1939.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

'60 Hits Revisited...

"Some of the artists of the '60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers. They include:

Prairie Connection (July/August Edition) & Old Opera House Mystery...

We just submitted our next article, Old Opera House Mystery 9 The Rest of the Story - Part I)to the "Prairie Connection" for their July/August edition. So... if you haven't signed up for your subscription to the "Prairie Connection," go to their website -- Email: wepreserve@balmerfund.org - for more subscription information. THEN... make your check payable to The Balmer Fund, Inc., and mail to: Prairie Connection, - 121 West Main Street - Harper, KS 67058.

The Old Opera House Mystery - Part II (The Trial) will follow in the "Prairie Connection's" September edition. See you in the newspaper!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe