Thanks For the Memories

We want to thank all those that recognized some of the names of the World War I soldiers KIA while fighting for the Canadian/British expeditionary forces during 1914-1918.

If anyone else out there recognizes any of the the WWI soldiers "Killed In Action (KIA), please email either Sidney J. Clark directly -- OR.... you can email this NW Okie (paristimes@earthlink.net). We will forward your information along to Sidney J. Clark. If any of the names of WWI soldiers listed in last week's OkieLegacy Ezine (dated February 3, 2007) have a memorial monument, we would love to have a digital photo to share, preserve their memory. Thanks to everyone for your help.

Thanks to Charles Cook in the Louisiana Bayou country for finding us this obituary for James Hiram Mondy in the "Footprints Across Woods County" history book, pg. 475-476. It reads as follows:

• The Obituary - WOODS COUNTY BOY WHO FELL AT VIMY RIDGE -- "Captain J. C. McCary, of Alva has just received notice of the death of his grandson Hiram Mondy, who fell in action March 30, in the assault on Vimy Ridge, near Lens, France.
  
  Hiram was born on a farm near Alva in 1896, as son of E.(Elwood)T. and Ida McCary Mondy. He attended the public schools of Woods County until the family moved to Paynton, Sask., Canada ten years ago, where he grew to manhood......"

NWOSU's Old Science Hall

"Look ye! towering o'er yon slope
Stands a monument of knowledge;
Thing of beauty, massive, grand,
builded by skilled workman's hand --
Alva's Western Normal college,
Nucleus of our country's hope."

These are the last few lines of a poem written by the Pilgrim Bard (Scott Cummins). It is entitled "Western Normal College" for Northwestern State Normal school, in Alva, Oklahoma.

We are hoping we can jog some memories out there this week concerning the old Science Hall on Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU) campus. NWOSU will be celebrating the 100th birthday of the oldest building on campus sometime in the near future. Some of you might know it as the "Fine Arts" building. Others might remember it as the "Science Hall." Whichever you remember it as, NWOSU is looking for old photos, stories of professors, classes that were held in the old Science Hall.

Also... When, How did the Rangers acquire the their name, mascot of the Ranger? Was there some sort of contest in the early years of "Northwestern Normal" when the idea of "Rangers" was first suggested?

AND... NWOSU is looking for any official college songs in the years before the current "Ride Rangers, Ride" and "Northwestern Alma Mater" were composed. If anyone has copies of the music or the words to any of these songs, NWOSU would very much like to have copies of them for their archives.

If you can help, CONTACT: Rodney C. Murrow, Ph.D., Ranger Class of 1971, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Alva ~ Enid ~ Woodward - EMAIL: RCMurrow@nwosu.edu. Thanks!

We have accumulated a lot of information about Northwestern's Castle On the Hill since its creation. You may view the old Ranger Albums over at our NW OkieLegacy Webshots and NW OkieLegacy - Old Albums. So far we have accumulated the Ranger albums for 1917, 1926, 1937, 1938 and a student directory dating back to 1937-38. We have scanned, placed the above mentioned items into PDF files located at the URLs below:

Floppy Top Bop

According to one of our reliable sources, "There was no Dirty Bra Bop to my knowledge. One summer when we were living at the ranch, maybe '57 or '58, tube tops were all the rage. Tube tops were strapless bandeaus made of stretchy knit fabric. One day, after lunch, we were all in the kitchen doing dishes and cleaning up. Connie, wearing a tube top, was dancing while mopping the floor."

That inspired our reliable source back then to instantaneously create a song called, "Floppy Top Bop." BUT... Alas! Out of numerous verses, our source could only remember one line of that song that went something like this: You ought to see my sister, C.J., mop, doin' the floppy top bop.'"

If you happen to see Connie Jean (CJ) on the streets of northwest Oklahoma, you might see if she remembers the rest of that song, "Floppy Top Bop." This writer would ask her personally, but the last time I talked to Connie was in the Woods County courthouse... AND... she swung her arm around towards this NW Okie's head and assaulted me when I tried to console her and calm her down. This NW Okie never pressed charges for that assault -- I haven't talked to CJ since! Do you blame me? ;-)
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Seeking NWOSU Information

Alva, Oklahoma - I'm hopeful that "Okie Legacy" readers will be able to provide some additional information about Northwestern's old "Science Hall." As most folks know, it has been called the "Fine Arts Building" for many years and now houses a number of administrative offices, as well as the Music department.

I'm attaching a found image from the internet of the building before its renovation. I do not have the date of the renovation, but believe it to be about 1950. I know that the facility was scheduled to be razed due to structural problems caused by the original "superstructure" atop the building in essence, the fourth floor. After an inspection, officials decided to remodel the building, remove the superstructure, add new windows and other amenities, and the building took on its present outward appearance (though there have been a couple of interior renovation efforts since the structural redesign).

The building is the oldest building on campus and turns 100 this year. We will have an official "birthday party" and hope to develop a more extensive history of the building. Stories from your readers will certainly benefit our efforts, particularly from the days when it was still a science building, though we welcome information from the time of the structural redesign, in the years prior to the 1975 (I think) remodel project, or even in the years since then. Though the focus is on the building itself, we certainly welcome stories of "old professors" who taught classes there or stories of campus life centered around the building.

Photographs, interior and exterior, will be very much appreciated, either as a donation to our museum or as scanned images to share with us. We can do the scans ourselves if necessary and can promise a quick return of photographs, postcards, and other items.

We know that there were several official college songs in the years before our current "Ride Rangers, Ride" and "Northwestern Alma Mater" were composed. If anyone has copies of the music or the words to any of these songs, we would very much like to have copies of them for our archives. One that I recall seeing a copy of music to began with the words "You have written your name in history, O Northwestern."

This is a year for celebrations -- Oklahoma's centennial, Fine Arts Building's centennial, and NWOSU's 110th. Like many schools and communities in the state this year, NWOSU will be presenting the musical "Oklahoma" this spring semester, April 25th through 28th, in Herod Hall Auditorium, 8:00 p.m.

Rodney C. Murrow, Ph.D., Ranger Class of 1971, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies,Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Alva ~ Enid ~ Woodward - EMAIL: RCMurrow@nwosu.edu View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

A Valentine Story

We are in the process of taking down Kenneth Updike's stories and ramblings of "Growing Up In Oklahoma" because Kenneth asked us, "To remove all of my previous writings to you about my Ramblins. Personal stories that I told you and your readers. My Son has had all of my writings, and notes copyrighted so that we can put them in a book or booklet. His idea. I really have no objections to this, but he insists we can be viewed by more people. I leave it up to him. Thanks for your help in the past, and I still read your Okie Legacy nearly every week."

If you find some of Kenneth's Ramblings that I have missed, Please email me the link with Vol. and Iss. numbers so that this NW Okie can remove them. Thanks for your help!
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Location of Waynoka's 1st Rodeo Ground

"I was raised in Waynoka and had heard stories there was a rodeo ground west of town in the area close to Hutchinson's slaughter house. I'm interested if anyone knows the exact location.

Incidently, you might ask Connie & Dorthy about the "Dirty Bra Bop" they used to perform at Kelsey's house when in Waynoka (Oklahoma).

I am a far removed Northwest Oklahoman as I live in Eastern Europe in Moldova which is one of the former Soviet Republics. Was just curious about the possibility of the rodeo grounds location west of Waynoka.

I no longer have ties to Waynoka as all of my family from Waynoka have moved elsewhere. You probably don't remember much about Waynoka, but it was a great little town prior to its demise with the departure of the railroad. I was close friends with Bill Dean Kelsey and was at his house on a couple of occasions when your sisters were there (Thus the "Dirty Bra Bop" performance). In addition, I attended a couple of parties at the McGill house out on Hwy 14, and had one date with Connie. I last saw Dorthy when I returned from the war in Vietnam and she was working at the VFW club in Alva. However, one of my brother-in-laws (Bob LeValley) was the Ag Extension Agent in Alva for several years and he used to mention Dorthy on occasion. Anyways, a lot of great memories of some really nice people." -- Mike Robertson - Email: trvlnman74@hotmail.com
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The Rest of the Story

The Old Paint Says... "Oops, the NW Okie has made a mistake! September 16th. is the anniversary of the Cherokee Strip Landrun. It is NOT the centennial anniversary of the great state of Oklahoma which (I believe) is November 16th. My dad and his twin brother were born in Lindsay, I. T. on September 23, 1907 (before statehood). I am a proud 3rd. generation Oklahoman and these dates are very important to me." -- Roy

1st World War Soldiers... "Below is an obituary from a Woods Co., Oklahoma newspaper for H.J.(Hiram James)Mondy. The Mondy family is recorded in several articles on pp.175-176 in "Pioneer Footprines Across Woods County. (1976) One article states: "When the First World War broke out Hiram (James Hiram) enlisted in 1916 in the 188th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, and sailed for France late the same year. Almost at once he saw action at the front with the 46th battalion of the 10th infantry Brigade. On Mar. 30, 1917 he was killed in the drive o Vimy Ridge. He is buried in Villers Station Cemetery near Arras, France. In the 1914-1918 Book of Rememberance his name appears on page 295. This book is displayed in the Memorial Chamber in the Peace Tower of the Parliament Buildins in Ottawa, Canada. His grandfather, James Calvin McCary was my great-great grandfather, as well......" -- Charles Cook, Louisiana Bayou Country

List of Oklahoma WWI Soldiers... "I was surprised when I recognized the name of one of my friends among those on this list and so I copied the list and took it to our church and asked Jackie Sandy if her husband Gayland had an ancestor who fought in WW-1 and she said yes, that Gayland had been named for him and that he''d been killed in action. I then said that this must have been him and gave her the print-out. I''ll let you know more when I''ve heard from Gayland himself." -- Roy

Those Oklahoma Hills... "Dr. Young had a Clinic and Hospital, in a home, in Freedom. The office was on the bottom floor and hospital rooms were upstairs. It was located one block north of the main street, where The Freedom State Bank is on the West side and the Locker Plant is on the east side. A family by the name of Daughtee owned the house at one time. Back in 1941 or 1942 my two brothers and myself, had our tonsils and adneoids taken out, all at the same time, maybe my parents got a bargain deal." -- Francis R. Melkus - Email: fmmel@sbcglobal.net

Alva Fire in late Teens/Early 1920s Kills Several Children... "Has anyone gotten any info on this article?" -- Victoria Glover - Email: vglover776@sbcglobal.net

Snow Rolls... "Okie, I love all the story's, since my family the Pittman's, Osborn, Humphrey, Gibson families lived in Oklahoma at one time or another. I'm just fasinated. I have been told the Pittman and Osburn families went to 4 Square Gospel Church 1919 - 1928. Can anyone tell me if there is a rooster of families, with baptisms, weddings,deaths etc. Thanks." -- Vickie J

Alva Newspaper Info... "Jim, I'm hoping you can help. My family the Osburn were killed in a house fire. Walter Harvey (he was a piano tuner) and his son Oscar it was 1924 there might have been more family killed in that fire. Do you have any info? They say the wife might have started that fire?? Or if anyone can help. They went to 4 Square Gospil church. They buried at Whitehorse." -- Vickie J Glover- EmaiL: vglover776@sbcglobal.net
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Oklahoma Draft Registration Certificate WWI

"Since recent editions have dealt with WW I connection in Woods County, OK, I thought this might be of interest. James Almont Barnett was my grandmother's uncle. Shown here is his WW I draft registration certificate. His brother Carl served in that war and was ever after plagued with problems caused by exposure to mustard gas." -- Charles M. Cook in Louisiana Bayou Country
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James Hiram Mondy, WWI Soldier

"A quick estimate is that the young James Hiram Mondy was a first cousin twice removed. His mother was a McCary. He and my Grandfather Clarence McCary were first cousins. I doubt that grandpa ever heard of him. I am not a Mondy descendant. Much of my information was recorded by the late Evelyn B. Stout of Cherokee, OK, another McCary descendant. I stopped and visited her once when we were on our way to Vallecito. My late mother never heard of her either. Sometimes the families split and spread like an explosion. Imagine that kid being from Alva, growing up in Canada and lies buried in France and he died about the time he achieved manhood. We genealogists try to glue the pieces back together.

I'm not sure what all problems my great-great granduncle Carl Barnett had, other than lung troubles. I do remember his sister Daisy Barnett Talkington speaking of it. They were my Grandma Hazel Martin McCary's aunt and uncle.

I still enjoy your weekly endeavors in the Zine. Keep up the good work." -- Charlie
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WWI Oklahoma Soldiers

"I am truly in your debt for the information that you sent to me by email, it is an excellent account of James Hiram MONDY. The full name of the cemetery as shown on my data base where he is at rest is Villers Station cemetery, Villers-Au-Boise- Pas-De-Calais where there are a further 26 Canadians interred. In the text it mentioned that he was amongst those who fell at Vimy Ridge. My database shows that there are 200 US citizens who are commemorated on this memorial, something I suspect that is not generally known.

I shall attempt to make good use of the information in a future story assuming that Mr. Charles M. Cook would have no objections, if required please pass on my email address to him.

As I am a member of the WFA-USA and the WFA-UK any stories that I write are submitted to the Editor and may be accepted for publication at his discretion. These are then produced in the quarterly magazine for the interest of all.

I have been fortunate with a story that I wrote in October 2005 regarding a 15 year old from Ohio who was KIA whilst serving in a British regiment. Family members have very recently come across my story and have I have been able to be of assistance to them with further details. They are visiting the UK this May and will be coming to visit me at my home where I shall present them with the two medals he was entitled and all the other information I have obtained from the National Archives UK. I am hoping that something may develop on a similar basis from your kindness shown to me by publishing the names of those soldiers from Oklahoma.

It would seem that we have given some people food for thought on these soldiers, I have a friend in Oklahoma City who is trying to make contact with any REUSS family members in Gutrhrie who may be related to the soldier on the list. When more information is made available perhaps I could supply whatever I have to your magazine in the form of a short story to help keep the memory of these soldiers alive.

May I ask if the 1st World War is part of the schools curriculum in conjuction with other history projects? it is over here in the UK but it is hard work at times. Whatever towns these fallen soldiers came from I would like to know if they do have there own War Memorial - Roll of Honour as they do here in the UK. Assuming they do have a memorial it would be a marvellous gesture to have their names included upon it.

If anyone care to write to you regarding the soldiers may I suggest asking if they have a photograph of their local war memorial they could share with both of us, I would pay any expences incurred in taking the picture in advance if required. If I can be of help to you in any way please ask I will always try." -- Sidney J.Clark, Wales UK - Email: clark_sj@tiscali.co.uk
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Pvt. Frederick Gayland Sandy, WWI Soldier

"When I saw the name of Private Frederick Gayland Sandy among that list of WWI soldiers that you published in last week's issue of The Okie Legacy, I immediately printed a copy to take to church with me this morning, and when I asked Gayland's wife, Jackie, if he'd had an ancestor in the 1st. World War, she replied "yes, that Gayland had been named for him and that the ancestor had been killed in action. I handed her the printout saying that this must have been him. She confirmed that the parents listed were correct. " -- Roy K.
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Evelyn Benefiel Stout

"Evelyn Benefiel Stout was married to James Willard Stout, called Willard. Evelyn was a teacher and once taught at Dacoma for a year or so. It was around thirty years ago that I met them. Actually, the Benefiel farm they lived on was really nearer to Lambert than anywhere. According to the Woods Co. 'Footprints' book, she and Willard were high school sweethearts. However, there are no accounts of a Stout family in that book, so I would assume that the family was a later arrival in the Woods Co. I never heard of Evelyn until I received my copy of that book It had an account of my g-g grandfather James C. McCary under her name, and I wondered who in the world this person was who was writing about him. Evelyn writes of the McCarys, Benefiels, and Schwennesens therein.

My contact with Evelyn cemented my interest in genealogy/family history. It was to bloom into a hobby, and ultimately an obsession, as is so common with genealogists. She and Willard were real salt of the earth people. The path Evelyn set me on led to tracing branches of the McCary ancestry to the 1620's in Jamestown, Virginia Colony in the 1620's, and I was able to share that with her." -- Charlie
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Books On Woods County, OK

"You may want to mention the following information on your site as it is about a google site which is not widely publicized: books.google.com. Complete copies of the "full view" books, as they are called on the site, can be viewed online, downloaded and printed out. They are in the public domain. Currently, there are 31 books available which mention Woods County, Oklahoma. The following is a link to a search results page which lists and links to those books: tinyurl.com/37otvz. Best regards." -- Jerry Ferrin, Webmaster - Comanche County, Kansas: History and Genealogy and Barber County, Kansas: History and Genealogy
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Waynoka History

[Editor's Notes: Photo on the left was scanned from "Footprints Across Woods County," pg. 475, Old Miller Hotel.]

"I have posted this and several additional related photos on Rod Murrow's Flickr website. It's an old building on highway 281 on the curve north of Waynoka, near the entry to the BNSF railroad property, which back in the early heydays of the TAT and ATSF transportation in Waynoka would have placed the building at an advantageous location for railroad workers and/or travelers. As you can see, at least one person has indicated that the building was a two-story hotel.

I wonder if there are any stories about the owners, its amenities, its guests, any photos of the place when it was in operation, or any other useful information that folks might want to share it seems to me that the structure is a significant part of Waynoka's history.

I believe I contacted you earlier asking your readers for information about the old Science Hall, now Fine Arts Building, on the NWOSU campus in Alva. I have another request for your readers: does anyone have any stories to share about how the university mascot, the Ranger, came into being? We've been the Ranger of Northwestern for a long, long time, but there must have been some sort of contest or something in the early years of Northwestern Normal when the idea of Rangers was first suggested.

I have another item that I'm curious about. This is a picture of an old boxcar east of Waynoka, on highway 281 (between Waynoka and Greensburg Corner). Rod's Murrow's Flickr - Old Boxcar - It's been there as long as I can remember, and has always had the little air conditioning fan unit in the side and the climbing vines on the east end and the attached garage as in this photo. The logical assumption is that it served as someone's home or maybe a vacation home of some sort? I'm curious to know if any of your readers can supply the 'rest of the story' about this humble abode." -- Rod Murrow
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Old Miller Hotel

"The hotel was the Miller Hotel. Wm. E. Miller and his wife, Cordelia, came to Waynoka in the Run of '93. Waynoka was already a shipping point for cattle, and had a post office in the depot. The Millers built the hotel on the north end of their property near the Santa Fe rail yards, expecting the town to built near there. However, the town was built nearer the train station, south of the rail yards about a half mile. On page 475 of the Woods County family history book (Footprints Across Woods county), there is a very good picture of the hotel in operation, along with the very interesting family history. Wm. Miller's brother, Grant, married Cordelia's sister, Arpy, and they built the Commercial Hotel in downtown Waynoka. Wm. and Cordelia's son, Bud, and his wife, Bertha, lived in a beautiful home which is north of Waynoka on Highway 14 about a half mile from town. An old-timer told me that two brothers inherited the hotel, and that one of them took the top floor to his farm and built a building on his farm. It is the shed across the highway from the Bud Miller house. The Millers played fascinating and key roles in the early days of Waynoka's history." Sandie Olson, Waynoka Historical Society - Email: sandieo@pldi.net View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

William Edkin & Cordelia (Holt) Miller

"William Edkin Miller originally came from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His wife, Cordelia Holt Miller, came from Paducah, Kentucky. They came to Caldwell, Kansas, and when the Cherokee Strip opened, they settled on land north of Waynoka. Mr. Miller rode the train down because it was faster than by wagon. Mrs. Miller drove the wagon. They lived in a dugout until they could get a sod house built. They picked up "buffalo chips" for fire wood. They shot prairie chickens for meat and the cowboys would give their neighbors beef when they butchered.

Mr. Miller built a hotel on the north part of his farm near the Santa Fe Shops because he thought the town would be settled there. The family saw the Daltons as they rode through the area. It was customary to feed the horses and riders, whoever they were, when they stopped. Grant Miller, W. E. Miller's brother, married Arpy Holt, Cordelia Miller's sister. They built the commercial Hotel in Waynoka which Arpy owned and operated until her death in 1939.

The Indians frequently came from south of Seiling, Oklahoma to the Waynoka stockyards located south of the present grain elevators. The indians took the refused animals, temporarily set up camps around the stockyards, and prepared their meat. They often traded at John Eaton's second hand store. Once a squaw came to the front of the store with a mouth full of water which she squirted on a child's head to smooth its hair. -- [Miller history as told by Katherine Lowther Nunnelee, pg. 475, "Footprints Across Woods County."]
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Waynoka's West Rodeo Grounds

"Yes, there were rodeo grounds out there many, many, years ago. The only Mike Robertson I know had three sisters and lived right across from the Methodist Church. He lived just up the block from my Aunt Gladys and he and my cousin had a little crush on one another. Hope you all are well. Let me know how the bra bop worked." -- Louise
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Perry, OK's Gas Prices

"Our prices for gasoline went up another nickel today to $2.14.9 and the weather here is cool but above freezing (slightly). We're expecting some colder weather and perhaps some more moisture in the days ahead." -- Roy
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American Expeditionary Forces & Great War Society

We did a Google search for WWI sites and found this WWI - Doughboy Center & General Headquarters with the story of the American Expeditionary forces of 1914-1918. Check out this link to study the events of 1914-1918 and their relevance to the 21st Century -- The Great War Society. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe