Oklahoma to Me - 4th verse

Oklahoma To Me . . .

is how red clay feels between your toes

when you go swimming in the pond

Love,

Territory Mom

My 100th Post & Someone Else's Words

I knew my 100th post was coming soon. I was planning on a brilliantly written post about Maggie Brashear. My post requires more research and I can't seemed to find an old newspaper article from 1886. I'll find it and write about her soon, but in the meantime you must check out www.jenx67.com "Are you there God? its me, Generation X". Jen is an excellent writer who always knows the right words and will touch your heart.

This morning I read her post "8 things i learned from the most boring book in the Bible". It needs to be shared with all of you today.

We will get to the promised land, my friends and I want to be one of the 70 shoulders to carry your burdens.

Have a great day. Love, Territory Mom http://www.jenx67.com/2009/08/8-things-i-learned-from-most-boring.html

Oklahoma to Me . . . 3rd verse

Oklahoma to Me . . .

is the smell of fresh cut hay

Love,

Territory Mom

Thankful Thursday - Rain

I decided to participate in Thankful Thursday at this blog today instead of my other one just to be different. Today, I am thankful for: 1. The rain. God sent us rain today beginning at 1:30 am. Thank you, Lord. 2. We decided to homeschool. My children are much happier. and, 3. God had mercy on me and gave me a 2nd chance, a 3rd chance, a 4th chance . . . Love, Territory Mom

for more thankfulness go to: http://www.eph2810.com/

Redneck Horse

Peptoboonsmal

Peptoboonsmal is a quarter horse legend. He is a Red Roan born in 1992, sired by Peppy San Badger out of Royal Blue Boon. His pedigree goes back as far as the 1920's. He is one of the top money earners if not the top one of all time for cutting and reining. He is worth so much money that when he was recently sold the terms remained confidential. His stud fee alone is $15,000 and that is just a part of him, if you know what I mean. He stands at Carol Rose Quarter Horse Ranch in Gainsville, Texas. (More about Carol Rose later)

Fred

This is our redneck horse, Fred. He is sired by an ol' paint named Poncho out of Reba, the meanest broad you will ever meet. His stud fee is free, but he isn't a stud anymore. His pedigree goes back about 5 years. Fred continues to stand at the redneck farm he was born on in the middle of Oklahoma. He is very happy with his owners. Love,

Territory Mom

Oklahoma To Me . . . 2nd verse

Oklahoma to Me . . .

is listening to the story of when your great grandmother

lived in a tent along the Red River.

Love,

Territory Mom

He Made His Peace With God

Charlie Dunn Family

L to R front row: Maggie Brashear Dunn (holding Roscoe), Mamie, Ruth,

Charlie(holding Homer)

L to R back row: Nancy Pearl Emily (my gg grandma) and Maudie Velma

son, Burgess was born later. Sons, C.H. and Chester died in infancy

Charles Henry Dunn was my great great grandfather. His parents were Emily Singleton Dunn Kinder and James Dunn. He has been a mystery and so has his father. Charlie was born in 1867 and he was only 3 years old when his mother married Adam Kinder. The whereabouts of his father remain unknown. I ordered Charlie's death certificate and found that his father was born in Texas. It is our only clue about Charlie's father.

Charlie Dunn's death certificate

Charlie Dunn has always had a bad reputation in my family. According to my grandma, her aunt Mamie (the 1st aunt Mamie, who was my grandma's great aunt but also the same age as her mother) always referred to him as "that no good Charlie Dunn". It could have been that he was blamed for Maggie's early death at age 34. (she died of pnemonia 2 weeks after the birth of her last child ). They were living in a logging camp in Arkansas and after Maggie's death he traded my great grandma to a man for a horse. That doesn't sit too well with your in-laws.

Anyway, I tried to find out more about Charlie's father so I sent a request for information to the Oklahoma Historical Society (excellent source of information). This is what I received:

Page 5 of The Waurika Oklahoma News-Democrat, Friday, April 6, 1923

Death of Charley Dunn

Charley Dunn died at his home near Bethel school house, southeast of Waurika, March 29, 1923, after a long and painful illness of tuberculosis. Mr. Dunn was a man of peace, a good neighbor and a loving husband and father. Before his death, he assured his children that he had made his peace with his God and that Jesus had saved his soul. He requested that all meet him in Heaven where he was going to meet his wife. He leaves seven children, three sons and four daughters, to mourn his loss. He was 56 years, 4 months and 13 days old at the time of his death.

He was laid to rest in the Ryan Cemetery Saturday afternoon, March 31, where funeral services were conducted by Rev. H.H. Bowles of Waurika. The children wish to thank their many friends and neighbors for their kindness to them during the sickness and at the time of the death of their father. Friends extend sympathy to the surviving relatives.

BY A FRIEND.

So, it appears that he didn't leave this world with a bad reputation, even if he had, he made his peace with God and that is all that matters.

Love,

Territory Mom

Oklahoma To Me . . . first verse

Oklahoma celebrated it's centennial in 2007. I was trying to jump on the bandwagon of the events surrounding the celebration. A quilt shop owner and writer featured a quilt contest. You had to make a quilt square depicting what Oklahoma meant to you. Part of the contest was to submit a story about your quilt. I worked on my quilt square, but I did not get it finished. I will show it too sometime. I have to finish it first. I love it, it is awesome. (I never say "awesome") Anyway, I wrote a poem about what Oklahoma means to me and I will share a verse with you each Friday then you tell me what Oklahoma means to you. Hopefully I have the quilt square done by the end of my poem. Enjoy . . .

Oklahoma to Me is . . .

falling asleep to the sound of the oil pump while

sleeping in your grandma’s feather bed.

Love, Territory Mom

This Colt is Coming

Herman Paddock with nephews, C.H. & David Dunn

cir 1930's

This is one of my favorite photos from my grandma's old picture box. On the back of the photo is written;

"this is Maw's pasture this colt is coming"

This is definitely western Oklahoma, not a tree in sight. To me is seems haunting. You can almost hear the Oklahoma wind.

Herman Paddock was married to my grandma's aunt Ruth. They did not have any children and helped raise Ruth's younger brother, Roscoe Dunn's children after his first wife, Esther died. They lived in New Mexico and Texas, but returned to Ryan, Oklahoma. Herman and Ruth are buried in the Ryan Cemetery next to Ruth's father, Charles Henry Dunn.

Roscoe's children from his first wife lived in Texas. My grandma said there were rodeo people.

Have a great day.

Love,

Territory Mom