The Foundation of Woody Guthrie - Windshield Oklahoma

   

I've driven by this location many times knowing it was the old homeplace of Woody Guthrie and his family.  I never notice the foundation until the recent clean up.  This is the view from 1st street, the front of the house. 
It amazed me when I saw this beautiful foundation.  It had generations of rumble, waste and neglect on top of it yet underneath was this beautiful native Oklahoma stone.

 

We all have a little clean up to do.  Underneath all the rumble is a beautiful foundation. Sometimes we just have to dig. Sometimes we have to dig hard.

One time I was working on something for my daughter.  She was getting frustrated with my ability. I told her I was doing the best I could, which she responded, "you can always do better".  I love it that my kids are smarter than me, well sometimes.

If you don't keep any of your New Year's resolutions that is okay.  Just keep working at it.  Always remember that underneath all that rumble and down to the native stone is a child who will do incredible things and influence generations.  It is your job, our job to keep building the foundation, keep it moving forward.

Love,

Territory Mom

 

P.S. The rebuilding of Woody Guthrie's childhood will be featured on Discover Oklahoma January 18, 2014. 

P.S. again:  Please forgive me if it sounds like I am rambling. I'm a mom, enough said.

 

Rebuilding Woody Guthrie's Childhood Home in Okemah

Photo source: 19th Century Restorations

 

This is pretty interesting.

  Daniel T. Reidemann of 19th Century Restorations reconstructs many celebrity homes.  Soon he will be rebuilding Woody Guthrie's childhood home in Okemah, OK.  In addition to the rebuilding of the home Mr. Reidemann will also be doing a documentary showing the process which will include many people but especially, Arlo Guthrie as lead carpenter.

The project is accepting donations through Kickstarter.com-Woody Guthrie.  They need $93,000.00.  I'm sure this project will be fully funded.  Check out the above Kickstarter link for more information and to be a part of history. 

 

 Soon 301 S. 1st Street, Okemah, OK will have a home on it again.

Love,

Territory Mom

Saying Goodbye to Oklahoman John Ingle - General Hospital Style

John Houston Ingle

1928 - 2012

Photo source:  New York Times

 

Oklahoman, John H. Ingle died on September 16, 2012.  He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 7, 1928 to John Cisney Ingle and Myrtle Hoyle Ingle.  You know him as Edward Quartermaine the family patriarch in the long running soap, General Hospital.  I should have written about Mr. Ingle sooner but I was waiting for the soap to pay tribute and now it will.  Today's and Wednesday's episodes will pay tribute to the charachter, Edward Quartermaine.  Another reason I haven't blogged about this is that I have also been a little distraught over Steve Burton leaving the show.  I'll keep my misery to myself for now.

 

Now to Mr. Ingle.  His bio states that he was born in Tulsa.  According to Ancestry.com he was living in Wewoka with his family at age 2.  According to the 1930 census his father, John was a salesman for an oil company.  Remember your Oklahoma history the Seminole area and the entire Seminole County was in a major oil boom at this time.  John was the baby of the family with three older sisters, Mary Agnes, 15, Pansy Edith, 14 and Hattie Marie, 12.

Seminole

 

When John was 11 years old the family was living in Poteau in 1940.   I believe the family was there to be close to his grandmother, Mary Hopkins Hoyle who died in 1941.  While living in Poteau his father was a time keeper for the WPA.  From oil company to the WPA definitely a sign of the times.

When he was a teenager the family moved to Tujunga, California.  John attended Occidental College majoring in theater.  This is where he met his beloved wife, Grace-Lynne Martin. 

 

John and Grace-Lynne Ingle

 

His lovely wife predeceased him in February, 2012.

 

Occidental College yearbook photo from Ancestry.com

 

The above photo is blurry because you can not copy photos from ancestry.com so I took a picture of it.  You do what cha gotta do.  Anyway, Mr. Ingle was a English and drama teacher at Hollywood High before becoming an actor.  His students included, Richard Dreyfuss, Nicholas Cage, Barbara Hershey, David Schwimmer and many others.  Upon his retirement from teaching he became an actor and we are so thankful.  He played an onry character on General Hospital but in a comical and endearing way.  This creative Okie will be missed.

 

Goodbye Mr. Ingle.

Love,

Territory Mom

 

The Dust Bowl - A Film By Ken Burns

Hello fellow Okies!

Please don't forget to watch The Dust Bowl A Film By Ken Burns which begins tonight on PBS.  I know we have heard the stories from our parents, grandparents and others who lived through it, but watch anyway.  Ken Burns should do us justice.

 

Cousin Haskell Vest

 

I don't know about you but it is part of our history that I still love to hear and read about.  There is always a new story to hear.  You can check out the above link for interactive dust bowl, including photos, bios and more videos.

Have a great Sunday.
Love,
Territory Mom

P.S.  I don't mind being called an "Okie".  It is what I am.

15th Annual WoodyFest Begins Today

The 15th Annual WoodyFest begins today in Okemah, America.  This year is Woody's 100th birthday so his son, Arlo Guthrie will kick off the festivities with a concert at the newly remodeled Crystal Theater.

Not the best photo of the theater but I had to get the movie title "Brave" and the poster for my little girl.

Anyway, lots of things going on this week in Okemah and it is not going to be 110 degrees every day so check it out.  For more information:

Woody Guthrie Folk Festival

For book signing information and other venues go to:

Okemah News Leader

For information about the rebuilding of Woody's childhood home and a link to Okemah's newest folk hero, John Fullbright, go here:

Newsok.com

Have a great day.

Love,

Territory Mom

Today is Oklahoma's 9/11 - We Will Never Forget

It has been 17 years since Oklahoma shook and her world and her people changed forever.  We had our own 9/11 and it is 4/19.

The survivor tree from 9/11 was planted next to the OKC survivor tree at OCU yesterday.  I think that is fitting.  Go here for the video clip.

We all know how each of us are feeling today.  It still makes us cry and especially to hear the names of the victims being read.  I was trying to remember the song that all the radio stations played all the time after the bombing.  It's funny how each year something pops in our mind about that time.  I remember when I was shampooing a lady's hair a few weeks after the bombing.  She told me she was getting a new Lincoln.  She was so excited to tell me that a lady from OKC was buying her old one.  The lady buying the car worked downtown and her car had been damaged during the bombing.  (Can you see that image of the damaged cars?) She was going to buy another car just like her old one.  It brought a little normalcy back to her life.

I do look forward to hearing stories on the news about the victims and the survivors.  It is nice to know how everyone is doing and the legacies of the victims.

I'll leave you today.  Below is a link to last year's post that also includes links to previous posts about this tragic day.

I Wonder - 4/19

While we will forever remember this day and our fellow Oklahomans let us never forget this man.

Love you, Oklahoma,

Territory Mom

Chuck Norris on Oklahoma 1940 Census - All 1940 Census Images on Ancestry.com Online Today

Oklahoma 1940 census record, Ryan, Jefferson County, OK

From Ancestry.com:

We’re thrilled to announce that we just posted our first 1940 U.S. Census indexes online—two complete states, Nevada and Delaware.

This is only the start. You’ll also find every 1940 U.S Census image, all 3.8 million of them, online tomorrow morning (April 6, 2012). Check Facebook and Twitter @Ancestrydotcom for an announcement to know exactly when. And as we continue to update our collection, you’ll find more tools to help you make discoveries, including an enumeration-district finder and a FREE downloadable guide for locating your family in the 1940 U.S. Census images.

 There’s plenty more to come in the coming weeks and months as we continue to add indexes for more states. So stay tuned and spread the word: Ancestry.com is the home of the 1940 U.S. Census!
Search Delaware and Nevada in the 1940 Census now.

Search 1940 Census
 

While all of the 3.8 million census images are available on online it is a little difficult to find people.  This is why the indexing is so important.  I will let you know when each state index is complete.  That way you can search by name.  Right now you can view the images by state, county, city or town.  I'm been searching for my family.  I found my great great aunt, Mamie Dunn Barnett in Comanche, OK, my great great uncle John Friels in Loco, OK, my husband's great great uncle, Everett Guinn in Morse, OK.  Most importantly I found Chuck Norris on the Oklahoma census.  That is the image above.  He is listed in the 2nd family from the top.  He was born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma on March 10, 1940.  If you notice in the left margin the date "April 17" which I'm guessing was the date the census was taken.  He was born just in time to get his name out there to the world.

from official website of Chuck Norris

My husband and his brothers all have the same photo.  It couldn't have been the same pony, right?

Good luck with your searches.  If you need any help, just hollar.

Love,

Territory Mom 

OSU Memorial Service

NOTE:  I put this post on my other blog Delayed But Not Denied when I meant to post it here. Sorry for the double post.

Just in case you haven't heard the OSU memorial service for the victims of last week's plane crash will be today at 1:00 pm in the Gallagher Iba Arena in Stillwater. I heard that Channel 6 and Channel 23 in Tulsa will have it on live tv. I'm sure other stations will also. You can also view the live stream online on Channel 6. Go here for more information.

The holidays can sometimes be a difficult time for people then to add the loss of a friend or family member can put someone over the edge. Please keep our OSU friends in your prayers this week.

I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great.

Psalm 18:1-3,28,35

Love,

Territory Mom

P.S. I never attended OSU but I have friends who did and it holds a special place in my heart. My grandfather's first cousin, Vernon Friels, played for Henry Iba. Maybe one day my children will attend Oklahoma State.

Windshield Oklahoma - Happy Birthday Oklahoma!

Today the great state of Oklahoma is 104 years old.  I guess with the recent earthquakes it is her way to complain about her age.  She needs to settle down and stop complaining so much.  I mean she looks good for her age.  This is what she looks like in my neck of the woods:

We have been friends for 46 years now.  Over the years we have grown very close.  She is my refuge.

Happy birthday dear friend.

Love,

Territory Mom

Fragment to Olinka by Acel Garland - The Story of Olinka Hrdy - Part 1

Fragment to Olinka

Acel Garland

Fires dim as embers of fallen moonlight smoulder in your eyes--many fires.

 Glowing strange colors deep in your eyes,

 for you have slept in the shadow of a white rock

and wandered long in the land of dreams.

The wind that whispers with the colored leaves,

 and sighes among the short grass on the prairie has blown across your face,

 and chanted a strange music in your ears. 

I have been planning to write about my hometown of Prague.  My goal was to share with you our history and our people, but since I'm a mom and not an investigative reporter my idea was put on the back burning.  One of my stories was going to be about Olinka Hrdy.  Then I received an email from This Land Press informing its email subscribers that the cover story for the September issue is about none other than Olinka Hrdy.

I'm thinking if I got paid to blog I would have got my story done sooner, but then maybe not.  I haven't read the story in This Land Press because I only read it online and this story is not available yet.  So I will tell you a little about what I know about Olinka Hrdy tonight because she died on this date 23 years ago.

Olinka was born in a sod house on the family farm in Prague on August 7, 1902.  She was full blood Czech.  She was a first generation American on her father's side (Josef Hrdy was born in Bohemia) and second generation on her mother's side (Emma Benes Hrdy was born in Iowa).  There is some information out there that she was half Indian which is not true.  She did have a cousin who was half Seminole.  I'm not sure if a mistake was made because Prague sits on the Sac and Fox Reservation. 

Many people did not know she was an artist until she died.  She studied under Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Goff.  She painted nine murals in the home that is now the Tulsa Spotlight Theatre.  I've read that the murals do not exist anymore.  She worked for the WPA in California and I think some of the murals she painted there still exist.  Oh, Olinka had been married.  Nobody knew about that.  I read about it in her biography.  I bet she was spinning over that one.  I just knew her as the ol' Czech lady that built her house with her own two hands.  Wait until you see it.  Oh I also heard about the big fight over her father's will.  It's a doozy, but I may or may not share.

I think this is all I will write about the mysterious Olinka for now.  I need to do some more research which means I need to talk to my old high school friend's mom because she knows everything.

Brother, Carl, mother Emma and Olinka Hrdy

Czech National Cemetery, Prague, OK

The above poem is engraved on Olinka's grave.  Isn't it lovely.  The only information I could find about the author, Acel Garland was that he was a member of the Texas Folklore Society.  It sounds like he was also very fond of Olinka.

Have a good evening.

Love,

Territory Mom

Two Beloved Okemah Women Have Finished Their Race

Corner of Woody Guthrie Blvd and Glen D. Johnson Drive

Taken by me during the bitter cold of Feb., 2011

Two women in my community have gone on to a better place this week.  One woman, the beloved, Imogene had a long race on this earth and finished at age 90.  Brenda's race was cut short because of a tragic accident.  She was only 54. 

While both women accomplished a lot deal during their lives people share the hometown memories the most.  Imogene was the high school football queen in the late 1930's and Brenda loved her horses.

Both women contributed a great deal to the agricultural and educational needs of our community.

I never met these women but I know from reading about their sons in the local paper that they were both devoted and loving mothers.  Both women raised outstanding citizens.  Imogene had one son and Brenda had two sons. 

Watch the following videos and you will agree with me that these were two wonderful women and mothers: OSU 2011 Outstanding Senior and Lessons In Leadership - Dr. Glen Johnson.

It will be a busy day tomorrow in Okemah with two funeral for two lovely ladies.

I have fought the good fight,  I have finished the race,  I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7 (NIV) Also, sadly I lost one of my high school classmates this week.  She was also a devoted and loving mother.  I will post about her later. Have a great day. Love, Territory Mom 

For more information you can go to these links:

Imogene Johnson Obit

Parks Brothers Funeral Home - Okemah

Durant Democrat

Turtle Talk - Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations Sue State for Violation of Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty

Turtle Talk has posted a copy of the Complaint filed by the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations against the State over the water rights of Sardis Lake.  They also posted links to two articles from the New York Times.  Check it out here.

Turtle Talk is the blog for the Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University College of Law.  It provides information about Native American Law that effects all tribes nationwide.
Taken from its About page:

About

Boozhoo!

Turtle Talk is the blog for the Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University College of Law. We post news items related to Indian law and politics, with a special emphasis on topics related to Indian tribes in Michigan and the Great Lakes region. We also post announcements about our activities and about the activities of the MSU Native American Law Students Association.

In addition, Turtle Talk offers links to every Supreme Court case involving federal Indian law in the modern era (1959 to present). Finally, Turtle Talk provides links to the primary documents key to Michigan Anishinaabe legal and political history, including a link to every federal and state legal decision involving one of the Michigan Ottawa/Odawa tribes. We also offer links to all kinds of scholarship about the Anishinaabek and Anishinaabe tribes.

Baa maa pii 

Thanks Turtle Talk for making this information available.  I sure tried but I'm not a computer wiz so my links were difficult to open.  I may not have the answers but I'll find you someone who does.

Have a great day.

Love,

Territory Mom

Tribal Lawsuit against OKC and Governor Fallin

You can click this link to view the lawsuit filed by the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations against Gov. Fallin.
Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations v. Mary Fallin, in her official capacity as Governor of the State of Oklahoma, et. al
Case No. CIV-11-297-C
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma


Territory Mom

Gov. Mary Fallin Sued by Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations

The First Choctaw Chief Greenwood LeFlore

Chief LeFlore was a visionary and served his people well by signing the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (Act of 1830). He wanted his people to be protected. Chief Gregory Pyle also a visionary is following through with Chief LeFlore's wishes and he is protecting his people.

When I posted I Dreamed of a White Buffalo in April I informed you that there would be more to this story and here it is:

Today is a historical day in Oklahoma.  While the first female governor of Oklahoma, Mary Fallin rang the bell on Wall Street she was being sued by the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations of Oklahoma. 

The Nations allege in the complaint filed this morning in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Oklahoma (Case No. CIV-11-927-C) that the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek of 1830 has been violated.

The Nature of the Action

The Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations seek declaratory and injunctive relief to protect their federal rights -- including their present and future use water rights, regulatory authority over water resources, and right to be immune from state law and jurisdiction.  Each of these rights is guaranteed to them by the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, Act of Sept 30, 1830, 7 Stat. 333 ("1830 Treaty") and is protected under federal law . . . (emphasis added)

We as Oklahomans must protect our federal rights.  It does not matter if we belong to a tribe or not we know that the water in Sardis Lake belongs to the Chickasaw and Choctaw Tribes.  Even if the water is completely drained from Sardis Lake and sent to Oklahoma City or Texas it will still belong to the Tribes.

  There will be more to this story.

Territory Mom

Art Treasures-OK Supreme Court

1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek

The Best of Laugh In On OETA with Okie Dan Rowan

The Best of Laugh In will be on OETA tonight at 10:30 pm.  It is being shown as part of the annual fundraiser, AugustFest.

I loved this show as a kid.  I'm sure alot of the jokes were over my head but it was still fun.  I love it even more now that I know Dan Rowan was born in Oklahoma.  When I first learned this I thought well that makes sense there are a ton of Rowans in Oklahoma, but then I found out he was born Daniel Hale David.  He was born on July 22, 1922 in Beggs, Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. His parents were Oscar and Nellie David who were a singing and dancing duet with the carnival.  From what I have read the name "David" may have been a stage name and his parents were a vaudeville act.  Since Mr. Rowan was born on a carnival train and his parents were vaudevillians I don't think he spent much time in Oklahoma.   He was a very interesting and ambitious man.  By age 6 he was performing with his parents.  At age 11 he was orphaned while in Pueblo, Colorado and placed in an orphanage.  It is unclear if his parents died or he was abandoned.  At age 16 he was placed in a foster home where he remained until he graduated from high school in 1940.  He then hitchhiked to Los Angeles and began working in the mailroom at Paramount Studios.  One year later he was the youngest staff writer for Paramount.

Oh my gracious it gets better.

He quit Paramount to join the military becoming a fighter pilot during WWII.  After he shot down two enemy aircrafts over New Guinea his plane was shot down and he was seriously wounded.  One of the many medals he received was a Purple Heart.  Thank you Mr. Rowan for serving our country and protecting our freedom.

After Mr. Rowan was discharged in 1946 he went back to LA and in 1952 he met Dick Martin and they became a comedy team performing in nightclubs.  I bet that was fun to see. 

Jump to 1967 when Rowan & Martin's Laugh In made its debut and made Goldie Hawn and others famous.  Rowan and Martin were not only the hosts of the show but the producers as well.

This is how I remember Dan Rowan.

 

Sadly he died at the age of 65 of lymphoma while living in Florida.

I hope you watch the show with me and watch a man from such humble beginnings to being a part of millions of people's lives at least once a week.

Have a great day.

Love,

Territory Mom

For more information:

Dan Rowan's Obit from NY Times

Wikipedia-Dan Rowan

FindAGrave-Rowan

LaughIn

New Oklahoma Book "Early Woods County" By Beverly Kinzie

The books from Arcadia Publishing celebrate heritage by sharing the images of our past in a new

and interesting way.  Early Woods County is written by Beverly Kinzie.  She has lived in Woods County for 50 years.  She captures the pioneer spirit of Woods County and shares it with all of us.  You will love the vintage photos.  This book is a must have for any Oklahoma school library and for any home educator.

Below is more information about Beverly Kinzie and also this article

 from Okie Women.

Love the fact that Beverly is an aviator.  So true to her Oklahoma roots.

Have a great day.

Love,

Territory Mom

Woody Guthrie's Birthday - His Song For Laura - The Story of Laura Nelson - Part 1

It happened here.

 

This is a follow-up to my post from July 8, 2011.  It is a difficult subject and I have had a hard time getting my words together and so the story of Laura Nelson and her family will be told in more than one post.

First of all today is Woody Guthrie's 99th birthday which means WoodyFest is happening in Okemah, Oklahoma.

One year before Woody was born in Okemah, Okfuskee County and 12 years before Clara Mae Luper was born in the same county, Laura Nelson and her son Lawrence were lynched by an angry mob.

My sister first told me about it a few years ago and my brother emailed this article from the Oklahoma Gazette a few weeks ago.  Warning: The article in the OK Gazette has a photo of the actual lynching.

There are several different accounts of the story. I'm sure that was the same case one hundred years ago. I will provide a few links of the story at the end.
Anyway, in May of 1911, Laura, her husband, Austin and children, Lawrence and Carrie were living in the Creek Township of Okfuskee County.  This is near the town of Boley, OK.

This rural area hasn't changed much in one hundred years only a few new tombstones have been added to the old cemetery hidden in the woods.

Austin Nelson had stolen some livestock.  When the deputy went to the Nelson home to investigate he was shot.  It is reported that Lawrence shot him.  Lawrence or L.D. was only 13 years old and reported to be mentally challenged.  The deputy died and the Nelson family was arrested.  In order to save her son Laura claimed she shot the deputy.  Her husband was tried and found guilty of stealing then taken to McAlester where he served a 2 to 3 year prison term.

A few weeks later Laura and her son were taken from the jail by a group of vigilantes and lynched.  Their bodies hung over the old Hwy 56 bridge overlooking the North Canadian River when the famous photo of them was taken.

It is unclear what happened to baby Carrie.  Some say she died along with her mother and brother, but others say a woman grabbed her and took her home.

I'll write more about this event later, but for now Laura's song.  The song, Don't Kill My Baby and My Son was written by Guthrie about the lynching.   The song was only recently discovered and brought out of hiding by Joel Rafael at a Woody Guthrie Festival and on his CD, The Songs of Woody Guthrie, Vol 1 and 2.  Many were not familiar with the song not even Arlo.

The lyrics of the song are haunting, much like other Guthrie songs.  In one verse, Guthrie writes:

Now, I've heard the cries of a panther,
Now, I've heard the coyotes yell,
But that long, lonesome cry shook the whole wide world
And it come from the cell of the jail.

I hear the coyotes yell and just last year a panther was spotted in the area of North Canadian River bridge.

You can go here for the complete lyrics.

This story is never discussed.  I asked my husband about it one time and he just said he knew about it.  One day we were driving over the bridge and he just said, "it happened here" and immediately the image of Laura popped in my head.

I'll leave this for now.  Here are some other articles:

wikipedia.org-Laura and Lawrence Nelson

The Community Paper

Laura Nelson Lynching

Brooke Harvey's version of the song

To be continued.

Territory Mom

A Story That Should Have Never Been

A family is buried here that I will tell you about next week.  It involves a story that should have never been.  It is part of Oklahoma's forgotten history.  It is one of those stories that is too painful to talk about, but we should anyway.

To be continued . . .

Love,

Territory Mom

Windshield Oklahoma - U.S. Marshall James Nakedhead

Monument for Deputy U.S. Marshall James Nakedhead

Hwy 69, Brush Hill, Oklahoma

On May 1st which was a Sunday it was raining and my kids get cabin fever very easily so we took off for a family drive.  We ended up in Eufaula and ate lunch at JM's Restaurant, delish!!!  I recommend the 8 oz sirloin, it's like butter!

Anyway on our way out of Eufaula we saw this monument:

We got home and started researching more about Deputy Nakedhead.  Here is what I found out;

James Nakedhead

From Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial:

James Nakedhead, Deputy U S Marshal – Officer

U. S. Marshals – U. S. Indian Police

Near day break the morning of Wednesday, February 27, 1895, Nakedhead was a member of a group of deputies and Texas Rangers that surrounded a house near Brush Hill, about ten miles southwest of present day Checotah, in hopes of arresting the Hughes gang, suspected of a Texas train robbery. The gang’s dogs alerted them of the officers’ approach and they began firing on the posse. During the gun battle that followed Deputy Nakedhead was shot in the head and killed. Nakedhead was buried in Tahlequah and was survived by his wife and several children.
Gang members Ben Hughes and Judd South were arrested and tried for the murder of Nakedhead. Both men were acquitted when it was brought out that the officers did not have an arrest warrant for any members of the gang when they went to the house.
Eight years later Ben and his brother, Jim, were tried for the brutal murder of another deputy, Lute Houston, and again were acquitted.

The above website is a memorial to all fallen Oklahoma law enforcement since before statehood.  Very interesting and informative site.

Deputy Nakedhead also has a page at the Officer Down Memorial.  Another great source is the Oklahoma Outlaws Lawmen History Association.

If you are out and about and see a memorial like this stop and take a picture.  You never know what you might learn alot about our Oklahoma history.

Have a great day.

Love,

Territory Mom 

Woody Guthrie Is Almost 99

Woody Guthrie Alley, Okemah, OK

I took this during our "white-out" in February.

I was working on this post for yesterday then my daughter yelled that my son was in "something".  The something turned out to be two jars of peanut butter.  The kid was covered(and the couch) I grabbed him and immediately he went into the bathtub, his second bath for the day.  I cleaned up the mess then turned off the computer for the day.  I have finally learned my lesson that when Rooster is awake the computer must stay off.  If you have read my other blog then you know why.

Word of advice never buy an expensive couch while your children are young, no sense in it and always buy everything in microfiber.

Now here is yesterday's post:

I know that today is Flag Day, but it is also one month until Woody Guthrie's 99th birthday.

So, happy Flag Day

and thanks Woody for "this land is your land, this land is my land."

Now, since it is one month until Woody's birthday (July 14) that means that it is one month until WoodyFest, July 13-17, 2011 in Okemah, OK.  This year the festival will kick off at the Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa with a benefit concert with David Crosby and Graham Nash.  The concert is for all ages.  The doors open at 6:30pm and the show is at 7:30pm.  Now there is a bus that leaves Okemah in the afternoon to go to the concert.  I think you can click on the WoodyFest link above for details.  I don't know which would be more fun to watch Crosby and Nash or the Okemahans at the Cains after being on a tour bus.

I remember when Woody's sister, Mary Jo came to our school to talk about him.  It was about 30 years ago when we all crowded in the little school library.  We sat on the floor and she played old LPs of Woody and showed us some photos and handwritten music.  Mary Jo is a little lady with a sweet voice.  She loves to talk about her brother and family.

Anyway, Woody turns 99 this year so next year will be the big centennial celebration.  A year long celebration will begin this year on his birthday.  Check out Woody Guthrie Centennial and the official website WoodyGuthrie.org for more information.

I'll talk more about the festival later.  You can go here for a list of performers and event schedules.  Arlo won't be here this year, but other Guthries will be.

I took my kids last year to the kids' festival and its fun to watch the people and to wondered which ones are Guthries.

Thank the Lord I got this done before Rooster woke up.

Have a great day.

Love,

Territory Mom