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Contents Stillwater history carved in stone Fairlawn Cemetery Preservation Society beautifying landmark VOLUME 5, ISSUE 4 FALL 2014
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GENERAL MANAGER Dale Brendel EDITOR Chris Day
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ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jill Hunt CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Megan Sando Elizabeth Keys Merrick Eagleton Michelle Charles Andrew Glover ADVERTISING MARKETING CONSULTANTS Allison Casey Rick Craven Julie Strain Joe Toth, Jr. Jeff Hopper
Shiitake happens at Lost Creek Mushroom Farm Fungus farmers spreading knowledge in Africa
12 Country Comfort Stillwater resident putting food truck together
15 Bumps in the night Hauntings abound in and around Stillwater
DESIGNER Jen Burge Stillwater Style is a quarterly publication of the Stillwater News Press, 211 W. 9th, Stillwater, OK 74074. Phone (405) 372-5000 Editorial contributions should be sent to: Stillwater Style, P.O. Box 2288, Stillwater, OK 74076 or emailed to editor@stwnewspress.com. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without permission is prohibited. Address advertising inquiries to Jill Hunt - (405) 372-5000 or advmgr@stwnewspress.com. Stillwater Style magazine may be found online at www.stwnewspress.com.
20 Style Picks
23 High tech to high style OSU engineering graduate Janette Wilkinson finds success in jewelry design
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ON THE COVER: A Stillwater Autumn includes OSU Football and Cheerleading.
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Stillwater Style | FALL 2014
The world comes to Stillwater The division of international studies and outreach’s mission is to prepare people to excel in a changing global community and advance the development of Oklahoma.
Generation to Generation
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Celebrating 85 Years! Stillwater’s original bicycle store was founded in 1929 by Charles Cooper in his father’s harness shop at the corner of 9th & Main. Charles & Mary Ellen Cooper passed their love of riding to their entire family. Over the years many of the children and grandchildren have enjoyed working at Coopers. Cooper’s Bicycle Center has been selling bicycles to generations of Stillwater residents at the 220 South Main location since 1950. Over the years Cooper’s has sold most every brand and type of bicycle for every member of the family from balance bikes to your first 12” to BMX, Mountain, commuting, and road bikes. Currently offering the entire line of Giant & Specialized bicycles as well as Haro, Redline, KHS and Sun specialty bikes including unicycles, tandems, recumbents and adult trikes. Cooper’s Bicycle Center has everything for bicyclists, the largest selection of tires & tubes in north central Oklahoma, over 50 sizes, something to fit every bike ever sold by Cooper’s in their 85 years. Cooper’s offers parts for all brand of bicycles including wheels and wheel building, brakes, saddles, handlebars & grips, pedals, cranksets, locks and lights. Service on all brands of bikes. Cooper’s also has mens and ladies cycling clothing, jackets, helmets, gloves and sports nutrition. Cooper’s Bicycle Center owner Mary Cash, daughter of Charles Cooper is involved with community service by working with the Red Dirt Pedalers, Stillwater local bicycle club that includes working on the trails at Lake McMurtry. Also, the Oklahoma Bicycling Coalition, Oklahoma’s statewide bicycle advocacy organization to offer the Oklahoma Bike Summit and on the national level with the League of American Bicyclists, as a LAB certified bicycle safety instructor and by attending the National Bike Summit in Washington DC. Please visit our website, www.CoopersBicycle.com for more information and activities.
The 85th anniversary will be observed on October 25th, 2014 during OSU Homecoming weekend with the opening of the Charles Cooper Antique Bicycle Museum. Come and join the fun!
COOPER’S B I C Y C L E C E N T E R 220 S. MAIN • 405.372.2525 • www.coopersbikes.com
Stillwater History Carved In Stone Fairlawn Cemetery Preservation Society Beautifying Landmark By Elizabeth Keys Stillwater Style Photos By Elizabeth Keys
The Fairlawn Cemetery Preservation Society is meeting monthly on the third Monday of each month to help maintain and beautify the landmark. 6
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A
walk around Fairlawn Cemetery reminds us that not all history is in story books. Some is carved in stone. Etched in marble - Berry, Duck, Dryden, Arrington, Donart, Swim, McFarland, Shirley – names familiar from street signs, businesses, neighborhoods, institutions, and even bookshelves - grace the monuments. Generations of Stillwater leaders are buried in the cemetery. More than 11,000 graves are recorded. “Fairlawn was established soon after the Unassigned Lands Opening in 1889,” said Mary Jane Warde of the Payne County Historical Society. “Many home seekers who came to Stillwater were Civil War veterans looking for opportunity and a fresh start.” The night of the land run a man died so the citizens established the cemetery on a hill east of downtown.
With the founding of Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, Stillwater’s chances of survival increased with added educational opportunities. The first woman to graduate from OAMC, Jessie Thatcher Bost, is buried at Fairlawn Cemetery. With the town growing, the cemetery developed into 40 acres of land and is the biggest and oldest cemetery in Payne County. As a land grant institution, OAMC led research and development in many different fields. In the 1930s that included professionalization of the first fire service. Fire Chief Ray Pence was instrumental as a leader in the fire protection field and he is buried at Fairlawn, along with athletic pioneers Ed Gallagher and Henry Iba. Not all important leaders buried at Fairlawn had prominent names or professions. One of the best loved and remembered leaders buried at the cemetery is L.E. Tinker, a house painter. As the scoutmaster of Boy Scouts of America Troop 20, Tinker led generations of Stillwater boys through scouting programs. Pioneers that built the community dot the cemetery. Jacob Katz, a German immigrant, came to Stillwater in 1894. He was a leading merchant from 1896 to 1968. The renovated Katz Brothers Department Store is now Brooklyn’s Restaurant and Wine Cellar. Katz is buried in the Jewish section of Fairlawn, Warde said. Many cemeteries have special sections for communities of people whether it is religious or from certain parts of the world. Cultural burial practices may be observed in those sections. For instance, stones are often left on a Jewish grave which may seem like something to be picked up and removed to someone not familiar with the practice. When faced with the fragility of life, the stones are a Jewish tradition serving as a reminder - while other things fade, stones and souls endure. To help the cemetery endure, a group of residents formed the Fairlawn Cemetery Preservation Society. Many people think the city of Stillwater owns and operates the cemetery, but the association is a nonprofit organization. Funds are generated through lot sales and the opening and closing of burial sites. When the acreage no longer has vacancies, then there will be no more income generated so the association sees the need for a perpetual endowment fund to pay for maintenance and repairs of the grounds.
Yvonne Hornberger and her granddaughter, Emily Stock, check the book list inside the gazebo which houses a directory of the lots. The gazebo records indicate the block, lot or row and space for each grave. Hornberger has volunteered for more than 35 years on the cemetery board. Mayor John Bartley proclaimed April 24, 2014, as Yvonne Hornberger Day to honor her service.
Fairlawn Preservation Society member Aaron Carlson, cemetery groundskeeper Cedric Smith, and Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges Regent Lou Watkins stop to “remember the ten” at Fairlawn Cemetery. Watkins has coordinated several improvement projects as president of the Fairlawn Cemetery board and preservation society.
Fairlawn Cemetery Sexton Jeff Dobbins and volunteer Gary LaFollette review the work on the Veterans Memorial. Stillwater Style | FALL 2014
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Men seeking friendship, business associations, and leadership roles often joined fraternal or benevolent organizations such as the Woodmen of the World which was founded in 1890. Members’ graves were marked with a monument designating their affiliation.
Officers of the Fairlawn Corporation Board are President Lou Watkins, Vice President Bill Bernhardt, Secretary Gary LaFollette, and Treasurer/ CEO Yvonne Hornberger. Other board members are Bob Barnes, Janette Bolene, and David James. The Fairlawn Cemetery Preservation Society meets on the third Monday of each month in the office at 1123 E. Sixth Ave. to maintain and beautify the city landmark. The preservation society is creating committees for veterans projects, landscaping, fundraising, and historical genealogy. The next Fairlawn Cemetery Preservation Society meeting is at 1 p.m. Oct. 20. Stop by or call 405-3728603 for more information. To help the cemetery, call the sexton at 405-272-8603. Volunteers do not need to be lot owners. Upcoming events include the Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 which will feature a homemade brunch. The group also will host the Sons of the American Revolution in full regalia from the era for Memorial Day ceremonies in May. Contributions for programs or designated projects can be mailed to Fairlawn Cemetery, Box 1483, Stillwater OK 74076.
An Angel Garden is an area in Fairlawn Cemetery for babies.
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The World Comes to Stillwater The Division of International Studies and Outreach’s mission is to prepare people to excel in a changing global community and advance the development of Oklahoma.
By Michelle Charles Stillwater Style Q: What happens then? A: They have to re-adjust their status. I’ve heard anecdotal stories about some pretty long waits for a Green Card. If they’re company –sponsored because someone wants to hire them, the wait is shorter than it is for family members who follow. The company sponsoring the applicant has to meet certain requirements. It has to show there were no qualified citizens to fill that job by advertising it and taking applications. Many of the jobs are in technology fields so it’s easier for them to find jobs and sponsors.
Brenda Vega from the University of the State of Sonora, Dr. David Henneberry, Carolina Lopez Burrola from Sonora, and Megan Hazzard.
D
avid Henneberry is associate vice president for the Division of International Studies and Outreach at Oklahoma State University. Stillwater Style talked with Henneberry about U.S. immigration policy’s affect on educational opportunities and job prospects for OSU’s international students. Q: What does the Division of International Studies and Outreach do? A: We do a lot of things. The division is responsible for the School of International Studies, Correspondence Education, Outreach Education, the English Language Institute, Study Abroad programs, and the Wes Watkins Center for International Trade and Development as well as conferences and meetings. Q: Does immigration policy impact the international students you see coming to OSU? A: It’s not too hard for students, because we can facilitate the student visa if they’re accepted by the university. They also have to document their ability to pay education costs, and show they have sufficient funds to support themselves while they’re here. Q: Do they have to leave once they finish? A: Once they’re done with school they can stay one more year for occupational practical training. If they stay for OPT, they can work in the U.S. for one year and be paid. It gets more difficult at the end of that year. 10
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Q: So, these are the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) jobs we hear we’re not producing enough trained workers to fill? A: Yes. The jobs are in shortage areas so they’re not taking jobs from citizens. Universities are also in a unique situation because they have research and science jobs for people with unique capabilities. If you need someone who’s an expert on one particular crystal structure, there may not be many candidates. I think people who have the intention to emigrate often tend to place themselves in fields like that. Employers are attracted to the hunger and desire of these international students. They’re here to work. Q: What impact do immigration restrictions have on longterm prospects for these students? A: It’s been more difficult for about five-six years. Even the highly-qualified graduates with skill sets that are in demand are finding it more difficult. There’s an overall limit and quotas based on country of origin. Q: Do our immigration policies affect how hard it is for our students to study abroad? A: It’s not too hard for U.S. students. We have reciprocal exchange agreements that allow them to pay tuition at OSU and attend classes abroad. In exchange, we take their students which helps attract the few European students we get at OSU. They have good universities in Europe and they’re subsidized so costs are lower, and there’s not much incentive.
TOP SOURCES OF EMPLOYMENT-BASED IMMIGRANTS: China, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, India, Canada, South Korea, Iran, Venezuela, France, Japan, and Mexico
Q: What are the economic implications of our immigration policies? A: I have a background in international trade, and I believe we don’t benefit fully if we open trade to products and capital but not to people. Skills flow back and forth across the border, and low cost labor stimulates economies. Immigration can be a boon to the economy. As an example, look at Japan which has had little immigration because it’s an island nation and because its language and culture can be difficult to adjust to. That can lead to a kind of stagnation, and it’s been in what I think you could call an economic malaise for a decade. The U.S. does not have to share that fate. A zero-sum approach doesn’t help us; workers stimulate the economy. You could say legal immigration into the U.S. is still greater than the sum of any other country, so it’s a fairly open economy. Q: What challenges do you see ahead? A: The companies with STEM jobs don’t have such a good supply of applicants anymore. As the economies in other countries improve, it becomes more competitive and job offers have to match those back home. An engineer might be able to get a job here but he might also be able to get a job paying as much or more back home in Hyderabad where he can live with his family. Another example is Pueblo, Mexico where VW and Audi have facilities. They need engineers with master’s degrees who can speak German so we have Mexican students studying engineering and taking German. The U.S. let a lot of jobs go overseas and I think people are starting to regret that because those are good jobs.
David Henneberry attended an event with Addis Ababa University President Admasu Tsegaye, international studies student Claudia Dozal, and Marissa Hernandez from the Monterrey Tech Office at OSU in the Wes Watkins Center.
U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY BY THE NUMBERS: 675,000 total immigrants allowed per year, 140,000 can be employment-based with the majority reserved for skilled workers, the limit per country of origin is 7%, the refugee ceiling is 70,000 with limits by region
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ShiitakeatHappens
Lost Creek Mushroom Farm Fungus Farmers Spreading Knowledge in Africa By Elizabeth Keys Stillwater Style
S
andra and Doug Williams didn’t start out growing mushrooms to become social entrepreneurs. A master stone mason by trade, Doug Williams was looking for something to do after he started slowing down in middle age. He began hunting wild mushrooms when he was a young adult – and eventually joined a mycological society to learn how to identify different species and find them in season. He ordered his first mushroom spawn to grow his own in 1986. Williams became a “fungus farmer” out of his passion for mushrooms. “I wanted to grow something that was safe for the environment, had low technological requirements, and could benefit people,” he said. He and his wife, Sandra, formed Lost Creek Mushroom Farm in 1992. The business is located on her family farm about 10 miles southeast of downtown Stillwater. They started to focus on shiitake mushrooms with potent nutritional and health benefits. The couple developed a grow-your-own shiitake mushroom log kit made with allnatural hardwood logs filled with shiitake spawn and ready to grow mushrooms. No chemicals or additives are used in the cultivation. Over the next 20 years, they gathered a wealth of knowledge that they have shared with farmers in Africa. Oklahoma State University brought emerging entrepreneurs from Kenya, South Africa and Uganda to learn from the couple who run their business on a variation of the premise that teaching someone to fish is better in the long run than merely providing a fish for one meal. Instead of using fish, the pair uses mushrooms. “There is a great need for good nutrition in less-developed parts of the world, and we want to help,” said Sandra. “We promote small-farm mushroom production for economic development and world health. The investment is low, and it’s a viable way to feed communities.” 12
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The tiny brown and gray decomposing morsels have the possibility to help an entire continent. OSU introduced the African entrepreneurs to Lost Creek Mushroom Farm to expand their crop diversification and increase profits within their own countries. The visitors learned about the couple’s Mushrooms in Ghana Project which has encouraged the industry’s growth. Doug and Sandra Williams visited Ghana in 2007 as volunteer mushroom consultants. The project brought Bernard Bempah, founder and director of Bemcom Resource and Training Center in Ghana, to the United States to increase skills in mushroom production. Bemcom is a nonprofit organization assisting women and children farmers. As part of the exchanges, Sandra Williams and Bempah spoke at the African meeting of the United Nations Congress on Sustainable Agriculture in 2009. She said they are trying to eliminate poverty and hunger with mushrooms. “We talk about the mushrooms so they can see with very few resources and low technology, there is a way to make a living and support themselves and feed their families,” she said. “We are also interested in the medicinal properties - with researchers finding eating a raw shiitake daily may lower cholesterol – and help fight cancer.” The shiitake mushrooms have natural antiviral and immunityboosting properties and are used nutritionally to conquer viruses, lower cholesterol, and regulate blood pressure. In addition to their robust woodsy flavor and meaty texture, shiitakes provide high levels of protein, potassium, niacin and B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Their odor is more aromatic with a pleasant, earthy, caramel-like flavor eluding from the medium to dark brown caps. Shiitakes have four to 10 times the flavor of common white button mushrooms, she said.
Get started and become a fungiphile: Order shiitake mushroom logs at 1-800-792-0053 Visit http://shiitakemushroomlog.com to discover more. The couple cooks mushrooms with just about everything. Try a few of the recipes from their farm kitchen.
SHIITAKE AND SAUSAGE WITH CHEESE STRUDEL Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound Italian summer sausage 1/4 cup olive oil 2 cups chopped onions 4 garlic gloves, minced or pressed 6-12 shiitake mushrooms, cut in small pieces 10 ounces fresh spinach, chopped 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese 1 1/2 cups (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup sour cream 3 beaten eggs 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/2 pound phyllo dough 1/4 pound melted butter Directions: Brown the sausage in two tablespoons of olive oil and set aside. Saute the mushrooms, onions and garlic in 1/4 cup of olive oil until the onions are clear, and the mushrooms are tender. Add the spinach, and cook until it wilts. Set aside. In a very large bowl, mix the cheeses, sour cream, eggs, bread crumbs, and parsley. Drain excess liquid from the mushroom mixture; add it to the cheeses, and mix well. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter or oil a baking sheet from the 1/4 pound of melted butter. Dampen a clean dish towel. Prepare the phyllo dough. On a large working space, set out the dough and put the damp towel over it. Set the baking sheet next to the dough. The dough is very thin and delicate and will dry out easily so work gently and quickly. Keep the dough covered with the damp cloth as much as possible. Working from the corner, count out six to eight leaves of dough, and lift them onto the baking sheet. Brush with butter. Spread the mushroom filling over the dough, leaving a three-inch border. Brush the edges with butter. Place two layers of dough on top and brush with butter. Repeat until you have added four or five pairs. Then fold the corners up over the top of the filling and brush with butter. Fold up the sides and butter them. Add two more pairs of buttered phyllo sheets. Starting with the corners, tuck under the top edges around the whole piece. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the filling is set and the phyllo is golden brown and crisp. Let it rest for ten minutes before slicing. Serves six.
Doug Williams harvests a shiitake mushroom from a log for his wife, Sandra, to store in a paper sack. The mushrooms will keep in the refrigerator for weeks. Dried mushrooms can be stored indefinitely and reconstituted by soaking.
GRILLED VEGETABLE KABOBS AND RICE Ingredients: 1/2 cup oil-free Italian dressing 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 1 teaspoon dried basil 2 medium yellow squash, cut into one-inch pieces 8 small boiling onions 8 cherry tomatoes 8 fresh shiitake mushroom caps (stems removed) Vegetable cooking spray 2 cups hot, cooked long-grain rice Directions: Mix the dressing, parsley, and basil in a small bowl. Cover and chill. Attractively arrange pieces of squash, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms on eight kabob skewers. Spray the grill rack with non-stick spray. Set the grill over medium coals. Cook the kabobs until done, turning and basting frequently with the dressing mixture. Place 1/2 cup of rice on each plate and top it with two vegetable kabobs. Serves four. Stillwater Style | FALL 2014
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Country Comfort Stillwater resident putting food truck together
Kristen Queen in 2010. Working from the first “tiny kitchen” she moved into after getting married.
By Megan Sando Stillwater Style
K
risten Queen’s vision is for all of Stillwater to have a taste of central Oklahoma’s comfort food truck, From My Tiny Kitchen. The idea came to her after marrying and then moving into a tiny kitchen space in 2005. But even before that, starting at 5-years-old, her passion was to cook. From My Tiny Kitchen has some irresistible comfort food on the menu, yet Queen promises to have healthy and gluten-free options, too. “I want it to be family-orientated,” she said. She even plans to decorate the truck to match, with a setting that’s familiar to sitting on a back porch with quaint lights. Queen is married and has two small children. Since she committed to building the food truck from start to finish, it has had special meaning to her. “I want them to see me going for something I want,” she said. That’s means seeing her succeed or seeing her fail. This summer, Queen launched her first Kickstarter campaign to raise money for the truck. Kickstarter has many benefits for entrepreneurs who don’t want to be swimming in debt later. Queen thinks of the impact it will have on her future. The month-long campaign didn’t reach its $22,500 goal, though Queen will relaunch the campaign and can relaunch as many times as she wants to. Queen started cooking when her parents gave her an Easy Bake Oven. In her hometown of Bartlesville, she entered 4-H cooking and baking demonstrations. One of her recipes, Perfect Apple Pie, was entered into the competition, and won a spot in the 4-H cookbook while in high school. Queen settled in Stillwater shortly after and earned a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant administration at Oklahoma State. After college, Queen cooked from a small kitchen and grew blog followers. The success was enough to spark the interest for a food truck – a business plan that will give her the flexibility she wants in a career. Everyone who contributes to the Kickstarter will receive a free recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Lava Cakes. “I want my customers to feel the hospitality and comfort they would receive in my home,” she said.
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Queen in 2014, working on a script for her Kickstarter video from her current kitchen.
Queen will serve comfort food with a modern twist, to be unique and include healthy, gluten free options. Top left: Pulled Pork, Creamy Macaroni and Cheese and Crazy Monkey- snickerdoodle cookie, vanilla bean ice cream, topped with carmelized bananas.
2 (9 inc h) 6 cups pie crusts thinly sli ce d, p e e 3/4 cu led apple ps s 2 tables sugar poons fl ou r 3/4 ts p cinnam on
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Every backer for September’s Kickstarter will get the free recipe.
Queen’s Perfect Apple Pie was featured in 4-H’s state cookbook the year she competed in high school.
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t h g i N e h t Bumps in
By Merrick Eagleton Stillwater Style
Hauntings Abound in and Around Stillwater
E
erie footsteps, unexplained noises and shadowy figures aren’t foreign to Stillwater and nearby small towns. Legends fly about Ghost Hollow near Ripley, the old Norfolk School between Cushing and Ripley and the spirits of Alpha Gamma Rho members at the fraternity house. But they are just rumors … right?
Town & Gown Theatre For members of the Town and Gown Theatre, it’s a real life ghost story. Many members of the theater have encountered haunting experiences while in the theater. Cindy Sheets, who is active at Town and Gown, said there has been paranormal activity throughout the building. People in the sound booth have heard their names whispered and workers in the box office have seen figures walking through the lobby when the theater was closed, Sheets said. Sheets had a strange experience backstage while waiting to go on stage during a
The backstage area has experienced strange phenomena, such as a shaking chandelier without any explanation. 20
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performance. She was standing near a rack of costumes when something caused them to move in an unexplainable way. “I saw this movement start, and it looked like someone had taken their hand and pressed along the whole length,” Sheets said. “It wasn’t like a puff of wind had come through. You could see the indentation of it. “ There have been at least four paranormal teams which have investigated the theater. The teams conducted EVP, electronic voice phenomenon, readings. These readings show how a spirit can alter sound waves that can be heard when a recording is played back. “There’s been one of them that had a really freaky growling sound that was in the bathroom, and nobody was in the bathroom,” Sheets said. Town and Gown Theatre was founded 60 years ago and has been in the same building for the past 50. Some of the Town and Gown members suspect one of the founders is the spirit haunting the building. “We’ve never felt like it was vindictive or mean or anything like that,” Sheets said. “I think maybe that’s what leads people to think it’s one of the founders.” Another theory about haunting experiences in the costume room leads back to the connections of deceased people with their belongings. Many of the clothes and props are vintage pieces from estate sales and military uniforms. Regardless of whom the ghost may be or the reasons why, there is a consensus that activity stirs up more often during productions with a lot of emotion, Sheets said. Some still have doubts about the ghost of the theater, but Sheets said that quickly changes once they have an experience of their own. “It’s your right,” Sheets said. “You can believe whatever you want but when it happens to you it’s very startling.”
A growling sound in the women’s restroom was discovered on an EVP recording by paranormal investigators.
Old Central The first and oldest ghost story on the Oklahoma State University campus regards Old Central, which is now home of the Honors College. On the south side of the building, near the tower, there is a tiny room between the first and second floors. This room is where the watchman lived. Visitors were able to see the watchman’s light glowing when they would arrive on campus late at night. David Peters, head of university archives, said there are rumors that room is haunted, and the spirit of the former watchman haunts Old Central. “Beginning in the teens and ‘20s, there are reports from people who claimed to have seen the light shining in the night watchman’s room, even though there was no one staying in that room anymore,” Peters said.
Cordell Hall The haunting of Cordell Hall is told two ways. During World War II, OSU trained many soldiers. One of the trainees supposedly committed suicide in the attic. According to
Edmon Low Library
When the theatre moved into the building the members signed one of the walls backstage. Founder Barbara Freed is the ghost who many suspect to be haunting the theatre.
the rumors, the body was not found for several days. Although Peters has never come across any verification of the suicide, students still say the former residence hall is haunted. “Supposedly there is a spirit,” Peters said. “If you stay on the fourth floor you would hear footsteps above. Also on the fourth floor, I’ve heard stories of some kind of aberration walking down the hallway.” The story is also told as a student who committed suicide.
The library is rumored to have two ghosts haunting it. The first is in the form of a woman in the basement. Students say she dresses in pastels made out of light flowing fabrics. “People have reported they’ll be studying down there, and then they’ll sense that someone just walked past by the bookshelves beside them,” Peters said. “They’ll look up, and there is nobody there.” If you go up several floors, there is said to be strange experiences that occur near the staircase leading to the bell tower. This staircase on the fifth floor leads to a platform, a room where the bells are and the tower. The room used to have an oldfashioned keyboard that someone from the music department would play. Despite the area always being locked, Peters said in the ’60s and ‘70s, students began claiming to hear an instrument being played when there was no longer a keyboard there. There are also reports of hearing moaning and wailing sounds coming from the area.
Cindy Sheets talks about all of the areas of the theatre which are haunted. Workers in the box office have reported seeing shadowy figures walking through the lobby when the theatre was closed.
“Supposedly there was a student who one time got stuck up there in the tower,” Peters said. Although there is no proof of these ghostly rumors and real-life hauntings, the legends continue to be told and passed along through the generations. “That’s what makes ghost stories so intriguing,” Peters said. “You really can’t prove it. You really can’t disprove it.”
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e l y t S Picks
Pink Power... Stillwater’s Nature’s Supply health food store carries Garden of Life products including Primal Defense which is said to stimulate the immune system of those weakened by cancer treatments and gastrointestinal problems. You can also find Lazi i Farms goat milk lotions and soaps which are highly recommended to soothe skin of those undergoing chemo-therapy treatments. Nature’s Supply is located in the Rosewood Hills Shopping Center, 211 N. Perkins Road.
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Stillwater Style | FALL 2014
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High Tech High Style to
OSU engineering graduate Janette Wilkinson finds success in jewelry design By Michelle Charles Stillwater Style
W
hen Bartlesville native Janette Wilkinson enrolled in Oklahoma State University’s electrical engineering program she expected to find work in a technology field. She spent a decade working in the semiconductor industry but then she decided to take a break and her life took an unexpected turn. Wilkinson didn’t have a plan but by taking advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves, she’s built a successful career as a jewelry designer and entrepreneur. For the past nine years she and her sister Jana Erwin have been designing and selling pieces of wearable art made from natural materials under the label Nest Jewelry. Nest Jewelry is sold by high-end retailers like Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Stanley Korshak and on the fashion website Halsbrook.com. Wilkinson said she didn’t set out to start a business. She was just looking for something to do and decided to make a necklace inspired by her grandmother, who created art from what she could find. “I just did it for fun,” she said. That necklace turned into five necklaces, and someone at Neiman Marcus happened to see one of them. Wilkinson said she wasn’t prepared when representatives from the retailer contacted her but she quickly pulled some designs together for a meeting and walked away with an order for the Neiman Marcus catalog. Then she had to fill it. “I didn’t have any manufacturing help so I worked night and day and made it all myself,” she said. “I did it on my own for a year.” Nest Jewelry has become a family business. Erwin, who previously operated an interior design firm, helped with the business and financial side from the beginning, and a niece joined them a year ago to do public relations and marketing. Wilkinson has been the principal designer but now Erwin is moving into that area as well. She’s designing a line to be sold on Home Shopping Network called Elements by Nest Jewelry. The sisters don’t do it all themselves anymore but it’s a small operation. They have a few stringers to help make their handknotted pieces and some office staff to help with organizing and shipping but it’s still an all-consuming enterprise. 26
Stillwater Style | FALL 2014
Janette Wilkinson of Nest Jewelry. PHOTOS PROVIDED
“We’re all just working 24/7 to make it,” Wilkinson said. “People think when you have your own business you don’t have a boss and can do what you want but when you have your own business, you never stop working. Every customer is my boss.” Nest Jewelry has office and production space but Wilkinson still works from her home. She plans to move her work space to the office within a year. “My house is bursting at the seams,” she said. “I used to say I work from home and now I say I live at work.” She said she knew the business had taken over her life when one of her then 5-year-old son’s friends went home and told his mother “Purple is the new black.” Her sports-loving son also sometimes gives her ideas for designs. Nest Jewelry specializes in statement pieces and the woman they design for is a confident, outgoing person who doesn’t mind being noticed. Wilkinson works with natural materials like horn and hand-cut stones that retain a lot of their natural contours. Horn is a favorite because she loves its look and the light weight makes large pieces wearable. A chunky, jasper necklace in turquoise is Nest Jewelry’s key piece. The color is flattering on everyone and the piece works for all body types, she said. Some people collect them in different colors and even layer them. Her years at OSU may be part of the reason orange also makes regular appearances in her jewelry line, she said. Wilkinson stays true to the Nest look but design is trend-driven so she works with each season’s key colors and style, whether it’s minimalism or bohemian chic. Being on color trend always helps sales because it’s an easy way for customers to update their looks, she said. She says she can’t sleep the night Pantone announces the color of the year, and she watches every fashion show, every season, to get a feel for what’s coming next. She’s also always looking for new materials to work with and finds them in some unusual places. A recent design she’s excited about incorporates teeth from a giant, extinct shark called a Megalodon. She bought the collection of a retired Navy diver who recovers them. Trimming them in gold and stringing them with beads makes unusual and memorable pieces.
Working in fashion is a radical departure from putting on a protective jumpsuit and mask and working in a clean room manufacturing environment. She enjoyed working as an engineer and sometimes misses the predictability but loves what she’s doing and gets excited when she sees people wearing her jewelry, she said. Some TV stylists use her jewelry and celebrities like Salma Hayek, Ree Drummond and Katie Couric have been photographed wearing Nest Jewelry designs. She said a lot of fashion insiders wear Nest Jewelry, and that’s very flattering. “I’m so thankful for what we have,” Wilkinson said. “It’s insane. It’s crazy. I never imagined this.”
WWW.NESTJEWELRY.COM This chunky natural stone necklace is one of Nest Jewelry’s key pieces. Designer Janette Wilkinson said some customers collect it in every color and even layer them. PHOTOS PROVIDED
This design from Nest Jewelry uses teeth from extinct Megalodon sharks that have been recovered by divers. PHOTOS PROVIDED
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www.coopersbikes.com Stillwater Style | FALL 2014
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Lynn Duncan Home: Memphis, Tennessee Age: 68 Profession: Nurse Why do you do what you do: I always loved nursing. Hobby: Playing cards. I used to crochet and knit. Last book read: A book by James Patterson Favorite movie: Turner Classic, old black and white movies Favorite type of music or musical group: Country and western Favorite food: Italian What is your favorite word: Love What sound or noise do you love: Birds What sound or noise do you hate: Cussing Most memorable historical event in your lifetime: 9/11 Where were you when that event happened: At home watching TV.
GENERATION TO GENERATION Devin Fortner
Home: Stillwater Age: 21 Profession: Lifeguard and student Why do you do what you do: I live for the applause. Hobby: Wakeboarding Last book read: The Catcher in the Rye What was the last movie you watched: School of Rock Favorite movie: Mean girls Favorite type of music or musical group: Red Dirt country Favorite food: Chicken What is your favorite word: Awesome What sound or noise do you love: My muffler on my Mazda What sound or noise do you hate: Silence Most memorable historical event in your lifetime: 9/11 Where were you when that event happened: Third grade, on the corner of Powers and Galley driving to school
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Stillwater Style | FALL 2014
t he e n c e d o r a
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