Issuu

November 2026

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WHAT’S INSIDE

what’s inside...

7 Adams PARC

at a Time: ourney Back

evolved as he did. His individualized program incorporated electrical stimulation, adaptive equipment, the NuStep, virtual rehabilitation, standing frames, and eventually the Andago body-weight-supported walking system. Each intervention was introduced with a specific purpose: building strength, improving function, and helping David reach the next milestone.

28 30that At Ignite Medical Resorts,

philosophy is at the heart of our Rehab to Home focus. Physical, occupational, and speech therapy work alongside nursing and the broader clinical team to create a plan centered on each guest’s abilities, challenges, and personal goals. From advanced rehabilitation technology to practicing everyday skills such as dressing, transferring, and walking, therapy is focused on meaningful progress that And those milestones began prepares guests for what comes next… adding up. 5 Upfront 36 Sports: OKWU Women’s Hoops and, whenever possible, a successful David progressed from being fedMedical every Resorts 7 Profile Sponsor: Ignite 39 Looking Back: Lightning McQueen is 20! return home. meal to feeding himself. As movement 8 Profile: Donnie Bostwick 43 for A Good Word: Making the Miles Matter There is no single roadmap returned to his arms and hands, he recovery. Sometimes progress is 10 Feature: 100 Years of Route 66 51 Spotlight: Raynie Ketcher transitioned from a puff-and-blow measured in feet walked. Other times, 21 light Feature Sponsor Story: Bringing Richard Home call to a push-button system 52 Funny You Should Ask: A Friend for it’s holding a cup, putting on a shirt and learned to use an iPad. 23 Entertainment: Mrs.Adaptive Doubtfire! forEvery Season or pressing a call button the first equipment him begin dressing 24 Kids helped Calendar time. For David, those57 moments have Milestones: An Oklahoma Centennarian himself and repositioning in bed. become milestones in a journey that 27 Chick-fil-A Events Calendar 61 B the Light Update: Winter is Coming His mobility also progressed, from continues to move forward. 28 Now You Know: Dave Strang a Hoyer lift to slide-board transfers, 63 A Fresh Perspective: The Naked Eye from aOut highly supportive wheelchair 30 & About: Photos from AroundAt Town Ignite, we celebrate 65 Oklahoma History: Lost on Route 66 to a traditional wheelchair, from 32 Calling to the Good:and Two-Thirds Visionary every step—because everyRoad Ribbon requiring three people to help him milestone opens the door to stand to something that once seemed what’s possible next. far beyond reach: walking again.

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Today, David can walk using a frontwheeled walker with the support of the Andago, transfer with a slide board using only standby assistance and exercise on the NuStep for over an hour per session.

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David’s journey reflects the individualized approach to rehabilitation at Ignite

See David’s Journey in Action. Scan the QR Code to View.

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FEBRUARY 2025 NOVEMBER 2026

UPFRONT

upfront

I often think of him, and I still struggle Welcome to November, friends, and with the last conversation we had 3 the start of the holiday season. As we days before he passed. We live in a get into this month, the leaves start to world where nothing is promised, but we fall, and the mornings are crisp. This is know one thing is permanent…death in probably my favorite season for a few this world. We had many conversations reasons, including my favorite holiday about God and I believe he is in Heaven. - Thanksgiving. This year we will have We will catch up when I get there and eight grandbabies over at the house, and talk as long as he wants to. This month we can’t wait for that to happen. Family also brings my mom passing away on is everything to us, and as we get older, November 10th 2016. Ten years she’s we cherish the moments we can spend been gone. You can say I was a mama’s with our kids and our grandbabies. boy and Christy wouldn’t argue with that. In this month’s issue, we’re She passed away at the age of 70, which celebrating the 100th anniversary of was way too early. What an incredible Route 66…the Mother Road! I called woman she was and a mom. Her health upon Kay Little to write this feature had declined the last 4 years of her life story. This was her first feature story to but she fought so hard to be here and write for us, and she absolutely crushed see her grandchildren. I’m telling you it. Every month, she writes a one-page if she would be alive today, she would story called “Looking Back”. As you absolutely love her great grandkids and read this feature you will learn so much you would have to drag her away. The about what is the most famous road in last 3 years of her life we became closer the world. People will come to America than we had ever been. At one point she just to drive this road from Chicago to was in the hospital for over 4 months in Santa Monica, California. When this Tulsa and I drove everyday to see her… highway was built it was a two lane everyday! After the time in the hospital road that stretches 2,448 miles long and she spent months in rehab and it was runs through 9 different states. Two very almost a year before she moved back interesting facts are that the architect into her house. During all that time I saw for the highway was from Tulsa and the her everyday. For all you reading this and most miles of the highway goes through your parents are still alive, please cherish Oklahoma. Most of Route 66 is not there these moments you have because I sit anymore, but there are still stretches of here and say wow…10 years that she has it that you can still drive on today. There been gone. were so many gas stations, restaurants, As I finish this Upfront and we come and hotels built along the route and to the Thanksgiving holidays, let’s take many famous landmarks that still stand the time to be thankful for family, friends, today. Many of our cities today boomed and loved ones. We are not promised because of Route 66 and the state of tomorrow but as the grind of the world Oklahoma also flourished. Think about and our everyday life strips away those it…in 1926 there were no highways minutes, hours, days and years and then connecting our cities. When it was built you’re gone. We need to pause and give many people from California or Illinois thanks for the breath HE gives us each came all the way across the country day and the opportunity we have to be and got to see the heart of this beautiful a blessing in someone’s life! Many of country. Families would load up the you have read my story and know the station wagons and that would be their HELL I went through…why am I still summer vacation. Commerce boomed here after 3 overdoses, a horrific wreck and the memories that many of us where a life was lost but I walked away have today were built on that concrete. with scratches, and Where and how would the many brushes with Oklahoma look today death I had with the without Route 66. out of control partying I didn’t talk about I did for years! God had this on my last Upfront a plan for me then and in October, but writing now, and everyday as I this on October 21st get older I understand my little brother more than ever. It has passed away two years never been about me ago just yesterday on but what God has October 20th. He was done for me so I can 50 years old when he be a light for others passed away, and was just as HE was a light 4 years younger than for me when I walked me. He had a seizure those lonely dark Keith and Christy McPhail, bmonthly at his home in Norman Managing Editors roads! God bless, Keith and left us all too early.

Volume XVII Issue XI

Bartlesville Monthly Magazine is published by

ENGEL PUBLISHING

Office located in the B the Light Mission

219 North Virginia Avenue, Bartlesville, Oklahoma 74003

www.bartlesvillemonthly.com facebook.com/bartlesvillemonthly

Publisher Brian Engel brian@bartlesvillemonthly.com Graphics Engel Publishing matt@engelpublishing.com Director of Sales & Marketing Keith McPhail keith@bartlesvillemonthly.com Community Liaison Christy McPhail christy@bartlesvillemonthly.com Project Manager Andrea Whitchurch andrea@bartlesvillemonthly.com Administration Shelley Greene Stewart Delivery and Distribution Dewayne Engel Calendar/Social Media calendar@bartlesvillemonthly.com Contributing Writers

Debbie Neece, Kay Little, Kelly Hurd Jay Hastings,Keith McPhail, Jay Webster Lori Just, Greg Wheat, Maria Gus Brent Taylor, Tim Hudson

Contributing Photographers

Debbie Neece, Amanda Stratford, Kay Little, David Gaede, Bartlesville Area History Museum

Calendars Debbie Neece

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or otherwise, without prior permission of Bartlesville Monthly, Inc. Publisher & Editor of Bartlesville Monthly Magazine reserves the right to reject any content or advertisement in this publication.

ABOUT THE COVER

Take a trip with us down Route 66 as we celebrate 100 years of the historic highway. Creative concept by Keith and Christy McPhail Design by Engel Publishing

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Exceptional Care. Extraordinary People. At Ignite Medical Resort Adams PARC, our dedicated leadership, provider team and clinical experts deliver an elevated rehabilitation experience focused on what matters most helping our guests get their spark back.

Advanced Rehabilitation. Compassionate Care. Uncompromising Luxury.

Dr. Joseph Moore, MD Medical Director

Sammie Grimes, APRN-CNP

ADVANCED REHABILITATION

In-house physical, occupational and speech therapy tailored to each guest’s goals.

Samantha Nunn, APRN-CNP Wound Care

EXPERT CLINICAL TEAM

Collaborative, multidisciplinary care focused on exceptional outcomes.

ADDITIONAL CLINICAL SUPPORT

Respiratory Therapy

Travis Buchanan, PA-C Pain Management Specialist

RESORT-STYLE HOSPITALITY

Beautiful surroundings, upscale amenities and a focus on comfort and well-being.

Psych Services

Georjane Woodburn, APRN, FNP Pain Management Specialist

A PERSONALIZED RECOVERY EXPERIENCE

Individual plans designed to help you regain strength, independence and confidence.

Coming Soon in 2027 Pulmonology Provider Support FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

ADAMS PARC 6

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

Jenny Jenkins Director of Business Development 918.886.1852

PROFILE SPONSOR

Adams PARC

One Step at a Time: David’s Journey Back Today, David can stand, take steps with a walker, dress himself and power through 75 minutes on the NuStep. Less than two years ago, he couldn’t reposition himself in bed, feed himself or press a call button. His remarkable journey began after a devastating fall down the stairs at his home in October 2024. David fractured multiple vertebrae and underwent extensive surgery, leaving him with central spinal cord syndrome and quadriplegia. When he arrived at Ignite Medical Resort Adams Parc that December, he was completely dependent on others for his care. But his rehabilitation team saw more than what David couldn’t do. They focused on what he might be able to do next. Rather than following a one-size-fitsall approach, David’s rehabilitation

And those milestones began adding up. David progressed from being fed every meal to feeding himself. As movement returned to his arms and hands, he transitioned from a puff-and-blow call light to a push-button system and learned to use an iPad. Adaptive equipment helped him begin dressing himself and repositioning in bed. His mobility also progressed, from a Hoyer lift to slide-board transfers, from a highly supportive wheelchair to a traditional wheelchair, and from requiring three people to help him stand to something that once seemed far beyond reach: walking again. Today, David can walk using a frontwheeled walker with the support of the Andago, transfer with a slide board using only standby assistance and exercise on the NuStep for over an hour per session. David’s journey reflects the individualized approach to rehabilitation at Ignite Medical Resort Adams Parc: meeting people where they are, understanding where they want to go, and continually adapting their care to help them move forward.

At Ignite Medical Resorts, that philosophy is at the heart of our Rehab to Home focus. Physical, occupational, and speech therapy work alongside nursing and the broader clinical team to create a plan centered on each guest’s abilities, challenges, and personal goals. From advanced rehabilitation technology to practicing everyday skills such as dressing, transferring, and walking, therapy is focused on meaningful progress that prepares guests for what comes next… and, whenever possible, a successful return home. There is no single roadmap for recovery. Sometimes progress is measured in feet walked. Other times, it’s holding a cup, putting on a shirt or pressing a call button for the first time. For David, those moments have become milestones in a journey that continues to move forward.

At Ignite, we celebrate every step—because every milestone opens the door to what’s possible next.

See David’s Journey in Action. Scan the QR Code to View.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Jenny Jenkins Director of Business Development 918.886.1852

NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

PROFILE

Donnie Bostwick ... A Coach’s Calling by Lori Just Long before Donnie Bostwick led teams to national championships and coached All-American players, he was a skinny teenager sitting on a downtown Bartlesville street corner eating a sandwich praying for this future. It was the summer after his junior year of high school. His father, David, had taken a job as a brick and stone foreman on the construction of the Phillips Petroleum headquarters. Donnie joined him as a laborer. During lunch, he often prayed for God to help him become a basketball coach just like his dad and influential coaches from high school and college summer camps. “At the time, becoming a college basketball coach seemed about as realistic as walking on the moon,” he said. “Yet the teenage me kept praying, believing that the God my mother had taught me to trust could do what seemed impossible.” More than three decades later, Bostwick looks back on that prayer with gratitude. Born in Pryor, Bostwick grew up in a family that did not have much money but had plenty of sports. Evenings and weekends revolved around gymnasiums, softball fields and fishing spots. “That was my Disney World,” he said.

Rather than quit, Bostwick decided he would find a way to succeed. He transferred to John Brown University in Arkansas, where he became an NAIA All-District selection and an NCCAA All-American. In 1991, he helped his team win the NCCAA national championship. He also met Sheri, who would become his wife and partner through the challenges and victories that followed. They married in August 1993 and began their professional lives at Pryor High School. Bostwick volunteered as a high school assistant while earning his master’s degree at Northeastern State University. His first head coaching job came when he agreed to coach a seventh-grade girls’ basketball team just one week before the season began.

From his mother, Shirley, he learned to pray and trust God.From his father, he learned discipline and the value of hard work. His father was not one for long speeches, but he made his expectations clear.

“It might have been my best coaching job ever, but we only won one game that season,” he added. “I stay in touch with many of those young ladies still today and was blessed to be going into the Pryor Athletics Hall of Fame last month.”

“He told me that I could do anything I set my mind to, but I would have to outwork and earn everything I got in life,” Bostwick recalled.

In 1994, he received his first high school head coaching opportunity at Vinita High School. The basketball program had won only six games the previous season, but Bostwick inherited a talented young group and began building a competitive team.

By his senior year, he had become an All-State player. At 6 feet 5 inches tall, he weighed only 148 pounds when he graduated at 17. A scholarship offer from Northeastern Colorado Junior College gave him a chance to continue playing. The transition was difficult. Bostwick found himself on a nationally ranked team surrounded by players who doubted a small-town kid could play. He spent much of the season on the bench, playing primarily when his team was comfortably ahead or far behind. During a call home, his father asked how things were going. “Well, I ain’t playing much,” Bostwick replied. His father’s answer was short, “well, you can come home and work for me.” Bostwick laughs about it now, but the message had its intended effect. “My dad had a weird way of motivating me like that,” he said. 8

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He was living the dream he had prayed for, but life soon tested him in ways basketball could not prepare him for. Bostwick and Sheri endured two miscarriages during their first years at Vinita. The second miscarriage left them struggling with grief and unanswered questions. They were scheduled to attend a church revival and did not want to go, but their faith had been shaped by his mom’s insistence that church was not optional. A visiting evangelist shared that he and his wife had experienced multiple miscarriages and had been told they could not have children. Then he called his children forward. The evangelist encouraged them to be specific in their prayers. So, they wrote down four details: blond hair, blue eyes, left-handed and chubby cheeks. When Sheri became pregnant again, Bostwick told people what they were praying for. Some may have thought he was being unrealistic, but he did not care.

PROFILE Gunter, their son, was born and arrived with dark hair that later fell out and grew back blonde. He had blue eyes, was left-handed and developed the chubby cheeks his parents had prayed for. Meanwhile, Vinita’s basketball team made an unexpected run to the state championship. Bostwick’s priorities had changed. Basketball remained his calling, but family came first and the game became a ministry. After another season at Vinita, Bostwick accepted an assistant coaching position at John Brown University. It was a step toward his goal of becoming a college head coach, but it came with long hours, a pay cut and several responsibilities. He coached, taught and served as sports information director while helping support a growing family. They had two daughters, Paige and Kylie, and later welcomed their second son, Kade. “What are the odds that he was born on the same day as our first son,” he exclaimed. “He had blonde hair, blue eyes, left-handed and chubby cheeks. He was virtually a twin.” In 2005, Bostwick helped lead John Brown to the NAIA national championship. The team entered the tournament as the 31st seed out of 32 teams, making its eventual victory even moresurprising. Soon afterward, a close friend suffered a severe brain aneurysm. Doctors initially believed surgery was too dangerous, leaving Bostwick struggling to understand why someone whose faith was so strong faced such a crisis. Amid his anguish, he recalled sensing a message from God: “Then fight.” He began fasting, praying late into the night and pursuing a deeper relationship with God. His friend eventually received treatment from a medical team willing to attempt the surgery and survived against the odds. But Bostwick’s own career was about to take another unexpected turn. After years working alongside his longtime coach, he believed he was in line to succeed him. Instead, the position went to the coach’s son, leaving Bostwick without a job. “I felt I heard God tell me, ‘I got you son. I am going to make something out of nothing,’” he said. He and Sheri took their four children to Branson for a break. They had no clear plan for what came next. “I told her that I felt I could go back to high school coaching, but we were going to pray,” he said. Then a former player called with an unexpected story. He had dreamed Bostwick would become the head coach at Oklahoma Wesleyan, hire him as an assistant and win a national championship in their second season. Bostwick thought the idea was impossible. The next morning, OKWU called and invited him to apply for its coaching vacancy. The family returned to Bartlesville in 2007. In 2009, the Eagles won the NAIA Division II national championship. They also set a record with 39 consecutive victories and finished Bostwick’s first four seasons with a 120-20 record. The dream that had seemed so distant during his construction days had brought him back to the community where he first prayed for it. Bostwick’s success at OKWU has been built on talented players, dedicated assistants and a conviction that basketball can be a vehicle for something greater. He sees each generation of

players passing confidence, character and faith to the next. His coaching journey later took him to Southwestern Assemblies of God University near Dallas, where he inherited a program that had endured 15 consecutive losing seasons. The move challenged his family and tested his confidence, but he continued to lean on prayer. Then another friend was diagnosed with stage-four bone cancer.Having lost his father to cancer, Bostwick struggled with the news and once again felt called to fight. He began carrying his Bible to games and raising money to help his friend pursue a stem cell procedure. After an initial loss, his team won the next 17 games. On the night of the conference championship, Bostwick received a text from his friend: “NED,” meaning “No Evidence of Disease.” The team went on to reach the national championship. For Bostwick, it was another reminder that faith does not mean life will be free of adversity. It means continuing to trust and serve through it. In 2016, Bostwick and his family returned to OKWU. Sheri found her calling as a children’s pastor at their church, a role she continues to embrace. The Eagles continued to succeed, surpassing 500 victories under Bostwick’s coaching career and returning to the NAIA national championship game in 2025. Basketball also opened doors to ministry around the world. The team has traveled on mission trips to places including Bhutan and Angola. In Angola, the Eagles played the country’s top professional team on national television and upset the 10-time African national champions in front of the country’s president.Closer to home, Bostwick and his players helped bring a Freedom Fire event to Bartlesville during the COVID-19 pandemic. He credits the journey to the people who have stood beside him, including assistant coaches, university supporters and friends Roger and Donna Skelly. “I could list over 100 people who have played significant roles in helping us answer God’s call,” he added. Since becoming a head coach in 1994, Bostwick has coached more than 1,000 games, not counting summer leagues, team camps or the games he enjoyed coaching his own children.When he considers the journey from a young laborer eating lunch in downtown Bartlesville to a championship-winning coach, his response is simple. “How could I have been this blessed?” he asked. “Only one answer!” Bostwick values the lessons his parents taught him, the players who became lifelong friends and the family that stood beside him through loss, career disappointments and difficult moves. But he is not interested in living in the past. “I believe God wants us to focus on the greater things He plans on doing,” he said. “As long as we have breath in our lungs, I believe God has greater plans for us to fulfill.” For Bostwick, championships matter, but they are not the final measure of success. The greater reward is seeing young men grow, families strengthen and faith pass from one generation to the next. After more than three decades on the sidelines, he remains convinced that the story is still unfolding. “God is just getting started,” Bostwick said. NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

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100 Years of Route 66 ...The Mother Road by Kay Little

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The most famous highway has had several names throughout the century; Route 66, The Mother Road, the Will Rogers Highway, Main Street of America. Most of us know it as Route 66 and it celebrates 100 years in November of this year. My affection for Route 66 started in the 1990s, when I was homeschooling my teen-age boys. They have always loved cars, playing with toy cars, reading about cars and driving. As I read Michael Wallis’ book, Route 66, The Mother Road, I realized Oklahoma has the most Route 66 miles of any state. We took a field trip to Tulsa and on to Edmond on Route 66. When I taught Oklahoma History to groups of homeschoolers, we took a Route 66 trip to OKC. In the early 2000s, we took Route 66 trips with my husband’s family and several years later, we took our kids and grandchildren across parts of Oklahoma Route 66. As the Centennial celebrations started, I took friends and family on trips across parts of Oklahoma Route 66. The history and beauty is fun. I totally recommend taking a trip, even if just driving through Tulsa, along Route 66, the Oklahoma capitol of Route 66. It is a fun and tangible way to expose people to history! Americans began pushing for better roads at the end of the Civil War, even though they were mostly for bicycles. Many of the roads were originally Indian trails and other trails 12

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used by wagon trains. Eventually, automobile roads followed these trails. The first cars showed up around 1900, but there were no gas stations until 1905. People carried cans of gasoline they bought at the general store. They planned their trips carefully and knew where to find the next source of fuel. Reminds me of electric and NGV cars. According to Cherokee Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr., “For generations of Americans, Route 66 represents freedom, adventure and the promise of the open road. It is woven into our national imagination through music, film, family road trips and stories passed from one generation to the next. Long before Oklahoma statehood, Cherokee citizens traveled these corridors to connect communities, conduct commerce and rebuild lives following forced removal and resettlement in Indian Territory.”

CYRUS AVERY

Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908 at a cost of $850. Believe it or not, that was too much for most families. By 1924, Ford mass produced the cars, which cut the cost and raised the demand for cars. People were able to travel longer distances, which created the need for more roads. The automobile changed the nation more than anything at that time. People traveled further, which allowed them to live somewhere else. It provided an escape. Those early roads were a mess.

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Many were dangerous as motorists traveled on rocks and mud while on hairpin turns. Motorists usually had to carry several tools, extra gasoline and tents because there was nowhere to stay while traveling. By 1923, the Federal Aid Road Act provided permanent funding for road construction. Trails eventually gave way to numbered roads. In 1926, the U.S. Numbered Highway was established. Major East/West interstate highways were given 2-digit, even numbers, divisible by 10. North/ South were given odd numbers, ending in 5. The numerals 50 and 60 were not given to highways until November 11, 1926, the same date as Highway 66. In the 1920s, State Highway 7 ran across Oklahoma from northeast to southwest. It was built as part of the Ozark Trail. When Highway 66 was established in 1926, major portions of Highway 7 were absorbed into it. Tulsa businessman, civic leader and good roads advocate, Cyrus Avery, was appointed to a board to create a new network of highways. He worked to get a major highway from Chicago to Los Angeles, making sure it went through his home state of Oklahoma. But it did not totally go east-west or north-south, so others on the board did not like it. Avery originally wanted it to be Highway 60, or Highway 62. The Kentucky governor fought him because he wanted the highway to go through his state. Avery wanted the whole route to have one number. The committee finally decided 66 was a good number. The committee met in Springfield, MO and on April 30, 1926, they sent a telegram to D.C. with their proposal, which is why Springfield is called the birthplace of Route 66. On November 11, 1926, Route 66 was finally born.

In 1928, C.C. Pyle had a great idea to have a transcontinental footrace to promote Route 66. The runners would run from L.A. to Chicago along Route 66, then on to New York City. On March 4, 1928, 275 runners started. The newspapers named the race, the Bunion Derby. Only 55 runners were left when a young Cherokee man, Andy Payne, from Foyil, Oklahoma won the race. Andy was determined to win the prize money to help save the family farm. He eventually was elected as clerk of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, serving from 1935-1972. As Carol Mowdy Bond wrote, “A kid from rural eastern Oklahoma, Andy Payne became a U.S. folk hero because of the Bunion Derby. But he was also highly respected and trusted by Oklahoma voters, leaving an inspirational legacy as his ancestors did.” Pyle was able to make Route 66 known to everyone. The 1930s were a dark time for our country, especially Oklahoma because of the Depression and the Dust Bowl. Many

Route 66 runs through eight states, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. 85% of 66 is still drivable, with Oklahoma having over 400 drivable miles. NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

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people lost everything during the Dust Bowl and decided to move west to California. They traveled on Route 66. Unfortunately, many of them were not received well in California and were called Okies, a derogatory name. There were signs that read “Okies and dogs not allowed inside.” The Californians felt that the Okies were dumbing down their state. Many children were illiterate because their Oklahoma schools were closed so much due to the dust. I am glad we have now taken the name as a badge of honor. Woody Guthrie was one of those “Okies.” He was upset at how his fellow Oklahomans were being treated. He started writing songs about his experiences. His most famous song, “This Land is Your Land,” was originally a protest song. One man, Leo Hart, was upset with this, so he started a school among some of the migrant families in CA. It was called the School at Weedpatch Camp. He had to find the supplies to build the school and obtain the curriculum on his own, which he was able to do. He found some people sympathetic to his cause and they donated supplies. Mr. Hart had the older students help him build the school. The students learned carpentry, sewing,

cobbling, canning fruits and vegetables, aircraft mechanics, as well as English, arithmetic, geography and history. They raised food for their school lunches. Mr. Hart wanted the students to learn life skills that would help them as they became adults. One unfortunate piece of Route 66 history is segregation. It was nationwide. Victor Hugo Green, a black man in NYC started putting together a book for the black travelers so they would know safe places to get gas, sleep, eat and shop. Green said his aim was “to give the Negro traveler information that will keep him from running into difficulties, embarrassments and make his trip more enjoyable.” He encouraged all black people to carry the Green Book with them everywhere they went. The Green Book created a community among the black travelers. Many of the towns that enacted Jim Crow laws were called sundown towns because blacks were in danger if seen in these towns after the sun went down. This practice lasted in some places well past the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The last Green Book was published in 1966. Oklahoma Route 66 had a service station with a restaurant for blacks in Luther, The Threatt Station. It was recently remodeled and remains in the Threatt family. The station was built on the Threatt family farm. After the Tulsa Massacre in 1921, many blacks fled to the Threatt farm, where they could park overnight and set up camp. Eventually, the station became an official Red Cross First Aid Station. The family added a grocery store and a café. Part of the farm also served as a baseball field and a park that became a dance location on weekends. The Threatt Station became the community gathering place for people of all races. Neon signs are landmarks that improve the trip on Route 66. Neon signs started coming to the U.S. from France and showed up all over the country, but especially on Route 66. They served as both advertisement and art, with their bright colors. The Neon

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CADILLAC RANCH IN AMARILLO, TX Museum in OKC and Tulsa’s Neon Sign Park are two fun places to visit neon signs in Oklahoma. Almost every town on Oklahoma Route 66 has at least one neon sign. On one of my Route 66 trips with friends, we went through Miami and found the Allen Sign Company, a local company that makes custom neon signs and Route 66 signs and shields. We were so excited to meet the designer and see all the signs he is making for the state. He is able to do this because of money from the Route 66 Centennial Commission and the Lt. Governor’s office. When the project is finished, there will be 46 Route 66 shield monuments across the state. Another fun artform all along Route 66 are the murals painted on the sides of buildings. Route 66 was used quite a bit during WWII for military trips. During the war, people had to ration tires and gasoline, which hurt business until the military started traveling on the highway, stopping at restaurants, stores and motels. After the war, the public started traveling again.

BARTLESVILLE: 66 MILES FROM ROUTE 66 Frank Phillips moved to Bartlesville in 1903 and eventually struck oil. This led him to establish Phillips Petroleum Company. By 1927, the company was establishing service stations but needed a catchy logo. In 1927, Phillips Executive, John Kane, and a driver were returning to Bartlesville from Texas and traveling on Route 66 in Tulsa. Kane got excited because of how fast they were able to travel using the new Phillips gasoline. He thought they were traveling 60, but the driver said, “Sixty, nothing! We’re doing 66!” When Kane reported this the next day to the special executive committee, he also told them they were traveling on Route 66. That did it! The committee voted unanimously for Phillips 66 to be the new logo. On November 19, 1927, Phillips 66 opened its first service station in Wichita, Kansas. On December 31, 1927, the first Phillips 66 service station in Bartlesville opened in what is now the Frank Phillips Park, next to the Depot, where the Chamber of

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Mary Church Terrell

Commerce resides. Sadly, on June 27, 1985, U.S. Route 66 was decommissioned, after it was bypassed by interstate highways. In eastern Oklahoma, I-44 replaced Route 66. But Route 66 was not forgotten. Several communities worked for Route 66 to be Historic Route 66. A barber from Seligman, Arizona, Angel Delgadillo, is known as the “Guardian Angel of Route 66” because he would not let Route 66 die. He was able to get Route 66 State Associations in all eight states by 1989. One of my history heroes, Michael Wallis, is another one who helped revitalize Route 66 in 1990 with his book, Route 66: The Mother Road. He is still a large influence in preserving the history and actual Route 66. One of my new Route 66 heroes is Rhys Martin, Oklahoma Route 66 Association President, member of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, Route 66 Alliance, Tulsa Route 66 Commission and the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission. He also works for the National Trust for Historic Preservation as their Preserve Route 66 manager. Rhys and Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell were inducted into the Oklahoma 16

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Route 66 Hall of Fame. At the induction, Matt said, “Route 66 has always been more than a highway; it’s the heartbeat of so many Oklahoma communities and a driving force behind our state’s tourism industry.” In my opinion, no one else has done more for Oklahoma Tourism than Pinnell. As you read this article, I hope you realize how much Oklahoma has done and continues to do for Route 66. In 2019, Governor Stitt signed a law that created the Route 66 Centennial Commission. The purpose of the commission has been to “plan, coordinate, and implement programs and special events to celebrate the historic highway’s centennial in 2026 with the support of the Oklahoma Historic Society.” So far, they have done a fabulous job! On May 30, Tulsa celebrated their role as the capital of Route 66 by hosting the Capital Cruise, which set a Guinness World Record for the largest classic-car parade with 3,596 cars. The parade was held on 11th Street. Cars came from 42 states, Canada and France. I talked to a young lady from Bartlesville who participated in this parade. Courtney Graham drove her 1965 Mustang and her passenger was

SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

Abraham Lincoln’s Funeral.

her 10-year-old son. She participates in car shows and hopes her son will know how important cars and Route 66 are. She told me, “As I turned the corner to where the parade started and saw all the people cheering, it was breathtaking!” She was so excited to be a part of the excitement. Another event that helped people see the importance of Route 66 was the Route 66 Centennial Caravan, organized by Rhys Martin from Oklahoma. The group decided to travel the whole route, but from west to east. The trip started on June 16 in Santa Monica, California. The group decided the caravan would focus on preservation and revitalization. It was a great time to show that Route 66 is very much alive. Many businesses were involved and a car from each state was chosen, as well as a National car and an International car. Santa Monica was home to the Will Rogers State Historic Park that sadly burned in 2025. Rhys still wanted to honor Will Rogers.

After all, Route 66 is also known as the Will Rogers Highway and his museum is in our own state, in Claremore. The Will Rogers story is still important! The caravan consisted of more than 100 cars. During the caravan people cheered them on and most people were waving American flags. One participant said it well. “We found peace, serenity and brotherhood from white, black, brown, red, yellow and everyone in between. Always remember that a strong America makes a strong world.” The caravan lasted 20 days, ending on June 25 in Chicago. Filmmaker John Paget made a film titled, Route 66: The Main Street of America. He showcased each of the eight states. I was able to view the film in Claremore. It is awesome! Later this year, it will be shown on PBS. On each trip I have taken, my companions and I have met many people. As Jennifer Rogers, the great granddaughter of Will says, “The funnest part is meeting people from all over the world.” The road represents freedom and brings people together. One thing I have learned from all the 66 experts is to enjoy the slower pace and take time to enjoy all the sights. We must keep telling the stories but not be in a hurry. As Michael Wallis says, “Route 66: just the name is magic. It represents a time of innocence, hitchhiking was safe, drive-in movies, cars without AC, adventure, before hotels and chain restaurants.” Another film is Crossroads of America, Oklahoma Route 66, produced by OETA. Wallis says, “Without Oklahoma, there is no Route 66.” A theme throughout the film is traveling on Route 66 is a family style atmosphere. Strangers are turned into friends. Route 66 is the heart of the people.

NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

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I recommend traveling all of Route 66, but if you can only take a short trip, there is plenty to do close by. Kansas only has 13 miles of Route 66 and is worth a short trip also. My friends and I took a day trip going east and north to Kansas and then another day trip going west to Clinton. We saw so many fun things and met many people from all over the world. I also recommend finding a book that tells about the route and landmarks. A free one is the 2026-2027 Oklahoma Route 66 Association Trip Guide. Also, pick up a free Route 66 Passport and see how many stamps you can get. A good book to purchase to guide you through all 8 states is the EZ66 Guide For Travelers by Oklahoman, Jerry McClanahan. In Kansas, we drove over the Rainbow Bridge, saw a place with characters from the Cars movie and drove through a Route 66 arch. In Oklahoma, we had a milkshake at Dairy King in Commerce, saw the Coleman Theater in Miami and drove on a mile of original 9-foot-wide Route 66 between Miami and Afton. We toured the Cherokee Nation Visitor’s Center, ate dinner at Clanton’s Café, another time ate breakfast at Hi-Way Café in Vinita, toured an old bank and walked on an underground pedestrian bridge in

Chelsea. In Foyil, be sure and stop at the Totem Pole Park and Andy Payne statue. After visiting Will Rogers’ place in Claremore, go walk through the Blue Whale in Catoosa. Be sure and visit the Meadow Gold District in Tulsa, and see what Bartian Mary Beth Babcock has done, including the 5 giants. Go eat at Mother Road Market, then drive to the Cyrus Avery Centennial Park and drive on the musical road to hear “This Land is Your Land.” After Tulsa, stay on Route 66, not the Turnpike, visit Sapulpa and see the Rock Creek Bridge and many other places they have. Then, during the Christmas season, visit the Christmas Chute on Route 66. Drive to Stroud and visit the Rock Café, the inspiration for one of the characters in the movie, Cars. My favorite stop on this stretch is at the midway point of Oklahoma Route 66, in Wellston. You will see a giant push pin to mark the spot. It is decorated with scenes of Oklahoma. On the way to Arcadia, stop in Luther and visit the Threatt Filling Station that I mentioned earlier in the story, then drive on to see the Round Barn, then on to Pops, with the more than 700 soda flavors and a 66-foot pop bottle. OKC has many landmarks, including a giant boot, “Kicks 66.” The Pony Bridge near Bridgeport was made famous in the movie, Grapes of Wrath. Visit the original Lucille’s service station in Hydro, then drive on to Weatherford and eat at the new Lucille’s. Down the road in Clinton, visit the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum. In Elk City is the National Route 66 Museum Complex. In Erick, visit Harley at the Sandhill Curiosity Shop. When you drive into Texola, you have reached the end of Oklahoma Route 66. I have named only a few of the attractions in each town. It would take the whole magazine to tell about all of them. Just remember, the drive matters more than the destination. As Rhys says, “Route 66 is alive and still has stories to tell.” Ken Busby, Executive Director and CEO of the Route 66 Alliance and Tulsa resident, says, “We’ve got something special here. Oklahoma’s special, but it is not over!” Keep a lookout for information about the Birthday Crawl in Tulsa on November 11. I am sure the celebration will be huge, as only Oklahoma knows how to do. Maybe I will see you there or somewhere on Oklahoma Route 66.

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SUTTERFIELD FINANCIAL FEATURE

NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

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FEATURE SPONSOR STORY

Bringing Richard Home by John Fears, USMC, Vietnam (1969-1970)

The 251st anniversary of the founding of the Marine Corps falls on November 10th, and Veterans Day annually honors veterans of all services on November 11th. This past year, my wife and I were privileged to join other veterans and activeduty Marines for a formal burial ceremony for WWII U.S. Marine PFC Richard Gordon Wright. Born June 6, 1921, near Sparks, Oklahoma, PFC Wright was killed in action on November 20, 1943, the first day of the horrific battle on Betio Island of Tarawa Atoll in the Gibert Islands of the Central Pacific. In 1946, the scattered shallow graves of American dead were moved to a central burial site on Betio Island. In 1948, Richard’s remains were re-interred with other “unknowns” in the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. In 2016, his remains were sent to the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency lab near Washington D.C. Finally, in 2024, a DNA match with a relative was confirmed. As we watched, a color guard from VFW Post 4938 snapped to attention as a bugler played a moving rendition of “Taps” with each note echoing over the rolling cemetery landscape. Active-duty Marines in Dress Blues and veterans saluted. The only living relative able to attend was a distant cousin, Mr. George Zink, who is also a former Marine. VFW Post 4938 Chaplain Ed Beasley, a former Marine who lost both legs after being wounded in Vietnam, officiated. During an interview for KOCO-TV channel 5 in Oklahoma City, Mr. Zink said, “Once a Marine, always a Marine…we don’t

leave our fallen behind. No matter how many years, no matter what it takes, we always bring them home.” At Betio Island, PFC Wright and his buddies of 3rd Bn., 2nd Marines landed in the first wave on the crucible called Red Beach 1 at 9:22 a.m., November 20th. In 76 hours of blood and violence, on an island that was no more than one square mile, 997 Marines and 30 Navy Corpsmen were killed, and 2,233 Marines and 59 Navy personnel wounded. Of 4,836 Imperial Japanese troops, only 17 survived, all of whom were wounded and taken prisoner. An unidentified Marine from PFC Wright’s King Company came up on the net early that first day, undoubtedly with the deafening cacophony of countless machine guns and cannons firing nonstop in the background: “We are 50 yards inland and pinned down…casualties heavy…trying to make contact with Item Company on right…No contact with Easy Company on Left.” Navy Chaplains and hospital corpsmen who landed with the Marines suffered 78% killed or wounded. Chaplains that survived could be heard praying softly, but fervently, over the fallen. They also physically helped bury the dead. Often, chaplains recited the Lord’s prayer over the dead on Betio Island whether Catholic, protestant, Jewish, or no affiliation. It is therefore fitting that the funeral pamphlet for PFC Wright contained the Lord’s Prayer. This Veterans Day, 83 years later, PFC Richard Gordon Wright is now at rest in peace next to his grandfather’s grave. It is up to the living to remember what they endured and their sacrifice for our freedom. If you meet a veteran or any active-duty service member, please thank them for their service. God bless them one and all. Semper Fidelis NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

We live, work, and play in Bartlesville, and we’re proud to serve our neighbors with integrity Experienced, Honest, Local

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

ENTERTAINMENT

Mrs. Doubtfire!

Hit Classic Kicks Off Broadway in Bartlesville! Season of laughter, the musical also reminds audiences that families come in many forms, relationships require understanding and love often finds a way through even the most difficult circumstances.

Beloved family comedy brings laughter, music and heart to the stage November 14. Get ready, Bartlesville! One of the most beloved family comedies is coming to life on stage, bringing an evening filled with laughter, unforgettable music and a heartwarming message about the importance of family. Mrs. Doubtfire, the hilarious and touching Broadway musical based on the popular film, will open the new Broadway in Bartlesville! season at The Center for Arts, Events, and Community on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. Audiences can expect an entertaining evening filled with colorful characters, lively musical numbers, clever comedy and plenty of unexpected surprises. Rated PG, this family-friendly production offers something for theatergoers of all ages, making it a wonderful opportunity for families and friends to enjoy a memorable night together. At the heart of the story is Daniel Hillard, a fun-loving, outof-work actor whose greatest joy in life is being a father. Daniel may not always have everything figured out, but there is one thing he knows for certain: he loves his children more than anything. When a difficult divorce leaves him struggling to spend time with his kids, Daniel finds himself facing a challenge that calls for a little creativity—and a whole lot of imagination. Determined to remain part of his children’s everyday lives, he comes up with an outrageous plan. With the help of an elaborate disguise, a Scottish accent and a completely new identity, Daniel transforms himself into Euphegenia Doubtfire, a kindhearted and rather unconventional nanny. What follows is a whirlwind of mistaken identities, hilarious situations and moments that will have audiences laughing from beginning to end. But beneath the comedy, Mrs. Doubtfire tells a meaningful story about love, sacrifice, perseverance and the extraordinary lengths a parent will go to for their children. While Daniel’s adventures as Mrs. Doubtfire create plenty

It’s that combination of humor and heart that has made Mrs. Doubtfire such an enduring favorite. Bringing this Broadway production to Bartlesville is an exciting way to begin another season of live entertainment at The Center. The Broadway in Bartlesville! series continues to offer local audiences opportunities to experience the excitement and magic of professional musical theater without traveling far from home. From the energy of the performers to the music, costumes and storytelling, live theater creates a special experience that brings people together. And what better way to celebrate the opening of a new season than with a production that reminds us we truly are better together? Whether you’re a longtime Broadway enthusiast, a fan of the original movie or simply looking for a fun evening out, Mrs. Doubtfire promises to deliver laughter, entertainment and a few touching moments along the way. Make plans now to join the fun! Tickets and season subscriptions are available through The Center’s Box Office. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 918-337-2787 or visit www.bartlesvillecenter.com. The Broadway in Bartlesville! season is made possible in part through the generous financial support of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oklahoma Arts Council and is presented by ConocoPhillips. Additional local sponsors include Arvest Wealth Management; Cortney McClure Design; Mr. & Mrs. Paul Crawford; Examiner Enterprise; Impact Wealth Planners; Jane Phillips Medical Center; Keleher Architects; KGGF, KUSN, KQQF, KRIG, KYFM, KWON and KPGM; Melody’s Creative Cuisine; Nowata Road Liquor; Phillips 66; Pioneer Dream; Robinett|King; Dr. & Mrs. Richard Rutledge; Via TV AI; Dr. & Mrs. William D. Smith; Truity Credit Union; and Walmart. NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

NOVEMBER

CALENDAR

SPONSORED BY 3

Children’s Musical Theatre Fall Classes 12pm – 12:45pm, every Tues & Thurs Children’s Musical Theatre, Wyandotte, Bartlesville

101

Times Vary

Bartlesville Public Library Weekly Storytime 10am – 11:30am, Wed & Thurs

Bartlesville Gymnastics Club, 1805 S.W Adams Blvd.

Bartlesville Public Library Lego Club

Richard Kane YMCA 2nd Annual Turkey Trot

Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Avenue

Children’s Musical Theatre Auditions Times Vary

Children’s Musical Wyandotte

Theatre,

101

Mrs. Doubtfire the New Musical Comedy 7:30pm

Bartlesville Community Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd.

BPL presents 3D Thursday 7pm

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

Library,

600

Children’s Musical Theater presents FOOTLOOSE Fri 20th 7pm and Sat Nov 21st 2pm & 7pm

Madison Middle School, 5900 Baylor Drive

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60 Years of Champions! Alumni Gymnastics Reunion

10am Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Avenue

8am

Richard Kane YMCA, 101 N. Osage Ave.

School OUT Bartlesville Thanksgiving Break 11/21-29 Caney Valley Thanksgiving Break 11/21-29 Copan Thanksgiving Break 11/21-29 Dewey Thanksgiving Break 11/21-29 On the Rock After School Program, pickup by 6 3rd-5th Grade Monday: Kane, Jane Phillips, Osage Hills, Ranch Heights 3rd-5th Grade Tuesday: Wayside, Wilson, Hoover, home school/private school drop off 9th-12th Grade Thursdays: Rock bus picks up at BHS after school, 6th-8th Grade Fridays: Rock bus picks up at Madison, Central, Osage Hills after school

Bartlesville & Dewey Boys and Girls Clubs

Mon – Fri, 2:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. BGC Bville, (918) 336-3636, BGC Dewey, 918-534-8209

NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

NOVEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR Know of an upcoming event you would like to see on our calendar? Visit us at bartlesvillemonthly.com for a free listing!

Nov 1 – 30

Nov 3 – 24

Nov 5 – 26

Time Open

6:45pm – 8pm, every Tuesday

10am – 11am, every Thurs

Green Country Christmas 2026 with KWON, KYFM, KRIG, and KPGM

ELL Conversation Class at Casa Hispana

Citizenship Class at BPL

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

Nov 1 – 30

Bartlesville Area History Museum, 401 S Johnstone Ave. 5th floor

Nov 1 – 30 10am – 5pm

Will Rogers Returns to Woolaroc

Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Center, 12 miles SW on Hwy 123 from Hwy 60

600

6pm – 7pm, every Monday

Library Intermediate Spanish Class Library,

600

Nov 3 – 24 5:30pm – 6:30pm, every Tuesday

ELL Conversation Class at BPL Library,

600

ELL Conversation Class at BPL Library,

600

12pm – 1pm

BPL in the Kitchen with Susan Library,

600

BPL presents the Johnstone Irregulars Book Club Library,

600

401 NW Wiley Post Road, Bartlesville

6:30pm – 7:30pm

Nov 8

Scissortail Brewing Company, 623 E Don Tyler Ave., Dewey S.

7pm – 8pm

BPL presents Sakura Storm Mango Club Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue S.

6:30pm – 10pm

Hops for Hope, Brew 66

Bartlesville Municipal Airport, Hangar 5

OSU Alumni Chapter Monthly Meeting

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

Downtown Bartlesville, Phillips Parking Lot

11am – 12pm, every Thurs Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

Boots Hollow Golf Club, 5801 Tuxedo Blvd. Begins 11am

Nov 3

6pm – 7:30pm

Bartlesville Veteran’s Day Parade

Nov 5

5pm – 6pm, every Monday Library,

600

Woolaroc, 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Road, Bartlesville

Nov 2 – 30 Beginning Spanish Class

Library,

Nov 5 – 26

Catching Shadows on The Plains – Edward Curtis Exhibition

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

10am – 5pm, Tue, Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat

BAHM: Beneath Bartlesville: Tunnels, Lore and Mysteries

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

600

Nov 3 – 28

8am – 4pm

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

Library,

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

9am start

Boots Hollow Golf Club Veterans Golf Association

Library,

600

8:30am – 11am

Pancake Breakfast

St. John Father Lynch Hall, 715 S. Johnstone Ave. 5pm – 6pm

BSO Brass Quintet Presents: Veterans Salute

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 210 E 9th Street

Nov 7-8

7:30pm – 8:30pm

Sat 11am – 7pm & Sun 12pm – 5pm

Nov 10

Bartlesville Public Library invites you to Make It So Book Club

Washington Park Mall Indoor Farmer’s Market

Bartlesville Senior Resource Fair

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

Library,

600

Washington Park Washington Blvd

Nov 4 – 25

Nov 7

5pm – 7pm, every Wed

7am – 11am

BPL Citizenship Class

Woolaroc 8k

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

Library,

600

Mall,

2350

Woolaroc, 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Road

10am – 2pm SE

Washington Park Mall, 2350 Washington Blvd, Bartlesville 2pm – 8pm

BPL 2nd Tuesday Craft Club Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

THE MOST-READ MAGAZINE IN BARTLESVILLE Advertising Opportunities: 918-214-4968 • keith@bartlesvillemonthly.com

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

Library,

600

Nov 12

Nov 20

7:30pm – Open

Mrs. Doubtfire the New Musical Comedy

10am – 12pm

Grandparents Support Group

11am – 12pm

GeekyGami presents One Piece Card Game

The Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd.

ElderCare, 1223 Swan Drive

Washington Park Washington Blvd

Nov 16

Nov 13

7pm – Open

4pm – Open

Nineteen0Eight Mixology Tasting & Cocktail Class

Nineteen0Eight, 311 ½ S. Dewey Avenue

8am – 11am

9am – 1pm

BPL Presents Cinema Discussion Club

10am – 5pm

2350

6:30pm – 9:30pm

Nineteen0Eight invites you to Mark Gibson

Library,

600

Nineteen0Eight, 311 ½ S. Dewey Avenue

600

Together With Veterans Social Hour Tumbleweed’s Nowata Road

Steakhouse,

7pm – 8pm

BPL presents 3D Thursday

Bartlesville Library, 600 S. Johnstone Ave.

Mall,

2350

The Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd.

60 Years of Champions! Alumni Gymnastics Reunion

Nov 23 11:30am – 5:30pm

The Red Cross presents a Blood Drive Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

Library,

Daybreak Rotary Fantasy Land of Lights

Nov 24

Johnstone Park, 200 N. Cherokee Ave

2pm – 8pm

Nov 21

BPL Open Craft Time Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

Bartlesville Public Library Lego Club Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

Richard Kane YMCA Parents Night Out

Nov 20 – 22

10am – 11am 4049

Washington Park Washington Blvd

6pm – 9:30pm

6pm – 10pm Every Evening

4:30pm – 6:30pm

11am – 5pm

Washington Park Mall Indoor Farmer’s Market

Paths To Independence Dancing with the Bartlesville Stars

Nov 20 - 30 S.

217

Richard Kane YMCA, 101 S. Osage Ave.

Bartlesville Gymnastics Club, 1805 S.W Adams Blvd.

Library,

Association,

Madison Middle School, 5900 Baylor Dr.

Times Vary

Nov 19

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

11am – 5pm

Mall,

Bartlesville Public Johnstone Avenue

BPL presents Gently Reads Book Club

Downtown Dewey Merchants

Washington Park Washington Blvd.

7pm – 8pm

2pm – 3pm

Visit Dewey Second Saturday

Washington Park Mall Indoor Farmer’s Market

Elder Care, 1223 Swan Drive

Bartlesville Art Comanche Ave.

6pm – 9pm

Fri 20th 7pm and Sat Nov 21st 2 & 7pm

9am – Open

Boots Hollow Golf Club, 5801 Tuxedo Blvd.

Nineteen0Eight, 311 ½ S. Dewey Avenue

Children’s Musical Theater presents FOOTLOOSE

CPR Training at Elder Care

Boots Hollow Golf Club Turkey Shoot Tournament

Nov 20-21

Big Country Breakfast Benefit Blue Star Mothers of Bartlesville

Bartlesville Elks Lodge #1060, 1060 Swan Drive (Behind Walmart

2350

Adam Bush at the NineteenOEight

The Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd

Nov 17

Mall,

6pm – 9pm

Ella Mae Dixon Presented by Bartlesville Community Concert Association

Nov 14

10am – 4pm

Bartlesville Art Association Paint and Create Saturday

Library,

600

Library,

600

Nov 26 S.

8am – 10am

Richard Kane YMCA 2nd Annual Turkey Trot

Home Decor • Gifts • Apparel Gifts & Clothing Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm Sat 10am-4pm

112 E 2 St Bartlesville, OK 74003 nd

118 E 2nd St Bartlesville, OK NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

NOW YOU KNOW

Dave Strang . . . A Washington County Legend by Debbie Neece It is not often we are blessed to find two “loves of our lives” in one lifetime; however, that happened for David Hunter Strang. Dave’s first love was Linda Naush and he married her August 28, 1959. Their family grew when sons Chuck and Chad joined their union. Then, he met the second love of his life in 1968… his dream job as a Game Warden with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Dave was a fly fisherman, hunter and “walking firearm encyclopedia” so this was the perfect career for him. The sun has now set on Dave Strang but the memories he planted during his career as Washington County’s Game Warden will live on forever. He took Oklahoma hunting and fishing laws serious and wildlife abuse was not tolerated. It has been said if you love your work, you will never work a day in your life. I really believe Dave Strang never worked a day in his life. He enjoyed keeping wildlife safe from 28

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

poachers and often left a funny story in his wake. He reported fish and game reports to the local newspapers and kept fishermen informed about the fishing menu: “crappie good on minnows; channel cat good on cut shad; black bass good on plastic worms; and sand bass good on shad.” AND, when a tame, bottle-fed, yearling buck, a personal pet of local park attendants, was killed…Dave took it personal. He hunted the perpetrator down and made sure he was sentenced to a hefty fine and court costs. AND, when two full-grown piranhas were caught by local fishermen at the Cherokee Bridge in Johnstone Park… Dave sarcastically said, “I assure you they didn’t swim up here from the Amazon River.” To get to the “bottom” of it, the Caney River was electronically shocked, finding no additional piranha. AND, when an Ochelata pet lioness escaped and went on the prowl,

NOW YOU KNOW Christopher Tuttle: “I remember when I had to go to Dave’s house to get him to sign my Oklahoma lifetime hunting and fishing license application. If I was out fishing and he was checking license, he would walk up to me and say, ‘Tuttle, I know you have a lifetime license, but I’m gonna have to see it.’ I have mad respect for Dave. He was a man among Game Wardens.”

leading 30 area law enforcement and a helicopter on daylong safari…Tia Maria was caught and taken to the Tulsa Zoo. Injuries were minor; however, the 300# animal pounced upon Strang, scratching his legs and backside. He survived with puncture wounds, a tetanus shot and antibiotics at the hospital. Chad Gavellas: “Dad and I were fishing above the Copan Dam one afternoon. There was an Asian man, who did not speak fluent English, fishing near us. All of the sudden, this boat came flying over the buoys and it was Dave and another game warden checking licenses. The Asian man took off running up the rocks and Dave started hollering at him to stop. He did not. They beached the boat on the rocks just beside me and dad. Dad said “Dave you need to see our licenses?” He said, “Hell no Jim, I know ya’ll both got lifetimes.” And up the rocks Dave took off after the Asian man. The guy had a pretty good head start on Dave and had made it to the top of the dam, almost to the other side of the dam, before Dave got him stopped. Dave finally came working his way back down to the boat, huffing and puffing. He got to dad and frustratingly said “that SOB had his license!” I was only about 10-12 years old and I thought that was the funniest thing ever. Dave was not impressed. Most of my encounters with Dave were pretty chill. He signed the papers for my lifetime hunting and fishing license and he taught my hunters education course at Kane Elementary. Then, dad took me to Sonic for a brown bag special for lunch.”

James Mitchell: “As a teenager, I was sitting in a soybean field out on the Nowata-Washington County line hunting ‘prairie-chickens.’ Dave Strang pulled up in his pickup, checking hunting licenses. Although he had just helped me acquire my new Oklahoma Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License, I pulled it out and showed it to him anyway. We visited a bit; then, he left. That was the only time in my life I ever dealt with a Game Warden out in the field...I remember I was carrying my great-grandfather’s Model 1911 Remington 12-gauge that day, too.” Keith Clark: “Dave searched my ski boat for a dead duck once...someone reported that we had hit a duck while water skiing. When the Sheriff pulled me over on the way back to Bartlesville, he told me that the Game Ranger was on his way. I had known Dave for years and when he asked me if I had a dead duck in my ski boat, I thought he was joking, but he was ‘dead duck’ serious. He searched the boat and then he told me that a bird watcher had reported us. I then remembered that my buddy’s hat blew off when he was yelling at the ducks to get out of our path. I was skiing and when the hat blew off, I thought it was a duck also until I saw the hat floating on the water. It still makes me laugh and I will never forget Dave’s face when he asked me about the dead duck.” In 1975, Oklahoma operated a game farm and Dave Strang was in charge of releasing bobwhite quail near the future site of the Copan Dam in public hunting areas. In 1982, he was honored as “Game Ranger of the Year” for his record 99 special investigations, 77 arrests and his participation in the “Sharing of Skills” program with 359 enrollees. He also received the ShikarSafari International “Outstanding Oklahoma Game Ranger.” Indeed, an outstanding Washington County Legend!

Did You Know?

Following in his father’s footsteps, Lt. Chad Strang became an Oklahoma Game Warden for Cleveland County in August 2003; 23 years of dedicated service.

Now You Know * NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

OUT & ABOUT

WESLEYAN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 50 YEAR

SMELLS LIKE HOME SPIRIT

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

OUT & ABOUT

WOOLAROC EVENTS

OKWU

NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

CALLING TO THE GOOD

Two-Thirds Visionary... by Kelly Hurd

When she was a little girl being dropped off at school, through her growing-up eyes, Whitney Virden thought success meant having what she called a “Red Badge” from Conoco Phillips as she noticed many of her schoolmates’ parents seemed to possess – and later when first attending college, she found herself pursuing an accounting degree having the goal of gaining one of those Red Badges for herself…

When I asked Whitney what she sees as key components to a successful business, she listed surrounding herself with experts as number one and then added the secret ingredient of giving those experts the freedom to flourish and bloom. With just a simple love of wildflowers, Virden briefly worked for a flower shop during their Valentine’s Day rush, and had a thought while sweeping off its porch, “I wonder what it would be like to sweep off the porch of my own flower shop…” That little thought became the seed in Virden’s heart that opened the door to entrepreneurship down the road where she brought her love of color and the untraditional design to life when she opened Roots+Blooms.

Today, Virden is one of Bartlesville’s top budding entrepreneurs whose vision and savvy grit, blended with her passion and good sense of self-awareness have created an insightful perspective from which any businessperson could glean. Like a cold sip of Apple Crisp tea, I found Virden’s story and stance to be refreshing in a world long-gone lukewarm and bland. She spoke of not only having a Plan B but having the persistence to take it all the way to Plan P if necessary. In Whitney’s words, she went on a “Knock-A-Thon” pursuing commercial real estate when first getting started. She spoke of being humbled early in her career and valuing that experience as it has made her a better team member today. You might say she’s the personification of grit, as well as confidence – both of which are necessary to overcoming obstacles along the way – and Virden has hurdled her share through the years. Most recently, in addition to her beautiful and unique flower shop – Roots+Blooms – Virden has branched out and opened the new Bloom-By Bakery and Café located at 3415 E. Frank Phillips Boulevard where Chef Hilary Kamplain’s cuisine is nothing short of culinary artistry which even includes adding edible florals to the menu! “You can feel the love Hilary puts into what she does,” Virden shared. From bottled teas, lattes, grain bowls, salad bowls, and fresh sandwiches to potato- crust quiche, cinnamon rolls, croissants and scones, any time is a good time to Bloom- By the Bakery Café where takeout or dine-in is always available. 32

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At her shop, Virden’s floral designs aren’t typically, in her words - “Roundy-Moundy,” referring to the generic catalog creations of most floral companies. “I want wonky,” Virden said – and she definitely knows how to create it with wildflower infusions of color and beauty that seem to have the ability to touch a heart and bloom a genuine blessing. “All of us have creativity in us,” Virden remarked – it’s just a matter of finding it. I would say she’s found it in florals and she’s expressing it in both of her Bartlesville businesses. If you’d like to hear more of Whitney Virden’s perspective and insight, pull up the latest episode of the Calling to the Good podcast on Spotify and most major podcast platforms where she opens up and shares from her heart about her hurdles and how she has worked to overcome them. And – I would even recommend inviting her to come speak at your next civic meeting to encourage young entrepreneurs and budding businesses. She’s a gardener at heart, planting seeds for thought and success with ablittle savvy know-how and never-quit grit. This is me over here at Charley Creek pointing out and Calling to the Good over there in B-Ville! Thanks for reading along! #CallingToTheGood

NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

SPORTS

OKWU Women’s Hoops by Tim Hudson

Returning Head Coach Mark Molder, says that the OKWU Women’s basketball program will be one to watch in the 2026-2027 season. “We have a lot of new freshman and a lot of new transfers and we are just as excited about the group that we have coming back” Molder told BMonthly. “We are expecting big things obviously from our returners but also our transfer class appears to be pretty strong so far.” The first game of the season will be Molder’s first since returning to the program. He had been a part of the OKWU Athletic Department from 2007 to 2019, but but briefly took a Head Coach position at CIU in Columbia, SC. He says that the team has been spending the preseason conditioning and “all the things to build into the season. The next couple of weeks before the season tip off will see several scrimmages leading up to it. “We obviously have a game here at the end of October so things are moving along pretty quickly. The girls have obviously been connecting and growing as a group and just kind getting to know each other cause there’s a lot of new faces so it’s been kind of exciting watch watch” he says adding “It’s been exciting how close they have gotten together on that side of things. We look forward to seeing what they can really do when we start playing here in the next couple weeks.” He says that there are numerous players to be watching in the upcoming season. “Brooke Prevost and Miyah Patton from Houston, Texas that have done some great things as has our returning point guard Kamryn Phoenix. They are really playing well. Same with Toya Harris….that back court is looking good” he said.

each team. and Molder says that the game and the turnout were both big. “We really got to see some good things at the scrimmage and it was fun to watch them play and have alumni come back” he said adding that it was nice to see fans returning that he had known during his first stint with OKWU. “This is just good overall, people reacting to the excitement and connecting with us. since we’ve been back is pretty phenomenal. We’re excited to get back and see everybody and just get rolling again.” As for the first game Molder says that the club is not taking any game easy. “They play in a really tough league so they will be good we’ll have to play well. I’ve been looking through our schedule and I don’t think we have a night off. Really I think we’ll have to be prepared every time we step on the court all season long or else somebody could sneak up on us” he said. “if you want to win on a high level and compete for the national tournament or post season play and those sorts of things it’s a change of mindset, as initially what we’re trying to do is a toughness factor that it takes to do those kind of things. You have to understand what it takes to win every possession and it’s a process to do that. It’s not just that we can look pretty and run some cool plays but at the same time like we’ve gotta be tough and understand what that looks like so that’s what we’ve been spending most of our time really trying to teach not just the fundamentals of things but what it looks like to go to the championship and that’s what we have been pursuing every day.”

“The transfers, they are a little banged up right now. They came in and were getting after it really good. They‘ve got some nicks and some bruises. so we’ve been holding them back a little bit to let them recover, we’re kinda waiting to see who rises to the top.”

The teams first game of the season will be against Southwestern Christian University at home on October 30. Then Oklahoma City University on Nov. 3 also at home before heading to Fort Worth Texas for a pair of games against Texas Wesleyan University and Mid-America Christian University for the Texas Wesleyan University Invitational.

Transfer students to watch for include Carolina Furtado from NEO and Macie Moss from San Antonio.

“We really want to invite everyone to come get to know this team and enjoy the games” he said.

“We’re just trying to get everybody healthy and piece it together as we roll here” he said. Fans were recently treated to an “alumni scrimmage” where the current team members scrimmaged against each other and alumni were mixed into

Tickets for the home games are $10 for adults, $5 for kids and seniors. More info may be obtained at www.okwueagles. com.

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

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LOOKING BACK

Ka-Chow!

Lightning McQueen is 20! by Kay Little, Little History Adventures Twenty years ago, a new generation was introduced to the wonders of Route 66 through the Pixar movie, Cars. Fast forward a few years to my grandson, Caleb, a preschooler who loved playing with cars and learned from his dad about the makes and models of many cars. When he saw the movie, Cars, he was hooked. He wanted to watch it all the time and wore Lightning McQueen shirts and Crocs shoes. His 2nd birthday was all about the movie. The movie tells the story of a car named Lightning McQueen, who is a hot-shot racing car who loves speed and gets lost in Radiator Springs on Route 66. He learns that life is about the journey, not the finish line. When Caleb started telling me about the movie and Route 66, I decided we needed to take a trip on Route 66 in this part of Oklahoma. We took his family and our younger son across parts of Route 66. We ate lunch at Rock Café in Stroud, the inspiration for the character, Sally. We walked on the Rock Creek Bridge in Sapulpa and walked through the giant Blue Whale in Catoosa. Caleb’s parents had promised him a trip to Disneyland when he was 5 and I asked to go with them. We were so excited when we walked into Radiator Springs and got to get up close to some of the characters. John Lasseter, the head of Pixar Studios, grew up going on

Caleb Little with Lightning McQueen

family car trips with his parents to small towns off the interstates. He married, had 5 sons and became very busy with his work at Pixar. He and his wife decided that he needed to get away for a while so they took a family car trip much like the ones he took as a child. He learned to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

After reading Michael Wallis’s book, Route 66: The Mother Road, John knew he had to have Michael on his team. Michael took John and other crew members on a trip across Route 66. Each one of them were blown away. They learned to slow down and have fun on the journey. They learned that the Mother Road is a reminder of America before the interstates took over. They saw that it is all about community and friendship. It felt the way America should feel. The Pixar crew used locations on 66 in the movie. Families are traveling on Route 66 once again and looking for those locations. Because of the 20th anniversary, Pixar re-released the movie this year. 19-year-old Caleb attended the opening of the re-release and posted the following on his Instagram: “5-year-old me is living the dream, watching Cars in the theater with my Lightning McQueen Crocs on and my Lightning McQueen popcorn bucket in hand.” Be watching for the next movie in the series, Cars: Lightning Racers, in 2027, as Lightning McQueen gears up for all-new adventures in Radiator Springs alongside his friend Mater and new friends. NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

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A GOOD WORD

Making the Miles Matter by Greg Wheat

“Are we there yet?”

meant to return, or a coworker whose “I’m fine” didn’t sound fine. I’ve missed moments like those. I suspect most of us have.

I couldn’t tell you how many times I heard that question from the back seat when Janell and I drove our kids to see family. We could still have hours ahead of us, and somebody wanted to know if we were close. Honestly, sometimes I wanted to ask it, too.

On March 25, 2025, I was skiing on a mountain in Utah when my heart stopped. For twenty minutes, people fought to bring me back. My family was there, facing the possibility that I might never make it home. By the hand of God, I did.

I didn’t realize how often I was asking the same question about my life.

Coming home meant hearing Janell’s voice again. It meant more time with my kids and grandkids—more ordinary days together that I came close to missing. That day didn’t make me a man who never rushes or misses a moment. I still catch myself thinking about tomorrow while I’m living today. But sometimes I stop and ask myself a different question: If I knew how precious this day was, would I be so eager to get past it?

Is it Friday yet? Are the bills paid yet? Have we finally made it to the part where we can slow down and enjoy what we worked so hard for? Then Friday comes, and before we know it, we’re already thinking about Monday. We got where we wanted to go, but how much of it did we actually enjoy? There’s always another place to get to. Another thing to finish. And if we’re not careful, we start treating the miles between here and there as something we just have to get through. When our kids were young, we made plenty of trips to see family. We’d load up the car with everything we thought we might need, get everybody settled, and start counting the hours until we arrived. There were times they’d be laughing in the back seat, and times they’d be telling on each other. Eventually the car would get quiet, and I’d look back to see them asleep. Back then, I was counting the miles left. Now I wish I’d enjoyed those miles more as they passed by. I can’t get those miles back. The kids grew up while we were busy doing all the things parents do. I’m proud of the lives they’re living. Still, there are ordinary moments I would gladly sit through again, even the ones that felt long at the time. Maybe you know the feeling. You’re trying to finish the chores, and your child starts telling you a story. You’re listening just enough to answer, but your mind is already on the next thing. Years later, you’d gladly leave those chores unfinished to hear that little voice again. Or maybe it’s a friend whose call you

November brings people to the table, but it also makes us notice who isn’t there. You can be glad to hear the voices around you and still miss one familiar voice across the table. There’s room for both. And if this year looks different from the one you hoped for, that doesn’t mean there can’t be a good moment somewhere in it. Maybe this Thanksgiving we can give each other a little more of our time. Stay with a conversation instead of rushing to the next thing. Make room for the person having a hard season. Tell the story about someone you miss—the one that still makes everyone smile. And if the holidays take you down a long road, look at who is sharing the ride with you before another hour slips by. Some roads take us someplace new. Others take us back to the people and places that made us who we are. Wherever this season takes you, don’t get so caught up in where you’re going that you miss what’s happening on the road that takes you there. One day, you may wish for one more mile with the people beside you now. Make the miles matter. NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

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SPOTLIGHT

Raynie Ketcher

An Amazine Young Bartlesville Gymnast by Kay Little, Little History Adventures has the work ethic that makes the difference. She is special and has always been a joy to coach. She’s the whole package; a winning combination of talent, perseverance and drive.”

Several months ago, my friend, Brenda Koons, told me about a young gymnast here in Bartlesville named Raynie Ketcher. Raynie is only fourteen years old but has accomplished much with her exceptional gymnastics career. In 2019, she was all-around state champion. In 2022, she qualified into the highest level 9 competition in the country, level 9 westerns and placed 4th in the all-around. She qualified into the level 10 competition in the country, level 10 in Nationals in 2023. After an injury in 2024, she came back stronger in 2025, as she qualified into the prestigious Nastia Cup. She won the allaround regionals and qualified into level 10 Nationals, placing 4th. This placed her on the National team. She also won the prestigious Shannon Miller award, which is the highest award given to an Oklahoma Gymnast Executive. Fast forward to 2026, she is an allaround State Champion, 2nd time Nastia Cup qualifier, where she placed 6th. And now, she also won 2nd place all-around, at the Level 10 Developmental National Championships in Oklahoma City in May. This earned her an automatic spot on the Women’s Development Program National Team. This is the former Junior Olympic National Team. Raynie placed in the top 20 across all 4 events! Not only did she win a silver medal, but she also led the Region 3 squad to a gold medal. For an athlete to get to this level takes a village. According to one of her former coaches, Lorrie Bertolet, “Raynie

I must admit I was skeptical that such a young girl could be so awesome, so I asked my future granddaughterin-law, Isa Highfield, who previously was an accomplished gymnast at the Bartlesville Gymnastics Club. Isa agreed that Raynie is very special and a sweet girl. Raynie is coached at this time by her mother, Rachel Coyle. I love this quote I received from her. “Watching Raynie grow in this sport has been such a blessing and quite honestly amazing to watch. Being able to share this love of gymnastics together makes it even more special. I am so proud of her strength, her work ethic, and the heart she brings every single day. She is such an inspiration to many and it shows every time she steps into the gym and at any competition. She everyone’s biggest cheerleader and that’s the part that makes my heart fill with pride.” Raynie’s training began when she was 8 months old, attending “mommy and me classes” with her mom at the Bartlesville Gymnastics Club. Even though Raynie is only 14, college recruiters are coming to watch her. Brenda also told me that not only is Raynie very sweet, she is a Native American and somewhat handicapped because one leg is longer than the other. Wow! Raynie Ketcher is definitely amazing! NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK

by Jay Webster Did we make it? Has some version of fall actually arrived? I know I’m not alone in this, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve loved fall. And I think fall loves me back. Part of what makes this season so special is its transience. And so many things are happening at once. You get the sweet melancholy of nature’s last exhale before winter’s long nap, paired with the expectation of winter and the holidays arriving with arms full and stories to tell. Our families and friends are drawn into the smaller interior spaces of our homes. There is this sort of death of summer, yet it arrives with such brilliance you can’t help but celebrate. Everything 52

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becomes more piercing. Music is more poignant in the fall. Time feels more fleeting. Sunlight is more temporal. The chill both excites and lulls you. How many romances have begun in the intoxication of autumn? And so here we are, in a season that beckons us to breathe deeply. To close your eyes and stand still as the chill presses gently against your face. Smell the Earth changing. Listen to your body’s knowing. What is your heart saying to you in this season? At the risk of being too poetic (Morris McCorvey would side-eye me for even suggesting such a thing) I have been caught up in the image of my friends and the foliage around me this season.

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK In my life, I have had friends who were annuals - bright, brilliant flowers here only for a season. The fact that their impact or influence was only temporary doesn’t diminish how much they’ve meant to me or how much they’ve added to my life. Some voices and help are meant for a specific space, to carry you through, heal you, or encourage you, but taking them into the next season simply wouldn’t work. The education of Driver’s Ed is invaluable, but after you’ve been driving for five years, you don’t keep showing up to class. The class has done its job. You’re grateful. And you move forward with all that relationship has given you. Other relationships are perennial. Year after year, in season, they show up and add to your life. They may not be as flashy as annuals, but their consistency is no less magnificent. Their continuity is part of their beauty. You can look forward to their blooms, their humor or insight, and their fidelity for years. Then there are those evergreens - people so deeply rooted in our lives that it’s hard to imagine life without them. They offer us shade from the sun’s heat and shelter from harsh winds. They add color, even in the pale winter. They grow deeper and stronger with age. What’s amazing is that, regardless of the varietal of friendship, every one of them has produced oxygen and joy and fragrance and poetry in their season. In unrelated news, November also marks the successful conclusion of our first season in high school Marching Band. I use our rather intentionally here. Our daughter is in Marching Band, which means my wife and I are in Marching Band. It’s been quite a ride. She plays marimba, which (for those who don’t know) sort of looks like a giant xylophone on wheels. If, like me, you’re trying to imagine her marching with such an instrument, maybe playing notes then pushing the marimba… playing notes then pushing the marimba…you should know she’s part of what they call the Front Ensemble. This is a group of about a dozen kids playing keyboards, xylophones, vibraphones, drums, and…marimbas…facing the home stands in front of the band…marching…behind them. A lot has changed since I ignored the band in high school. Today, there’s choreography, large-scale props, and unifying themes, often with original scores composed by our very own directors, who have been celebrated for their extraordinary skills. What has not really changed is the wardrobe. This is where my father-in-law might say, “We can put a man on the moon, but can we design band uniforms that don’t emotionally scar children?” We were recently at a band contest… (That’s another new thing… When the kids aren’t playing at home football

games, they are traveling the state, competing in highstakes band competitions. Think of West Side Story, but with tubas and piccolos.) Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. So we journeyed as chaperones to one of the band contests. A smaller school took the field in brilliant white uniforms trimmed with gold embroidery in a military pattern that looked like a bleached version of Sergeant Pepper’s. They were so regal in appearance. Upon taking the field, the brass section lifted their instruments to their lips, elbows high with precision, and their pressed jackets lifted with them. What was left was the soft underbelly of 117 adolescents wrapped in white spandex and ski bibs. Standing at attention, they pulled at the very limits of their uniforms, which appeared completely unprepared for movement. An odd choice for a “marching” band. Do you know how hard it is to appear confident when you’ve pulled your entire wardrobe up six inches above your midsection, leaving nothing below to the imagination? To their credit, the students focused their full attention on the show, which they performed in an award-winning fashion. But when the sprinklers fired up on the practice field next door, I do believe the all-white uniforms began to push the tempo a little. Better safe than sorry. Here’s the thing, though. I’ve watched these “band” kids and the way they conduct their business. I’ve seen their confidence. The want in their eyes. The older generation believes this world is going to hell in a handbasket (thanks in large part to the decisions we’ve all made). But in their eyes, you can see that they see a world wide open in front of them. They want to see their hopes and dreams play out. They want their chance. That’s remarkable. The canary still sings in the coal mine! (or plays marimba…) Friends, I do hope this season finds you well. Here we are in a month filled with paradox. Something is ending while something else is beginning. The world will be filled with color, but it will be fleeting. We will gather around a Thanksgiving table together, even as we leave the voting booths alone. We will turn to the comfort of holiday traditions in the face of so much uncertainty. We will worry about the future of our union and AI, while this next generation just wants their “at bat.” This season calls us to hope. Where will you find hope in these days? Maybe in the foliage of friendships and family in your life. Maybe in the small things we can do and the opportunities that present themselves each day. Maybe in the belief that even now, there is so much good to be done out there. So, let’s go do it. Much love, friends. NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

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bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

MILESTONES

An Oklahoma Centenarian Bartlesville’s Betty Jane LaMarcus Kelton by Debbie Neece

In 1926, Calvin Coolidge was president; America celebrated the 150th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence; Route 66 began from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California; Oklahoma’s Greater Seminole Oil Field was discovered triggering a massive oil boom; and Betty Jane LaMascus Kelton was born on February 7 at Muskogee, Oklahoma. By 1935, Oklahoma felt the pressures of the Great Depression, the stock market crash, bank failures and a decade-long drought that led to the stripping of Oklahoma’s top soil. The Dust Bowl forced many Okie settlers to pull up stakes and travel Route 66, headed for the golden state of California. In the spring of 1935, the Kelton family had scraped together enough money to purchase a pick-up truck and they followed the masses to California in search of work. Betty was just 9 years old and recalls, “My uncles rode in the truck cab, while the rest of us sat on benches in the back. We could not afford lodging so we slept in the bed of the truck. I had never traveled out of Oklahoma, the scenery looked greener as everything in Oklahoma had burned up and turned brown.” The trek to California was riddled with complications. Route 66 was in its infancy and roads were rough leading to tire replacements that cost $8.00 each. In Arizonia, Betty saw her first cactus and her uncles found $5 per-day work so they could continue their travels. They settled nearly 100 miles south of Route 66 at Blythe, California, where Betty attended school. After three years, the family returned to Oklahoma where she attended Tahlequah’s

Bagley High School and Northeastern State College.

union, Steve and Joe Kelton.

During high school, Betty met Wayne Kelton; however, WWII took him to Germany for three years. During that time, he became a decorated veteran for his service during the D-Day landing and the Battle of the Bulge with General George Patton’s 3rd Army. In 1945, much to Betty’s surprise, Wayne arrived home on Christmas Eve and the two were then married March 23, 1946. Two sons joined their

Wayne and Betty moved to Muskogee where Betty Kelton worked as a secretary in the nine-story Barnes Building. Wayne worked as a registered pharmacist for 51 years; employed at Muskogee’s Purity Drug Store at 24th and Okmulgee, and Lakeland Drug Store in the Lakeland Shopping Center. In the December 1957 issue of “American Druggist,” Wayne Kelton was the assistant-manager of the Lakeland Drug Store with his photo on the cover. The article, “Pharmacy on a Pedestal,” detailed the growing drug store trends. Wayne Kelton died in 1998 at 75 years and received military honors by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 474 as he was laid to rest in the Greenhill Cemetery at Muskogee. Betty moved to Bartlesville late 2024 to enjoy her son’s families; four grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Now, 100 years later, we are celebrating America 250, Route 66’s centennial of transportation and Betty Jane Kelton became a Golden Okie when she was inducted into the Centenarians of Oklahoma. Happy Birthday, Betty!!! NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

Green Country Pet Cremation Service offers private pet cremation with timely return of ashes in your choice of a decorative wooden urn with an engraved nameplate. If no return of ashes is requested, the ashes will be gently scattered on a beautiful pastoral/garden property. We are located in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and gratefully serve pet owners from a wide area surrounding Bartlesville, Dewey, and Northeast Oklahoma. For our fee schedule, please feel free to call us at any time.

918-766-3812 GCPetCremation@aol.com

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

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Painted Horse Bar & Grill, together Painted & Grill, together with WolfHorse CreekBar Ranch owners, Mark with Wolf Creek Ranch owners, Mark and Kelly Spencer, are proud to offer and Spencer, proud to off offer ourKelly locally raised,are guaranteed aller our locally raised, guaranteed all natural Angus beef products. natural Angus beef products.

110 SW Frank Phillips Blvd. 110 SW Frank Phillips Blvd. 918-336-1100 918-336-1100 painted-horse.com painted-horse.com Dine In and Carry Out Available! Dine InNew anddine CarryinOut Available! hours! New dine in hours! Restaurant: Mon - Sat 11a - 9p Restaurant: Sat 11a - 9p Bar:Mon 11a -- 10p Bar: 11a - 10p

Featuring post-hospital skilled nursing and rehabilitation to help you heal, regain strength, and return home!

Newly remodeled semi-private and private rooms available, subject to availability. Bartlesville Health & Rehab Community provides a comprehensive continuum of senior healthcare services, all under one roof. Locally owned, BHRC offers 24-hour skilled nursing care along with inhouse physical, speech, and occupatonal therapy. We also provide specialized care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders within our newly remodeled, secure Memory Living Area. In addition, BHRC’s senior living apartments offer the independence of home while fostering comfort, connection, and the companionship of a supportive senior community. For more information or to schedule a tour, call (918) 333-9545. Medicare, Medicaid, private pay, and most insurance plans accepted (Determined by on level of care).

3434 Kentucky Place • 918-333-9545 • www.bartlesvillehealthandrehab.com 44

bmonthly | JANUARY 2026

NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

GIVE TODAY. CHANGE TOMORROW.

GIVING TUESDAY On December 1, 2026, join the Tri County Tech Foundation in making a meaningful difference in the lives of students this Giving Tuesday. Your generosity helps provide tuition assistance, emergency aid, and food assistance to students facing financial challenges, giving them the support they need to continue their education and pursue a brighter future.

EVERY GIFT, NO MATTER THE SIZE, MAKES A DIFFERENCE. 60

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

GIVE HERE

A LITTLE GENEROSITY. A LASTING IMPACT.

6101 Nowata Road, Bartlesville, OK 74006 | TriCountyTech.edu | 918.331.3333

B THE LIGHT

B the Light Update: Winter is Coming As the temperatures begin to drop, Keith and I find ourselves thinking about the people in our community who will soon be facing the cold without some of the basic comforts so many of us take for granted. We’ve shared before that two things can be true at the same time, and we believe this is a good time to share that message again. At B The Light Mission, our heart and our primary focus remain on helping individuals and families make lasting changes through our residential program. We believe that true transformation takes time, relationships, accountability, encouragement, and a whole lot of grace. But something we hope our community understands is that what happens at B The Light goes far beyond the people who call our mission home. Every day, we have people come through our doors needing a meal, a shower, clean clothes, a little help, or sometimes just someone to sit down and listen. These moments may not always be seen, but they are a big part of who we are and why we’re here. And then comes winter. When dangerously cold weather arrives, we have the opportunity to open our doors as a warming shelter, working alongside Washington County Emergency Management and others in our community to provide a safe place for those who need it. We can be committed to long-term change while still meeting someone’s immediate needs. Both matter. Both are part of loving and serving people well. As we prepare for the colder months ahead, we could really use our community’s help. Some of our greatest needs right now are: Men’s jeans Hoodies and sweatshirts Warm coats Individually packaged snacks

Meals, especially when our warming shelter is operatingWe are always so grateful for the individuals, families, churches, and businesses who step up to prepare and provide meals. Feeding people is something we do daily, and when our warming shelter opens, those needs grow even greater. Sometimes it’s easy to think that making a difference requires doing something big. But we’ve learned that a clean pair of jeans, a warm coat, a hot meal, or a kind conversation can mean more than we may ever know. We also want to recognize the many organizations, churches, and individuals throughout Bartlesville who have been serving those in need long before B The Light opened its doors. We are not here to replace anyone or do it all ourselves. We are simply grateful to be one more part of a community that cares. Keith and I have always believed that our goal isn’t simply to fill beds. It’s to help change lives. But we also know that sometimes, before someone is ready to change their life, they simply need someone to help them get through today. And we want to be there for those moments, too. As winter approaches, we invite you to come alongside us. Clean out a closet, pick up a few extra snacks, gather your church group to provide a meal, or simply help us spread the word. Every donation, every meal, every act of kindness makes a difference. Because being the light isn’t about one building, one program, or one organization. It’s about a community choosing to care for one another. Thank you for continuing to love and support not only B The Light, but the people we are all called to serve. With grateful hearts, Keith & Christy McPhail B The Light Mission NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

Fall in Love with Your Retirement

This season, are you ready to embrace your retirement and live your best life? Enjoy the community and friendships that only Asher Point Independent Living of Bartlesville can provide!

918.395.5878 AsherPointBartlesville.com 2633 SE Mission Dr., Bartlesville, Oklahoma 74006

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

The Naked Eye by Brent Taylor Rain dripped from the eaves of our cabin porch near Westcliffe, Colorado, as Led Zeppelin’s The Rain Song played in my earbuds. A bluebird fluttered onto the porch rail. It was sixty degrees, and the sky was electric as I gazed at the Sangre de Cristo Mountains rising like blue steel in the distance. I tuned my playlist to match the view—Vince Gill, James Taylor’s Country Road, the Allman Brothers’ Blue Sky. The mountains whispered as I wrote. My gaze wandered again to the Southern Rockies. What makes us want to climb them—to stand where the air thins and look down on the valleys where we ordinarily live and breathe? We chose a closer and safer hike. Karen and I climbed the hill beside our cabin. We dodged outcrops of granite, jackrabbit droppings, and cactus on our way to the top. Across the valley, Cottonwood Peak rose from the Sangre de Cristo range. The view from the top was breathtaking. The din of our other world—texts and emails, work and busyness—had gone silent. In its place, a zephyr moved through the aspens and pines. We stood like conquerors and slowly turned in every direction, taking in the view. Karen called my mom from the peak because it was the only place she could catch a strong cell signal. They caught up on cats, gardens, rain levels, and the everyday care of the household we had left behind in Oklahoma. We descended and drove to Royal Gorge. Standing on the suspension bridge, we looked down at what seemed like toy boats: kayakers nine hundred feet below, navigating the rapids of the Arkansas River at the bottom of the gorge. Karen and our daughter Jenna rode the zip line, reminding me of Where Eagles Dare, with Richard Burton riding atop a cable car high in the Alps. Later, driving through San Isabel National Forest, we rounded a sharp curve and Karen pointed toward a ledge above the highway.

“Bear!” We stared at a large black bear, who returned our stares before trotting away. A little farther on, we spotted another bear in a valley of spruce and meadow grass. This one was two-toned—chocolate brown with a necklace of butterscotch. It wasn’t foraging for blackberries. It was tearing meat from a fresh kill. That evening, as dusk faded to black, we looked up and found the Milky Way. Then, low in the northwestern sky, there it was: Comet NEOWISE. Astronomers tell us that it will return in approximately 6,800 years. Against that remarkable black sky, we could easily see the comet and its long tail. The ancients looked at the stars and named what they saw. Ursa Major: the Great Bear, containing the familiar stars of the Big Dipper. In 1690, the seventeenth-century astronomer Johannes Hevelius published a star atlas. Tucked into one of his celestial charts is a small cherub beside a Latin motto whose meaning is wonderfully simple: The naked eye is best. Most days we move too quickly to notice much of anything. We chase appointments, messages, errands, obligations—the small gravity of ordinary life. We look without really seeing. But on this day, we saw two bears in the Colorado wilderness, a comet crossing the night sky, and the Great Bear shining above us as it has for generations beyond counting. None of it had been arranged for us. Creation was simply going about its ancient business, whether anyone happened to be watching or not. We happened to be watching. Perhaps Hevelius was right. The naked eye is best. NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

OKLAHOMA HISTORY

Lost on Route 66 Ribbon Road by Debbie Neece

One never knows when you might stumble upon history. Steve and I attended a birthday party in Commerce, OK a few years ago. After the party, we visited the childhood home of famed Mickey Mantle. In the near proximity stood the tin garage used as a backstop for Mickey’s daily batting practice as a child. To hone Mickey’s skills as a switch-hitter, his dad pitched “righty” to him while his grandfather pitched “lefty.” Mickey has been quoted as saying he was “the only kid in town that didn’t get in trouble for breaking a window.” The home is a nondescript white house with peeling paint and period furniture behind lace curtains. The plaque on the front told the story of the “Boyhood Home of Mickey Mantle.” Afterwards, following the direction of locals, we started down the highway and found ourselves in a farming community, on a terrible wash-boarded dirt road. Several times we thought about turning around; but the consensus was to continue. Several miles behind us was a van so there was safety in numbers if we were going to get lost. Soon the road showed signs of old asphalt pavement with what appeared to be highway striping. But the road before us was way too narrow to allow two cars to travel sideby-side. Then, there it was! In the middle of this narrow asphalt path was a Route 66 symbol stamped onto the road. Steve stopped and backed up to allow me to take photos before we continued in amazement. Then, we came to a road crossing with a stop sign and a

marker…“Historical Route 66 Sidewalk Highway – Completed in 1922 as Federal Highway Project No. 8. Running 15.46 miles from Miami to Afton. The only remaining 9’ section of original pavement on the old Route 66 system, taken out of service in 1937. A National Register of Historic Places Site”…the Ribbon Road! A few moments later the van that had been following us stopped. They were visiting the United States from the UK with the mission of traveling the length of the famed Route 66. Their trek was in the fifth day and they were thrilled to have someone take their photo with the marker. It’s not every day you get lost on an Oklahoma highway, find a piece of history… and share it with new friends from across the “pond.” Route 66, as we see it now, is not the original Highway 66, which meandered through the heart of America. The original path was much like Highway 60, two-lane, entering towns that profited from tourists who stopped for food, gas and to see the sights. The Federal Highway Act of 1956 changed all of that, offering 4 lane travel with increased speeds, often creating ghost towns from once thriving towns. Also virtually eliminated the original Mother Road except for a few short sections. Highway 66 was removed/ decommissioned from the US Highway system in 1985. And assigned a ROUTE designation. Essentially, what is left of the original Highway 66 is classified as a scenic byway and historic route...still attracting tourists, who might find themselves lost on the Route 66 Ribbon Road. NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

Join us at our upcoming events TUBA CHRISTMAS: december 13 th | 3:00-4:00 pm Join us again as we host Tuba Christmas on the lawn! (FREE ADMISSION) Performers will be playing a variety of holiday favorites. Bring a coat and a lawn chair and help us ring in the holidays!

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE: december 15 th & 17 th | 6:00-9:00 pm Join us for a special evening walkthrough at the Frank Phillips Home! View the home at night fully decorated for the holidays. Last tour starts at 8 pm! Admission is $5 per person. Kids under 12 years get free admission.

Closed December 20th through the end of the year. Closed during January and February except by reservation or appointment only. 1107 Cherokee Ave, Bartlesville, OK 74003 | Wednesday - Saturday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm 66

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026

NOVEMBER 27 - 29 | 2 - 9 PM $15 FOR AGES 13 & UP | $5 FOR AGES 12 & UNDER

All the fun of Woolaroc’s Wonderland of Lights + OKM Music’s Christkindl Market!

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT • CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES HANDCRAFTED GOODS • TRADITIONAL GERMAN FOODS

Wonderland of Lights

DECEMBER 4 - 20 | FRIDAY - SUNDAY | 5 - 9 PM $9 FOR AGES 13 & UP | $2 FOR AGES 12 & UNDER

750,000 LIGHTS • WAGON RIDES • SANTA COOKIES & COCOA IN THE LODGE • ALL FACILITIES OPEN HOLIDAY HORSEMAN • & MORE!

1925 Woolaroc Ranch Rd Bartlesville, OK | woolaroc.org

NOVEMBER 2026 | bmonthly

SPECIAL DELIVERY FROM TRUITY + GREENLIGHT

Give a gift that

grows with them. Greenlight Select is FREE* for Truity members!

NEW for members! Save $5.99/month* on Greenlight Family Shield Select or Infinity Select.

TruityCU.org/ Greenlight

*Truity Credit Union members are eligible for the Greenlight SELECT plan at no cost when they connect their Truity Credit Union account as the Greenlight funding source for the entirety of the promotion. Subject to minimum balance requirements and identity verification. Upgrades will result in additional fees. Upon termination of the promotion, account holders will be responsible for associated monthly fees. Account holders may also choose to upgrade to one of Greenlight’s Partner premium plans: Infinity Select or Family Shield Select. Truity members will receive a $5.99 monthly discount on either plan when they connect an eligible account as their Greenlight funding source. See terms for details. Offer ends 01.28.2029. Offer, pricing, and Truity’s participation subject to change.

bmonthly | NOVEMBER 2026