upfront
Welcome to December friends and the last month of 2024. What a year we have had for the magazine and B the Light Mission! These last two months of the year are Christy and my favorite months. The holidays are a magical time where we get to have all of our kids and our 5 grandbabies together.
This month’s feature story written by Lori Just is a continuation of the story of the churches in our great city. I love doing this feature story and learning about the history of our churches here. There are a few churches that are over a 100 years old which are still standing today. One thing I have noticed by being the greeter at our church - First Wesleyan - is most churches in the area are growing and flourishing.
Also in this month’s issue, Debbie Neece wrote a 4-page spotlight on some of our local Santas, the impact they have in our community, and the joy they bring to so many children. Writing about all these Santas brings me to the last part of my Upfront and the impact one person (Santa) made not only on Christy and I but thousands of kids in northeast Oklahoma.
If you picked up a December Bartlesville Monthly issue beginning in 2011, you would see Santa on the cover. You know who I’m talking about…Ron Adams. The first issue we worked with Ron was in 2017 - the first year we started with bmonthly. When I create a cover for the magazine I want it to be so magical that people have to pick it up. We invited Ron to our
house and had three of our neighbor kids (Blakemore kids) come over. We had two of the kids pretend to sleep. Then the oldest one sees Santa with shock on his face when he sees Santa behind the chair with his finger up to his mouth to be quiet. It was one of the best covers and still is one of my favorites. Every October I would call Ron and ask “are you ready, friend, for the big shoot?” He would laugh and say “yes I am, old friend.”
We went to Woolaroc, the Frank Phillips Home, Kiddie Park, and so many other locations for the one cover that everyone had to have on their coffee table. We lost an icon, a friend, a husband, a father, and the light that he brought to so many kids. Earlier this year after he told me that he had stage 4 liver cancer, I started to plan this year’s photo shoot. I thought this year may be his last shoot.
As we got closer to the date for the picture, he was admitted into the Journey Home. I’m going to share with you what the picture was going to be for this year’s issue. I had a friend who was starting to set up her fireplace for Christmas. I was going to have Ron in his big chair in front of the fireplace with his coat off, his empty sack of gifts and his boots kicked off with a few holes in his socks. He would be kicked back resting after a long night of delivering gifts. I just wish we had a little more time to take that picture, but I do know this…Ron is in Heaven today with so many children on his lap. God got the best Santa ever. God bless and Merry Christmas…Keith
Volume XV Issue XII
Bartlesville Monthly Magazine is published by ENGEL PUBLISHING New 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
Dwayne Engel Calendar/Social Media calendar@bartlesvillemonthly.com
Contributing Writers
Debbie Neece, Kay Little, Kelly Hurd Aarron Kirkpatrick, Jay Hastings, Jason Fullerton Brent Taylor, Keith McPhail, Jay Webster Abigail Singrey. Mike Tupa, Lori Just, Miriam Walker Joe Todd
Contributing Photographers
Bartlesville Area History Museum, Tony Lehmer Chance Franks, Tony Lehmer, Debbie Neece
Kids Calendar
Jessica Smith
ABOUT THE COVER
A look back at Bartlesville’s beloved Santa, Ron Adams.
Creative concept by Keith and Christy McPhail
Design by Engel Publishing
Managing Editors Keith and Christy McPhail with Ron Adams (Santa Claus)
Tommy DeSalme
Decades Later, a State Championship Player is Back...
As the Coach
by Abigail Singrey
Few names loom larger in Bruin basketball history than Tommy DeSalme. Now, he’s taken on the position as Bartlesville High School boys basketball coach, coming home to the program that shaped him.
“When you’re a Bartlesville Bruin, you’re a Bartlesville Bruin,” DeSalme said. “There was always something that kept pulling me back, but it wouldn’t be the right time. Then, when I got this phone call . . . I have such a love of this town. I didn’t want to look back in five years and think: I should have done that.”
DeSalme first fell in love with basketball at the Bartlesville Boys & Girls Club, spending most afternoons playing there with his friends. Then, when his older sister became a Bruin cheerleader, his family began attending every game. DeSalme would sit behind the bench, dreaming of the day that he could play for Coach Steve Hesser, who went on to be inducted into the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
“He made me want to give my best effort at everything,” DeSalme said. “He made me want to run through a wall for him.”
DeSalme made his varsity debut as a sophomore in 1989, thanks to his uncanny ability to sink free throws under pressure. His playing time steadily increased as his skills developed, and by March of that year, he was contributing to the team’s success,
including scoring in the 5A State Championship game, where Bartlesville clinched the title with a win over Westmoore.
By the 1990 season, DeSalme and fellow junior guard Mike Ellison had become the team’s leaders, aiming for another championship run. Their hopes were high, but heartbreak struck during the Elite Eight. In a nail-biting qualifier against Jenks, Ellison set up DeSalme for a game-winning layup with a perfect pass. However, the ball slipped from DeSalme’s grasp, and Jenks edged out Bartlesville 54-53 to advance. The Bruins’ dream of back-to-back titles ended there.
“I was crying (in the locker room), and I remember Coach Hesser said to me, ‘This hurt is what’s going to be what drives you to get back here next year.’”
The motivation worked. Despite being ranked dead last in preseason, the Bartlesville Bruins only lost two games that season, both in double overtime. The team punched their ticket to the Class 5A State Basketball championship, winning 59-47 over defending champion Norman. DeSalme contributed six points to the title-clinching effort, capping off an unforgettable season for the Bruins.
“That night is what led us to be the team that this town thinks about the most because . . . the personality of that team matched the personality of Bartlesville: hardworking, tough, not scared to
be in a fight, maybe the underdog. And we kept fighting to win that state championship that year,” DeSalme said.
Although DeSalme received multiple baseball scholarship offers, he believed basketball was where he truly belonged. Taking a leap of faith, he walked on at Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SE) in Durant without any guarantees. As fate would have it, Coach Tony Robinson—later inducted into the OBCA Hall of Fame—had coached the Norman team that lost to the Bruins in the 1991 state championship game and decided to give DeSalme a chance. By his second semester, DeSalme earned a basketball scholarship and went on to play all four years. Upon graduating, his dedication and talent earned him an immediate spot as assistant coach.
City, Kansas.
At Cowley College, DeSalme continued his legacy of turning basketball programs around. DeSalme made the 2020-2021 season unforgettable for the Tiger basketball team. Breaking a 64-year drought, he led the Tigers to their first Region VI title since 1957 and secured back-to-back conference championships for Cowley. Under his leadership, the team powered through to the national title game, finishing as national runner-up with an impressive 24-5 record. Not one to rest on his laurels for long, though, DeSalme soon began looking for his next challenge.
After six years at SE, though, he was ready to spread his wings and try a head coaching role. He landed at Sterling College in Kansas, where he turned around a program that had ranked at the bottom for several years. He led the Warriors to NAIA Division II postseason tournaments in 2004 and 2006.
Then, in 2006, he moved on to Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas, where he replaced revered head coach Jerry Jones who retired after 17 seasons. There, DeSalme earned a reputation for calling out players who he didn’t think wanted it enough.
After one game, he told the Kansas Wesleyan University alumni magazine, “I was so angry at them for being just kind of ho-hum about how good they can be, and I kept challenging them.”
The motivation paid off, as the team ended the season ranked sixth in the nation and a trip to the NAIA tournament. Afterwards, DeSalme spent two years with Independence Community College, before moving on to Cowley College in Arkansas
He saw the opportunity to move to Hutchinson Community College, which he considered the premiere junior college coaching job. Over his three years there, the Dragons achieved a 75-27 record. He wasn’t sure he was ready to move on when Bartlesville High School called; however, while college coaching had been good to him, DeSalme had one dream unfulfilled.
“I had always wanted to be a high school coach like (Steve Hesser),” DeSalme said.
Eventually, DeSalme accepted the BHS coaching position and is now in the middle of his first season. While most of his life has been dedicated to basketball, the move back to Bartlesville brings him closer to his parents and life-long friends. He’s able to live in the country and enjoy his hobbies of golf and fishing.
“I’m a pretty simple guy,” DeSalme said.
Along with that, he has a new challenge: building up the Bruins basketball program. He’s taken lessons from his years under Hesser, as well as his years coaching college ball, though he appreciates the differences. He’s no longer recruiting his team, he’s helping build basketball fundamentals in local youth so they can succeed—both on court and off.
“We hope to be the fastest playing team in the state, both offensively and defensively,” DeSalme said. “I haven’t talked one time to a kid on my team or anybody in town about winning games. We just talk about how hard we have to play to make our town proud.”
DeSalme learned an aggressive method of play from Hesson — where you outwork the other team to make up for any disadvantages. Now, he’s bringing that philosophy of working the hardest and wanting it the most to Bartlesville’s basketball program.
“The important thing to remember going forward is this isn’t a magic fix (for the program), but seeing, can we get that incredible town support back? . . . I think if you build it, they will come. And that’s what this town is known for.”
More than a Place of Worship
by Lori Just
Long before Bartlesville was established, Christianity had already made its way to Indian Territory. Missionaries and traveling preachers journeyed through the area, sharing the Gospel. As settlers began to arrive in Bartlesville, new churches were formed to meet the growing needs of the community. This period of rapid growth saw not only an expanding population but also a deepening faith among the residents of Bartlesville.
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH
In the last century, the history of churches in Bartlesville has been marked by growth and transformation. Many of these congregations began humbly with small groups of believers meeting in homes or makeshift spaces to worship and study the Bible. As the city expanded, these informal gatherings evolved into organized churches, each contributing to the cultural and social landscape of the city fostering outreach, service and connection to the wider world.
Adams Blvd Church of Christ
The roots of the Church of Christ in Bartlesville trace back over 100 years to a humble beginning in the home of Barnabus B. and Lora L. Young in April of 1916. The Youngs were the first to gather in what would become the foundation of a growing congregation. In those early days, the group met in the Young family’s home and soon after, four other families joined them in worship. The congregation relocated to the vacant Red Front grocery store at Third and Inola Streets, where they began to take turns reading scripture, giving short talks, leading songs and sharing communion. It was a simple setup, but it was full of faith and heart.
By 1922, the congregation had grown enough to purchase land and build a new church at Santa Fe and Cudahy Streets. This marked a milestone in the church’s history, and it was only a few years later in 1926 that the church hired its first “located” preacher, Will W. Slater, to lead the growing community. Over the next decade, the congregation would continue to grow, eventually moving to a two-story building at Sixth and Dewey in 1939.
The church’s need for more space was evident as membership continued to increase. In the mid-1970s, a building committee was formed and a new location was found at the intersection of Adams Boulevard and Highway 75. With the vision of architect Derry Ebert and the hard work of general contractor G.B. Williams, construction of the new building began in 1977.
The congregation moved into their new home in 1978. The church was renamed the Woodland Church of Christ, reflecting the new chapter in its story. With a modern building that included a full-size gymnasium and new classrooms.
As the years went on, the church continued to adapt to the needs of its members. In 1988, the Woodland Church of Christ and the Limestone Church merged, forming the Adams Boulevard Church of Christ. The expanded congregation’s needs continued to grow, and in 1998, a new 11-room education wing was added. This expansion not only provided more space for Bible studies but also made room for the creation of the Sonshine School, a preschool and parent’s day out program. In 2003, the church broke ground on the Family Life Center, a multi-purpose facility that included a gymnasium, classrooms, a commercial kitchen and a conference room. This new space, dedicated in 2005, became a hub for community activities, bringing the church’s mission of fellowship and service to life in exciting new ways.
Bartlesville Southern Baptist
In January of 1977, Dalton Young, the former pastor of Highland Park Baptist Church, founded Bartlesville Southern Baptist Church (BSBC) with 158 members. The congregation initially met at Rogers Electric on Highway 75 before joining the
Washington-Osage Baptist Association.
By August 1977, the church had outgrown its first location and moved to Tri-County Tech, where it remained until July 1979. That year, BSBC took a major step forward, purchasing five acres on Nowata Road and breaking ground on a new 12,500 square foot building at 5111 Nowata Road. Over the years, BSBC has been guided by five pastors: Dalton Young, Jarry Francisco, Sam Porter, Paul Rummage and the current pastor, Dany Daniel. Each of these leaders has helped shape the church’s mission and growth, which continues to thrive today.
BSBC is more than just a church building—it’s a community that actively serves both locally and globally. The congregation contributes a percentage of its income to support local needs, as well as mission efforts around the world. Guided by the scripture from Acts 1:8, the church believes in being “on mission with God—here, there and everywhere.”
The church is deeply committed to longterm partnerships, both nationally and internationally, aimed at planting churches in places where the need for the Gospel is greatest. But the mission doesn’t stop there—BSBC also engages in human
needs ministry and community development, using every opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel while meeting tangible needs in the community.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Morman)
The story of the Bartlesville Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints began in much the same way the church itself did - humble and small - in 1924 with a Sunday School of just five members meeting in Clarence A. Levingston’s home. When the group outgrew the space, they moved to Carpenter’s Hall. By 1936, the Bartlesville Branch was officially formed, meeting in Branch President Samuel G. Goodwin’s home.
Leadership shifted over the years with Robert H. Foster taking over as Branch President in 1938. Under his leadership, the Branch met in various locations, including above downtown retail stores like Anthony’s and Carpenter’s Hall. By 1945, as the Branch grew, they started raising money for a church building, holding ice cream socials and pie suppers to fund it - a modest $200 were raised to build a church of their own.
In 1950, Robert N. Sears became Branch President, and plans for a new church
BARTLESVILLE SOUTHERN BAPTIST
BARTLESVILLE SOUTHERN BAPTIST
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
building moved forward. The congregation even pitched in to build it, meeting temporarily at the Neekamp Funeral Chapel then the basement of the Phillips Apartment Hotel while construction took place. In October 1953, they held their first meeting in the new chapel on East Frank Phillips Blvd celebrating the 86th birthday of “Grandma” Lauretta J. Cole, with benches made from building blocks and boards. The first regular Sunday services took place on Mother’s Day the following year, and the church was officially dedicated on October 10, 1954.
As the Ward continued to grow, they expanded the building in the early 1960s. In 1976, realizing they had outgrown the space again, they purchased new property on Swan Drive and began construction on a larger building. By September 1977, they moved into the new building. The final significant milestone came in 1978 when the Bartlesville Ward was divided into two wards— Bartlesville First and Bartlesville Second now known as Silver Lake Ward and the Bison Trail Ward.
City Church
City Church of Bartlesville traces its roots back to 2004 when Mark and Linda Turner arrived as interim pastors to Vine Life Church on Swan Drive. Drawn to the town and its people, they accepted God’s call to plant themselves in Bartlesville. Over the next decade, the church, which changed their name to Life Church, experienced significant growth, expanding to 750 members and necessitating a move to a larger facility on Rice Creek Road in 2014. Upon their move, the name was changed to City Church to reflect their heart for the city and soon after Scott and Mary Turner transitioned into the role of co-lead pastors and the church has continued to flourish.
They launched a Pawhuska Campus on November 1, 2020 with Jamie and Ashley Kelly serving as campus pastors. This summer, City Church celebrated 10 years in their Rice Creek facility and opened a new non-profit on the west side of Bartlesville called City Compassion to help the community through a clientchoice model of
food distribution. Today, under the leadership of the dynamic and dedicated City Church staff, the church continues to grow and thrive.
City Church’s mission is to help people far from God find and follow Jesus. They strive to create a welcoming environment where individuals can connect with God and one another. The church offers relevant teaching, heartfelt worship and compassionate care for those in need. Their goal is to foster a contagious Christianity that positively impacts the entire community.
In addition to weekly worship services, City Church provides a variety of programs for all ages, including children’s ministry, youth group, young adult ministry and adult Bible studies. They also actively engage in community outreach and service initiatives.
The church’s vision for the future includes the addition of a Next Gen building, which will provide expanded space for youth and young adult ministries. This investment reflects City Church’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of believers and equipping them to make a difference in the world.
East Cross United Methodist
In 1942, during the chaos of World War II, a group of women from the Limestone community came together to sew for the Red Cross. As they worked, they chatted about the need for a community Sunday School. At that time, the area east of the Caney River was mostly rural, with a few scattered homes and developments. Roads were mostly gravel, including Highway 75, and gasoline rationing made travel difficult. As a result, many children couldn’t get to Sunday School, and the women felt something needed to be done.
This conversation sparked an idea that continued to grow after the meeting broke up. Mrs. Clarence Adams and Mrs. Glen Webster took the idea to their pastor, Rev. W.L. Broome, at the Bartlesville First Methodist Church. They asked for his help, and he supported them right away. The first challenge was finding leadership, so they reached out to a long-time resident and a dedicated Christian worker at the First Presbyterian Church with a love for children, Mr. R.W. Uhl. After some prayer, he agreed to become the superintendent of what would soon become a community Sunday School.
On December 27, 1942, the Limestone Sunday School officially began in the Limestone School building with 60 people enrolled. The Sunday
School was non-denominational, welcoming families from many different backgrounds. By 1945, efforts were underway to build a church, but funding was a challenge. After approaching several denominations, the Sunday School voted to accept support from the Methodist Church in 1949. They also voted by just one vote to become a Methodist congregation rather than Presbyterian. On January 1, 1950, the Limestone Methodist Church was officially organized with 38 charter members.
It wasn’t until June 1952 that the church was assigned its first pastor, Rev. Jack Jordan. In the meantime, Mr. Uhl had purchased a 330x250-foot lot of land for $200 just south of the Limestone School. This land would become the site for the church’s future building. Services were initially held at a local drive-in theater, with Rev. Jordan speaking through the drive-in’s microphone system. As the weather turned colder, services were held in Mr. Uhl’s home until the new building was ready. Several members remember baptisms in their kitchen.
By 1953, construction on the first part of the church building began with a combination sanctuary and fellowship hall. By July, the church’s new home was ready, and the Limestone Sunday School held its final meeting in the school building.
As the congregation grew, it became clear that the original church building was no longer big enough. In 1957, plans were made to relocate to a new site on Madison Boulevard in Bartlesville. In 1960, the first services were held in the new building, and the church was officially named East Cross Methodist Church symbolizing the church’s shape and its mission to serve the community east of the Caney River.
East Cross Methodist Church expanded its facilities several times, including the addition of a new sanctuary, education wing and Christian Life Center. Ministries like the Woman’s Society of Christian Service, Methodist Youth Fellowship and Methodist Men’s Club became integral parts of the church, along with support for local organizations like Concern and Mutual Girls Club.
CROSS METHODIST CHURCH
In 1968, the church became East Cross United Methodist Church after the Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church. Over the years, the church’s building continued to evolve, with the final leg of the cross—the Christian Life Center—completed in 1997.
First Wesleyan Church
A flat tire in Bartlesville led Rev. C.B. Colaw and other church leaders to bring both a college and a local church to the city. As District Superintendent for the Pilgrim Holiness Church, Rev. Colaw oversaw relocating a Bible college from Colorado Springs. The college was looking to relocate, and as luck would have it, is when the flat tire happened. While waiting for his tire to be fixed, he discovered the vacant Central Christian College campus. This serendipitous moment sparked the move to Bartlesville, and Rev. Colaw, who was also a board member of the college, decided
EAST
to make the move himself and eventually start a new Pilgrim Holiness Church in town.
In September 1959, a small group gathered for the church’s first service in a wood-frame building on the new campus, marking the birth of First Pilgrim Church. By November, the church was officially organized. Over the next few years, the congregation grew, with more local families attending, often invited by college students. In the early ‘60s, the church purchased land on Washington Boulevard, but outgrew the space quickly.
In 1966, the Pilgrim Holiness Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church merged. By 1968, the church officially became First Wesleyan Church. In the early ‘70s, the church grew further
CENTRAL PILGRIM COLLEGE IN 1959
with the arrival of Miltonvale Wesleyan College. With expanding numbers by not just college students, but many new members from the community, church leaders launched a building fund and in 1973, purchased property on Silver Lake Road. The church welcomed a new pastor, Rev. Franklin Hauser, and in 1974, a parsonage was built next to the new property.
Groundbreaking for the new church took place on May 11, 1975, and construction began soon after. The church expanded its original ten-acre site to 40 acres, and the new building— complete with a stone exterior—was dedicated on September 5, 1976. The church’s new address was even chosen to honor the country’s bicentennial, with the address set at 1776 Silver Lake Road.
Pastor Hauser shared a visionary sermon on that dedication day, outlining plans, including the creation of Wesleyan Christian School, which opened in 1977, and Kiddie College, a Christian daycare. Over the next few years, the church expanded its educational facilities with the addition of the Christian Education building in 1980 and a larger complex in 1984.
The church continued to grow in both numbers and ministry impact, and in the summer of 1991, Rev. Joe W. Colaw (son of the original pastor) became senior pastor. In the 1990s, the church expanded its facilities even further, adding a youth center and more classrooms.
The church’s growth continued, with the opening of a 55,000-square-foot building in 2008, along with a new Spanish ministry. Today, First Wesleyan Church remains a vital part of Bartlesville, with a strong legacy of community service and outreach.
Spirit Church
In the spring of 1921, Miss Adeline Godwin encountered God in a powerful way at a revival in Colorado. When she returned to Bartlesville, she wanted to bring the experience she had back home. In 1922, she began hosting prayer meetings in her home. Soon after, a revival began at Second and Osage. The Morning Examiner reported that “1,100 people gave their life to Jesus that summer,” and many “experienced supernatural healings and miracles.” When the revival concluded, many continued to meet and worship the Lord together. Soon, a new church was born. Their first facility was constructed at 1025 West 3rd and opened its doors on October 5, 1924, as Bartlesville First Assembly of God, now known as Spirit Church, with 33 members.
In the 1940s, the church saw more growth so a new stone sanctuary was constructed as an add-on to the existing facility to make room for even more families to experience the gospel of God. Their first and only female pastor, Reverand Willie Conrad, started a Osage Hills youth camp in the 1950s that took place every summer.
In 1967, a new facility was built on one half of a city block at 900 South Dewey Avenue to accommodate the growing congregation. The new building was a catalyst for connection, discipleship and outreach. Mission trips, Sunday school, softball league, Bible quiz, youth group made the church feel like home to many. As the church grew in its capacity and the opportunity for ministry continued, the church became known for its community outreach with events like the egg drop by the helicopter in Sooner Park and Day of Hope.
In 2011, the church purchased 48 acres on Madison Blvd for a future facility. Seven years later, in 2018, they opened their doors to a new building, expanding their ministry and reaching more people in Bartlesville and beyond. Today, they continue to focus on serving the least, the last, and the lost, both locally and globally, and they’re excited to see what the next 100 years will bring.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
In the spring of 1905, six people gathered in Mrs. Calvin Matson’s home hoping to create a place for Prayer Book services, the Sacraments and preaching. Later that year, 12 Episcopalians met again at her house for their first official church service led by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Francis Key Brooke of the Missionary District of Oklahoma. For the service, Bishop Brooke used a dry goods box covered with a linen tablecloth as an altar, and he also gave the first communion.
In the early days, services were held in private homes or other available spaces, like the old opera house and the former Christian Church building. Weekday services were led by a visiting minister
EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT DEWEY AVE AND 9TH STREET
from Coffeyville, Kansas, while regular Sunday services were overseen by Reverend McGarvey from Tulsa. Missionary priests would travel long distances by train, wagon or even horseback to reach the church. Often, they arrived early and sat on the front steps until time for service.
By 1907, the church’s women had organized St. Luke’s Guild, which became a key fundraising group for the church. They hosted bazaars, rummage sales and even a three-day luncheon on the second floor of the building next to the Union National Bank. The women hauled supplies up narrow stairs setting up a stove to prepare meals in cramped quarters. A grease fire nearly derailed the luncheon, but they managed to put it out and serve the food. The Guild’s fundraising efforts didn’t stop there—they also sold sandwiches, doughnuts and coffee to raise money, and even took their goods to the Cities Service building. Their work helped keep the church’s budget on track.
In 1908, William Johnstone, a founder of Bartlesville who donated the land for the original church, also gave a lot for a new church and rectory. By 1910, the parish’s small rectory was overcrowded, and until 1922, most church meetings were held in small rooms there, with some events spilling onto the porch. Dinner events were often a challenge, as they had to borrow chairs and set up tables in any available space. But despite the cramped quarters, the growing parish needed space for Sunday School, Boy Scout meetings and social functions. Rev. William Metcalf began planning for a new parish hall. The local community rallied around the project, with many donating money, materials and time. By October 1922, the new parish hall was completed with no debt. It became a hub for the community, hosting not only church events but also civic functions and even services for local Jewish and Greek Orthodox congregations.
In 1950, the Old Parish Hall was built behind the original church as the first step toward constructing a new church building. Four years later, it was moved to Third and Delaware and repurposed for various businesses with the stained-glass windows preserved in the church’s current chapel, narthex and sacristy.
The groundbreaking for the new Gothic limestone church took place on December 26, 1954, with the cornerstone laid on Palm Sunday in 1956 by Bishop Chilton Powell. Even though the building wasn’t fully completed, the first service was held that day. On July 4, 1956, Bishop Powell formally opened and dedicated the new church, and it was consecrated on November 8, 1964, once all debts were paid.
As the parish grew, in 1966 St. Luke’s purchased property next to the church, and by 1983, a new two-story wing was completed. This addition included classrooms, office space and a parish hall. Looking back on the last century, it’s clear that the churches of Bartlesville have been much more than places of worship; they’ve been vital parts of the city’s growth and heart. What started as small groups meeting in homes has grown into a place of diverse congregations that have supported and connected people through all kinds of changes. Jesus, our ultimate example, demonstrated the power of small groups by investing deeply in a few disciples. Through His leadership, we see that small groups allow for close-knit communities to carry His message forward, showing us that true discipleship often begins in the context of smaller, intentional groups. As the city continues to evolve, the legacy that these churches have built will no doubt continue to inspire and guide future generations.
ST. LUKE’S
Around Town with Edgar Weston
by Debbie Neece and the Bartlesville Area History Museum
Welcome Back…On our next adventure, we are visiting the Maire Hotel at 401 S. Johnstone Avenue.
With a budget of $125,000, oil and real estate mogul Edward J. Maire, of Lima, Ohio, contracted with architect Walton Everman to design plans for the construction of a five-story, 125-room, fire-proof hotel at the southwest corner of Johnstone Avenue and Fourth Street in downtown Bartlesville. February 1911, a contest was announced to name the building with a $10 prize incentive. The suggestive names were the Mobel Hotel and Hotel Edwards; however, with the grand opening on July 21, 1913, a large neon rooftop sign christened the winning name…Hotel Maire, selected by Walton Everman. The Grand Opening Banquet was served on custom-made monogrammed dishes and silver tableware in the elegant dining room.
The hotel was originally designed as an “L” shaped building to allow each hotel room plenty of window ventilation but was converted into a “U” shaped building in 1919, still allowing plenty of ventilation. The basement held a billiard parlor; the lobby…a cigar stand, tailor shop and barbershop, coffee shop and pharmacy.
At the time of Edward Maire’s death, March 1923, the hotel was managed and under lease to M.R. Puckett. As the end of the lease drew near, Edward’s brother Frank Maire and Clarence Burlingame joined forces to remodel and refurnish the hotel to the tune of $150,000. The remodeling supervisor, Rigby Slight, stated, “We tackled the ground floor first. A new front desk, key rack and cigar stand were installed. A mezzanine floor and ladies lounge were added and elevators modernized. Then all redecorated with a white ceiling, eggshell
walls and off-white woodwork. All furniture, drapes and rugs were updated. The catering department was demolished and an entirely new kitchen, coffee shop, dining room and banquet room constructed. Next, brass plumbing upgrades allowed private baths to be added to the guest rooms.” The re-opening of the New Maire Hotel was November 1929 and was the first-ever KVOO radio broadcast of such an event.
In 1937, Burlingame commissioned a five-story Hotel Annex building to be built on Fourth Street, just west of the Maire Hotel with skybridge access over the alley to provide hotel services. The Annex housed thirty-five air-conditioned efficiency apartments with first-floor rentable retail space.
In 1941, Burlingame changed the hotel’s name and neon advertising sign to the “Burlingame Hotel.” With the Phillips Petroleum offices across the street, the Burlingame was the perfect location for Phillips’ parties and lodging for company guests. Events like the Dewey Roundup brought many guests and reportedly even John Wayne and Ben Johnson rested their weary heads at the Maire/Burlingame Hotel.
Marshall Chamberlain purchased the Burlingame Hotel in 1963 and five years later the hotel closed. At that time, Phillips Petroleum Co. purchased the building as their office annex. In 1998, a bond issue allowed Bartlesville’s City Hall to move into the building; and, two-years later, the Bartlesville Area History Museum moved to the 10,000-square-foot top floor. The Burlingame Annex was razed when the First National Bank and 19-story Phillips Building were constructed 1962-1964. After a brief intermission, there will be more to come.
DECEMBER CALENDAR SPONSORED BY
Christmas in the Ville Ice Skating Rink
1PM; Downtown Bartlesville The event runs daily through the end of the month.
OKWU Women’s Basketball vs Fort Scott Community
1:30PM; OKWU Gym
Bruin Wrestling vs Vinita
6 PM; Bruin Fieldhouse
OKWU Women’s Basketball vs Avilia
5:30PM; OKWU Gym
OKWU Men’s Basketball vs Avilia
7:30PM; OKWU Gym
37th Motorcycle Toy Run
2PM; Downtown Bartlesville (parade)
Christmas Open House
6PM; Frank Phillips Home
Bartlesville Annual Christmas Parade
6:30PM; Downtown Bartlesville
Bruin Varsity Girls Basketball vs Sand Springs
6:30PM; Bruin Fieldhouse
Bruin Varsity Boys Basketball vs Sand Springs
8PM; Bruin Fieldhouse
Bruin Varsity Girls Basketball vs Muskogee
7:30PM; Bruin Fieldhouse
Donuts with Santa 10AM; Washington Park Mall
Bruin Wrestling vs OK School for Blind 6PM; Bruin Fieldhouse
Christmas Open House 6PM; Frank Phillips Home
Bruin Varsity Girls Basketball vs Enid
6:30PM; Bruin Fieldhouse
Bruin Varsity Boys Basketball vs Enid 8PM; Bruin Fieldhouse
The Nutcracker
7PM; Bartlesville Community Center
The Nutcracker 2PM; Bartlesville Community Center
Dec 21-Jan 5
Christmas Break- No classes
All Month
Woolaroc Wonderland of Lights 5-9PM; Woolaroc
Fantasy Land of lights 6-9PM; Johnstone Park
DECEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR
Know
December 1 –December 24
Times Vary
2024 Season of Christmas in the Ville
Downtown Bartlesville, 201 SW Keeler Avenue, Bartlesville
https://www.bartlesvillechristmas.com or call 918-336-8708 for hours.
December 1–December 30,
6:00 PM
Fantasy Land of Lights hosted by Bartlesville Daybreak Rotary Johnstone Park, 205 N. Cherokee, Bartlesville
Sun, Dec 1
5:00 PM
Woolaroc Wonderland of Lights
Woolaroc, 12 miles SW of Bartlesville on State Highway 123 and 45 miles NW of Tulsa
Tue, Dec 3
9:00 AM
Nonprofit Coffee Club
McGraw Realtors, 124 SE Frank Phillips Blvd, Bartlesville
12:00 PM
In the Kitchen with Susan Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Avenue, Meeting Room A, Bartlesville
Fri, Dec 6
Time TBA
OKMusic St. Nicholas Day 205 SW Frank Phillips Blvd, Bartlesville
Fri-Sun, Dec 6-8
5:00 PM
Woolaroc Wonderland of Lights
2:00 PM
37th Annual Bartlesville
Motorcycle Toy Run
Parking lot at 3005 SE Frank Phillips Blvd., Bartlesville
6:00 PM
Bartlesville Gymnastics Snowflake Ball
Hillcrest Country Club, 1901 Price Road, Bartlesville
6:30 PM
NineteenOEight – Rivercross Ramblers
NineteenOEight, 311½ S. Dewey Avenue, Bartlesville
Sun, Dec 8
2:30 PM
Joyeux Noël
Bartlesville Community Center, 300 E. Adams Blvd, Bartlesville
Wed, Dec 11
10:00 AM
CPR/First Aid/AED One Day Training
Tri County Tech, 6101 Nowata Rd, Bartlesville
Fri, Dec 13
11:15 AM
Boys & Girls Clubs Great Futures
Luncheon
Woolaroc, 12 miles SW of Bartlesville on State Highway 123 and 45 miles NW of Tulsa Sat, Dec 7
8:30 AM
3rd Annual Breakfast with Santa Jarrett Farms Resort and Events, 38009 US Hwy 75, Ramona
6:30 PM
Bartlesville Christmas Parade Downtown Bartlesville
8:00 PM
Saturday Karaoke at Crossing 2nd Crossing 2nd, 215 E 2nd Street, Bartlesville
8:00 PM
History and Haunts at the Dewey Hotel
Dewey Hotel Museum, 801 N. Delaware St., Dewey
Boys & Girls Club of Bartlesville, 401 S Seminole Ave.
Fri, Dec 13 – Sun, Dec 15
5:00 PM
Woolaroc Wonderland of Lights
Woolaroc 12 miles SW of Bartlesville on State Highway 123 and 45 miles NW of Tulsa
Fri, Dec 13
7:00 PM
The Smith Brothers Live Crossing 2nd, 215 E. 2nd Street, Bartlesville
Sat, Dec 14
Varied Hours
Visit Dewey Second Saturday Downtown Dewey
10:00 AM
Second Saturday Family Fun Fest
Lollipops Woodfire & Grocery, 311 S. Dewey Avenue, Bartlesville
4:30 PM
Nowata Christmas Parade Downtown Nowata
5:30
Dewey Christmas Parade Downtown Dewey
6:30 PM
Murder Mystery Dinner
NineteenOEight, 311½ S. Dewey Avenue, Bartlesville
7:30 PM
Christmas With the Chorale
Bartlesville Community Center, 300 SE Adams Blvd, Bartlesville
8:00 PM
History and Haunts
Dewey Hotel Museum, 801 N. Delaware St., Dewey
8:00 PM
Karaoke at Crossing 2nd Crossing 2nd, 215 E 2nd Street, Bartlesville
Sun, Dec 15
3:00 PM
Tuba Christmas at the Frank Phillips Home Frank Phillips Home, 1107 Cherokee, Bartlesville
Mon, Dec 16
11:30 AM
Red Cross Blood Drive at the Bartlesville Public Library
Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Avenue, Bartlesville
Tues – Thurs, Dec 17-19
6:00 PM
Christmas Open House at the Frank Phillips Home
Frank Phillips Home, 1107 Cherokee Avenue, Bartlesville
Fri – Sun, Dec 20-22
5:00 PM
Woolaroc Wonderland of Lights
Woolaroc, 12 miles SW of Bartlesville on State Highway 123 and 45 miles NW of Tulsa
Sat, Dec 21
10:00 AM
Monthly Lego Club at the Library
Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Avenue, Meeting Room A, Bartlesville
7:00 PM
NineteenOEight – Adam Bush
Christmas Comedy Special: Home For the Holidays
NineteenOEight, 311½ S. Dewey Avenue, Bartlesville
8:00 PM
Saturday Karaoke at Crossing Second
Crossing Second, 215 E 2nd Street, Bartlesville
8:00 PM
History and Haunts at the Dewey Hotel
Dewey Hotel Museum, 801 N. Delaware St., Dewey
Mon, Dec 23
10:00 AM
Monthly Lego Club at the Library
Bartlesville Public Library, 600 S. Johnstone Avenue, Meeting Room A, Bartlesville
Sat, Dec 28
6:30 PM
NineteenOEight - Mixology Tales: 1920–1933—The Prohibition Era
NineteenOEight, 311½ S. Dewey Avenue, Bartlesville
8:00 PM
History and Haunts at the Dewey Hotel
Dewey Hotel Museum, 801 N. Delaware St., Dewey
8:00 PM
Saturday Karaoke at Crossing Second
Crossing Second, 215 E 2nd Street, Bartlesville
COVER CONTEST
Your Baby, Our Cover
Judges Choice Winner will receive a photo session ($350 value) plus have your child on our January 2025 Cover!
Facebook voting will be held December 6 at noon CST to December 13 at noon CST.
QUESTIONS? Visit us online at bartlesvillemonthly.com or visit our facebook page for more details.
Make sure to check out our Facebook page on December 6, and be sure to get your friends to like and follow us so they can get in on the fun. We can’t wait to see all these little cuties!
We live, work, and play in Bartlesville, and we’re proud to serve our neighbors with integrity
Experienced, Honest, Local
Messengers of Christmas Miracles!
by Debbie Neece
If we took a moment to peer into winter’s frosted windows across the world, the witness of Christmas would seem very different through each window pane. One visit might appear like Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge who has lost his sense of generosity and Christmas spirit; who is visited by the three Ghosts of Christmas… Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come; who found his way back to the joy and spirit of Christmas without a Santa in sight.
Although the folklore of Santa Claus has transitional origins from around the world, Santa was actually brandless until the 1930s. Through the years, the gift-bearing figure has been depicted as short/tall, plump/thin, elf/humanlike, dressed in green/red. That all changed in 1931, when CocaCola commissioned Haddon Sundblom to create a Santa Claus for their “Thirst Knows No Season” advertising campaign. Seeking inspiration, Sundblom turned to Clement Clark Moore’s magical 1822 poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” where he deemed St. Nicholas had a plump jelly belly, snow white beard and dressed in fur from head to toe. It was Sundblom’s Santa that created the iconic jolly ole soul we recognize as Santa today, which appeared in many CocaCola advertising mediums through 1964. Now, Sundblom’s original paintings are on exhibit at the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, GA and his iconic image of Santa is forever etched in our minds.
Christmas. These men have productive lives eleven months of the year; then, the calendar flips to December and their promise of peace on earth and hope eternal eases us out of the current year, creating possibilities for the next. Among our Washington County “Messengers of Christmas Miracles” are John Pannell, Robert McGuire, Steve Trotter and Ron Adams.
As the cold winter solstice creeps upon us, thoughts turn to Christmas. And, among us there are angels sent to bring hope to all little children; angels who open their hearts and deliver the miracle of
John Pannell is a Bartlesville believer and worker-bee. He moved to Bartlesville in 1981, BHS Bruin graduate in 1993 and studied Recreational Management at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, graduating in 1999. He became the owner and director of 4F Sports Operations October 2022. 4F operates the Price and Arutunoff baseball fields and facilitates the local little league and ball tournaments. That sounds like a full-time job, right? Well, in John’s spare time, he also manages the Doenges Ford Indians baseball team; he is a camera man for Bartlesville Radio and Pawhuska football; he manages the everpopular Christmas in the Ville; and is often found covered in dirt and grass while performing needed maintenance tasks. Most importantly, he is the father of daughter Abby and fur-baby Fungo.
Although his beard was not Santa
JOHN PANNELL & MIKE SMITH
JOHN & ABBY PANNELL
JOHN PANNELL
appropriate and he lacked a jelly belly, in 2019, John donned the red suit and a fake beard for the first time at the invitation of Woolaroc.
“Kids are brutally honest and sometimes Santa is asked to mend families or cure cancer” to which I reply, “Santa’s close friends with Jesus and we’ll see what we can do.”
From Santa’s 2019 diary: The reindeer and I just returned to the North Pole and it was a glorious Woolaroc night. The kids lined up to tell me their Christmas wishes and, in spite of the cold evening air, a 12-year-old boy warmed my heart with his wish, “I want my family to be happy.”
For next year, Santa John received some mentoring from Santa Ron Adams, who John affectionately refers to as the “Real Santa.” He was also more prepared with his own full-fledged furtrimmed red Santa suit and fluffy white beard. Covid complications required Santa to visit outside but Santa’s used to the North Pole’s brisk winter.
Santa John says, “The SWEETEST comment from a little girl was that she didn’t want anything for Christmas and for me to bless other less fortunate children with her gifts. Yes, Santa had tears. My greatest gift is seeing the pure joy on kid’s faces; it’s an absolute blessing and never gets old!”
Robert McGuire retired from the City of Bartlesville, where he served as the Chief Building Official. For eleven months of the year, he continues to perform music, speak in churches and teach building codes to inspectors. Throughout the community, he daily appears with his natural snow-white beard and perfectly shaped mustache…however, each December, he steps into a world his parents opened for him as a child.
Born into a family of seven children and modest means, Christmas was never lost. Robert’s father, Reverend Cornelius McGuire woke their tot-filled household each Christmas morning with a hearty Ho! Ho! Ho! as only Saint Nicholas could. While Cornelius quickly filled stockings and placed presents, Robert’s mother protected the Christmas magic by insisting the children pretend to be asleep until Santa Claus had left the house. Much later, Robert realized his mother was a Christmas angel and his father…
Saint Cornelius, aka Santa Claus.
Now, Robert and Mary McGuire have five children, thirteen grand-children and five great-grandchildren of their own; and, Mary has been a public-school teacher for special needs children for over thirty years. Robert slipped into the shiny black boots and bright red suit of Saint Cornelius for the first time in 1972, becoming the super hero of the holiday season with Mrs. Mary Claus by his side. In the years since, Robert has appeared as Santa Claus in the Spirit of jolly old Saint Nicholas, forwarding the Spirit of Christmas instilled by his father, Saint Cornelius, visiting children at Woolaroc and throughout Washington County.
Robert says, “My greatest annual joy is seeing the joy-filled faces of children when Santa walks into the room.
And extra special blessings come from visiting Mary’s classroom of excited students. Their exuberance beams the celebration of Christmas.”
Steve Trotter is a true to form Santa with a perfectly plump belly, snow-white beard and bushy eyebrows. He is not a territorial Santa though, he travels to the need, even to Jenks. His first adventure as Santa was for friends when he was just 18-yearsold. I’m pretty sure the children could see through that fake Santa façade.
After his military service, Santa Steve performed for churches,
ROBERT & MARY McGUIRE
schools, senior citizen homes and in parades. He says, “Little kids are believers and they love Santa.” Santas have to be well versed on new toys and have a jolly sense of humor. Once Santa was visited by a little boy causing meanness; so, Santa played a trick on him. When Santa asked, “What do you want for Christmas?” The youngster said, “Xbox.” Santa replied, “A pair of socks?” The frustrated boy replied, “No, an XBOX.” Santa said, “What color of socks?” Santa had the entire audience laughing and, to the boy’s relief, Santa finally said, “Oh, you want an Xbox!
Since Santa Steve maintains his shapely facial hair throughout the year, he is easily recognized and approached by little ones in public as if he is a year-round celebrity. He says, “My greatest gift is seeing little kids smiling, dancing and happy.”
Steve worked the night shift at the Tulsa International Airport for the U.S. Post Office as a routing dispatcher for 36 years, so he most likely routed your Christmas cards and packages towards their final destinations. He has been retired for nearly 20 years now and spends his spare time working on his 610-acre farm near Vera. Annually, he visits the Ramona Chamber of Commerce Christmas Party, where my five Gavellas grandchildren have visited him for the last 10 years.
Lifetime Bartian, Ron Adams was born at Memorial Hospital, attended Labadie Heights School, graduated from College High School in 1965 and graduated with a business degree from O.S.U., which placed him in a 40-plus year banking career, mostly with Arvest Bank. He married Debi and their daughter, Lindsey, and fur-baby Woody Guthrie make them a family.
Ron says, “When our daughter was born, she had health issues, and I prayed for God to heal her. I asked him for direction in helping people experiencing the same issues with their children, and that I might serve as a messenger.” At a Chinese diner in Tulsa, Ron opened a fortune cookie that read, “you have the ability to touch the lives of many people.” He has since carried that fortune cookie message with him as a pocket reminder of just what a caring heart can accomplish, and he applies the message daily.
In 1989, Ron became a Shriner and brought smiles and giggles to children as Corkey T. Clown. Then, he performed with other clowns at the Kiddie Park in Bartlesville which later placed him as the Kiddie Park board president for 15 years. One year, Arvest Bank was in search of a Santa…his employment placed him where he needed to be to become the master of magic, Santa Claus. As soon as he donned the red Santa suit, he knew this was his divine mission as the Messenger of Christmas Miracles.
Ron is a member of the Salty Seniors Acting Troupe; he is often found having breakfast at Weeze’ Café or joining the “liars table” at the Copan Truck Stop; he has graced the cover of the Bartlesville Monthly Magazine as Santa since 2011; his business card states his job title is “Elf Agent” not to be confused with the Elf on the Shelf; and Rita Brumm has written two Jingle Factor books with Santa Ron on the cover.
His Santa Claus uniform includes shiny bell-rimmed black boots, golden S.C. buttons and a magic Santa Key to gain access to homes without chimneys. No matter where Santa Ron visits, he leaves behind warmer hearts and magic dust. He visits St. Francis Children’s Hospital, where tots are fighting for their lives and for a few minutes the fairy tale of all fairy tales comes into their world and there is no pain or illness
RON ADAMS STEVE TROTTER
for those few minutes. They are wrapped in the love of Jesus and delivered the gift of hope through their Christmas visitor. Santa is known worldwide by different names but before the twinkling eyes of a child, Santa is the MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS!
Inside the walls of homes around the world there are children of different monetary status and different home life configurations but each and every child looks to the holiday season with the same things in their heart…hope, compassion and love. Not all children have the courage to ask for the things that speak to their heart until the gentle ole soul, Jolly St. Nicholas invites them to his undivided attention. You see, tis the season for each and every one of us to pause and give our undivided attention. Christmas is not about the gifts under your tree or that you even have a tree. Christmas is about every man, woman and child pausing as one family and asking for good will upon all men in the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
Santas are secret keepers, booboo fixers and the promise of hope that Christmas morning, for just a few hours, the world will be right. And maybe, just maybe, Santa will bring peace and goodwill to all men. Thank you to all of our devoted Santas. In the words of Clement Clarke Moore:
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Did You Know?
According to Joe Sears, “There is a lot of responsibility in becoming a Santa. Not just anyone can put on a red suit and BE Santa. No siree, it takes training, skill and a big giving heart. And having a ‘for-real’ snow white fluffy beard is a must for a REAL Santa.” There is at least seven world-known Santa Schools who teach the basics of Santa magic. There is a special skill set involved in becoming a genuine Jolly Ole Soul, no fake beards and pillow plumping allowed. Trickery can be spotted by all doubting youngsters. And, while the final verdict is still out, it appears chocolate chip and sugar cookies seem to be Santa’s favorite.
Now You Know *
RON ADAMS
DAVID LEA & RON ADAMS
WOODY GUTHRIE
HOPS FOR HOPE
DANCING WITH THE BARTLESVILLE STARS
DAD’S WALK
by Jay Webster
There’s a popular axiom in our culture that reads something like, “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.” The validity of that statement never seems more apparent than during this most special time of the year.
Here’s the thing about families: Even for those of us miraculously blessed with pretty good ones…they can still press your ever-loving buttons. Can’t they? Something about their proximity (physically, emotionally, biologically, and otherwise) seems to draw our most unflattering character flaws to the surface. And, because they are family, those flaws sometimes feel inescapable. You may be hailed as a genius by your colleagues, but at home, you are still the last-born child
who got sick in the car that one time on the way to Aunt Ruth’s.
Think about it: if someone unrelated to you made you feel the way your parents, siblings, or weird uncle often do, you’d tell them to take a flying leap. Or, at the very least, you would drastically limit your exposure to them (in the way you would say radiation or cooties).
But it’s family, so we are typically forced into reoccurring encounters with them for better or worse. On the upside, being with family (required, coerced, or otherwise) can compel us to face our least flattering selves in a way we might otherwise avoid. I can hide certain less attractive qualities from my acquaintances, but my family already knows my issues and
how to draw them to the surface. So here we are with no place to hide.
I’m fond of saying it’s hardest to change for the people who have seen us naked. Parents, spouses, siblings…that one neighbor. In my experience, kindness, compassion, forbearance, patience … all come much easier the further I get away from home. (I’m not proud of that, but I have found it to be more or less true for most people.)
I am very fortunate. I have a wonderful family (many of whom read this column…Love you guys.) And much of that family has made me a better person and helped keep me (painfully) honest with myself.
For most of us, our family is our first tribe. Tribe is defined as “a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect…” My family hails from Ireland, and I feel that connection deep within me. I am an American, and with all its blessings and challenges, that means a great deal to me. I am an Oklahoman, and I say that with pride. All these are Tribes I was brought into without a vote.
But what about the tribes of our choosing? The ones that exist beyond our bloodlines or addresses?
Thirteen years ago, my wife gave birth to our daughter. A year later, we both found ourselves struggling to get back into our pre-baby shape. A friend suggested CrossFit. So we joined up, but we did it with a secret plan: let’s get in shape, learn the program for a few months, and then we’ll maintain our newly perfect bodies on our own for free.
The hitch came when we met the people at CrossFit Bartlesville. We became connected to them. We suffered through the same workouts. We had shared experiences. We started hanging out away from the gym. Twelve years later…we are still there. These people have become a tribe for us. They know us, and we know them. We are invested in each other’s lives. If we went missing, they would come looking for us.
My wife and I have friend groups that have become tribes. In fact, she has “friend” tribes I’m not even a part of.
Our neighbors are a tribe for us. We’re fortunate that we actually like the people who live around us and we enjoy being with them.
I have spiritual tribes that extend well beyond my “home church.” In this tribe, we are safe to have a whole host of conversations, considerations, and wonderings. I need that. We need that.
As integral as tribes are, I have found that some tribes are seasonal or temporary. That hasn’t made them any less important; it’s just the transient nature of life. These tribes represent phases and moments in my life: high school, early jobs, other addresses, or past interests.
What are the tribes in your life?
Who can you talk to, laugh with, and learn from? Who would call if you went missing? Who would tell you the truth if you needed to hear it? Who could you have a terrifyingly honest conversation with if you needed to?
Is your tribe a quilters group? Friends you get coffee with on the regular? A book club? A text group? People from your service organizations?
Did you know that just because you share things in common with members of your tribe, you don’t have to agree with them about everything? Often, that’s what makes for a really great tribe. Your tribes can include people from opposing political parties, differing religions, and varying income brackets. If your tribe consists of only people who agree with you or think like you - it drastically reduces their impact on you. The information you take in from those groups can be highly limited at best and incestuous at worst. That’s also why we need to belong to multiple tribes: spiritual tribes, trivia night tribes, hobby tribes, recovery group tribes, tribes from all different spheres of life. Don’t sell yourself short.
We need tribes. We need belonging. We need involvement, as Charlie Brown will tell you in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
Our tribes are a source of pride, of affection, of connection that ultimately make us better - in large part because of the way it requires us to care for others. Tribe elevates the things we have in common over the things that separate us.
And, maybe most importantly, if you don’t have great tribes in your life…you can make them. Invite people to coffee. Find other people who have suffered grief or trauma or recovery. Connect with people who also like woodworking or pickleball or those creepy ceramic dolls that still your soul when you sleep in the same room with them.
So, it’s true - you can’t pick your family. (But if I could, I would certainly pick mine! Are they still reading?) For the rest of you, take heart - because you can pick a tribe that feels like family. And that’s not so bad.
I’m grateful to be in a sort of tribe with you. We meet here each month. Sure, I do most of the talking, but maybe you like it that way. Maybe you have to do most of the lifting in your other tribes. I get it. We’re both benefiting.
So, I’ll see you next month at the January Tribal Meeting. I know we’ll both enjoy it.
Cheers, friends.
Hey all, it's time to figure out what we are going to get Mom and Dad for Christmas this year?
Dad is easy. Mom is always difficult to come up with something we haven’t done already.
Awesome idea! You always were the 'practical kid.' Need to keep them healthy since we all live away from home now
Hey, don't Mom and Dad go to a MDVIP practice for their health care? How about if we all chip in and pay for their membership this year?
B the Light Update: For Unto Us a Child is Born!
We hope that everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving, and that the Christmas season has engulfed you in a peaceful and joyous time with your loved ones.
We have BIG news at B the Light!
ALL TESTING HAS BEEN COMPLETED!
The long-awaited testing by the Department Of Environmental Quality was completed at the end of October, and we expect to hear of the outcome very soon. This was the last step preventing us from being open full time, SO STAY TUNED! We’ll continue to keep the city abreast of all subsequent results, and our forward movement towards helping our unhoused neighbors on a more full-time basis.
to attend a recovery program of their choosing. This is not an exhaustive list, but these are the main barriers that we continue to see on the streets of Bartlesville. These barriers will likely prevent many from transitioning into B the Light, but they won’t prevent us from trying to reach them, with the help that they need to move forward and out of homelessness for good. We’ll continue to offer them resources.
Transition is hard, getting sober is hard, and coming off of drugs is hard. Being homeless is also hard. Even though we want our neighbors on the street to break free from those patterns that have changed their life, us wanting it, won’t make it so.
The city of Bartlesville continues to show up in a powerful way. Due to the generosity of an anonymous giver, B the Light now has a minivan. This is a much needed addition to our program, as we often take clients to appointments. We are beyond grateful to the ones that donated and made this possible.
We continue to connect our neighbors with the available resources we have, until we are able to bring them into our program. This is a practice that will be ongoing. The fact of the matter is, there will be a good number of people in our city that will not be a good fit for our program here at B the Light; here’s why.
In terms of definition, if we’re defining our program, our Poverty Reduction Center is considered a “high-barrier” program. Much like the other shelter here in our city, which is also a high-barrier shelter, there are changes that need to take place before they are able to transition from the street into our mission. We will most definitely open our doors and hold out our arms to everyone. Everyone who needs shelter is welcome, that is first and foremost. HOWEVER, highbarrier includes but is not limited to; sobriety, no drug use, job skills or job training is required, and eventually outside employment. There will be random UA screens that will test for both drugs and alcohol, and they will be required
We can want freedom for them, but we can’t make them want that freedom. B the Light is committed to walking with them every step of the way.
The backbone of our mission stands squarely on the shoulders of our faithful volunteers, who continue to serve tirelessly every single day. As we enter our Christmas season and thebeginning of a new year, we’d be remiss if we did not offer recognition to a couple of steady volunteers that have made this past year possible. When they are not here helping in the building, they are baking cookies for fundraisers, and looking out for items that we need in-house. Sylvia McFarland and Rhonda Daniel, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. Because of your faithfulness to the mission, our mission is easier.
“Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was Me—you did it to Me.”
COMING UP!
NO ONE EATS ALONE.
The 1st Wesleyan “No One Eats Alone” breakfast will be held at B the Light this year! Everyone is invited to this free Christmas Breakfast. Serving begins on Christmas morning at 8-10 a.m.
Freedom and the Land...
The Story of Sean
by Miriam Walker
A man could do a lot with a piece of land. He could till it, plant a garden, plant some trees, just about anything he set his mind to really. Why he could build himself a house to live in. An empty lot is just that, until you decide to fill it.
Sean grew up on one such piece of land, and the life that his parents carved out for him began, not unlike many other boys.
I first met Sean as a grown man, while we were both serving at The Agape Mission in Bartlesville. Mostly a floater back then, I’d go from the serving line to the coffee area, and I’d occasionally work with Sean behind the “take home” counter. I learned some of his story over time, as he was always proud to share how long he’d been clean; two years and two months now. But at the reading of this story, by my calculations, he’s coming up on two years, three and a half months clean. And to those who may be wondering if the specific day is all that important - the answer is yes. Always yes.
And on that piece of land so many decades ago, Sean was being raised by two very loving parents. By the time he had turned 14 however, those loving parents got a divorce. Like many children do under these circumstances, he blamed himself. At the tender age of just 14, Sean began using methamphetamine.
Every addict is formed in the experience of the memory of that first hit; that first high. The chase is on from there.
Using meth at the age of 14 was not the worst thing Sean had ever gone through. To the outsider looking in, one would think that’s got to be the absolute worst thing. For Sean it wasn’t.
“The worst thing that ever happened to me, my worst memory, was when my mom died of pneumonia. She was only 68.”
Sean’s life got worse, and it became a drug fueled cycle of in and out of jail, beginning in 1988. By 1993 he landed in federal prison, and by his own admission, he did drugs the whole time he was there. By his mid 30’s he was still hooked on drugs, but managed to stay out of trouble for the next 10 years. Sean just couldn’t
shake free from his addiction.
He married his wife, who he had been with for 12 years. But sadly, when she died of a heart attack suddenly, it sent Sean into the worst drug spiral he’d ever experienced. He became a very non-functioning addict, and eventually became homeless.
There is never just one thing that causes a person to become homeless, but rather many things and many levels of chaos. The chaos Sean brought into his life had a catastrophic effect on him.
Sitting on a park bench, Sean prayed to God to show him something better, because there absolutely had to be something better.
He found his way into a vacant home, and less than two hours after he prayed that prayer, he was back in jail for four months. Sean then went to drug court; and straight to treatment from there.
If you find yourself sitting in a car, and you want to be in the house, the first thing you need to do is realize you’re in the car.
Addiction is the worst part of a life, but until you realize that you are addicted…
Life moved quickly for Sean after that, and he made connections that would further his life in the right direction. Instrumental in this life transformation was Sherri Smith, founder of Agape Mission. She took Sean under her wing, helped him get off the streets, and gave him a place and a family at Agape Mission.
“If it wasn’t for God I’d be dead, we wouldn’t be talking right now. I didn’t get high to feel good. I got high to feel numb, but getting high is not the answer.”
A man could do a lot with a piece of land, and an empty lot is just that, empty. Until…
Flash forward to Monday, the 21st of October, and there I sat one evening not as a writer, but a friend. Surrounded by my own Agape and B the Light family, we celebrated my good friend Sean, as he finally graduated from drug court.
And in that cafeteria, that continues to feed the homeless and underprivileged people of Bartlesville, Sherri Smith handed Sean the deed to that same piece of land that he began his life on so many decades ago.
Now the empty lot belongs to Sean.
And a man could do a lot with a piece of land…
Scarred But Not Scared...
by Kelly Hurd
Psssst… I got somethin’ for ya, man.
Get in and cruise the back alley with me…
Trust me, I know where we’re goin’ on this one.
Listen up.
Danny O’Connor has a past, I’m just gonna say it. And, to hear him tell it, it’s not one to brag about.
Addiction. Almost homeless. Bankrupt in almost every way possible.
He’d seen his kingdom crumble from his rapper days with the House of Pain - to the band name morphing into his mailing address.
Danny was living in his own house of pain. Messed up.
That was then.
But this is now.
Today, Danny O’Connor is no longer a rapper on the rough side.
He’s a philanthropist on the north side – of Tulsa, that is –and that’s enough to make O’Conner want to “Jump Around” for joy because Danny gives credit to God for his rescue.
Remarkably, not only does O’Connor now own The Outsiders House Museum at 731 N Louis Ave, he’s also partnered up with the Tulsa Day Center to make a positive difference with the homeless problem there too.
In February the “Who’s Who’s” of Tulsa come together to enjoy a night of entertainment at The Big Show Off Event which benefits the Tulsa Day Center. Somewhat like American Idol and much like The Voice, celebrity judges come together to rate talented competitors from across the country who are competing for top-notch accolades and the big $10,000 prize. O’Connor is one of the judges, but he’s also the front man for publicity and getting the word out. You might say Danny O’Connor is championing the cause in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And, he’s doing it well.
I love his story.
From rapper success, to broken dreams, to clean and sober overcoming giver and one heck of a game changer on the canvas of northern Tulsa.
So, you’ll understand why I had no hesitation agreeing to assist when my phone went “ding” at 5:30am one morning
and it was Danny asking if we could record a podcast episode promoting the talent search and upcoming February event in Tulsa.
But – here’s the important part of this story…
Danny reminds me of someone. Someone from Bartlesville.
Someone who also had their own “house of pain,” but who lives there no longer.
Someone who has a few battle scars from his past, but who is brave enough to be vulnerable enough to expose his scars for what they are –and use them as the Master Key to open the doors of others’ heartsstill living where he once was – and then change their address from the “house of pain” to the house of hope.
His name is Keith McPhail.
He and his wife, Christy, have the B the Light non-profit through which they reach out into painful, dark situations and shine a Light of hope and healing.
Keith gives God all the credit for his heart’s address change as well.
You know, we all have battle scars, but it’s what we do with them that makes the difference…
Thanks for cruising the back alleys with me where, if you look closely, you’ll see men like Danny O’Conner and Keith McPhail reaching back into the shadows that once held them bound, and setting others free.
They’re both changing their communities – for the good.
Hope you’ll seize the opportunity to do the same this Christmas season, and the whole year through.
#CallingToTheGood #BTheLight #TheBigShowOffEvent
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Planning for Success Gateway Private Wealth Team Focuses on the Future
After celebrating their one-year anniversary here in Bartlesville, it would be natural for Gateway Bank to look toward the future. In fact, there’s one team in the bank’s Dewey Avenue location that actively plans for the future on a daily basis. But the Gateway Private Wealth team isn’t focused on their own success … they’re planning for their clients’ futures.
“We work with families, corporate customers, and nonprofits in all phases of their lives and careers, focusing on planning,” said Josh Randolph, Managing Director of Gateway Private Wealth. “Whether it’s financial planning, estate planning, retirement planning … we help them prepare for the future.”
We can show them how to plan for ongoing success by building an endowment to help fund their good work well into the future.”
Randolph says the team at Gateway enjoys helping their clients—whether families, businesses, or charitable organizations—because it’s always good for the community as a whole. It impacts friend and neighbors, and the next generation of Bartlesville citizens as well.
“We offer the resources of an industry-leading wealth management firm,” Randolph said, “but we do it in a personal way. We’re very hands-on and relationship focused. After all, we live here, too. I’ll probably see you at the ballgame or grocery store.”
High-net-worth individuals and families are familiar with Private Wealth services. After all, exceptional wealth requires a high level of skilled planning and ongoing management. Some are surprised to learn, however, that Gateway Private Wealth is also instrumental in the successful financial future of small to mid-size, privately owned businesses and nonprofit organizations as well.
Companies, for example, are often not prepared for the future of their business when it comes to succession planning, liquidity events, and other “road bumps,” both planned and unexpected. The experts at Gateway can advise business owners on how to plan for and be prepared for these events.
“We see businesses all the time that don’t have a plan in place for when the owner retires or passes,” Randolph said. “Who takes the reigns? How does the business continue? Without a plan, it can be chaos, and the outcome may not be what the current ownership envisioned for their company.”
“A change in liquidity can also derail a business,” added Noah Williams, Wealth Strategist. “An unexpected event happens and all of a sudden, they aren’t able to make their loan payments or payroll. Planning for the future helps you avoid some of these road bumps. Being prepared is always better than being panicked.”
Nonprofits are also a focus for the Gateway Private Wealth team. They have extensive experience helping nonprofits with planned giving, endowment management, and financial planning for the organization’s sustainability.
“In my 30 years in this industry, I’ve found that many nonprofits don’t understand how to develop a sustainable model for donations, planned giving, and other aspects that would help them better achieve their goals,” Randolph said. “We can help them realize it’s more than asking for a check.
Randolph enjoys serving the Bartlesville community. He’s spent 21 years of his banking and financial career here, and he’s lent his time and talents to numerous local organizations including the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce, Bartlesville Public School Foundation, and Washington County ElderCare boards.
Helping throughout the community and serving his Private Wealth clients aren’t so different, he says. Both draw on his experience and expertise, and both require a heart for helping others plan for a successful future. And that’s a good sign— both for the Gateway Private Wealth team, and their clients.
Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker/ dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are: Not Insured by FDIC or Any Other Government Agency I Not Bank Guaranteed I Not Bank Deposits or Obligations I May Lose Value.
Josh Randolph and Noah Williams of the Gateway Private Wealth team.
The team at Gateway Bank celebrates the Bartlesville location’s one-year anniversary.
Affordable apartments where you can enjoy new friends and feel right at home!
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Bartlesville Health & Rehab Community provides a wide range of quality health care services. Locally owned, BHRC offers 24-hour licensed nursing care, skilled nursing services, long-term care, and in-house physical, speech, and occupational therapy. And now, BHRC offers memory care for those with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders. This brand-new Memory Care Center (Memory Lane) is a secure 16-room unit with aroundthe-clock nursing care. For more information or to schedule a tour, call (918) 333-9545. 3434 Kentucky Place • 918-333-9545 • www.bartlesvillehealthandrehab.com
A Wedding Adventure
by Aaron Kirkpatrick
On the phone screen was a photo of a young man smiling with his arm around a very pregnant woman. The lady holding the phone was in her 70s. She had stopped by my office at the church building in an urgent rush. “This is my grandson and his girlfriend,” she began. “They’ve been saving up for a wedding, but money has been really tight. She’s due to go into labor soon, and they’d really like to be married before the baby arrives. They don’t go to church, but she’s always dreamed of a church wedding. Is there any way they could get married here?”
“That’s very exciting!” I replied. “We usually do premarital counseling before a wedding. Considering the deadline, we could probably condense those sessions to a couple weeks instead of a couple months. When is the baby due?”
“Tomorrow.” she answered.
I was momentarily stunned. “Wait. She’s due tomorrow, and they want to get married before the baby arrives. Are they wanting to do this wedding…today?”
“Yes please! I know it’s not much time, but they’re ok with a very small wedding. They don’t really have many friends or family in Bartlesville. It will be less than 10 people.”
I had one final question: “What time are they wanting to do the wedding?”
“He gets off work at 7, and he can be here by 7:15.”
The clock on the wall said it was 11:30am. I looked the grandmother in the eye and delivered the bad news. “That’s less than eight hours. It’s not enough time.” Her face began to fall, defeated. “Let’s plan it for 7:30 instead,” I said with a wink.
She jumped up from her chair, grinning and clapping with excitement, until, suddenly, her elation dissolved into stress. “There is so much to do!” She said. “I don’t even know if they have rings.”
“You deal with rings.” I told her. “And get the marriage certificate at the court house. I’ll deal with the rest. See you at 7:30.”
She grabbed her purse and hurried out the door, her steps quick with urgency.
I met the bride and groom in the church foyer at 7:20. They were beaming with young love, the pregnancy glow, and wedding day jitters. The bride’s family wasn’t able to drive into town so last-minute, so the groom’s grandfather offered to walk her down the aisle. She looked confused when I instructed them to wait for the bridal march music, and I took the groom by the elbow, leading him through the sanctuary doors.
The music began at 7:30 sharp, and the doors opened onto a surprise. You see, when grandma left my office, I got on the phone. Weddings should be a celebration, no matter how last minute, so I called friends who called other friends, and so on. As word of the wedding spread through our church, everyone wanted to pitch in. While I spent the afternoon planning the wedding, others planned a reception with cake, snacks, and drinks. At the same time, someone else decided that first time parents needed a baby shower, and the whole church went shopping. By the time “Here comes the bride” started playing over the speakers, 200 people had packed our sanctuary, all gathered to celebrate the adventure of three lives bound together!
She beamed as she walked down the aisle, one hand in her grandfather-in-law’s arm and the other resting on her stomach. As she joined her groom on the stage, they both looked around the room in joyful bewilderment. Their wide eyes and tearful smiles were reflected on the faces of strangers in the crowd.
“Dearly beloved,” I said, swallowing back my own emotion, “let me introduce you to the bride and groom.”
It was, without a doubt, one of the most unforgettable weddings I’ve ever been part of.
The Life of J.R. Charlton
...Attorney, Minister and Publisher
by Kay Little, Little History Adventures
James Rufus Charlton was born in Illinois, 1858. He moved with his parents at the age of 19 to Kansas and taught five school terms in the Sedan area. During the summers, J.R. spent a lot of time in his uncle’s law office, reading all he could about law. He eventually opened a law office in Elk City, without attending law school or passing the bar. He also owned the newspaper there. In 1881, J.R. married Harriet Hutchison in Sedan.
In 1890, Charlton was elected County Attorney of Montgomery County, Kansas and moved to Coffeyville. On October 5, 1892, the most exciting event for Coffeyville occurred. The Dalton Gang robbed the two banks and all but one was killed. The lone survivor was Emmett Dalton. Charlton prosecuted him, sending him to prison for 25 years. Fifteen years later, though, Charlton was responsible for pardoning Emmett, after seeing that the young man truly was changed and sorry for his part of the robbery.
William Johnstone and George Keeler invited Charlton to speak at their July 4, 1890 event, on the south side of the Caney River. He brought his Elk City band. After they played loud and proud, the people at Jake Bartles’ store on the north side of the river left and crossed over to J&K’s party. To keep that from happening the next year, Bartles asked Carlton to be the speaker at his party.
Even though he lived in Kansas, in 1900, Charlton tried the first lawsuit ever tried in Bartlesville. The court was held in the open air on the banks of the Caney River, close to the Johnstone and Keeler store. Nail kegs, boxes and lumber from the J&K Store were used for the outdoor court.
J.R. and his wife were very active in their Christian Church in Independence, Kansas. Many times, Harriet was the organist. In 1894, Charlton was ordained in the Christian Church. He preached his first sermon in Bartlesville in 1895, in the old schoolhouse on the southern side of the river. In July 1897, Charlton came back and preached in Bartles’ grove on the
north side. This meeting lasted about three weeks and resulted in the organization of the Christian Church in Bartlesville. Even though Charlton felt he found his calling, he never gave up being an attorney. He loved both professions. Reverend Charlton started about 30 churches in the Kansas and Oklahoma areas. He was also the chaplain of the Elks Lodge for several years.
For the next three years, the Charltons traveled between Caney, Kansas and Bartlesville, to preach at the newly formed Christian Church. In 1900, the church dedicated their first building located at Third Street and Johnstone. That building was eventually moved to another location. William Johnstone gave the church the lot at Third and Johnstone and paid all their debts. They were able to sell the building in 1908 and buy the lot at Sixth and Osage. The church moved into their new building in 1911.
J.R. Charlton was known as “judge” to many people in Washington and Nowata Counties. He practiced law until just a few weeks before his death, in 1945. Rev. Charlton was revered by most who knew him, whether it was in the courts, or the church. According to Edgar Weston, one of my favorite local historians, “Charlton had the ability to move many listeners to a decision for Christ and could move the courtroom attendant to tears as well as the jury.”
Not Much of a Difference
by Mike Jerry Tupa
What a difference a 100 years doesn’t necessarily make.
Bartlesville residents Mr. William A. Gallagher and Miss Gladys Glass anxiously awaited their June wedding, while the Bartlesville High School senior class made frantic last-minute preparations for the threeact comedy play “The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary.”
The Coca-Cola Bottling Company distributed a new soda pop, “Orange Squeeze,” in Bartlesville; newly-elected Republican Calvin Coolidge took the oath of office as the 30th president.
Bartlesville played Oklahoma City in the boys state basketball playoffs.
In other words, the Bartlesville and world scenes in 1925 were not that much different than a 100 years later.
Some of the major national sports stories in 1925:
On June 1 that year, an unknown New York Yankee infielder named Lou Gehrig came off the bench as a pinch-hitter — and wouldn’t miss another game until 1939.
Charles Jenkins demonstrated early television, which eventually would change sports coverage forever.
Former Chicago White Sox pitcher Dickie Kerr — who spent a brief time playing minor league baseball in Bartlesville — returned to the major leagues for the first time since 1919, when he had won two games in the Black Sox World Series.
Also in 1925, the New York Giants played their first NFL game; Albert Michelsen set the world marathon record (2:19.01.8), Pittsburgh rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the World Series and future MLB superstar Yogi Berra was born.
Two other births (one in December 1924, one in March 1925) would lead to glorious chapters in Bartlesville’s sports tradition — Bob Kurland (born in St. Louis, Mo.) and Al Solenberger (born in Springfield, Ohio).
Kurland would lead Oklahoma A&M (State) to two national NCAA titles (1945, 1946), the Bartlesville Phillips 66ers to the national amateur title (1948), and the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball team to gold medals (1948, 1952).
Solenberger arrived in Bartlesville in the latter 1940s
to play minor league baseball (Class D) with the Bartlesville Pirates. In 1964, Solenberger took charge of Bartlesville American Legion Baseball, guiding it to the 1969 American Legion World Series.
There was also plenty of live hot sports action in the Bartlesville area in 1925.
As mentioned, Bartlesville boys qualified for the state basketball tournament. Players included: Spaulding (captain, forward), Smith (guard), Foster (forward), Julian (forward), Elam (guard) and Locke (substitute guard), with Louis Wilkie as head coach.
If the Wildcats beat Oklahoma City Central in the first round the path to the state championship game (Oklahoma had only one division) seemed possible because of a favorable bracket. But Central — a returning state finalist — crept past the ‘Cats. Fairfax eventually won the tile (beating Hunter, 22-17).
Girls’ athletics also were alive and healthy.
A few miles to the south, the Ramona High girls basketball team reeled off 17-straight wins to wrap up the regular season at 17-3. The team’s victims included Bartlesville twice, 23-22, and 21-15; Dewey twice, 22-12, and 27-13; and Sand Springs, 30-10. They lost to Copan, 17-12.
Ramona plunged two rounds into the girls state tournament, swamped Springtown, 40-16, and lost in the quarterfinals to Mangum, 26-22.
Sullivan and Olson served as the Ramona girls head coach and sponsor, respectively. Team members included; Reba Horsman (jumping center), Violet Horsman (guard), Murphy (captain), Harper (guard), Hugo (guard), Crawford (jumping center), Winfrey (side center), Coleman (forward) and Sweet (guard).
Meanwhile, a Bartlesville City male volleyball team prepared for the YMCA state tournament. Some of the players included B.R. Muirhead (captain), A.V. Yynne, Ray Parker and J.M. Hockenstein.
During the mid-1920s, Bartlesville also boasted one of America’s stoutest boxers — Warnie Smith.
Legendary world heavyweight champion James J. Corbett labeled Smith as “a little Jack Dempsey,” referring to the rugged heavyweight champ.
Smith fought for the welterweight world championship in 1926 in Madison Square Garden, but also battled numerous times in Bartlesville in venues ranging from Moose Hall to the Liberty Theater.
According to an Examiner-Enterprise retrospective article in 1966, “Smith ... was an aggressive puncher with terrific ability to hit quick and fast. He had tremendous strength in both fists.” He passed away in 1964.
Tremendous societal progress has been achieved since 1925, but in sports, the goals and challenges remain largely unchanged — a link that ties the past with now.
TECH TALK TRI COUNTY TECH
GIVING TUESDAY
Thank you for your generous donations on Giving Tuesday! Your support helps us make a meaningful impact and bring our mission to life. We are grateful for your commitment and kindness—together, we’re creating lasting change. Those funds will be used by the Foundation to provide tuition assistance, emergency aid, and food assistance to students in need. If you missed out on donating to our foundation on Giving Tuesday, there’s still time! We accept donations year-round. Considering a larger contribution? Connect with us to explore options for ensuring your generosity supports students for years to come!
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DITCH THE DEBT! SHARPEN A SKILL!
Tri County Tech offers affordable adult programs to get you into a higher-paying career fast! With our flexible evening programs, you can get certified in under a year! In-house financial assistance is available, and 90% of students qualify.
Looking to gain a skill and head to college? Most of our programs have continuing college credits that can be applied to a degree! Choose from courses in healthcare, computer, trade skills, and more!
Have questions? Contact us at 918.331.3333 or EnrichingLives@TriCountyTech.edu
APPLY HERE!
ADVANCED PHLEBOTOMY
Our Advanced Phlebotomy class begins on January 14, 2025, and applications are due by January 10. Don’t miss this opportunity to advance your skills—apply today! *Advanced Phlebotomy is a hybrid course & also includes 40 hours of clinical experience and the opportunity to sit for the CPT Industry Certification. Payment is due upon enrollment. (Students have the option to pay half when enrolling, and the other half is due a week prior to program start date).
HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE
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Save the date! Join us on February 4 for our High School Open House. This is the perfect opportunity to explore our free programs for high school students and explore free programs for high school students. Plus, attending earns you bonus points on your application! Be sure to follow us on social media as more details are announced.
UPCOMING TRAININGS
Explore our FREE training sessions on essential topics like Volunteer Firefighter Grant Funding, or take the next step with one of our CPR courses. Looking for something specific? We also offer customized training tailored to your unique needs!
Contact us at 918.333.3255 or email Training@TriCountyTech.edu to learn more.
The deadline to apply for our January CNA program is January 10. You can start your career as a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) in just a few short weeks. Nursing homes, hospitals, adult daycare centers, personal homes, and assisted living facilities all require nursing aides to act as a helpful liaison between the RN or LPN and the patient. On average, our graduates earn $10-$12/hour upon entering the workforce.
Local Cardiologist Gives Tips
. . . For Surviving a Heart Attack
by Abigail Singrey
A heart attack can be one of the most terrifying experiences of your life, striking without warning and leaving you feeling helpless. Recognizing the signs and taking quick action can mean the difference between life and death. Understanding what to watch for and how to respond could save your life— or the life of someone you love.
“I have patients who think it’s heartburn or try to sleep it off because they don’t recognize the symptoms,” said Dr. Anderson Mehrle, a cardiologist with Ascension St. John Jane Phillips Medical Center.
Chest pain is the most recognized symptom of a heart attack, but it doesn’t always present as sharp pain. It may feel like a dull ache in the chest, sometimes radiating to the jaw and accompanied by nausea or cold sweats. Discomfort during physical activity or persistent aching that occurs even while resting, such as watching TV, can also indicate a heart attack. In women, the symptoms vary even more, often including a sudden onset of shortness of breath or pain in the back and shoulders.
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction, occurs when a heart artery becomes blocked. This blockage typically results from a buildup of plaque in the artery, followed by sudden platelet aggregation or clot formation at a narrowed section.
“The arteries are like fuel lines to the heart,” Dr. Mehrle said. “They provide the oxygen, and when they stop, especially abruptly, the heart doesn’t have the oxygen it needs to pump.”
Heart attacks occur more frequently than you think. On average, every four seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The average age for a first heart attack is 65 in males and 72 in females, but 1 in 5 heart attacks occur in someone under 40, according to the American Heart Association. These facts underscore the importance of awareness, prevention, and early intervention to reduce the impact of heart attacks across all age groups.
Heart attack aftercare
Paying attention to changes in your body can help you recognize a heart attack. Notice whether discomfort fades quickly or persists. If you experience persistent chest discomfort, act immediately—this is crucial for survival. Call 911 to have Emergency Medical Services evaluate your condition and transport you to the nearest emergency room if necessary.
When you arrive at the ER, doctors will use an EKG and blood tests to quickly determine if you’re having a heart attack. If confirmed, you may need a left heart catheterization, also called an angiogram or heart cath. This minimally invasive procedure, often done through the wrist, uses a small catheter to inject dye into the heart’s arteries, revealing any blockages. If a blockage is found, a stent can be placed to restore blood flow and stop the heart attack. The goal is to open the artery within 90 minutes of your arrival to ensure the best chance at survival.
“Quick attention and quick action is lifesaving,” Dr. Mehrle said.
Following your after-care instructions is also essential to surviving a heart attack. Your recovery will likely involve taking several essential medications, including a stent-protecting drug such as Brilinta or Plavix, a cholesterol-lowering medication, and aspirin. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, managing your blood sugar and blood pressure will also be crucial. For those with heart muscle damage, as identified through an echocardiogram, recovery will require a period of rest and specific medications to help strengthen the heart, typically lasting several weeks. Cardiac rehabilitation is often recommended and can significantly speed up recovery, providing expert guidance to help you regain your strength more effectively than attempting it on your own.
Additionally, it is common to experience depression after a heart attack, and discussing any symptoms with your doctor is important. While a heart attack can be a life-changing event, early recognition, proper medical care, the right medications, and post-attack rehabilitation can help you return to a normal, active life.
Musings at 35,000 Feet
by Brent Taylor
I recently picked up my son and daughterin-law from the airport and the subject of airliner models arose. My first flight was on a Lockheed TriStar L-1011 equipped with a headphone sound system and I listened to Carly Simon’s, That’s the Way I Always Heard it Should Be. “You say we’ll soar like two birds through the clouds, but soon you’ll cage me on your shelf. I’ll never learn to be just me first, by myself.”
Harry Truman could glance out the window of his presidential airplane, a Douglas VC-118, and name the state below. I tend toward Truman, either reading a book or gazing out a window. However, sometimes I am in the mood for human contact and I find the person sitting next to me is strange just like me. On a recent flight I asked the woman across the aisle, who was going to a Rolling Stones concert in Houston, “What is your favorite Stone’s song?” She started in and never stopped all the way to wheels down. I never stood a chance.
My wife is better at conversations in the clouds. Coming back from Phoenix, she struck up a conversation with a woman half her age. We were seated separately, so walking to baggage claim, I asked how the flight went. “The young woman next to me is really nice. She’s getting married. She invited me to her wedding.”
Mostly, I stay in my lane by reading a book and avoiding conversations. Once I was reading David McCullough’s excellent book, The Wright Brothers , while we lifted off the runway, which is pretty standard when you fly. But, it never fails to amaze me. I wished Wilbur and Orville were sitting on either side of me so I could ask them their thoughts on flying in this Boeing 737 Max 8 versus their first plane, the 1903 Wright Flyer, which had
no seats, pretzels, or seat back trays.
One time I let down my guard and glanced across the aisle at a pretty young woman who seemed to have it all together. I was on the aisle seat, Karen next to me. We were on the return leg of a trip to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The woman slides over to the aisle and whispers to me. “I’m in the media business and I took a picture of you and your wife sitting quietly together and it touched me. Do you mind if I publish it on my Instagram account?” She showed me the picture and I said sure, it’s ok. The plane landed and I grabbed her suitcase from the overhead bin because she was having trouble getting it down. We chatted waiting for the aisle to clear and she thanked me again, and her eyes welled with tears and she told me her mother was sick and didn’t have long to live. I wished her the best and she walked down the aisle. You never know what the person next to you is going through.
I feel small when I fly, and often my aloneness in the clouds and unwillingness to converse leads to introspection. My mind drifts to November 1963 with my dad at the Apco filling station. Curious, I stuck my finger in a rag ringer, an electric rubber roller mounted atop a laundry tub. It grabbed my finger and pulled it in before I panicked and yanked it out. Shaken, I wandered into the gas station lobby and heard a newsman talking through a transistor radio. John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas. I think about that moment and how small I felt. Moments like that make you feel like you are flying at 35,000 feet and the world seems small like me. The view gives me the mental space to see beyond my tiny life, my little town.
I remember when Karen’s dad died. We took off for Philadelphia on a frigid Oklahoma morning, the sun rising in a blaze of orange. Below the mighty Mississippi River snaked toward Memphis and the Gulf of Mexico. I wrote my father-inlaws eulogy on an American Airlines boarding pass at 35,000 feet. I still have it. I miss my father-in-law, Thom Mason, a kind, just, hard-working man. I like to think of him slightly higher than the jet stream, hovering in the clouds watching over our family. He is eating pretzels with Harry Truman, Wilbur and Orville, and they are naming states and telling stories about their favorite flights, warm and easy, and gravity is no longer a thing.
It’s Not Christmas...
Without the Lights
by Jason Fullerton
I’ll be honest: time changes get to me. I’m not the biggest fan of early sunsets and cold nights, but my aversion to the darkness is easily overcome once the lights of the Christmas season begin to shine. And what a sight they are! The way they flicker and shine, the joy they bring to the long, dark winter nights, and the oohs and aahs from children as they see the shapes, patterns, and colors. One home in my neighborhood has a beautiful display with LED panels set to music. I have parked in front of that house more than once this month, mesmerized by its beauty and wonder.
Like the dimness caused by Daylight Saving Time, sin brings spiritual darkness into the hearts of men and women who were created in God’s image to live in His light. We experience darkness for various reasons: our sin and rejection of God’s best for our lives, sickness or pain that leaves us feeling hopeless, and the loss of family, influence, joy, and hope. The darkness we experience comes in many forms and at all seasons but is often amplified during Christmas. In response to this conundrum, the prophet Isaiah prophesied that “the people who walk in darkness will see a great light, and for those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine” (Isaiah 9:2). Eight hundred years later, Jesus—the light of the world— came to illuminate our hearts and lives. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone (John 1:4).
According to the Library of Congress, before electric Christmas lights, families used candles to light up their Christmas trees. This practice was often dangerous and led to many home fires. Then, in 1882, a breakthrough occurred. Edward H. Johnson, a friend of Thomas Edison, the inventor of the electric light bulb, assembled the first string of electric
Christmas tree lights. He handwired 80 red, white, and blue light bulbs and wound them around his Christmas tree that year. This was just the beginning of a tradition that would eventually illuminate the world. Even with this breakthrough, the world was not ready for electric illumination. There was significant mistrust of electricity at that time. It wasn’t until 1895 that President Grover Cleveland requested the White House Christmas tree be illuminated by hundreds of multi colored electric light bulbs, spurring national interest and excitement. A quarter century later, on Christmas Eve 1923, President Calvin Coolidge began the country’s celebration of Christmas by lighting the National Christmas Tree with 3,000 electric lights on the Ellipse, located south of the White House. 1
How grateful we are for the lights of Christmas that remedy the physical darkness we experience. Now, because of the incarnation (Jesus coming to earth in human form), the spiritual darkness in our lives is also eliminated by the luminescence of our Savior. As Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12). His light isn’t found wrapped around a pine tree or hung from a rooftop. His shining light is best seen in our hearts and through our smiles.
If this Advent season finds you in darkness, do not despair. Remember, Jesus’s love, joy, and peace still shine into our cold, dim world as a reminder of His faithful presence amid our pain, suffering, and confusion. May you and yours experience His light this Christmas season. May you be enraptured by the wonder of His great light and His glorious love. Let this be a season of hope, a season of light, and a season of joy.
Pretty Woman
The Musical Hits Bartlesville in January
Single tickets for the Monday, January 6 production of PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL are on sale now at The Center, your stop for everything arts, events, and community.
Featured in the musical is Roy Orbison and Bill Dee’s international smash hit song “Oh, Pretty Woman,” which inspired the iconic movie. PRETTY WOMAN the film (produced by Arnon Milchan - New Regency Productions) was an international smash hit when it was released in 1990 Now see the musical when it hits the stage, for one night only, in Bartlesville!
PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL , based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories of all springs to life with a powerhouse creative team led by two-time Tony Award®-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde).
PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL features an original score by Grammy® winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (“Summer of ’69”, “Heaven”), and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J. F. Lawton. PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL will lift your spirits and light up your heart. “If you love the movie, you’ll love the musical!” (BuzzFeed News).
Later this spring, THE ADDAMS FAMILY and DEAR EVAN HANSEN hit The Center stage. Experience the same awarding-winning shows advertised in larger cities for a fraction of the price. Broadway in Bartlesville! guarantees the best seats at the best price. Visit one of Bartlesville’s many restaurants before the show, then enjoy free parking at The Center. Remember to shop local this holiday season!
Tickets make great holiday gifts for everyone on your list! Single tickets for all remaining shows or short season tickets Broadway in Bartlesville! subscriptions are available at The Center box office (300 SE Adams Boulevard), by visiting
bartlesvillecenter.com, or by calling 918-337-2787. The Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and evenings and weekends during scheduled concerts and events. Learn more at www.bartlesvillecenter.com.
Generous donations from The National Endowment for the Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the following local sponsors make this show and Broadway in Bartlesville! possible: Arvest Wealth Management * bMonthly Magazine * Cortney McClure Design * Mr. and Mrs. Paul Crawford * Examiner-Enterprise * Green Country Village * Keleher Architects * KGGF KUSN KQQR * KRIG KYFM KWON KPGM * Melody’s Creative Cuisine * Nowata Road Liquor * Phillips 66 * Price Tower Arts Center * Robinett|King * Dr. and Mrs. Richard Rutledge * Dr. and Mrs. William D. Smith * Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory * Ms. Terri Taylor * Truity Credit Union * Visit Bartlesville.
Charles Bordner High School Experience Let to Career in Air Force
by Joe Todd
Charles Bordner was born 20 January 1920 in in Stephenville, Texas. He was raised on a farm and used a walking plow in the garden and a riding plow in the fields. He started at Chalk Mountain School, a 2-room building and graduated from high school in 1936.
While in high school, an airplane landed in a nearby field and his father took him to see it and this started his interest in flying and he wanted to fly. After high school he enrolled at Tarleton College in Stephenville and studied Agriculture and Mechanics for two years.
He went to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida to join the Navy Air Force. He was 4 hours short of Mathematics and was told to finish his four hours of math and they would talk to him. He had never considered the Army Air Corps but heard they were giving examinations at Montgomery Field, Alabama. He took the examination and was accepted in the Army Air Corps September 1940. He was sent to Santa Maria, California for Primary Flight Training. Primary lasted 3 months and had Ground School and 60 hours flying time in the Stearman, a 2-seater with an open cockpit.
After Primary, he was sent to Bakersfield, California for Basic Flying School. He flew the BT-13 Airplane in Primary which had a 500 horsepower engine. There was no military base at Bakersfield and flew out of the Bakersfield Municipal Airport and the cadets lived in tents at the airport. Basic lasted about 3 months then was sent to Mather Field, near Stockton, California for Advanced Flying School.
He flew the AT-6 in Advanced, which had a retractable landing gear. He graduated from Advanced and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant 29 May 1940. He was assigned to Gardner Field near Taft, California as an instructor in Basic Flying School.
He said that many of the boys that washed out joined the Flying Tigers in China or went to Canada and flew with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the war. In flight training, they
were still civilians, so if they washed out, they were sent home. After he was commissioned, he was sent to Gardner Field at Taft, California and said he never had it so good.
He was raised on a farm and in the Air Corps, he had three meals a day, a place to stay and medical care. He was at Gardner Field when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The attack threw everything into a turmoil and it was thought the Japanese might invade the west coast. He spent one year at Gardner Field then was sent to Hobbs, New Mexico and transitioned to instructing student pilots in the B-17. Replacement crews were needed in Europe, and he volunteered in a replacement crew and was sent to England on the HMS Aquitania in the fall of 1944.
On the trip, he was the blackout officer and made sure there were no lights at night in case German submarines were in the area. The ship landed at Glasgow, Scotland and he was assigned to the 381st Bomb Group at Ridgewell, England. He was assigned to the crew of a B-17 as the pilot. He flew as a passenger on the first three missions to become familiarized with the bombing missions. He flew his first mission to Meresburg, Germany on 11 September 1944. He flew lead airplane on several missions and stated when the lead airplane drops their bombs, the other airplanes in the group drop their bombs.
The Bombardier used the Norden Bomb Sight and is in control of the airplane from the Initial Point to the target. He flew 21 missions and the last was 17 April 1945 to Czechoslovakia and seven B-17s were shot down from his group. When a B-17 was shot down, they counted parachutes to see how many crewmembers survived. The German antiaircraft guns and the German fighters are what terrified him. There was a large celebration on V-E Day then the 381st was sent to Iowa to prepare to go to the Pacific. They trained for the invasion but the war ended and he said there was another huge celebration on V-J Day. He farmed after the war and he and his wife moved to Bartlesville be near their son.
Making a Beeline
by Jay Hastings
The road between Tulsa and the Kansas state line was originally named State Route 12 in 1925, with the portion between Collinsville and Ochelata still not yet paved. In 1926, that lingering section was completed and, when the federal routes were developed, the road was designated as part of US 75.
North from downtown Tulsa, the original path passed through sections of Owasso, Collinsville, Vera, Ramona, Ochelata, Bartlesville, Dewey, Copan, and on into Caney, Kansas. The road, covered with Bates pavement, included several 90-degree curves and, just north of Vera, passed underneath the Santa Fe railroad track. The underpass would often fill with water after a heavy rain, requiring a pump to be installed. Eventually, the underpass was closed and a grade crossing at the track was installed instead.
After World War II, Oklahomans began buying automobiles and traveling in record numbers. Unfortunately, even by 1955, only 20 percent of the state’s highways had paved surfaces. Economic expansion was fueled by a boom in petroleum drilling and production and an increased federal defense presence. Tulsa and Oklahoma City businessmen encouraged state officials to think in terms of expanding the highway system, using the concept of toll roads to support construction and maintenance.
In the mid 1950s, US 75 between Tulsa and Bartlesville was reconstructed to include a straighter path. The new route bypassed the towns of Owasso, Collinsville, Vera, and Ochelata, and travel time was greatly improved. In 1982, further reconstruction from Tulsa, north to the Kansas state line, resulted in the divided four lane highway.
US 75 originally ran 1,239 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the
Canadian border. A several miles stretch of the road first opened for traffic in Houston on October 1, 1948. It was the first highway in Texas and was known as the Gulf Freeway. The entire segment south of Dallas to Galveston has since been decommissioned in favor of Interstate 45. The highway’s northern terminus is at Noyes, Minnesota, at a now-closed Canadian border crossing. At that point, the highway once continued north into Canada as Manitoba Highway 75.
In Oklahoma, the main line of US 75 between Okmulgee and Tulsa, known locally as the Okmulgee Beeline, is now a modern four-lane highway. This newer section of US 75 was named the Beeline because it was almost a straight shot between Tulsa and Okmulgee, bypassing the towns of Beggs and Sapulpa, which were further to the west and included in the original route. Motorist welcomed the opening of the Oklahoma Beeline on June 27, 1958, with a celebration, including local barbeque. Since that time, many businesses along the highway have used the word “beeline” in their names and/or advertisements. Though not as prevalent, some still include the language today. So, next time you “make a beeline” south, you know the story!
