Shout Out to a Friend!

Vol 7, Iss 17 Another week has passed! It is the last weekend of April, 2005 filled with April showers for some of us -- snow for the higher elevation mountain folks. Here in the Valley of SW Colorado things are greening up -- the birds are chirping, singing -- you can hear the gobbling of the turkeys in the early morning daylight hours.

We have had a wet week around here in the valley beginning on Monday. BUT... if you go up into the higher elevations -- mountains, you might catch a few inches of fresh snow that has melted about as fast as it accumulated this week. I am told that around 5 inches of snow had fallen in the mountains a few evenings ago -- overnight. Maybe Spring has sprung calendar-wise, BUT... not in the higher Rocky Mountains of Colorado!

Our travels this week take us back in time to 1947, NW Oklahoma via an aging, yellow newspaper dated 21 May 1947, The Alva Review-Courier. It was the Annual Graduate Edition 1947 -- listing 81 Seniors and their pictures from the Alva High School Class of '47. We have started scanning some of those photos and have a few of them put up on our OkieLegacy Photo Gallery - AHS '47.

We have more information about the Old Alva Golf & Country Club that was on the westside of Alva before the mid-1950s when the NEW Alva High school was built (1956). We know our grandpa Bill McGill played at that old golf & country club, but haven't located a picture of it yet. Maybe someone out there has a photo they would like to share with us. We also have a turn of the century cowboy photo that one of our readers sent us this week. You can see that old photo in the Mailbag Corner. AND... Yes! We have most of our PARIS / MCGILL / WAGNER Family data inputted into our family tree program. If some of our family stops by and can help us fill-in some missing/misplaced family information, we would love to hear from ALL of you. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Duchess' Snowy Domain

Vol 12, Iss 4 As we round the last corner of January 2010, we have had a couple or three days of reprieve from snow storms here in the San Juan mountains of Southwest Colorado, but it has been downright chilly with temps in the high 20s and low 30s during the day and dropping to negative figures at night. BUT … Isn't that to be expected during Wintertime?

Last Monday evening the snow began to fall here in the San Juan mountains of Southwest Colorado. With twelve hour breaks, it snowed for the next four days, adding an additional twenty-six (26) inches of fresh snow North of Bayfield. Our snow gauge at the end of Friday evening and into Saturday measured a total of 43 inches, of which 17 inches was the compacted base of the December 2009 snow. Do I have you confused yet?

Anyway … as of Sunday our 43 inches of snow compacted down to 38 inches. Thursday and Friday's snow were of the heavy, wet variety. There were some reports of avalanches and short power outages around Vallecito, and others areas near Durango.

They say that the 35 inches that fell in Durango is also Durango's total for January, which is more than twice the average January snowfall of 16.9 inches.

The historical record for snowfall in January occurred in 1916 when 74 inches fell. The 2nd- and 3rd-highest snowfalls for January occurred in 1980 when 58½ inches fell -- in 1957 when 58 inches fell.

The photo above, taken by Robert L. Wagner, 22 January 2010, shows a panorama view from the backside of a cabin up at Vallecito Lake where the snow slid down the cliffs onto the back patio blocking the occupants from opening the backdoor.

There were other avalanches around here and near Durango, Colorado as well. On County Road (CR) 500, south of what some referr to as Wits Ends there was an avalance of snow measuring eight feet deep and 800 feet length that blocked CR 500.

The sun did come out, finally, Saturday, Sunday and Today, Monday. Looks like we have another snowstorm waiting on the horizon for Wednesday of this week. Southwest Colorado's average snowfall for January is usually around 16.9 inches. So … We have practically doubled that amount so far and January is not over yet. The skiers and resorts are loving, though.

As to this week's OkieLegacy ezine, we are exploring and sharing some history of that famous "Westpoint of the West," known as Kemper Military School, that our Uncle Robert Lee McGill attended in 1937 and 1938 before he advanced to University of Kentucky.

By the way, one of the students during that time was from a town in Oklahoma called "Wolco." Where is/was Wolco, Oklahoma? In Osage county? This NW Okie had never heard of Wolco. Can someone enlighten us and share some legacies of Wolco, Osage county, Oklahoma? Thanks for your help!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Who Was St. Nicholas? Sinterklaas? Santa Claus?

Vol 11, Iss 51 With just four days before christmas, have you ever wondered … WHY? What is the real meaning of Christmas? Who was St. Nicholas? How does that relate to our Santa Claus of today? How did the Santa Claus tradition begin?

From the information we have gleaned online, it appears that the true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara, a Greek area that is now on the southern coast of Turkey.

The historical Saint Nicholas is represented with a full, short white beard, and wearing the red cape of a bishop over white priestly robes. He carries a crosier, or elaborate shepherd’s crook, and wears a red bishop’s mitre, or pointed hat. In Eastern Orthodox iconography, he is often shown holding a book of the Gospels, with Jesus Christ over one shoulder and Theotokos, the Greek name for Mary, Mother of Jesus, over the other.

As the story goes … Nicholas' wealthy parents raised him to be a devout Christian. His parents died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man.

Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

It was under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, that Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith and was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th (December 19 on the Julian Calendar).

There have been many stories through the centuries -- legends have been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds. Perhaps these accounts will help us understand his extra-ordinary character and why he was so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need. Perhaps this is what Christmas Day or St. Nicholas Day is really about!

There is one story that tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value … a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery.

Mysteriously … on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver. Does this sound familiar yet?

One of the oldest stories showing St. Nicholas as a protector of children takes place long after his death. The townspeople of Myra were celebrating the good saint on the eve of his feast day when a band of Arab pirates from Crete came into the district. They stole treasures from the Church of Saint Nicholas to take away as booty.

As they were leaving town, they snatched a young boy, Basilios, to make into a slave. The emir, or ruler, selected Basilios to be his personal cupbearer, as not knowing the language, Basilios would not understand what the king said to those around him. So, for the next year Basilios waited on the king, bringing his wine in a beautiful golden cup. For Basilios' parents, who were devastated at the loss of their only child, the year passed slowly, filled with grief. As the next St. Nicholas' feast day approached, Basilios' mother would not join in the festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy. However, she was persuaded to have a simple observance at home—with quiet prayers for Basilios' safekeeping. Meanwhile, as Basilios was fulfilling his tasks serving the emir, he was suddenly whisked up and away. St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy, blessed him, and set him down at his home back in Myra. Imagine the joy and wonderment when Basilios amazingly appeared before his parents, still holding the king's golden cup. This is the first story told of St. Nicholas protecting children—which became his primary role in the West.

Saint Nicholas … Wikipedia says, "(Greek: Άγιος Νικόλαος , Agios ["saint"] Nikolaos ["victory of the people"]) (270 - 6 December 346) is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra (Demre, in Lycia, part of modern-day Turkey). Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose English name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as is common for early Christian saints.[3] In 1087, his relics were furtively translated to Bari, in southeastern Italy; for this reason, he is also known as, Nicholas of Bari."

Are we getting close to the origins of our Santa Claus (or … Sinterklaas) … yet?

They say that the historical Saint Nicholas is remembered and revered among Catholic and Orthodox Christians and is also honoured by various Anglican and Lutheran churches. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, and children, and students in Greece, Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro. He is also the patron saint of Barranquilla, Bari, Amsterdam, Beit Jala, Siggiewi and Liverpool.

It was in 1809 that the New-York Historical Society convened and retroactively named Santa Claus the patron saint of Nieuw Amsterdam, the Dutch name for New York City.

My Ancestors, Couwenhoven (a.k.a Conover) were some of those Dutch settlers that settled in Nieuw Amsterdam (NYC). You follow the above URL and following URLs to scroll through our family tree of Couwenhoven / Conover Dutch ancestors that married into our PARIS lineage.

This is the Couwenhoven/Conover Lineage down to NW Okie:
* gerrit jansz couwenhoven
* wolphert gerritsz2 van kouwenhoven (1579-1662)
* gerret wolfersen van kouwenhoven (1610-1648)
* willem gerretse couwenhoven (1636-1723)
* jan "john" willemse couwenhoven (1681-1756)
* dominicus covenhoven (1724-1778)
* peter conover (1769-1835)
* jonathan coombs conover (1797-1859)
* peter conover (1822-1900)
* sarah frances conover (1848-1924)
* ernest claude paris (1879-1959)
* vada eileen paris (mcGill) (1916-1992)
* Linda Kay McGill (Wagner) (1948-living)

BUT … Back to what brought this all about … the talk of Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas was also a patron of the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emperors, who protected his relics in Bari. A nearly identical story is attributed by Greek folklore to Basil of Caesarea. Basil's feast day on January 1 is considered the time of exchanging gifts in Greece.

St. Nicholas Day is all about the "Spirits of Giving Around the World." In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas or St. Nicholas can be found wearing traditional bishop's robes, as he rides into towns across Holland on a white horse where he is typically greeted with a parade. Each year, Dutch television broadcasts the official arrival of St. Nicholas live to the nation.

The children of Holland look forward with excitement to his arrival on the evening of December 5, putting out carrots and hay for his horse. In return they receive gifts, candies, cookies, fruit and nuts. The children sometimes get letters from St. Nick filled with clever poetry.

To some -- To me, St. Nicholas Day and Christmas is not about the celebration of a birth, but is about the "Spirit of Giving Around the World."

It is perfectly alright with me if you want to celebrate Christmas as a birth, though. I have no problem with that. I prefer to celebrate Christmas as a season for giving of yourself and your particular talents! WHY … can't we all be like St. Nicholas … known for our generosity and giving! -- People Helping People!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Duchess Deer Domain

Vol 11, Iss 47 HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ... Welcome to our Evening eZine/Newspaper! Seems like NW Okie has left this Duchess Pug with a heavy load the past few weeks. I'm goin' take a long snooze afterwards with my wildlife creatures in my Deer Domain … AND … GO ON STRIKE!

By the way … Have you met my friend Mr. Buck pictured on the left while he was grazing on fallen wildbird seed mix?

Mr.Buck and other deer have been grazing in our backyard the past few weeks waiting for another cold front to come through here sometime after and around the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Mr. Buck says, "Hello!"

NW Okie is in the process of merging the Warwick McGill Paris Wagner families into one tree over at our ancestry.com family website. If you are already an ancestry.com member -- I have sent you a "Guest" invite to our family genealogy, come over and check it out -- leave a comment -- a family story -- help me refine the information that I have gathered so far.

NW Okie says, "If you don't mind the mess, drop over and see our 3980 family tree of our Paternal Maternal Wagner surnames.

NW Okie would also like to send you an invite to McGill-Paris-Wagner on ancestry.com, a place where we can learn more about our family history and share what we discover, together. You can view and print this family tree as well as historical records, images, stories, etc. that are attached to it.

If she has NOT already sent you a "Guest" invite and you are interested, let us know your email address so we can send you a "Guest" invite so you can view, comment on our family genealogy.

Ancestry.com allows you to participate by in our family genealogy by:
* Commenting on people, images, and stories
* Adding photos and stories
* Adding, editing, and deleting names

Did I mention this before … The family tree already has 3980 people, 8 photos, 0 stories and 563 historical records. More old photos will be added later.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Duchess' Domain

Vol 11, Iss 33 Can you remember what you were doing 40 years ago, during the Summer of '69, August 15-18, 1969 to be exact? Were you one of those 450,000 rock-n-roll music lovers, hippies making their way to the "Peace & Love" Woodstock Festival at White Lake, New York? Lots was happening the Summer of '69!

This Duchess NW Okie was from that era of America Rock N Roll, but was stuck in Alva, Oklahoma, and had been a newly wed for a couple weeks and David was still either at National Guard summer camp at Ft. Sill or coming home.

The NW Okie did not make it to Northwest Oklahoma and Freedom's PCRA Rodeo and Old Cowhand reunion.

If someone out there in northwest Oklahoma has a copy of the Freedom Rodeo Program, NW Okie would love to have a copy for her archives. Send us a copy c/o Linda Wagner, PO Box 619, Bayfield, CO 81122.

We would love to see how our full-page AD for "The OkieLegacy" and "McGill Sisters L & C Corporation" turned out in the Freedom Rodeo program with a 1908 photo of Constance Warwick, McGill Sister's 1908 Old Cowhand.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Vol 11, Iss 11 Yep! The wearing of the emerald-green for some of us Irish is just around the corner. Tuesday to be exact! I am thinking about wearing my green into Durango and partaking of some Irish stew and green beer on St. Patricks Day.

We have gotten back to working on our Warwick family genealogy, somewhat -- following friends on Twitter and Facebook and setting up a Facebook - Warwick Genealogy Group on our Facebook site. For all those savvy Facebook addicts, you can Facebook Linda McGill Wagner and Twitter With OkieLegacy.

The reason I have been gathering Warwick family information is because someone asked me if I would write a story about the McGill Ranch North of Waynoka. To do the story justly, I need to take you back to when my Great-Grandparents John R. and Signora Belle (a.k.a Sigga B.) Warwick made the Run of 1893 in the Cherokee Strip of Oklahoma Territory. That is just one of the projects that I have on my full plate of "To Dos."

I am remembering bits and pieces of our family trip back to the Virginia in 1960 or so ... It seems as though we visited, I think, Sam Lindsay, in West Virginia, and he had grown these huge tomatoes on stakes. I donot know if it was the virginia variety, or what, BUT ... they were gigantic in size. The tomatoes were bigger than my one hand could hold. I am hoping my sister will read this and help me out with more of those memories of the early 1960 trip to Virginia.

Anyway ... My dad brought some of the tomatoes and seeds from those tomatoes back to Oklahoma to plant in his vegetable garden out at the Ranch. Not sure the tomatoes ever got as big as they did in West Virginia, though!

A couple of weeks ago, Louise in Waynoka mentioned, "We need some rain, everything is trying to green up, but we have a moisture problem."

I Hope you NW Okies finally got some moisture along with a quick cold front this week. We hear it turned cold this week in the northwest parts with snow and ice."

The Balmer Fund has placed a FREE AD in our "Classifieds" that reads: "PEOPLE PERSON?  Sell ads for Prairie Connection, flexible hours. Contact: iread@prairieconnect.com." If you are in the area of Harper, KS and NW Oklahoma, you might give the Balmer Fund a shout and check out this job opportunity.

Someone always seems to ask me, "How much are the subscriptions to the OkieLegacy newsletter?" In reply I write back and tell them this is a FREE weekly online newsletter! There is NO CHARGE! It is a labor of love and devotion to publish this OkieLegacy ezine each week. If it helps one person out there make a connection in their genealogy records, then that is all the reward I need!

Here are some Crossword Puzzle instructions for those who have not figured it out on your own:
* Select a clue from the clue list to activate the puzzle space, then type in your answer.
* If you want to pencil in a temporary answer, click the pencil button on the left column, fill-in the answer.
* To reveal a letter, select the space on the puzzle you want revealed, then click the reveal letter button.
* To reveal a word, select the clue you want answered, then click the reveal button.
* To reveal the entire puzzle, click the solution button.
* To revert back to an empty puzzle, click the revert button.

Happy Coming St. Patricks Day!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Pugs & SW Colorado Cooler, Drier Air

Vol 10, Iss 22 Well! What these horses hear from those SW Coloradians is, "We (NW Okie, David & The Pugs) left northwest Oklahoma early last Thursday morning and arrived at Bayfield, Colorado around 6:30 p.m. MDT after about a 12 hour drive through, western Oklahoma, southwestern Kansas and southeast Colorado."

They reached the 70 degree temperatures around Walsenberg, Colorado on Hwy 160. We hear the gas prices ranged from $3.81.9 in Alva, OK to $3.95.9 on westward through Kansas and Colorado. The highest gas price was at the Springfield, Colorado station on the south edge of town -- in the $4 range for regular. maybe they should have driven to the north edge of Springfield, Colorado and found the gas prices a few cents below the $4 dollar mark.

Memorial Weekend In Oklahoma
NW Okie spent last week's Memorial weekend placing red roses on her ancestors McGill/Warwick gravestones, especially her great-uncle Wilbur Warwick (Grandmother Constance Warwick McGill's younger brother) who had died at the age of one year in 1896. Wilbur is buried in Block eight of the Alva Cemetery with other young babies who died at a young age.

Horses @ Fairvalley
One our readers told me last week, that she really enjoys seeing photos of our horses. So... for those horse enthusiasts, you can check out our OkieLegacy YouTube site for a short movie files of our horses getting a squirt of spray to control the small flies buzzing them this while we up there last week. If that link doesn't get you there, then try Horses at Fairvalley, OK.

Scissortail Flycatchers In NW OK
A few days ago, our youngest son, Robert L. Wagner, took some movie clips of a Scissortail Flycatcher that likes to frequent Alva's northend of the park down by the pond. Robert says the Scissortail is quite friendly and likes posing for the camera. Have you been to Alva's park lately?

Alva High Reunions
While we were in Alva, OK last weekend, we hear that the Alva High Class of '63 held their reunion out at the VIP Club, South of town. AND... it seems the Class of '88 Goldbugs also met that same weekend. Are there any '63 or '88 Goldbugs out there that have more information on those class reunions held last weekend?

Colorado Hummingbirds
As to the SW Colorado hummingbirds had been without hummingbird juice for the couple of weeks that NW Okie was gone. The hummingbirds are slowly coming back, but most have gone to a more productive feeder.

Duchess says, "I love this cool, drier climate, 'cause this pug doesn't have to breathe so hard to cool off here in Colorado."
View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

On the Road To Oklahoma

Vol 9, Iss 45 We hear NW Okie is "On the Road to Oklahoma" this weekend. somewhere in Garden City, Kansas this Saturday evening -- heading towards Northwest Oklahoma for it's Centennial Celebration next weekend, November 16, 2007.

That good-looking palomino gazing over the fence is me, "Nugget." Some people back in Northwest Oklahoma used to call me "Trigger," but NW Okie renamed me after her dad's old palomino stallion that Gene McGill raised from a colt when NW Okie was just a small child.

Anyway... that spotted paint horse grazing on hay behind me is NW Okie's painthorse, "Quoti." That is short for the Cherokee name, "Diquoti."

The youngest mare in this pasture is Maggie. She is somewhere around here. I thinks she is out in the pasture watching the dozen or so deer grazing as the 4-point buck stands guard a little ways up the sloping hill to the south pasture.

David and Duchess are watching over us while NW Okie and Sadie are on the road to Oklahoma.

NW Okie wanted me to run this past everyone and see how some of you might feel if we moved our "OkieLegacy Ezine" to Monday, instead of Saturday. We will be thinking seriously about it for the next few weeks to see what the majority of the readers feel about it. Email NW Okie at mcwagner.lk@gmail.com. Thanks!

Hi! Ho! Silver! As they say in the old TV western movies! Remember that western on the telly?
View/Write Comments (count 6)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Vol 8, Iss 30 Everyone needs a Rainbow shining in their lives now and then! So -- let us share this southwest Colorado rainbow that we captured the other evening after a light thundershower. We don't know if the picture does it justice, but hope we captured the beautiful full colors that we saw with the naked eye.

This week we have come across some information concerning the 1910 Woods county attorney, Claud McCrory, that resigned from that possession around January, 1911. It seems McCrory's health and the stress of prosecuting the "Old Opera House Murder Trial" had taken its toll on McCrory -- that being one of the reasons that he resigned in 1911 (according to the McCrory family legacy).

Another thing we are in search of is Northwestern's song that was titled "Old Northwestern" or "Castle On the Hill." We found a "Castle On the Hill" poem written by Thelma Meyers that appeared in the 1938 Ranger Yearbook. Could this be the lyrics to the "Old Northwestern" song?

Happy 37th Anniversary to David & Linda (McGill) Wagner, July 30, 2006!
View/Write Comments (count 4)   |   Receive updates (3 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Vol 8, Iss 9 Opening of the northwest corner of the Old Castle on the Hill campus. In other words... only the rubble remains of the women's dorm (Oklahoma Hall) on the norhtwest corner of NWOSU's campus, in Alva, Oklahoma. What a sight! This photograph was taken last week by R.L. Wagner. Thanks, Robb!

As to our progress of inputting back issues of "The OkieLegacy Ezine" into our database, we are up (or back) to Vol. 6, Iss. 33 so far. We still have some mailbag features for those issues to fill in yet. We thank you for your patience and understanding while we slowly tredge along.

Seems to this writer that we jogged a few memories again last week. You can review last week's comments through the links in our Mailbag corner - "The Rest of the Story."

We learned of one of the professors (John Cameron) that taught the air cadet pilots at NSTC, in 1944. AND... several have stated that, "Yes!" Shirley Temple's husband was stationed as a training pilot at Northwestern in Alva, Oklahoma around that time.

AND... The 92nd College Training Detachment was the last group to be trained at NSTC in 1944. It was July, 1944 that they were shipped out to Fredrick, Oklahoma before going to San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center. This information came from Tom McCarrick of California. McCarrick also mentioned that he played trumpet and led the dance band at the "Cadet Club" for the St. Patricks Dance, March 14, 1944.

That bit of information reminded me of my Uncle Bob McGill that played the trumpet in a dance band back around the time of 1938 when he was going to school at Kemper Military, in Booneville, Missouri. AND... a group of that same band played on a voyage to Europe aboard the ship Europa, during the Summer of '38.

Enough of memories for now! As February passes to March this last week -- Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday were ushered in like a lamb around the valley area of SW Colorado. What have you given up for Lent for the next 40-some days?

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Giving Thanks & Genealogy Info

Vol 10, Iss 47 As a dry, cold front settled through Southwest Colorado by mid-week we encountered gas prices falling below the $2 mark in Durango, Colorado.

Also... Nugget, Quoti and Maggie were caught on film this week with friends at Clark's West Ranch in Northwest Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, NW Okie has been busy updating and moving her genealogy database to a new site. We deleted our Gencircles.com genealogy database.

NOW... Our Paris-Conover-Hurt (Geneanet.org) can be found at these two links - myheritage.com (Paris Family Site).

When you click the MyHeritage site link you will be able to pick between the "Paris-Conover-Hurt" pages and the McGill-Warwick-Gwin-Hull & Wagner-Williams-Zimmerman .

I also received this week some Louthan family history and information from Tom Fetters in Illinois. I haven't got it all transcribed yet, but I am still working on merging that information into my maternal genealogy data for the Paris/Conover/Hurt family file.

There are two different genealogy sites we are trying out, the MyHeritage site, which allows photos and comments, and the Geneanet.org site which has the traditionally, indented family tree form -- which makes for easier viewing and navigating.

See what you think and let me know which one you like the best. If you have a genealogy site that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to use, we would love to hear from you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING is just around the corner. Take a few moments and reflect on things around you, and for what you are thankful for this year.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Alva High Class of 66...

Vol 7, Iss 27 Last Saturday evening the '66 Classic Bugs & Bugettes of Alva High met at "Champs Bar & Grill" in Alva, Oklahoma with the Classes of '64 & '65 for their Class Reunions.

These are the Class of '66 that showed up for their 39th Reunion. There were some of the female's married names that have slipped our memories for now. BUT... if you can help us out, you could enlighten us and leave a comment below. Their maiden names are in parenthesis. Not pictured are Jan Little and Carolyn (Deinlein) Sample.
Front-row, left to right... Kathy (Kamas), Carolyn (Graves), Johnette (Scribner) Beagley, Linda (Hada) Murphy, Connie (Henderson) Woodson, Gwenell (Johnson), Linda (Leeper) Leist, Jean (McGuire), Linda (McGill) Wagner;
Second-row, left to right... Jim Scribner, Tom Blue, Allan Wilson, Hadley Hintergardt, Patsy (Hager) Headlee, Stan Kline, Rhonda (Meredith) Stephenson;
Back-row, left to right... Kirk Fisher, Jim Harrington.

See MORE July, 2005 AHS Reunion Photos at NW OkieLegacy Webshots - AHS Class Reunion View/Write Comments (count 2)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

600 Block of Barnes Avenue - Alva, OK...

Vol 7, Iss 25 We have been reading in our Footprints Across Woods County history book -- looking for information on the Pribble Hotel, DeGeers Grocery Store, Illinois Cigar Store and Alva Body & Fender Works.

We didn't find anything yet about DeGeers Grocery store, but did find some information about Charles Frazer Grocery Store that was located on the North side of the square at 506 Flynn, in Alva, Oklahoma.

As to the Alva Body & Fender Works... In 1937 it was owned and operated by Harry & Del Brunsteter at 630 Barnes Avenue. In 1946 the Packard contract was accepted and created a need for more space -- so a new building was constructed at 401 Barnes and by December 6, 1946 the move was made. In May 1961, Del Brunsteter sold the business to Raymond Rhodes.

Remember Brunsteter's Illinois Cigar Store? In 1918 it was owned and operated by W.E. "Earl" Brunsteter as an oasis for recreation and noted for its carpeting, marble fixtures, polished spitoons, and respectability. In 1926 Earl sold the cigar store to Bill Brand who operated and maintained it through the 1950s.

Someone told me the beginning of this week that the DeGeer General Store might have been in the 600 block of Barnes Avenue about two doors west of the old McGill Brothers swimming pool. The old swimming pool has since been filled, AND... the building two doors or so west of it may still be there. BUT... which building was Brand's Cigar Store? If there is anyone else out there that could enlighten us concerning the DeGeer Grocery Store, don't be shy. Leave us a comment here or email Linda at EMAIL: mcwagner.lk@gmail.com. Thanks! Here is a link to NW OkieLegacy Webshots - 600 Block of Barnes Ave, Alva. View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Wednesday Morning Backing on Maple Street...

Vol 7, Iss 21 Well! Oakie is at it again! Trying to put the blame on me and my friend, Ruff! It wasn't this Pug and Ruff that was backing out of the driveway Wednesday morning. It was Oakie!

Here's How It Really Happened: It was the morning of 25 May 2005, about 9:15 a.m., Wednesday morning. The Go-dogs (Duchess & Ruff) were minding their own business in the house. If you listen to Oakie's story it would sound like, "it was all Duchess' doing ... coaxing poor Ruff into taking her for a cruise around the block and to the coffee & donut shop."

Anyway, Oakie was backing out of the driveway of 1027 Maple, Wednesday morning, around 9:15 a.m., at approximately 2 or 3-mph. Oakie was looking over her right shoulder and straight back through to the back window of the Toyota TUNDRA while backing into the westbound lane, in the 1000 block of Maple Street when she bumped something behind that was allegedly in her blindspot. She stopped! She pulled forward and stopped again -- got out to check the damages -- got back in the Toyota TUNDRA (pickup) -- pulled back into the driveway. She then proceeded to gather her license, insurance form and digital camera. She proceeded across the street to the neighbors house to find the owner. With Insurance verification, drivers license information, Oakie offers to exchange information with the owner of the parked '98 Ford Explorer Sport. The young girl, whose vehicle was parked facing West along the north curb of Maple Street, decides to call her father. The father instructs her to call the police for this minor backing incident.

SO... while we wait for what seems like 15 to 20 minutes for the police to arrive on the scene, Oakie is out taking digital photos of the two vehicles for her insurance company. We didn't just get one police officer, but two... arriving in two vehicles for this backing incident with probably only less than $500 to $600 damages.

One of the frontpage sub-headlines in the local newspaper stated a few days later: "WEDNESDAY MORNING ACCIDENT -- Around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, Linda McGill Wagner, 57, of Alva, driving a green 2001 Toyota Tercel, backed into a parked red 1998 Ford Explorer owned by Tony Reed, also of Alva. Reed's Ford was legally parked facing west in the 1000 block of Maple. Wagner backed from north out of a driveway across the eastbound lane into Reed's vehicle, hitting Reed's Explorer in the driver's side front fender at approximately 10 mph. Safety equipment was in use in the accident. Reed's Explorer received approximately $500 damage. Wagner's Toyota sustained damage estimated at $600. No citations were issued in the accident. Officer Michael Eckhardt noted Wagner for improper backing."

Oakie was thinking that they got her age wrong, but that was about the only thing that was correct. AND... We believe there is a BIG difference between a Toyota TERCEL (as stated in the newspaper) and a Toyota TUNDRA, which Oakie drives! AND... the speed wasn't 10-mph, but only about 2 or 3-mph. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Our Family Genealogy Database...

Vol 7, Iss 16 This Genealogy & Family Tree stuff is like "A Neverending Story" ... There is NEVER a Finishing point. Meanwhile our work on updating our genealogy files to our family database is progressing rapidly on our MCGILL / PARIS / WAGNER Family Tree. We spent the week inputting our PARIS/CONOVER (our mother's side of the family) into the database. We still need to input our HURT family. There are CONOVER / COUWENHOVEN / KOUWENHOVEN / VAN KOUWENHOVEN ancestors that date back to the mid-1500s, in Holland (Netherlands). Our PARIS family tree has over 1500 persons so far. Stay Tuned for Updates in the next few weeks!

• McGill/Warwick/Hull/Gwin Genealogy
• Paris/Conover/Hurt/Markvicka
• Wagner/Williams/Irwin/Zimmerman
• Paris Genealogy Database

Our NEW Grand Niece

Vol 7, Iss 13 March 24, 2005 we received news that our NEW grand niece made her appearance known. That's our grand-niece on David's side of the family. Erin Lillian was born 0743 EST, March 24, 2005, in Atlanta, GA, weighing in at 6lb. 14 oz., 21 inches. We hear that Mother and baby Erin are doing well. Welcome, Erin, into our family!

That has spurred this family historian to dust-off the family genealogy program and do some updating. BUT... I have had to start from scratch to rebuild the family genealogy database. Since I've changed computers over the last few years, I can't seem to find any of my "gedcom" files. I've had to print out my webpages and start inputting families in from scratch -- starting with my "Family Tree Legend" -- GenCircles.com -- MCGILL Genealogy. I'm hoping to get the WARWICK, HULL/HOHL, GWIN/GUINN/GWINN, PARIS, HURT & WAGNER families added in the coming weeks. I know there are programs (ged2html) out there that translate gedcom files to gendex.txt files to use on your webpages. BUT... is there any program out there that will translate the gendex.txt files back to gedcom files? It seems like a few years ago there was something like that. It would sure help about now in the rebuilding the family genealogy database. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

1926 Alva Businesses

Vol 6, Iss 39 Alva, Oklahoma - 1926 Alva Businesses - NW OkieLegacy Webshots - 1926 Ranger AdsLane's Confectionery
Crouch Studio
Marcum & Branson Tires
Schnitzner Market
Alva Laundry & Dry Cleaners
The Band Box Millinery
The City Bakery
Farmer's Independent Oil Co.
Winter Brothers
McHenry Cafe
Amsden Lumber Co.
Pribble Hotel
W. C. Wilkinson
Unique Confectionery
L. A. Wagner Cash Grocery
Rexall Drug Store
South Side Barber/Beauty Parlor
Bell's Ice Cream Co.
Carrell Music Co.
Alva Roller Mills
Ellis Studio
Kavanaugh & Shea
Weinrich Clothing Co.
Mountain Oil Co
J. C. Hess Ins.
Hurd Motor Co
Fettke & McHugh
Tanner Bros. Clothing Co.
E. W. Tanner Co.
The Tea Store
Crowell Bros.
Elk Barber Shop
Alva Storage Battery Co.
Oklahoma Cigar Store
Hughey & Kennon Ins.
Majestic Theatre
The Ranger Shop
Pullman Cafe
Cochran Drug Co.
Bynum's Hamburger Stand
W. W. Starr
The Alva Record
First National Bank
J. C. Penney Co.
Monfort Drug & Bookstore
High Grade Oil Co.
R. I. DeGeer Groceries
Monfort-Smith Jewelers
Tyree Brothers Clothiers
W. B. Fowitz Funeral Home
Palace Barber Shop
Dr. A. W. Clark Dentist
R. J. McCormick Jeweler
Pood's Shining Parlor
City Tailors
Alva Motor Co.
Bradbury's College Book Store
J. A. Renfrew & Co. Furniture
W. E. Eutsler Grocery
Schaefer-Doolin Mtg. Co.
The Bobbing Shoppe
New Racket Store
Maxwell Printing Co.
Hub Tailor Co.
Joe Edwards Motor Co.
McGill Bros. Furniture
McGill Swimming Pool
Illinois Cigar Store
Alva Motorcycle & Bicycle Shop
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Freedom, OK's 2008 Old Cowhand - Dean Wilson

Vol 10, Iss 34 We didn't make it back to Northwest Oklahoma last weekend for Freedom's Rodeo, Cowhand Reunion and Shootout. BUT... We read in this week's NW Oklahoma weekly newspaper, The Freedom Call, that Dean Wilson was the honored Old Cowhand this year (2008) at Freedom's Old Cowhand Reunion & Rodeo.

What we know of Dean Wilson from that article is that he married Betty Hackney, April 29, 1951. Both Dean and Betty worked for the Kamas Brothers Ranch; thereafter the young couple moved to Protection, Kansas to work for Betty’s uncle, Lloyd Hackney. At this same time, family was blessed with the birth of daughter RoAnn and son Randy.

In 1954 the Wilson family headed to the Parker and Beely Ranch just north of the Kansas line and daughter Sharil was born.

From 1958 to 1961, the family worked the Gregg Ranch just southeast of Wimore, Kansas. There, Dean, enjoyed the kind of work he loved, but had a few more acres to ride. It wasn’t all work. The family would stay busy with the birth of twins, Darol and Carol.

Finally in 1961, Dean rented 880 acres northeast of Mooreland, Oklahoma. He bought a cow herd, horses and a few hogs. While living in Mooreland, the late Darrel Eden approached Dean and ask him to manage the Freedom Propane Company. So in 1964 when the owner of the Mooreland acreage put it up for sale, the Wilson family gladly jumped at the chance to move back “home” to Freedom.

All three of Dean and Betty’s daughters had been crowned Freedom Rodeo Queens, as well as serving as attendants. Even granddaughter Sabrina was crowned Queen in 2002.

Congratulations to Dean Wilson and his family from the OkieLegacy and McGill Sisters L&C Corporation (Dorthy & Linda).

If anyone out there has an extra copy of the <2008 Freedom Rodeo Program for the 71st Rodeo & Cowhand Reunion, I would sure love to have a copy. You can mail it to me: Linda Wagner, PO Box 619, Bayfield, CO 81122. Thanks!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Share Bros. of Oklahoma Territory

Vol 9, Iss 24 I was doing some looking back at bits, pieces that I have gathered on the Share Brothers of Oklahoma Territory. Amongst the information, it looks like the Share brothers were native of Michigan and had a mercantile business in Harper, Kansas in what is known as the 'Buckeye building' before moving their mercantile business to Alva, Oklahoma Territory.

Charles C. Share was a native of Michigan, but engaged in the mercantile business at Harper, Kansas, for several years. He moved his stock of goods to Alva in 1901 and consolidated it with that of Sylvester B. Share & Bros' department store. Charles C. Share had been a cashier of that big institution in 1904. He was also in the class of Woods County progressive citizens.

J. D. Share was also a native of Michigan. He located in Wellington, Kansas, 1872, and engaged in the drygoods business until he came to Alva in September, 1895, where he was already had an interest with his brother, Sylvester B. They built the first brick business house in the city. Afterwards adding two more brick rooms, making the buildings combined 75 by 150 feet. They also built the Alva National Bank block of four business rooms, with offices upstairs, and later the post office building. Mr. Share was vice-president of the 'first commercial club,' and was always active in furthering any enterprise for the general benefit of the city. He served one year (1900) as a member of the 'Territorial Board of Education' for 'Normal Schools', and in 1901 was elected a member of the city council and was active in re-organizing Alva as a city of the first class, making its laws, among other things.

Sylvester B. Share was an Alva, Oklahoma pioneer native of Michigan. Sylvester B. Share came to Harper, Kansas, about 1884 and engaged in the mercantile business. Sylvester B. Share came to Alva, Oklahoma Territory in the spring of 1894 and opened a large general merchandise store. Sylvester B. Share was very liberal, enthusiastic in furthering the interests of the city. Like his brother, Sylvester served two terms on the city council, years of 1894-5. In 1909 he was of the firm of S. B. Share and Bros. large department store in Alva, Oklahoma Territory.

It seems as though the Share brothers and their descendants touched many lives in this northwest Oklahoma Territory and across the northern border into Kansas. Today many northwest Oklahomans will remember Charles Morton "Corky" Share as the son of Charles C. Share. "Charles Morton Share Trust has been used to build many businesses, new hospital, library, etc...

As a little girl living on the southwest corner of 7th & Church Street, in a two-story white, frame house, in Alva, Oklahoma, my family (including myself, a.k.a, & Linda Kay McGill) were neighbors of Charles "Corky" Morton Share.

To this impressionable, shy little girl in the 1950’s, Charles “Corky” Morton Share was a single, quiet, heavy set man, whom lived in the white frame house just south of us. Corky Share (Charles Morton Share) died June 13, 1959 and is buried in block A-086-07 of the Alva cemetery with his parents.

I do not remember much about the man and my neighbor as I was a rather shy, introverted, impressionable young thing in my early youth back then and things seemed to easily scare me. All that I remember about "Corky" Share was that he seemed to be a quiet, heavy set man that kept to himself and lived with his widowed mother. I don’t know if that is true or not. BUT... I kept to myself and really did not get to know him like I probably should have as a neighbor.

Corky seemed tall to this short shy neighborhood girl in her early youth. I can only speak for myself, Corky seemed a bit frightening. I don't know if it was the neighborhood kids that started the rumor or not, but we were told that if we went in his back yard all hell would break loose. Now that I have grown older and wiser, I see that the rumor may have been something that the kids in the block started because Corky kept to himself. It is always easier looking back and seeing what you would like to change, isn't it?

I remember the many fruit trees he had in his backyard. There was one year that Charles Morton Share let my baby sister, Amber, pick some fruit from his trees to make him a pie. I guess my baby sister was a bit more outgoing than I was. BUT... I think my mother made the pie for her.

Anyway, when Charles Morton Share died in 1959, he bequeathed a stuffed pelican to my baby sister, Amber. That pelican has long since been donated to the museum at Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

As we glance, read through the "Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County" history book, you get a glimpse of the many lives that were entangled with the Share Bros. businesses. BUT... there is no other family history of the Share brothers personal family life.

Who was Alva's benefactors, Charles "Corky" Morton Share? Charles C. Share; J. D. Share; and Sylvester B. Share?

If anyone out there has a more detail history of the liberal, enthusiastic benefactors (Share Bros.) that progressively help build northwest Oklahoma Territory and parts of Kansas to the North, we would love to learn more about these Michigan natives that stopped in Wellington and Harper, Kansas before moving on into northwest Oklahoma Territory. CONTACT: Linda McGill Wagner, PO Box 619, Bayfield, CO 81122 - Email: mcwagner.lk@gmail.com.
View/Write Comments (count 3)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Old Opera House Mystery Continues...

Vol 8, Iss 29 The continuing story of the Old Opera House Mystery - Part II has hit the newstands and mailboxes with the July/August edition of the "Prairie Connection." Have you received your copy yet? Look for it in your mailbox or on the newstands near you. If you don't subscribe, then you need to subscribe today! Check out Prairie Connection newly designed website for the subscription information.

If you have forgotten what happened as to the "Old Opera House Mystery", May, 2006 edition of The Prairie Connection, check out the May '06 link on the Prairie Connection website. OR... check out the OkieLegacy - Old Opera Mystery (1910). The September '06 edition of The Prairie Connection may be continuing the Old Opera House Mystery and getting into parts of the 1911 Trial in Woodward County. That is of course, IF the Prairie Connection readers want to hear more!

There is a request that we would like to ask of everyone out there. We are looking for any information on Claud McCrory, ex-county attorney of Woods County (1910). Where did McCrory vanish after resigning as Woods County's county attorney? Why couldn't the Law Enforcement League find McCrory? Who was helping him hide from subpeonas?

If you have any information about Claud McCrory, please send your information to LK McGill Wagner - paristimes@hughes.net. Thanks in advance!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Kansas, Indians & 1867 Peace Treaty....

Vol 8, Iss 24 Have you ever wondered what the "Rest of the Story" was concerning the Medicine Lodge Creek Peace Treaty of 1867?

We recently learned about the horrors of the people of Medicine Lodge (Kansas) and how the Indians, especially the Comanche and Cherokee, were treated around the time of the signing of the "Peace Treaty." Most history books never mention this aspect or the indians side of the story. Were the Indians really caged like animals with inadequate food, shelter, and beaten? We also understand, realize that the majority of the history being published is the "white man's" version. We are in search of scholarly indian research that would give us BOTH sides of the story.

Did the Medicine Lodge "leaders" FORCE the signing of the Peace Treaty by the imprisonment of the native americans?

We don't know about you, but we would love to discover, share the "Rest of the Story." We need your help searching for any individual, research concerning the "Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty (1867)" that took place around Medicine Lodge, Kansas around the mid-1860s.

Are there any Native American history scholars or other scholars out there that might be able to provide us resources, research and point us in the right direction so the rest of the story can be told? We believe this is a story that needs to be preserved! We believe quite a few of those descendants live in Oklahoma now? Would you and knowledgeable Indian scholars, historians help us find the "Rest of the Story?" You may leave comments at the end of this feature and/or CONTACT: LK McGill Wagner - EMAIL: mcwagner.lk@gmail.com -- OR -- Rosalea Hostetler - EMAIL: wepreserve@balmerfund.org. Thanks for your help!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

About The NW Okie

Vol 10, Iss 12
This is for those of you who have just recently joined us here or want to know more about the NW Okie, editor & publisher of The OkieLegacy. Who is that lady collecting Okie Legacies? AND... Why? You can read a short "bio" about me over at my ParisTimes Genealogy site.

It was 60 years ago, 11:35a.m., Alva General Hospital, a third (3rd) daughter was born to Vada Eileen (Paris) McGill (31 years) and Gene M. McGill (33 years). Linda Kay was a Winter baby weighing in at 6lbs-10oz. Her parents arrived just in the neck of time on that February, 1948 morning, at the Alva General hospital with 1-1/2 hrs to spare before Li'l Linda's arrival. My sister Dorthy gave me my name.

My Father... Gene McGill, was a flying farmer, bearded custom harvestor in the 1940's and a Democratic State Chairman in the 1960's.

Gene McGill was born December, 1914 and died June, 1986 on Father's Day. He was the oldest son of William Jacob McGill and Constance Estella (Warwick) McGill. Gene had a younger brother, Robert "Bob" McGill, that was born August, 1916 and died February 1954. My father got his pharmacist degree from OU in 1937.

My Mother... This photo taken of my mother, Vada Eileen Paris, was her high school graduation photo taken when she was 18 years of age.

Vada Paris was born November 11, 1916 and died July, 1992. She was the fourth child and oldest daughter of Ernest Claude Paris and Mary Barbara Hurt from around Chester (Tailholt), Oklahoma, Major County. Vada had six brothers and two sisters. I think only Uncle Sammy is alive, living in Sand Point, Idaho today. Vada was a homemaker who went back to school in the early fifties to get her teaching degree in Home Economics from Northwestern State Teachers College.

My Sisters & Me... This is a 1955 photo of two of my sisters and Me, in the backyard of 703 7th Street, Alva, OK. The photo shows Linda, Dorthy, and Amber perched on a picnic table in the backyard, of 703 7th Street, Alva, Oklahoma. The oldest sister (Connie Jean) is NOT pictured -- and not quite sure why?

Sweet Li'l Linda Kay was raised one of two middle daughters of the four McGill Sisters in the Gene & Vada Paris McGill family.

My life began sixty years ago, as one of the Baby Boomers and raised as a Democrat, in a Small, Rural Community located in Woods County in the NW Corner of Oklahoma.

My Schooling began at Horace Mann Elementary in Kindergarten and progressed thru Washington Elementary, Alva Jr. High, Alva High. I hated the little snobby, elite, cliques that formed during the Jr. High and High School years. I chose not to belong to any of them. I finished my college education at Northwestern State College in 1971 with a BA Degree in Art & Sociology.

A 1969 Mid-Summer, July Wedding united David M. Wagner & Linda Kay McGill after a year courtship during our time at Northwestern State College (NSC). In the Early-Fall of 1970 our oldest Son, Michael, started our family while we were living, working, and finishing College at NSC in Alva, Oklahoma. (It was back in the mid 1960's during the days of the Viet Nam War, Peace, Love, and Hippies.. [Although, I never was a Hippie.]

In the Early-Summer (June) of 1973 David, Linda and son (Michael) were blessed with their second son, Robert. David was working for Kerr-MaGee Research & Engineering in OKC -- we were living in Edmond, OK, USA. In (or about 1975) David got a job with Exxon Engineering, Baytown, TX and the four of us became Texas-Okies for five or six years before we moved back to Alva, OK about 1980.

I love to listen to music of the "'40's" and "Rock-n-Roll Oldies" of the 50's, 60's, 70's! I also like a little of the "Classical, Jazz, Blues, Soul and Country!" One of my favorite Radio stations back in my earlier childhood was KOMA. You could find this transistor sister walking around Alva with her transistor radio tuned to KOMA radio station.
View/Write Comments (count 3)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Immigrants Make Up America

Vol 12, Iss 27 America - With the talk of Independence Day, and this being the day after the 4th of July 2010, We ask you, "Aren't we all immigrants or Descendants of Immigrants?"

America is a land of immigrants and Native Americans. What would America be today if immigrants from all ver the world had not set foot on the eastern shores of the 13th Colonies, pushing the Native Americans westward onto reservations. Killing and slaughtering their buffalo beyond extinction?

What part did my migrating ancestors play in the westward movement of the Native Americans? I did some searching back through my family genealogy to figure out where each of my ancestral immigrants came.

We start with our paternal ancestors. The Warwick ancestors were English. The Gwyn/Gwin/Guinn were from Wales. The Hull/Hohl ancestors came from Rhineland Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), Germany. The McGill's were Scottish from Scotland, migrating to Ireland and finally making their way to the America's.

Our maternal ancestors were the Conover (VanKouwenhoven), Dutch and settling in New Amsterdam (also known as New York, Flatlands). The Paris/Parris were English. The Hurt/Hurtosci were from Czechoslovakia (Bohemia), known also as Austria-Hungary. That brings us to our Great Grandmother, Anna Wallman (1863-1902), who married our Great Grandfather, Joseph P. Hurt, who migrated from Czechoslovakia around 1876. I do not know much about her because she died at the young age of 39 when she was struck by lightning in 1902.

I always thought that our Wallman ancestors were also from Czechoslovakia, but I found a 1880 U.S. Census that shows an Anna Wallman (born 1863, Russia) the daughter of Jacob Wallman (born 1833, Russia) and Maria (born in Russia). Could this be another Anna Wallman or could it be my Great Grandmother Anna Wallman Hurt?

The 1900 US Federal Census shows Joseph P, and Anna Wallman Hurt (born in Bohemia) and their family living in Bishop, Woods, Oklahoma Territory.

Great Grandmother Anna Wallman arrived in the USA around 1876 or 1877 through Bremen, Germany. At the young age of 16, Anna married Joseph P. Hurt, in Nebraska, about 1879. As I said earlier, Anna Wallman Hurt died in 1902, in Bishop, Woods, Oklahoma Territory, at age 39 when she was struck by lightning. She is buried in the Hurt family cemetery, on the Martin property, North of Chester and West of the Orion Cemetery.

That brings us to my husbands ancestors, which includes Wagner's from Germany.

Have you ever looked back to see where your ancestors originated? Let us know your ancestral makeup. Thanks! View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

1938 NSTC Ranger Album

Vol 12, Iss 3 We have been sharing a scanned copy of the 1938 Ranger Album with family genealogists for awhile and thought perhaps some others might be interested in downloading a PDF file of the 1938 Ranger Album. It is a large file. You can either open it up in your web browser and save a copy to your computer -- OR -- right click on the link and "save as" to a folder on your computer for further genealogy research.

Here is the link for those of you looking for a copy of the 1938 Ranger yearbook, Northwestern State Teacher's College, Alva, Oklahoma, I have scanned it into a PDF file. Contact Linda McGill Wagner at email: mcwagner.lk@gmail.com and I will send you a link to the pdf file if you are having trouble viewing it in your browser and can not figure out how to "save as" to your computer. -- 1938 Ranger yearbook.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Insight Into Grandma & Warwick's

Vol 11, Iss 43 With no more letters from john C. McClure, we assume that the communication of letters ceased to exist after August 1906 and Constance moved on to her next beau. Was it William J. McGill? We are not sure yet, but suspect as much.

NW Okie has been working on more of the Warwick census reports over at Ancestry.com and updating information in NW Okie's Genealogy pages for Warwick / McGill / Paris / Wagner Family and adding old photos to the Family Photo Albums at her genealogy site.

Meanwhile, while we leave you standing in the wings for more insight into Constance Estella Warwick McGill, we want to share this great old tintype photo we found of Constance's father and two of his brothers, Peter (Pete on left) and William N. Warwick (standing in back, center) and John Robert Warwick, the older brother is seated on the right.

Notice that Pete is holding in his left hand a pistol of some sort on his older brother John Robert Warwick. I love the old hats Pete and William are wearing. The old western shirt that Pete is wearing dates back to the 1880's and the civil war cavalry boots that Pete and John have on help date the photo, but not sure where the old tintype photo was taken.

This is another old tintype photograph that I just adore of my great-grandfather John Robert Warwick that shows him perhaps in his early twenties. I do not know the exact date or where, but assume it was taken in the Virginia's.

This other photograph is not a tintype, but is a photo mounted on cardboard and printed at McPherson, Kansas, C. Forell, Cabinet. Pete and John seemed to be dressed in their best farming duds with real cowboy boots instead of the civil war cavalry boots. You can tell John R. Warwick's hairline is reseeding and is holding an interesting looking hat in his hands. They both are sporting longer mustaches, but Pete's looks to have one of those handlebar mustaches without a pronounced, wax, curled ends like some did in those days.

Can anyone help identify/date when these photos were taken? Especially, the photo taken in McPherson, Kansas? Perhaps 1890s? What age would you suspect for Pete and John in this photo?
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Once Upon A Warwick

Vol 10, Iss 17 Once upon a time very long ago, William Fechtig Warwick was born 11 August 1822 in Augusta County, Virginia to Robert Craig & Esther (Hull) Warwick. [See WARWICK Genealogy.]

Sometime in William Fechtig Warwick's early thirties, he meet and married a young girl from the Pray (Prey) family, Phoebe Anthea Pray. Phoebe was born 3 May 1833 and died 1 May 1905.

To the union of William F. & Phoebe Anthea Warwick eleven children were born: Amelia E., born 16 July 1853; Paul McNeel, born 1856; John Robert, born 9 April 1857, Frost (Dunmore), Pocahontas County, WV; Charles Fechtig, born 31 August 1865; Amanda Gabrielle "Gabie", born 1871, marr. John Landis; James, Louisa Catherine; Nelson Pray; Peter "Pete" Hull, born 1862, in Virginia; Sallie.

From the third offspring born, John Robert Warwick, begins our journey from the Virginia countryside to Oklahoma Territory. BUT... First, the 25-year-old John Robert from Pocahontas County, WV, meets and marries a 22 year old girl from Vanderpool, VA. Signora Belle "Sigga" Gwin and John Robert Warwick were married 16 January 1882 in Harpers Ferry, WV. [See John R. Warwick's Obit]

Around nine (9) months later in Monterey, Virginia, John and Signora Belle's oldest child, Constance Estella Warwick, came into the world, 20 October 1882. About five years later a second offspring, Robert Lee, made his debute 5 November 1887, in Monterey, VA.

Sometime between the second child (1887) and the third child (1895), in 1893, John & Signora Warwick made their trek westward towards Kansas with a ten (10) year old daughter and a five (5) year old son. They settled around the Coldwater, Kansas area where John Robert Warwick was a teacher for a brief time before they settled permanently in the Cherokee Strip Outlet, known as Oklahoma Territory.

Eight years after their second child, a third child (Wilbur "William" Warwick) was born 13 October 1895, in Alva, Oklahoma Territory. John Robert "JR" & Signora "Sigga" Belle's third offspring, Wilbur, died in infancy, 26 May 1896 and is buried in the Alva Cemetery, Block 08-028-08, Woods County, Oklahoma. Wilbur's lonely little grave is located on the South & West side of the cemetery while his parents and siblings are buried on the South & East side of the Alva cemetery.

Of John & Signora's remaining two childern, Constance Estella Warwick, continued the Gwin/Warwick lineage when Constance, age 28, married William Jacob (John) "Bill" McGill, age 30, 23 March 1910, Woods County, Oklahoma.

After four years of marriage, William & Contance's oldest son, Gene M. McGill was born 27 December 1914, Alva, OK. Two years later a second son, Robert Lee McGill, was born 23 August 1916, in Alva, OK.

The marriage of William J. McGill & Constance E. Warwick lasted 30 years when they divorced and went their separate ways in 1940. Constance never remarried, but W. J. "Bill" McGill married his second wife Blanche Rankin Miller in 1945.

Bill McGill died at the age of 79 years, 7 August 1959, Alva, OK. Constance Estella Warwick McGill died 19 August 1968, two months short of her 86 birthday, in Alva, OK.

The youngest son of Bill & Constance McGill, Robert Lee McGill, was married twice, but no offsprings were born of either marriage. After serving in WWII, Robert L. McGill died of lung cancer, 21 February 1954, at the age of 37 years, in Alva, OK, while he was married to his second wife, Dr. Mariam Felicia Monfort (marr. 21 June 1950 'til Bob's death Feb. 21, 1954). Bob and is first wife, Helen Louise Soper (marr. 1 June 1944), were divorced 22 June 1948.

That brings us to the four daughters of Gene M. McGill & Vada Eileen Paris. I was the third daughter of four. My name is Linda Kay McGill Wagner (a.k. a. NW Okie). That is me on the left with Dorthy in the middle and baby Amber on the right.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

$50 Reward

Vol 10, Iss 20 We found this reward sign amongst our family treasures, but do not know what year it was offered. Evidently... it was offered when $50 was a lot of money in those days. Whatever days that was!

Do any descendants of the following Ranchers listed below from Northwest Oklahoma remember anything about this $50 Reward ... Or recognize any of the old ranchers? One of those "Old Time" Cattle Ranchers was "McGill & McGill" (my relatives).

The reward reads: "$50 Reward will be paid, until further notice, by each signer for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person or persons stealing cattle from this place or places of any of the signers hereof.

SIGNERS: O. F. Eversole; W. C. Wynn; E. D. Drake: W. R. Lahr; M. B. Graves; Cedardale, Inc.; Willis and Pugh; G. F. Roark; M. J. Cook; McGill & McGill; E. F. Moore; C. O. Parker; R. B. Converse.

If you know or remember any of these "Old Time" ranchers and have any information concerning this $50 Reward for Cattle Rustlers in Northwest Oklahoma, please contact Linda at mcwagner.lk@gmail.com. Thanks!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Old Opera House Mystery of 1910...

Vol 8, Iss 17 What are the talking about in the coffee shops in northwest Oklahoma and Southern Kansas? It must be the cover story that is making its debute in the May edition of the "Prairie Connection." This Harper, Kansas history newspaper hit the newstands this weekend. Do you have your copy yet?

The cover story this month is the 1910 murder mystery that occurred at the "Old Opera House" in downtown Alva, Oklahoma, written by this NW Okie, LK McGill Wagner. We began our story by setting the stage for 1910 in northwest Oklahoma. It was 9 November 1910, considerable excitement was buzzing through the government square of this northwest Oklahoma community, in Woods County. There had been a general election held just the day before. This November 9, 1910 was to be known as "A Day of Black Infamy." Sometime between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., November 9, 1910, young Mabel Oakes was found dead in the "old Opera House around 3:30 p.m. by Justice Miller. The local papers jumped on this story to the extent that a changed of venue was granted to the neighboring county of Woodward to the west. The trial lasted from September 5 thru 12, 1911.

Mabel Oakes, was a young country girl (23 years) living at home with her parents, George and Carrie (Howard) Oakes and a younger brother, Clarence (15 years). Through testimony, transcripts we find that Miss Oakes was a large, sturdy, supposedly healthy woman of that time weighing around 160 to 165 pounds. Miss Oakes was also 5-months pregnant at the time of her demise. She wore a tight fitting corset and a scarf wrapped tightly around her tall neck. Miss Oakes explained away the reason for the scarf tightly around the neck as a throat problem.

In 1910, Miss Oakes was known for her fainting spells for which she took prescribed medication of strychnine and morphine tablets. Were these fainting spells the cause of her broken arms, black eyes and bruises about her face. OR... her pregnancy? OR... were the fainting spells brought on by a heart condition or a tight fitting corset used by Miss Oakes to conceal her pregnancy that began in the early Summer of 1910? OR... were Mabel's unfortunate accidents of broken arms, black eyes and bruises the cause of "Black Hand Letter" threats?

Only Mabel Oakes memories of that time will tell us the whole truth. AND... those memories lay underneath the northwest Oklahoma soil, in the Alva Cemetery, in the Oakes family plot.

Meanwhile, catch the "Old Opera House Mystery (Black Hand Letters of Death)" in the May edition of the "Prairie Connection." We would love to hear some feedback concerning our "Old Opera House Mystery" story of the 1910 murder of Mabel Oakes in Alva, Oklahoma. You can contact Linda at paristimes@earthlink.net - paristimes@hughes.net - mcwagner.lk@gmail.com. We are presently working to put together a timetable of chronological events that happened around that infamous black day in November, 1910. Would you like to hear more about the "Old Opera House Mystery?" Stay Tuned!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Jacob & Mary (VANCE) WARWICK's Sketches...

Vol 7, Iss 14 Jacob & Mary (Vance) Warwick's framed sketches have found a family home. A lady (Carolyn) in California contacted us this week. Her family is directly related to Jacob & Mary... 4th great-grandparents through Rachael Primrose WARWICK (daughter of Jacob & Mary).

Linda went back through her WARWICK's and find that Jacob & Mary Vance WARWICK were her 5th-Great Uncle & Aunt through Jacob's brother John (Linda's 5th great-grandfather). From there on down to Linda McGill Wagner it reads as such...

• John Warwick - m. Mary POWELL (5th-Great-Grandparents)
• William Warwick - m. Nancy Agnes CRAIG (4th-Great-Grandparents)
• Robert Craig Warwick - m. Esther/Hester HULL (3rd-Great-Grandparents)
• William Fechtig Warwick - m. Phoebe Anthea PRAY/PREY (2nd-Great-Grandparents)
• John Robert Warwick - m. Signora Belle GUINN (Great-Grandparents)
• Constance Warwick - m. Wm J. MCGILL (Grandparents)
• Gene McGill - m. Vada PARIS (parents)
• Gene & Vada's Daughters (Connie, Dorthy, Linda, Amber) - 1st cousin 6x removed from Rachel Primrose Warwick
• Gene & Vada's Grandchildren
• Gene & Vada's Great-Grandchildren

Claud Baird

Vol 5, Iss 12 Patriotic and Other Poems 1917 - Alva, Oklahoma

That is "McGill Bros." handwritten, upside-down on the cover of the little booklet. It came to me through my Grandmother's treasure trunk of Okie Legacies. -- LKMcGill-Wagner View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

John Glen Smith Obit - 1926-2009

Vol 11, Iss 4 Last weekend our Uncle John Smith died, January 19, 2009. His obituary can be viewed at this link: Redinger Funeral Home - John Smith Obit. I do have a phone number where you can contact the oldest daughter of John & Geneva (Paris) Smith: Jeanette (Smith) Engle phone number: 405-352-4083.

IF ... you missed the memorial service January 24, 2009 in Seiling and burial in Orion, Oklahoma, you can sign the online guestbook. It allows you to send private condolences to the family. Type your name, address and message; click the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the obituary. Your message will be sent to the family via their secured guestbook. Only family members will have access to viewing your message.

Did you know the Paris family of Chester, Oklahoma? Are they related to you? Share your memories of Uncle John and Chester (Cottonwood Corners) with the OkieLegacy eZine!

Memorial Video of John Glen Smith -- Here is John Glen Smith's Obit below:

JOHN GLEN SMITH, son of Earl and Effie (Maxwell) Smith, was born May 10, 1926 at Freedom, Oklahoma. He departed this life on Monday, January 19, 2009 at the Oklahoma Veterans Center in Clinton. He was 82 years of age.

John was two years of age when he was taken to an orphanage in Helena following tragedy with his parents. Soon after entering the orphanage, Lawrence and Cora Kragh brought him to their home in Chester where he began his school years at Gardenvale School.

At the age of eleven years, John went to live with Fred and Esther Strecker in Chester. He attended Seiling High School until the age of seventeen when he entered the United States Navy and served in the "Asiatic-Pacific Campaign" and the "Philippine Liberation Campaign" during World War II. He was honorably discharged April 20, 1946 at which time he returned to his home in Chester.

He was united in marriage to Geneva Paris August 2, 1947 at Alva. They made their home at Chester where they raised their three children: Jeanette Kay, Ronald Scott and Barbara Gayle.

John and Geneva owned and operated John Smith Mobil Service Station nineteen years. John was also a self employed welder and operated Johns Welding for several years.

He was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign War, a member of the American Legion and a 32nd degree Masonic Lodge member. He enjoyed hunting, bowling and playing cards. He attended the Elm Grove Community Church.

He is survived by two daughters: Jeanette Engle of Minco and Barbara Walton of Fairview; one son: Ron Smith and wife Karen of Chickasha; seven grandchildren and one great grandchild; one foster sister: Vickie Jones and husband Ron of Yukon, besides many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his biological parents, both sets of foster parents and his foster brother, Karl Kragh.

The funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, January 24, 2009 at the Elm Grove Community Church with Pastor Orville White, officiating. Interment will follow in the Orion Cemetery with military honors provided by the United States Navy. Services are under the direction of the Redinger Funeral Home in Seiling.

Linda McGill Wagner
PO Box 619, Bayfield, CO 81122
paristimes@earthlink.net -- or -- mcwagner.lk@gmail.com
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

April Blizzard of the 1930's...

Vol 6, Iss 10 Another reader would like some information concerning a blizzard snow storm that hit Northwest Woods County (Oklahoma) sometime in April, in the 1930's. Has your ancestors ever spoken, written in a journal about a big snow storm in Woods county in the 1930's around March or April? We went back to look at some notes Grandpa Bill McGill kept in his journal during the 1930's and his notes mentions something around, "27 & 29 March 1931 -- That night there was snow in and around Alva, Oklahoma. Altogether there was 12 inches of snow that year." 

Could this be the 1930's, April snow that the reader speaks about?  If you go to Grandpa's 1930's Notes, you can read more of his journal he kept in the '30s. If any of this jogs some memories, drop us a note and share it with us. Do you remember the "Black Blizzard" of the Dust Bowl Days around 1930's? Do you have some ancestral journals of Okie Legacies that you would like to share with us? Send us a copy by snail-mail (Linda Wagner, P.O. Box 18998, OKC, OK 73154) or email (paristimes@earthlink.net). Thanks!

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

Shawnee Chief Cornstalk...

Vol 6, Iss 8 Another reader sent us some information he found online concerning the Shawnee Chief Cornstalk and the Battle around Point Pleasant and Lord Dunmores battle in Virginia in the late 18th century. The reason that tidbit of information is interesting to this writer is because one of my Warwick ancestors (Jacob Warwick the 2nd) was a captain in that battle. Jacob, II and John Warwick were two of the sons of Lt. Wm Jacob Warwick. I believe I figured that Jacob, II was my 5th-Great-Uncle and John was my 5th-Great-Grandpa. My 4th-Great-Grandpa (Wm. Warwick) married Nancy Agnes Craig and they settled in Greenbriar county above Sinking Creek near the Richlands. As the lineage progresses back to this writer it is as follows... Robert Craig Warwick & Esther Hull (3rd-Great-Grandparents)- Wm. Fechtig Warwick & Phebea Anthea Pray (2nd-Great-Grandparents) - John Robert Warwick & Signora Belle Guinn (Great-Grandparents) - Constance Estella Warwick & Wm. J. McGill (Grandparents) - Gene McGill & Vada Paris (Parents) - Linda McGill & David Wagner - Michael & Robert Wagner (sons). You can find out more about the Warwick's, Point Pleasant Battle starting over at ParisTimes.com/ Warwick/.

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

1941 San Francisco CA - Skyline Room/China Town

Vol 11, Iss 8 I found a couple of pictures that I had of Uncle Bob McGill during WWII and him at Tank training school in Kentucky (I believe). I have uploaded them to my website and put a link to them for you to view

This photo is, I believe, taken while Uncle Bob McGill was on his way to Hawaii with a stop in San Francisco, CA, China Town, Skyline Room 1941. On the backside of picture is handwritten in ink: "The Skyline Room in China Town. The woman is the "bubble" Dancer without her costume; or rather a different costume."

From left to right: 1st on left is ????; 2nd on left is ????; 3rd on left, 2nd Lt. Bob McGill; fourth from left is ????; fifth from left is ????; sixth from left is ????; on the right is ????; and the bubble dancer is sitting on chair in front of the officer on the far right.

If anyone out there recognizes any of the unknown officers in this picture, please contact Linda (NW Okie) at mcwagner.lk@gmail.com. Thanks for your help!
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

History of McKeever School

Vol 12, Iss 21 McKeever School, Oklahoma - The History of McKeever School, written and researched by Milt Lehr, Professor Emeritus, NWOSU. The Cherokee Outlet of the territory of Oklahoma was opened to settlement by the Land Run of 1893. After securing a homestead, the pioneers' immediate concern was the education of their children. The first schools were often a soddie or log building and later schools were built using clapboard, stucco, of wood and plaster construction.

The one-room school played an important role in educating the children of this state. In 1900 there were 200,000 one-room schools in the United States. In 1897 the Oklahoma Territory had 1,909 organized school districts of which 224 of these school districts with schools meeting an average of 70 days a year. It was not unusual for 40 pupils to attend these schools since farm families were large and each quarter section of land had a family living on it.

Records located in the Woods County Courthouse show that the McKeever school was organized in August 30, 1894, and that its district numbers were both 191 and 23.

School was first held in the dugout home of Mr. and Mrs. Hulet, which was located about one-third of a mile south of the present McKeever school, which is located on the southwest corner of section 24 six miles west of Alva. The dugout home was 12 feet by 18 feet with a dirt floor and was four feet deep into the ground. Sod was laid above the ground two feet deep. The roof was composed of dirt laid over branches and poles.

Click the John McKeever family as written by Dorothy McKeever in 1986 for the Pioneer Footprints Across Woods County history book, pg. 454.

During the 1894-1895 school year, Dick McKeever purchased the Hulet claims and donated the southwest corner of section 24 for a school building.

Maggie Shiel was the first teacher of this school and 23 students were enrolled. Teacher salaries at this time were $20 to $25 per month. By 1902, the salary paid to Nettie Courtner had increased to $35 per month and school was being held for 100 days. The total budget for that year was #311.67, according to Woods County Courthouse records. The value of the school was $600 and other property was valued at $100.

According to a newspaper clipping dated January 29, 1895, and preserved by Harvard and Sue Litton, lifetime residents of a farm home located a short distance north of McKeever school, the first 23 students included Harry Benton, Johnie Benton, Myrtle Cocohm, Glevie Kinney, Mary Kinney, Tomie Kinney, Amon McKeever, Phoebe McKeever, Cora Messmore, Evert Litton, Jim Litton, Thomas Litton, Orwell Shirley, Bertha Smith, Clair Smith, Earl Smith, Melvin Smith, Cora Turner, Bessie Vincent, Dora Wiggins, Della Wiggins, and Gracie Wiggins.

The members of the first school board were Frank Spurgeon, Dale Smith, and Jim Benton. The second term of school was held in a frame box house that was moved to its present site from four or five miles northwest of Alva. This building was a wooden structure 14 feet wide and 28 feet long with a wooden floor made of 1x12 planks. Desks were fashioned from this same kind of wooden boards.

The original building that is standing today was constructed at a cost of $300, which was financed by bonds. All labor was donated by residents of the district except the plastering, which was done by Nick Edwards who was hired to do this work. A. B. Messmore was overseer of the carpentry work. The school bonds were paid off in five years. The American elm trees that encircle the school ground were planted about 1915. The members of the school board at that time were Nate Litton, John Parsons and Clayton Hyde.

The teacher salaries were sometimes paid in cash obtained from donations and some salaries were paid in warrants, which could be cashed at banks for 60 cents on the dollar. Sometimes teachers were paid in sod breaking since most of them owned nearby land or had a claim.

The original building underwent extensive remodeling in 1938 when WPA funds were provided by the federal government to modernize school buildings. A basement was constructed a few feet west of the building and it was then moved overonto the completed basement after the anterooms at the front and a coal bin at the back were removed. A few years later, a highline was constructed nearby along Highway 64 and electric lights were added to complete the modernization.

The teachers of McKeever School were as follows:

Maggie Shiel 1894-1895; May Park 1895-1896; A. C. Parsons 1896-1897; Grace McKitrick 1897-1898; Cora Murray 1898-1900; Birdie Vorhies 1900-1901; Nettie Courtner 1901-1902; W. P. Bosserman 1902-1903; W. J. McGill 1903-1904; Phoebe McKeever 1904-1906; Pete Exell 1906-1908; Agnes Murray 1908-1910; Dena Salesman 1910-1911; Hattie Jarred 1911-1912; Frankie Callison 1912-1914; Lester Maddox 1914-1916; Jess Sears 1916-1917; Homer Bloyd 1917-1918; Margie Callison 1918-1920; Myrtle Martin 1920-1921; Lillie Callison 1921-1922; Pearl Martin 1922-1925; Fay Faulkner 1925-1927; Dolores Fuller 1927-1930; Clara Brown 1930-1931; Helen Tallman 1931-1932; Ada Taylor 1932-1933; Josephine Fisher 1933-1937; Hulda Groesbeck 1937-1939; Hazel Smith 1939-1941; Ruth Frazier 1941-1943; Fay McAlpin 1943-1948.

After the opening of the Cherokee Strip, the rapidly expanding rural school system created a demand for trained teachers. By 1897 there were 1,792 organized school districts in the Oklahoma Territory of which 726 districts with 25,858 pupils were interested in seeing the establishment of a normal school in Alva to meet the demand for qualified teachers.

In 1897, after a two-year struggle the Northwestern Territorial Normal School was authorized by the Oklahoma legislature. Classes were first held in the Congregational Church in Alva until a building later called the Castle on the Hill was constructed.

When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, the school was renamed Northwestern State Normal School (NSN). In 1919 its name was changed to Northwestern State Teachers College (NSTC) and in 1939 it was given the name of Northwestern State College (NSC). Finally, in 1974 it was renamed Northwester Oklahoma State University (NWOSU).

It should be remembered that for most of its history the primary purpose of Northwestern has been the preparation of teachers for schools in this section of Oklahoma.

McKeever school remained in use until 1948 and then served as a community building for several years. In 2000 the school was given to NWOSU by Dean and Patty Nusser, farmer-ranchers, who own the land on which the school stands. Restoration efforts were soon started and the school was moved to its site on the NWOSU campus in the summer of 2001 where it will assume an important role in the preparation of teachers at Northwestern and the education of the public in general to the importance the one-room school played in the education of farm children in early Oklahoma.

[Note by webmaster: There was restoration efforts and repainting going on this summer of 2001, As of this writing, the building is no longer standing on the NE corner of Hwy 64, 6 miles west of Alva. It has been moved to the campus of Northwestern Oklahoma State University, in Alva, OKlahoma. The only reminder that the building existed 6 miles west of Alva on hwy. 64 is the basement left behind. -- LK Wagner] View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

March Winds

Vol 9, Iss 9 [Transcribed by OkieLegacy & LK McGill Wagner from Scott Cummins book, "Musings of the Pilgrim Bard," page 13.]

When the old house keeps a rockin',
Like as if 'twas goin' to fall;
And the pebbles keep a knockin' --
Knockin' 'gainst the fragile wall,
Sets a tired feller thinkin'
Of fell goblin, wraith or fiend,
Fancy into fancy linkin',
Yet 'tis nothin' but the wind;
Roar, roar, rattle door,
Through each cranny in the floor.
Through each crack and crevice small,
Where a chigger scarce could crawl,
Every seam 'tis sure to find,
O beshrew, the bleak March wind.
All day long, to feed the critters,
I have tried my level best;
Tears my fodder into fritters.
Splits the endgate of my vest;
Almost sets a feller cussin',
Yet to well I understand,
If I ope' my mouth a fussin'
'Twould soon fill with dust and sand;
Shriek, Shriek, creak, creak --
Seven long days in a week;
Though my language seem unkind,
Devil take the bleak March wind.
Now adieu, my lamp burns dimly,
Sleep and rest I needs must try;
Let the roaring round my chimney
Be a soothing lullaby.
This my pray'r before undressin,
Hopeless pray'r with pathos filled,
That the wind may cease caressin'
Nature, and a while be still'd;
Scream, scream, while I dream
'Till the sun with lurid gleam
Wakes me to resume the fight
With the hurricanish sprite,
Respite body, respite mind,
From the raging of the wind.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

Greetings, Alva High Goldbugs...

Vol 8, Iss 25 "The Class of '53 now has a website - www.goldbugs53.org - Hopefully, we can remember the address. It has reunion information (in case you can't remember where you put the one you got in the mail), pictures of the 50th and a whole page of pictures that might look familiar to you and other info.
      Through a page my daughter found while she was tutoring me on computers, I've been in touch with a woman who has a page of pioneer stories, history, memories, etc of Alva and the surrounding area. She listed our missing members in her newsletter that was sent out Saturday night, and by noon Sunday we had Bob Shoemaker's address in Lubbock (TX) and will have Robert Shoemaker's address in a few days. We'll get mailings out to them. She will also put a link on her pages to our website (SEE 2000 AHS Goldbug Reunion Aftermath). In her newsletter, she has the history of the Runnymede Hotel from it's construction to it's present day renovation. There's a link to her site on our Goldbug site. It's under Goldbugs link - Northwest Oklahoma History .... Her name is Linda McGill Wagner.
      Incidentally, by 9:45, Sunday morning, I had heard from the son of one of the gas company employees who lived 1/2 block from us. The internet really is amazing! Hopefully, we'll hear from others. We're only missing 6 of those who were at AHS (Alva High) our senior year, and Stanley Westfall who started in first grade and was with us for many years. He's still on the class list, but we haven't located him.
      You have probably heard by now that Rita Mae Cox McMurphy passed away a few weeks ago. Rose Darr Elmore has gone through some serious heart problems and complications. Hopefully, she will be started rehab in the next few weeks. Glad to hear that Don Devine is better than he was when we had our 50th.
      New email addresses that weren't on the earlier info are for Larry Johnson - lljohn@pldi.net and Leta Jo Millege Sparkman - LetaSparkman@aol.com. You may notice Janet Woodward Holland email - Janet@goldbugs53.org (my old ones are still good). We can have a lot more email addresses using goldbugs53.org as the address. Perhaps you know someone who gets their mail on their children's computer or the library. If they just let me know, I can add them to this address. It won't hold a lot of mail, but it might work for some people.
      Don't forget to write Joni on what's happening in your life and send a more or less recent picture - anything in the last 10-15 years will do - digital or snail mail a print will be fine. We'll be getting together in mid-July to put the directories together - with pictures if people send them to Joni.
      SHOW UPDATE - Lost in the 50's is now a morning show. The Platters will be appearing in the show. There'll be lots of that good old music from the 50's. See you in Branson (Missouri), and please send me any suggestions, problems, additions, ideas, etc for the website. It's ours -- so please feel free to contribute to it - pictures, websites, should we have a blog?, etc. See you Branson." -- Janet View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

Woods County Borders In 1906

Vol 8, Iss 33 "Linda, I have contacted Donna. Thanks for the message. In talking to Donna and questions from others I beleive the attached Map may be helpful to some of your readers." -- Earl Fugit

[EDITORS NOTE: The dark bold, black lines inked on this map show what the Woods County (M county) borders of 1906 were before statehood in 1907. -- LK McGill Wagner]
View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

Businesses In Alva, Okla. - May, 1947...

Vol 7, Iss 18 Some of you out there might remember some memories of some of these businesses that could be found in the Alva (Oklahoma) area, around May 1947:

Rialto Cafe Tony's Cafe Babcock's Cafe Coffman's Cafe Wright's Cafe Shorty's Cafe The National Farm Loan Ass'n of Alva Schaefer-Doolin Mortgage Co. Alva Building & Loan Ass'n Fred J. Fash, Abstractor Alva State Bank Central National Goodrich Plumbing Co. The Railways Ice Co. Home Electric & Appliance Stephenson-Traverse Clinic F. C. Green's Osteopathic Hospital Dr. W. S. Walcott, Veternarian Brunsteter Motor Co. Ticer Equipment Co. Bittner's Tractor & Implement Service Farmer's Co-Operative Association W. B. Johnston Grain Co. Harry's Body & Fender Works Knox Auto Store E. A. Greford Motor Co. Couch Auto Repair Shop Moore & White Oil Co. Alva, Tire & Supply Continental Oil Co. Chick's Auto Service Oklahoma Tire & Supply Wnninger Motor Supply Marcum & Marcum Devery Implement Co. Paul & Sons Implement Co. Ridgway-Nash Speery & Weathers Imp. Co. Bloyd Implement Co. Deere Brothers A. C. Houston Lumber Co. Brown & Brown Gordon's Paint & Wallpaper McClain Brothers City Cleaners

Hillcrest Dairy Anthony's Runnymede Hotel Carmel Corn Shop Courtest Cab Co. Deluxe Courts Snider's Cigar Store Jett Mercantile Co. Ferguson Laundry Grayson Laundry Monfort Jewelry Monfort Drug Powder Puff Beauty Shoppe Louise's Beauty Shop Belle's Beauty Shop Wagner Grocery Double 'B' Grocery Anthony Wholesale Grocery Co. East Side Grocery Groceteria Stiles-Howerton Funeral Home C. E. Loomis Furniture Cummings Furniture & Transfer Co. Colony Furniture Co. McGill Bros. Furniture Shafer Radio Service Kirkbride & Cutter (Auctioneers & Real Estate) W. E. Lane Insurance Co. G. L. McClure Loans & Insurance Kent W. Johnson Insurance Alvin Paris Insurance Haworth Insurance Zenith Gas Co. Warrick's Alva Roller Mills Bird Pontiac Sales & Service Munson Hatchery Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. Dimitri Kosmena Studio Rialto, Ritz, Ranger Theatre Alva Office Supply Sneary & Kline Alva Monument Works W. W. Starr Lbr. Co. Wood-Appleman Home & Electrical Appliances

View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

Col. Kirkbride's Peanut Brittle Legacy

Vol 10, Iss 52 Fred Neuman's Boys choir tradition of making and selling peanut brittle makes news in Iowa. KWWL.com - TV

Another NW Okie has been spreading Col. Kirkbride's famous peanut brittle recipe in SW Colorado this holiday. NW Okie has printed out the history and story of Col. Kirkbride, "Candy Bob," recipe for large batches of peanut brittle that he started making for the youngsters in norhwest Oklahoma during WWII. See recipe and history below:

Col. Bob “Candy Bob” Kirkbride Peanut Brittle
This peanut brittle came from Col. Bob Kirkbride’s recipe that he used back in northwest Oklahoma during the 2nd World War when sugar and other groceries were rationed. Candy Bob would make big batches of candy (peanut brittle & taffy) for the children. Colonel Bob Kirkbride's recipe for peanut brittle as given to Fred Neuman of the Neuman’s Boys Choir, in Alva, Oklahoma. Fred and the Boys Choir would make thousands of pounds over the last 50 years to raise money for the boys choir.

Col. Kirkbride’s Original Recipe
In a large (3 gal or larger) cast aluminum kettle add: 5 lb raw peanuts; 5 lb sugar; 2-32-oz bottles Griffins Corn Syrup; 1/4 cup water. On a large burner at full blast bring the sugar-peanut mixture to 287 degrees (hard crack stage) stirring constantly with a wood paddle. Take the kettle off the fire and immediately add the following pre-prepared ingredients: 1/4 cup vanilla (the real stuff from Mexico); 2/3 cup baking soda; 1/2 stick real butter. Mix the ingredients with a paint mixer in an elecric drill for about 5-10 seconds. The mixture will foam up to several times its volume. Pour a 3 to 4-in. wide string from the kettle onto a strip of aluminum foil about 15-ft. long. Quickly trowel the mixture with a Pam-coated mason's trowel to one peanut thick. The fewer passes with the trowel the better. Let sit until cool then break up into pieces. Makes about 15 lb.

Smaller Version of Candy Bob’s Peanut Brittle - from NW Okie’s Mother’s recipe file:

1 Cup hot water
1 Cup White Karo syrup
2 Cups Sugar
2 Cups Raw Peanuts

Mix into a ball and set aside:
2 Tbsp. Real Butter
2 tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix butter, baking soda, salt & vanilla in to a ball and set aside. Mix Karo in hot water and add to sugar in heavy pan. Cook over high heat until boiling. Add peanuts and cook to hard crack (290 degrees). Quickly, but thoroughly, stir in butter, soda, salt & vanilla mixture. Quickly pour and spread evenly on buttered aluminum foil that you have laid out on your counter top. Using a buttered spatula or spreader to one peanut thickness. Buttering the aluminum foil and spatula helps keep the brittle from sticking to the foil and spreader. Let Cool! Break into pieces.

Happy Holidays!
David & Linda McGill Wagner & The Pugs (Duchess & Sadie)
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

Old Opera House Mystery - Chronology...

Vol 8, Iss 18 We have been working slowly to put together a "Chronology" for the "Old Opera House Mystery" for those who are interested. It is a venture in progress. So... bookmark these links for further updates. Thanks! -- NW Okie (a.k.a. Linda McGill Wagner)
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---

A Prairie of Dreams (Castles of NW Oklahoma)...

Vol 8, Iss 13 by - LK Wagner

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it." -- William Arthur Ward. Another saying I like is, "If you build your prairie of dreams (your Castle on the Hill), they will come!"

We all have dreams! All we need is the determination and support to carry out some of those dreams. What if our ancestors had not followed their prairie of dreams to the new world? What would life have been like back in January, 1895 if the pioneers of the growing city of Alva and the county of "M" (Woods, Alfalfa and Major) in this northwest Oklahoma territory had not had their dream of a Northwestern State Normal School and the determination of a community to accomplish that dream?

There would have been NO unique and splendid "Castle on the Hill" March 12, 1897 that stood until March 1, 1935 when it was ravished completely by fire. One of those dreamers was James E. Ament who helped structure the architectural outline of the Norhtwestern Normal school building after the outlines of the Norman Castles of France that he loved so much. Ament was the first President of Northwestern State Normal College when he came to Alva in September 20, 1897.

It took the support and organization of the Commercial Club of businessmen and citizens of the community to unite and "Push" for the lobby of the bill through the State Legislature from January, 1895 to March 12, 1897. After much maneuvering on both sides, Governor Renfrew reluctantly signed the bill granting a Normal School for this determined community of Alva, Oklahoma.

While the committee was faced with several long, maneuvering and bitter fights lobbying the legislature, the citizens back home were gathering land and finances. They were beginning to build on their dream. That is how determined they were to fulfill their dreams of higher education in this growing farming town and county of "M" in Oklahoma territory. They had a dream and as a community they came together to build it.

For more details concerning the "Castle on the Hill", you may go to my Okie Legacy web site at Building of the Northwestern Normal School and read more about it.

The early morning hours of March 1, 1935, Friday, will live in infamy for many of the Old Timers of this NW Oklahoma community. That is when their beloved "Castle on the Hill" burned down. The cause of the fire has been largely a matter of speculation ranging from faulty electrical wiring -- To spontaneous combustion in a janitor's closet -- To a carelessly tossed cigarette.

From a journal that my Grandpa McGill kept this is what he wrote March 1, 1935 -- "The old Administration building burned down -- Boy! Was everybody sick! March 14, 1935 -- $300,000 passed by both houses to rebuild. Only 4 opposition -- Parade by everybody at noon, March 14, 1935."

The pioneers of the growing city of Alva and county of "M" (Woods, Alfalfa and Major) in Oklahoma territory had their prairie of dreams. One of those dreams was to see their children educated. They set their goal to build their "Castle on the Hill" for themselves, their children and their children's children. It began with 166 students in September, 1897 and grew to 2,000 students in 1999. They accomplished their prairie of dreams with the pioneer spirit and determination that drove so many to this new land of opportunities -- And they came in droves from the eastern and western seaboards and across the oceans for a new beginning.

Don't give up on your dreams. Where would we be if our pioneers had given up on their dreams. There may be times that you take a step back, but there will always be times when you take two steps forward to seeing your dreams fulfilled. What we need is more dreamers and people with determination to ease and move us progessively forward in the evolution of our life.
View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---