In Oklahoma

Dateline McAlester, OK     Was not able to get WIFI Monday evening so no posting then.  On Monday we found frost on the car in the morning as we were leaving motel in Carthage, MO.

Bessie & Phyllis

We went through Joplin, MO – driving into some of the rough-hit area of the tornado last May.   Block after block of pure devastation.   Went on south into Arkansas and stopped in Gravette, AR at Phyllis' Cousins Don & Bessie Runyan.  They are only a few days away from heading to Rockport, TX (near Corpus Christi) to their winter digs, also.  We went south to Decatur, AR  with them to eat at one of their favorite restaurants and then drove around the area with Bessie pointing out where she was born and grew up; and also where Phyllis' Mom was born and grew up.   Phyllis’ Mom lived in that area until she was 12 years old and then had moved with her family to northeast Nebraska.   Don pointed out fields of Zoisa Grass that is being raised for hay.  It makes real fine grass hay and is drought resistant.  Don and Bessie lived in Clarinda for many years before retiring to Gravette in the early 1990’s.

Joan Thurman, Phyllis & Duane Thurman

Bessie fixed supper and we visited into the evening.  After breakfast on Tuesday morning with them, we headed out for Tulsa, OK.

Mabel Thurman - age 104 years

  Arrived at Duane & Joan Thurman’s place about noon.  Duane fixed lunch and showed me a lot of his wood working and wood ready to work.  They are in process of moving to a house in Arizona and are packing up things to head out next week to take another load.  Although Duane is 10 years older than myself and I did not know him as a kid, we both grew up in the Lower Lodi area in Custer County, Nebraska.  Duane has written a very interesting book of that area and his family and their farming in the 30's, 40's, & 50's.  He had even included several of my photos taken in the 1950's at the country school.  His wife Joan had been one of my grade school teachers and Duane’s sister Joan had also taught one year while I was in Lower Lodi School.   Duane's Mother is a friend of mine and, at 104 years of age, lives in McPherson, KS.  We had visited her 4 years ago on our way south.  Duane had a photo of her taken recently.

After a nice visit we headed out, touring a little of the grounds of Oral Roberts University.  Duane had been a professor at ORU for many years before retiring.

Taking our time, we came south on 75 and then the Indian Nation Turnpike.  The Arkansas River is sure dry and the surrounding area shows the results of this summer’s drought.  Still lots of color in the trees, but not as bright a color as we came south.  Called it a day in McAlester, OK.  Sure miss just parking the travel trailer and climbing in.  This taking suitcases in each night and sleeping in a strange bed is not as good as when we were traveling in our trailer.  After walking a few blocks to a Baum’s Restaurant and getting a couple salads for supper we turned in at the EconoLodge.  Will be heading in to Texas tomorrow after possibly looking up some friends in Kingston, OK.  Left click on any of the pictures to see larger.

Till later, Lynn