Martha Johnson is not only one of our dearest friends, but also a lady that spreads joy everywhere she goes. You never see her without a smile. We always look forward to her visits….Had a good visit with David Paslay this past week. He told me his dad, Glen, is doing great! I still miss the Dairy Queen that Glen and Mary owned for many years. My wife worked for them and has said often that they were the best bosses she ever had…..For the first time in a very long time, I got to see my longtime friend Terry Carpenter. We not only went to school together but also ran around together and had a lot of fn. Terry was sports editor for the Holdenville Daily News for a long time and did a great job. Health problems keep him inside most of the time but I’m sure glad I got to see and visit with him. He is a special friend….I stopped by to see Rev. Jimmy Freeman and he looks great! As many of you know, he had stage 4 cancer, but is doing remarkable with one lump gone and the other shrinking. He pastors the Harvest Time Tabernacle, and that church is a praying church. Pastor Jimmy is a blessing to this community and we pray for his continued improvement…. Had a good visit with Jerry Baxter. He and Janice are doing good and plan on being in town for Memorial Day. We had the privilege of meeting Billy Don Tidmore at the homecoming service for Chuck Self this past week. Billy is the son of the late Don Tidmore, an HHS graduate and one of our outstanding athletes. His mother is Billie Gentry who was Miss HHS. We had a great visit and he told me that his dad was still playing basketball when he was 80 years old. Don’s brother, Elroy and I still visit once in a while and I always enjoy it. Elroy is a Korean War Veteran and I used to see him and Racheal at the Korean War Veterans Reunion. I really miss those gatherings. Those veterans are among the finest people I have ever known. Billy’s grandparents were the Knox Tidmores. Many of us “old timers” remember Knox well. He sold chickens, eggs and produce in downtown Holdenville for many years. He was a well-known and respected businessman and as a youngster I can still remember going into his business just to look at all the chickens. Both Billy and Elroy remember when they would candle the eggs for Knox. I really miss those home-owned businesses. As I said earlier, Billy and I were at the service for Chuck Self. Chuck, his wife Rhonda and mother-in-law Norma Hensley are dear friends, and their family is so special to ours. Our friendship with their family is four generations old. I also got to see Orcella Love and Joyce Hammock who I had not seen in a very long time. I really enjoyed seeing them. I told them it is so sad that the only time we get to see many of our friends is at a funeral. Both Chuck’s sister and granddaughter shared memories about Chuck and their words touched the hearts of everyone. God bless this family during this difficult time….My friend Maxie Carter sent us the following….As one of several Holdenville Daily newspaper boys in the fifties, we frequented the M & P store, which was located next to the paper office. The most popular snack was a Pepsi Cola filled with peanuts after the first swig was consumed. Wendell Harris came from Seminole to Holdenville as the manager of M&P during that time. Wendell catered to the paperboys, occasionally tempting them with new products and instructions to tell our parents to shop at his store.

One of the distinctive features of World War II as a “total war” (as compared with all the smaller wars in which we’ve subsequently been involved) was the requirement for members of the Armed Forces to be in uniform at all times when they were appearing in public, no matter how far away from a military post or base they might be. There seemed to be an exception for athletes and rodeo performers, but even they had better be back in uniform by the time they left the stadium. I recall once seeing a bomber pilot on horseback in a rodeo parade. He displayed only one minor modification in his service uniform--cowboy boots.

Jaylea Harpole/ECU ADA – East Central University’s Linscheid Library is fulfilling its goal of serving populations that otherwise may be overlooked, most recently the Davis Correctional Facility. Linscheid Library recently donated 216 books to the library at the Holdenville-based facility.

MAY 11, 2021 JUDGE: B. GORDON ALLEN 8:30 AM Nikki Foster—maintaining dwelling for keeping & selling controlled dangerous substances; unlawful possession of controlled drug with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia JUDGE: TRISHA D.

Billye June Gann passed away Friday, May 7, 2021, at her home in Lamar, Oklahoma at the age of 81. Billye was born December 30, 1939 in Highlands, Texas to Roy Baldwin and Leona Wood Medler.

Principal Danielle Patterson recently learned that Reed Elementary has once again earned the prestigious designation as a Great Expectations (GE) Model School. This is the 18th year Reed has earned this impressive honor. It should be stressed that just because a school has previously earned this honor is no guarantee they will receive it again.

Wolverines State Runner-Up The Holdenville Wolverine track team finished the 2021 season with two state runner-up finishes at the class 3A track meet at Catoosa. The Holdenville relay team finished second behind Beggs in both the 4x100 relay and the 4x200 relay.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 20-21 REED ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR, Mrs. Casi Story! We are very blessed to have Mrs. Story at Reed. She is extremely dedicated and very worthy of this wonderful recognition!

I really don’t know how to begin this. I don’t even know what to call it, a letter or a statement but it is what is on my mind and my heart. I lived over half of my life in Holdenville and raised our family there. It hurts me to see so much bickering going on and it is all over Facebook. That is the only social media I am on other than Hughes County Tribune weekly. I have several subjects to express my thoughts about and I hope you make it a POSITIVE thing.