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I had a great visit with my cousin, Jerry Bean last week. He is the son of the late Dow and Inez Abernathy Bean. His grandparents owned the Bean Dairy west of Holdenville for many years. He told me that he thinks the building is still standing and in the near future I am going to drive out to the location and see. Our family loved Dow and Inez and spent many evenings at their home and ate countless meals there. She was an incredible cook and they both were so much fun to be around. There were some really special times with them and Charley and Marie Grimes…. Linda Brown Hampton is not only a great friend, but also my classmate. She has been serving as president of the Seminole Public School Board for several years. For family medical reasons she recently stepped down. Linda, a graduate of Holdenville High School, obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in elementary education from East Central University and spent 34 years teaching at Pleasant Grove. She served two years as state vice president of the Oklahoma Education Association and two years as the association’s state president. Hampton was also on the National Education Association Board of Directors for six years. Her parents were John and Wynona Brown and they owned Brown’s Fabric Shop in Holdenville for many years. I loved to visit with them. Her sister Carolyn is also a dear friend. We don’t get to see them as much as we would like to, but we sure enjoy the times we do get together. I don’t like to brag but when Linda and I were seniors we won some great honors and our picture appeared in the Daily Oklahoman. I am sure it was a great honor although I can’t remember what it was. I told Linda that I thought we had been selected as Mr. and Miss Oklahoma. Linda doesn’t think that was the honor. Over the years, I have learned to embellish my high school achievements a little, because I don’t want my kids to know how mediocre I was….however, I think they may have figured it out……Friday night I had the opportunity to take grandsons Eli and Augie to the Moss and Calvin Fall Festivals. I have never seen them have so much fun. The highlight of the evening was when they won live goldfish. I have not seen goldfish given away in many years. It reminded me of when I won a goldfish in the 3 rd or 4 th grade at Central School. Like my grandsons I was one happy kid…..As I sit at my desk, I received a call that my livelong friend, Gary LaValley passed away. He and JoAnn are two of the finest Christians I have ever known and a delight to be around. Before Gary became our high school principal, he owned LaValley’s Dry Goods. It was the last of the oldfashioned dry goods stores that carried a complete line of clothes and other items for the entire family. His dad had built the store into a very popular place to shop and Gary carried on that tradition. As high school principal, He was admired and respected by everyone. He was so proud of his children and the successes they have achieved. The LaValleys are a family that has made a positive difference in our community and Gary will be greatly missed…… We visited with P.D. and Gloria Brown Sunday. I am so thankful that they both are doing much better. COVID was a tough battle for them. They are not only good friends, but two of my favorite gospel singers….
