I recently heard a country western song by Kyle Park titled “Don’t forget where you come from.” It tells the story of a man whose father always advised him “Pray out loud. Make us proud. And son, don’t forget where you come from.” Kyle sings that it took years for him to figure out what his dad meant, but he ends the song with these words “No matter where I am each night before I fall asleep, I’ll always think of what my daddy said to me…”

My friend and fellow classmate Errol Douglass called this past week. I haven’t seen him in many years. We grew up in church together. His parents were Vodette and June and they were always so kind to me…. Saw Donnie McCarn Thursday and had a good visit. His two sisters Bobbie and Debbie are coming down this week to visit and I hope I get to see them. Bobbie, Marcia Sanders and my sister Penny were very close friends and actually lived together after graduation in Oklahoma City where they had moved to get jobs…. Bob and Carol Irby and Dayna and I had lunch together Sunday after church and had a great time. We consider them part of our family and I can tell you I have never known a finer Christian couple….The Methodist youth group just returned from visiting The Ark in Kentucky. They had an incredible time. It is the one place that Dayna and I would like to visit if it is ever possible….

This is a mental fitness evaluation for people who are considering retirement or for those already retired and might be experiencing second thoughts. If you get one right, you are doing OK. If you get none right, you might better go for counseling. (I’ll meet you there).

Dr. Andy Bowman was the guest speaker at our church recently and what a blessing! His wife Renie, brought the special music and it was one of my all-time favorite songs, “The Anchor Holds.” It was a day we will never forget. Pastor Andy’s column, Coffeetime has over 80,000 readers weekly. We hope to have Andy and Renie again in the near future and when we do, we will let you know ahead of time so you can attend. After the service the Bowman’s, Dayna and I and Dayna’s mom, Beth Leewright went to lunch together and they are so much fun to visit with. If you are a reader of their column you know what a great sense of humor they have. Writing, preaching, and singing – they have it all!......Speaking of church, we had a great group of youngsters go to church camp this past week and what a great experience they had. Combining Bible study with fun-filled activities is a winning combination. Church camp was always my favorite time of the year and I will never forget those great times…..Congratulations to Alex and Bonnie Workman on the birth of their new son, Alex Allen Workman, Jr. and also to grandparents Bill and Julie Wilkinson. From the looks of his first picture he may be a future lineman for the Holdenville Wolverines!....I recently stopped by Granny’s Garden in Calvin and had a good visit with Sam McClure and Larry and Debbie Wilson. They are special friends. Not only did I enjoy the visit but left with food and flowers. I will definitely be stopping by there again in the near future….Bronko McGugan was not only my lifelong friend but also my junior high football coach. He was a delight to be around and excelled at so many different things. However, his greatest achievement was marrying Shirley Baldwin. I haven’t seen Shirley in several years, but she is such a great lady. As well as I knew the family, I did not know that Bronco was at one time head coach of the Norman Tigers until I found the following article from October 8, 1954……

Dear Sirs, I don’t know if you have any way to help me. I am asking that an editorial or story be published for the benefit of my brother.

I went to a pretty tough high school. It was so tough our student newspaper had an obituary page. We had gangs who wore identifiable jackets and you didn’t want to cross any of those guys or the whole gang would be after you.

One of the real problems with aging is that we sometimes end up with too much time on our hands. As an avid lover of naps, that has never been a problem for me. I can conk out for a quick “picker-upper” during most any of the 24 hours in a day.

Strength to Get Through I went to a pretty tough high school. It was so tough our student newspaper had an obituary page.

Comments to: andybowman839@gmail.com Coffeetimecolumn.com As a young boy, I would ask my dad for permission for something I wanted. Sometimes the answer was “Yeah sure, that’ll work, go ahead.” But all too often the response I received was not exactly the answer of my dreams.

Bill and Tena Kibby are close friends and they are constantly helping others. Most recently they have been working on the Glory Cemetery. Please see their story and pictures of the cemetery on page A-8 of our May 25, 2021 edition of the Holdenville News. Rural cemeteries need financial help to keep them mowed and repairs made. Please help if you can. If you are willing to help, mail your contribution to First United Bank, PO Box 790, Holdenville, OK 74848 or you can drop it by at 102 E. Main…… This past week I went to visit the Seminole Nation Museum in Wewoka. It is incredible! The head of the museum, my longtime friend, Richard Ellwanger, gave me a wonderful tour. He also offered his help to our local museum and he is a wealth of information. If you have not been to the museum in the past few years, it is worth your time to go. I especially enjoyed the Veterans display. Richard is the son of HHS graduate Peggy Ellwanger. She is the longest serving Wewoka City Councilmember in history and continues to do a great job. Peggy and Richard are the type of leaders every community needs….. Our good friend Juanita Harris was by the office Friday to renew her subscription. She is also known as the “Taco Lady.” For years she had a trailer she would take to area events and sell tacos. There would always be a line at her location. Her tacos were delicious! She is so much fun to be around and I always look forward to our visits……My friend James Rinehart was by this past week. He will be celebrating his birthday Friday and we hope he has a great one. James is his late wife, Faye, are two of the finest folks I have ever known and have been a blessing to so many over the years…..Speaking of birthdays, my mother-in-law, Beth Leewright just celebrated her birthday on May 24 . She came home with us after church Sunday and we enjoyed having lunch together. She is a very special lady and I’m so blessed to have her as my mother-in-law…….Got to visit with Dayna’s classmate and our longtime friend Jeanne Smith. Her folks, the late Ray and Marie Bowen were dear friends and we still miss them. They were so much fun to be around. I will never forget asking Ray a particular question about the Bible. He said he wanted me to read a book he had and see if it answered my question. I read his book and didn’t understand half of it. Later, he asked me if the book helped and I said, “No, it really didn’t.” He then replied, it didn’t help me when I read it either and then he started laughing! I still have a lot of good memories about Ray and my dad…..Jerry Hardwick stopped by the office recently and I always enjoy his visits. His father, the late C.B. Hardwick was one of the finest men I ever knew. He worked many years for John Gaberino and they considered him like one of their own family. At a later date I will tell you how C.B. got me to eat one of Viola Brill’s pickled eggs. It was an experience I will never forget!.....I was visiting with my longtime friend Leo North at church Sunday and we started talking about his parents, the late Bob and Wilma North. Wilma worked at Pat’s Café for many years and was a wonderful lady. For years Bob owned and operated Bob’s Fix-It Shop in Holdenville. There was very little he could not “Fix-it.” People like Bob are almost non-existent in today’s world. As a youngster, I remember shoe shops, tailors, bakeries, steam laundries and several medical doctors in Holdenville. Now I don’t know of anyone in those fields and I really miss those days…..I was by the funeral home Sunday and say my good friend Liz Clarks-Campbell. Liz is assisting the Phillips family part-time and I know she will be a real asset…..for the first time in a long time my friend Fred Vines was in town. The former Spaulding resident is a WWII and Korean Veteran. He is a real patriot and one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known…..