Christmas Eve. Grandpa’s house with the grandkids. Packages are piled under the tree. And it is still an ETERNITY until time to get to the “real reason” we gathered – the presents! Aunt Donna supervises the decorating of gingerbread men with icing and sprinkles – lots and lots of sprinkles! The kids look at the clock and groan. It’s still …
Word Weavers and Friends
Virginia Frantz grew up during the Great Depression only a few miles from where Max’s family lived from the early fifties on. Beaver County, OK was hit hard by the depression as was much of the country, but Virginia remembers it vividly and has written about it from time to time. Recently Ken Burns interviewed and filmed Virginia for the …
Pioneer Days, 2012
After months of anticipation and preparation, Pioneer Days in the hometown of Guymon, OK, finally arrived. Sometimes the anticipation exceeds the enjoyment of the actual event, but not this time. I’m so proud of my dad who was chosen from a field of candidates to be the Parade Marshal for this year’s parade. We had to submit a bio which …
A Real Pioneer – Part 1
A few months ago, one of my distant cousins suggested my sisters and I nominate our dad for the honor of Parade Marshal for Pioneer Days in his hometown in Guymon, OK. The criteria included being a descendent of “No Man’s Land” homesteaders in the Panhandle, being a current resident, and had to have lived in one of the three …