2002 ALLEN ADVOCATE

Atwood Reunion This Saturday

Hundreds of former Atwood alumni will be returning this Saturday to the Lowell G. Wilkerson Community Center for their annual reunion. The building will be opened at 3:00 p.m. with the covered dish meal being served at 5:30.

This will be a special year for many, including the Cowgirls who won the State Championship title in softball fifty years ago, in 1952. Following is the article from the May 11, 1952 issue of the Holdenville Daily News.

By Wilbert Wiggs Atwood’s Cowgirls, for the past two years, have been successful in winning the state class A softball crown. In 1950 the team was runner up for the title, and in the past sixty-five games have suffered only two setbacks.

Atwood defeated Coleman and Checotah in the 1950 preliminaries to the state finals. In the final game Gotebo fielded a strong team to win the nod for the flag.

The next year the girls became state champs after outlasting Cowden, 8-5, in a ten inning affair. Olney and Checotah had been the victims in the preliminary rounds.

This year the Cowgirls won the district playoffs over Moss then set their sights on the regional. The regional held at Atwood, dealt out Tupelo in the finals.

For the third year in a row the Cowgirls defeated Checotah in the semi-final round of the state playoffs. Stratford and Atwood battled to a 3-2 decision in the final game with the crown going to Atwood.

During the current year, the Atwood team has not had a single defeat and have won five trophies including the state. Two of these trophies came from conference play and three from the state.

One Pharmacist’s View

You just can’t help bur notice that people are fatter than they used to be. I have already re-defined the obese as being those who are fatter than me, but just how much is too much? Of course most people are worried about our health and while that is commendable, I worry about the future width of my season ticket football bench up at Norman. I wonder if the University of Oklahoma this fall will have wider seats. They are remodeling Memorial Stadium and I just can’t help but wonder at those little spaces they allocate for us to sit. I took a 450-pound friend to the game with me last year and the people who sit close to me have treated me poorly ever since. Southwest Airlines would make him buy two tickets. But OU let him in on one and he took up 3. Being fat has been declared a disability, like a missing limb or something. People picking on fatties better watch out.

We all have odd preferences and dislikes. I have marveled over my life at how tourist areas seem to dislike tourists. Oh yes, they cater and beg for their business, but there is no worse slur than to use as their description, “tourist.” The natives get a double treat in Florida as they get more than their share of both tourist and “golden oldies.” Perhaps it’s just something that is natural and part of the human desire to stay clear of unusual people or outsiders. One thing is for sure though, we have more old people now than ever before. It’s even worse than I thought as I am now discovering that we all get old. But, unlike the Floridian who penned this sentiment, “I’ll be glad when I get old so I can move up north and drive 5MPH in the left lane with my right blinker on.”

In spite of our poor driving habits, there are some redeeming factors of oldies. I would like to leave with you what I learned from Rod Bailey out East of Allen.

· We know we take responsibility for all we have done and do not blame others.

· But it was not us who:

Took the melody out of music,

The pride out of appearance,

The romance out of love,

The responsibility out of parenthood,

The togetherness out of the family,

The learning out of education,

The service out of patriotism,

The religion out of school,

The Golden Rule from rulers,

The nativity scene out of cities,

The civility out of behavior,

The refinement out of language,

The dedication out of employment,

The prudence out of spending or

The ambition out of achievement.

REMEMBER

Remember . . . Inside very older person is a younger person wondering what the heck happened!

Yes, I am a SENIOR CITIZEN! I’m the life of the party . . . even if it lasts until 8 p.m.

I’m very good at opening childproof caps with a hammer.

I’m usually interested in going home before I get to where I am going.

I’m smiling all the time because I can’t hear a thing you’re saying.

I’m very good at telling stories; over and over and over and over.

I’m aware that other people’s grandchildren are not as cute as mine.

I’m sure everything I can’t find is in a secure place.

I’m realizing that aging is not for wimps.

I’m sure they are making adults much younger these days.

And I’m wondering, if you’re only as old as you feel, how could I be alive at 150.

Have a good week and be careful on the lakes and the highways. Maybe you ought to try to remember what Mark Twain said: “Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18.”

Wayne Bullard, R.Ph.D

Allen OHCE Enjoys Meeting

The Home Community & Education Club met at 1:00 p.m. on June 20, 2002, in the fellowship hall of the First Baptist Church.

Alene Callaway gave the devotion on Solomon. Ahana Reece read a poem “The Buck First Symbol.” It seems our flag disappeared so we had no flag salute.

Betsy and Gary Glave brought a very interesting program on flea market “finds,” on how to make the best finds and buys. Thanks to both. It was interesting on how to Dakil clean silver with vinegar and salt, and how to cover old cheese boxes and picture frames with old quilts.

Business was called to order and nursing home activities for the club will be changed. After business was attended to we adjourned until July 18 at 1:30 p.m.

Attending the June meeting were Gary and Betty Sue Glave, Virginia Holcomb, Lillian Kidwell, Ahana Reece, Lewanda Boyd, Margaret Johnson, Eula Tilley, Colena Huffstutlar and Alene Callaway.

Philpots Donate Land for Gerty Part

Less than three years ago, no one would have believed that a block of land that was totally covered with trees and underbrush could have been changed into a beautiful and peaceful little park.

Many years ago a large neat white house, occupied by S.T. Philpot and his family stood there. Alice, his wife, was known for having the most beautiful pronies in the country.

Mildred Dey, the youngest of the Philpot children, first moved to California, then in 1972, to Noxon Montana where she currently resides. In all the years she never forgot where she came from—Gerty, Oklahoma. It is for this reason that she has donated her family property to the town to be used as a park. She asked that the park be named “Philpot Family Park” to honor her family.

Mildred has funded the entire project including all necessary playground equipment, a basketball court and a pavilion. All that she asked from the town was volunteer labor and ingenuity. The park is now complete except for a small paint job that is hoped to be completed by Saturday. It is surrounded by a nice chain link fence built by Moore fencing Co.

We have had great help the past few months to have the park completed by Gerty Day, June 29 ^th . Forgive me if I fail to mention anyone: Sheldon Tatum and the inmates from the Correctional Center, Hughes County District 3, Quenton Yarbrough, Leroy Cook, Marvin Fulton, Johnny Hibdon, Danny and Roy Golden, Tim Wilson, Tommy Orr, Jerry Tollett, Bill Chisum, Skip Powell, Bunkie Impson, Colby Impson and his “little buddies” for picking up rocks and for the use of his tractor, and Bruce and Allison Ingram. A very special thank you to my brother, Kenneth Ward, who has stood by me through this entire project and, I’m sure, muttering to himself, “I hope she never gets into anything else like this.”

It is very unfortunate that Mrs. Dey could not be here to see all that she has given back to her hometown. As this goes to print she will be undergoing hip replacement surgery. Hanging on the fence is a large blue sign that reads “Thank you, Milly” and we truly mean just that.

There will be no formal dedication of the park as previously reported in The Advocate since Mrs. Dey is unable to be present.