Articles from Beckham
County, Oklahoma
Newspapers Between 1,500 and 2,000 people swarmed Sayre Park for the fourth annual
Western Oklahoma Pioneers' reunion August 30, 1942, and
though the arbor had
been enlarged
twice the size of last
year, there
still was insufficient
seating
capacity for
the hundreds
who attended the afternoon program. Mrs. Grace
Perkins,
registrar, said 400
pioneers signed the
registration
book
and were on
hand to observe the
fiftieth
anniversary of the run for
homesteads in this
district.
Five
who made the run,
Mrs. Rebecca Beeson and Jack Freeman,
both of
Sayre; Fount
Sutton, Texas,
and John
Anderson and Mrs.
Della I.
Young,
both of
Cheyenne, were
given seats
of
honor on the stage.
Jim Calloway, Merritt, was
elected
President of the reunion
organization to succeed J. L. Edgecomb. Others
elected
were R. E. Edwards,
Vice-president, and Mrs. Grace
Perkins, Secretary.
John
Salyer was
master of
ceremonies.
Sen. E. F. Cornels led the pledge of
allegiance to the
flag and
Earl
Edwards led the group singing
of America.
Invocation
was
given by Rev.
Carl Belcher. Service flags
were given
to mothers
present who had sons in
military
service. They were Mrs. Eula Barker, Sayre,
Mrs. John
Pruett, Doxey, and Mrsfl
Burrows, Victory. Mrs. Barker and Mrs. Pruett
were given
four-star flags and Mrs.
Burrow received a
three-star
flag.
The
welcome address was given by William
D. Lackey, President of the chamber of
commerce, and John
Casady, pioneer
Cheyenne newspaperman, responded.
Distinguished
guests were
introduced by E. H. Gipson and
short
addresses
were
made by Jack Freeman,
Fount
Sutton,
J. C. MacKenzie, Dewey
Beson, Jim Calloway,
Della I. Young
and Mr. and Mrs. A.
D. Jones. L. G.
Brewer conducted a short
memorial service
for the pioneers
who had died during
the
past year. J. W.
Dennis, Erick,
won first in the contest
for the best original song about
Oklahoma. J. E. Nunn,
Delhi,
was
second. Judges were Mrs. Ollie
Cornelison, Tom
Lowry
and Mrs.
W. P. Spence.
J. E. McCraw, New Liberty,
was
first
and
E. T.
Laney, Delhi, second in the old time
fiddling contest. Mrs. Fannie Warren was
given the prize
for having the most
generations of her family present. Mrs.
Warren, Mrs.
Nellie Halford, Hoke
Halford and his small
son
represented
four
generations. Mr.
and Mrs.
Charles
Rice, New Liberty,
received the prize for
having the most
children present.
All of their nine
children attended. Mrs. John
Danner
received first prize for the
most
original pioneer
costume
and
Mrs.
Birdie Bell, Hext, received
second
prize. Judges were Mrs. Lora Gibbons,
Mrs. Minnie
Hohenshelt and Mrs.
Cynthia Evins. Several American flags unfurled
throughout
the park grounds gave the
reunion a patriotic
air. Flags
of
all
allied
nations were displayed above the
stage.
Birth
Announcements
Anniversaries
Death
Notices
Crime
Stories
Marriage
Announcements
Obituaries
Source:
The Sayre
Sun, September
3,
1942
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