My brother, two sisters, and I, plus families, have been having reunions every five years coinciding with Mom's numerically meaningful birthdays - 70th, 75th, 80th. Last year we couldn't get one organized for her 85th, but we made up for it this year in grand style.
Mom isn't up to long-distance travel, so we hit on the idea of meeting at Boiling Springs State Park, near Woodward in NW OK. This is the part of the state where Mom was born and grew up. My dad, too. More on that below. It's only about a two hours drive from Edmond where Mom and my two sisters live.
I worked for Grandpa the summer after my junior year in HS and it was a formative experience. Did me a world of good. (Son Mike later recalled that I often lamented during their growing-up years that it was too bad they didn’t have the opportunity to spend time at grandpa’s farm. It’s interesting what kids remember. I think I threatened to send them to work on my cousin’s farm if they didn’t turn off the TV and do something else.)
Sunday we had lunch in town. We had invited all the Bennett cousins and families living in OK to join us. Several live near Woodward, but others came from Tulsa and the Oklahoma City area. Had a great time sharing pictures and memories, catching up with families.
Mom isn't up to long-distance travel, so we hit on the idea of meeting at Boiling Springs State Park, near Woodward in NW OK. This is the part of the state where Mom was born and grew up. My dad, too. More on that below. It's only about a two hours drive from Edmond where Mom and my two sisters live.
Thursday, June 7, we trekked across OK from the Red Barn in Carthage, MO, mostly on interstates and toll roads. Took this route to save time and because of very strong crosswinds from the south, blowing hard when we left and correctly forecasted to last all day. I’d rather deal with crosswinds on divided four-lanes than on narrow two-lanes.
Somewhere along the way, saw this sign: Cross Winds Ahead. I hate it when wind gets grumpy.
Speaking of signs: Early warnings of upcoming lane closures or changes are very helpful. Illinois wins the award: Right Lane Closed/Eight Miles Ahead. Of course, by the time we got there, I’d forgotten which lane was to be closed (actually, there was another warning at one mile). This was in a rural area, not in the Chicago commute area where such an advance warning might be especially helpful.
Got to Boiling Springs (I won’t abbreviate) and found a campsite by around 5:00 pm. Full-service hook-ups, spacious, too. Will be room for four of my nephews to set up a tent. My brother, Lael, and wife, Katherine, will park their VW camper in the campground, too, and everybody else will stay in four cabins we rented.
Speaking of signs: Early warnings of upcoming lane closures or changes are very helpful. Illinois wins the award: Right Lane Closed/Eight Miles Ahead. Of course, by the time we got there, I’d forgotten which lane was to be closed (actually, there was another warning at one mile). This was in a rural area, not in the Chicago commute area where such an advance warning might be especially helpful.
Got to Boiling Springs (I won’t abbreviate) and found a campsite by around 5:00 pm. Full-service hook-ups, spacious, too. Will be room for four of my nephews to set up a tent. My brother, Lael, and wife, Katherine, will park their VW camper in the campground, too, and everybody else will stay in four cabins we rented.
The clan arrived Friday pm. – total of 25, almost all of my parents’ descendants and spouses. We kicked the festivities off with a cookout.
Saturday was sightseeing. First to Little Sahara Sand Dunes. We hoped to relive some experiences of 11 years ago when we all went to White Sands - jumping off dunes, rolling down, ... . However, Little Sahara is a playground for off-roaders so that didn't work out. We proceeded to Alabaster Caverns for an enjoyable lunch and cave tour. Pizza in town finished the day.
The three youngest boys, two nephews and a grandson, next picture, hit it off big. Kept busy all weekend fishing, chasing ducks, playing ball, swimming, inventing things to do. Also slept with us in TuziTwo. They had a memorable pillow fight - at least I told them they would remember it when they're my age.
The spring has been unusually rainy this year and everything is much greener than usual. Rivers that usually trickle are running bank-full and over. Flowers are blooming in the pastures. A windy cool front came through Friday night - got us up to close the awning and the tent guys up to tie things down better - so the weather was pleasant, too.
Some family reunion background (some of this I’ve reported before, but for completeness and for faded memories, I’ll repeat it here): Both of my parents came from NW OK. They met when my Dad was hired to teach at Mom's home town of Selman. She was 14 at the time but the spark was lit. Dad was young, too. He had skipped two or three grades along the way, but he was still a college graduate. They dated after he moved to become superintendent at another school and married after Mom's freshman year in college.
Mom’s parents, Gene and Ethyl Bennett, had settled in NW OK, recently Indian Territory, in 1915. Their family grew to five daughters. They built a successful and respected farming and ranching operation – Grandpa was president of the school board when Dad came knocking on the Bennetts' door. From reminiscences of my Aunt Sammie, now deceased:
[When my parents moved to OK:] Old timers in Barber County, Kansas, on large ranches predicted my father would take Ethyl out west and they would starve but our father was a hard worker and my mother a saving type and they did very well.
What a summary! What they faced, what they did, and how they did it. Gives me chills. Here's a blurry picture of a picture of the Bennetts.
Mom’s parents, Gene and Ethyl Bennett, had settled in NW OK, recently Indian Territory, in 1915. Their family grew to five daughters. They built a successful and respected farming and ranching operation – Grandpa was president of the school board when Dad came knocking on the Bennetts' door. From reminiscences of my Aunt Sammie, now deceased:
[When my parents moved to OK:] Old timers in Barber County, Kansas, on large ranches predicted my father would take Ethyl out west and they would starve but our father was a hard worker and my mother a saving type and they did very well.
What a summary! What they faced, what they did, and how they did it. Gives me chills. Here's a blurry picture of a picture of the Bennetts.
I worked for Grandpa the summer after my junior year in HS and it was a formative experience. Did me a world of good. (Son Mike later recalled that I often lamented during their growing-up years that it was too bad they didn’t have the opportunity to spend time at grandpa’s farm. It’s interesting what kids remember. I think I threatened to send them to work on my cousin’s farm if they didn’t turn off the TV and do something else.)
Sunday we had lunch in town. We had invited all the Bennett cousins and families living in OK to join us. Several live near Woodward, but others came from Tulsa and the Oklahoma City area. Had a great time sharing pictures and memories, catching up with families.
Most of the group left Sunday afternoon, but a few of us stayed until Monday morning. I took Mom for a drive and couldn't pass up the opportunity for a picture of her against a backdrop of Oklahoma sagebrush, sunflowers, and sky. We love you, Mom!
We drove all the way home on Monday. Went west through the OK panhandle to Guymon, then SW on US 54 to Tucumcari. In stark contrast to some of our Midwest passages, this is a stretch of nearly 300 miles with only two towns with a stoplight and just a handful of country crossroads to slow down for. Amazing!
We drove all the way home on Monday. Went west through the OK panhandle to Guymon, then SW on US 54 to Tucumcari. In stark contrast to some of our Midwest passages, this is a stretch of nearly 300 miles with only two towns with a stoplight and just a handful of country crossroads to slow down for. Amazing!
Usually, it starts feeling like home when TX cropland gives way to NM mesas and valleys on I-40. This time, coming down US 54 it was the sight of Tucumcari Mountain, named, it is said, for the tragic tale of the Indian brave, Tocom, and Kari, the maiden he loved. Almost home.
Arrived home in a light rain about 7:30 pm. Final statistics: 5800 miles, 46 days, 6 kids, 5 grandkids, and much more -- priceless!
Cheers,
Rob and Susie
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