What’s Happening in LG A Free Local Newsletter Sponsored by the Locust Grove Arts Alliance No. 22: May 2016 Founder’s Day art show May 14 Handmade Autograph Book SPRING ROBIN. . . Marea Breedlove, one of the local atists who will have her work exhibited at the Founder’s Day Art Show, spon- sored by the Locust Grove Arts Alliance, took this robin picture at a park in Grove recently. The 3rd annual LGAA Founder’s Day Art Show held at the VFW Hall will be even bigger and better than the first two. With more than 25 artists displaying and sell- ing their works, a silent auction, demonstrations, and more, the day will be an artistic blast. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Two Adirondack chairs, footstools and one table crafted by Jerry Yates will be raffled off that day. You may buy tickets from LGAA members for $1 each or 6 for $5 before the art show, or you may buy them during the show on Founder’s Day. The return engagement of the very popular Fishinghawk Karate Studio fire walk and fire breaks will be during the LGAA Founder’s Day Art Show. “We have some new stuff for this year. Different ex- citing fire breaks, and possibly a 20 foot fire walk. 10- 12 ft is normal, so we are trying something different this year.” said David Fishinghawk. (Continues on Page 7) Mayes Key remembers Yonkers of his youth, stories of his service WAR MEMORIALS. . . Mayes Key stands by his medals. The one framed on the left is the Bronze Star, and the one framed on the right is the Oklahoma Cross of Valor. Other honors are in the display case. He was born in a store in the small town of Yonkers that is no more. He is a vet- eran of two wars. He is a humble man who turned 90 years old in March. He is Mayes Orlando Key, and he has been a resident of Lo- cust Grove most of his life. Mayes is the youngest of five children born to Leoma Estell (Stella) Holland Key and James Jobe Key. Named after his Aunt May, Mayes said, “I’ve al- ways had trouble with it.” But Trouble is something Mayes and his family have always known how to deal with. “My parents had to cross Grand River to go to Wag- oner to be married. The river was frozen and a group of men had to cut a channel through the ice so the covered wagon could be driven across it,” wrote Wanda, Mayes’ wife, in a story about his parents. As a child, Mayes also (Continues on Page 8)
Transcript
What’s Happening in LGA Free Local Newsletter
Sponsored by the Locust Grove Arts Alliance
No. 22: May 2016
Founder’s Dayart show May 14
Handmade Autograph Book
SPRING ROBIN. . . Marea Breedlove, one of the local atists whowill have her work exhibited at the Founder’s Day Art Show, spon-sored by the Locust Grove Arts Alliance, took this robin picture ata park in Grove recently.
The 3rd annual LGAA Founder’s Day Art Show heldat the VFW Hall will be even bigger and better than thefirst two. With more than 25 artists displaying and sell-ing their works, a silent auction, demonstrations, andmore, the day will be an artistic blast.
The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Two Adirondackchairs, footstools and one table crafted by Jerry Yateswill be raffled off that day. You may buy tickets fromLGAA members for $1 each or 6 for $5 before the artshow, or you may buy them during the show on Founder’sDay.
The return engagement of the very popularFishinghawk Karate Studio fire walk and fire breaks willbe during the LGAA Founder’s Day Art Show.
“We have some new stuff for this year. Different ex-citing fire breaks, and possibly a 20 foot fire walk. 10-12 ft is normal, so we are trying something different thisyear.” said David Fishinghawk.
(Continues on Page 7)
Mayes Key remembersYonkers of his youth,stories of his service
WAR MEMORIALS. . . Mayes Key stands by his medals. The oneframed on the left is the Bronze Star, and the one framed on theright is the Oklahoma Cross of Valor. Other honors are in thedisplay case.
He was born in a store inthe small town of Yonkersthat is no more. He is a vet-eran of two wars. He is ahumble man who turned 90years old in March. He isMayes Orlando Key, and hehas been a resident of Lo-cust Grove most of his life.
Mayes is the youngest offive children born to LeomaEstell (Stella) Holland Keyand James Jobe Key.
Named after his AuntMay, Mayes said, “I’ve al-ways had trouble with it.”
But Trouble is somethingMayes and his family havealways known how to dealwith.
“My parents had to crossGrand River to go to Wag-oner to be married. Theriver was frozen and agroup of men had to cut achannel through the ice sothe covered wagon could bedriven across it,” wroteWanda, Mayes’ wife, in astory about his parents.
As a child, Mayes also(Continues on Page 8)
Page 2 What’s Happening in LG May 2016
LGAA meets May 11 at VFW
EDITOR’S NOTE: While this newsletter is producedby the LGAA and will contain our organization’s news,we also want to publish information about any activitiesin Locust Grove that our community might be interestedin.
Please contact Betty Perkins at [email protected] or918-479-5617 (leave a message if no answer), if you havenews on LG events, places, or people for inclusion in fu-ture issues. For advertising, call Roxann Perkins Yates at918-530-5321 or email at [email protected]. AsLGAA is a nonprofit organization, advertising must sup-port the publication of this newsletter. Your support isgreatly appreciated.
About What’s Happening in LG
The next meeting of the Locust Grove Arts Alli-ance will be at 5:47 p.m., May 11, at the VFW Hall.The group will be making final plans for its annualart show during the town’s Founder’s Day event thefollowing Saturday, May 14.
In last month’s meeting, Roxann Yates reportedthe newsletter has gone to 10 pages thanks to sup-port from the community.
The 15 members present were given 30 tickets eachto sell on the Adirondack furniture being made byJerry Yates to benefit the arts alliance.
The group recognized a donation from Clark andMarcia May.
Tristin Brunner has volunteered to do face paint-ing on Founder’s Day, and Ray Grass and otherswho worked on the Historical Mural at the cornersof Main and Broadway will be recognized at 10 a.m.that morning.
Shaun Perkins reported on a new exhibit at theRural Oklahoma Museum of Poetry, a selection ofautograph books from the 1880’s to the 1970’s.
April Stone talked about the Willard Stone Legacyevent, and that a play about Stone would be held bythe LGAA Children’s Theater at a date to be deter-mined. The Pipe Springs production is still sched-uled for July 8.
Chainsaw artist Mike Wheeler was given a grantof $400 to replace a chainsaw which was stolen fromhis property.
Rural OklahomaMuseum of Poetry
6603 S. 438 - Locust Grove
Visit us atrompoetry.com
ORIGINAL DOODLE by Locust Grove’s famed artistWillard Stone.
Free dance lessons setA free dance workshop
to learn Jitter Bug andSwing dancing of the1920s and 30s jazz era willbe held June 3-4 at theVFW Hall on north Broad-way.
The workshop will betaught by Louise Siddonsof the Scissortail Tradi-tional Dance Society(www.scissortail.org).
On June 3, the work-shop will be held from5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and onSaturday, June 4 the work-shop will run from noon to4 p.m.
Everyone who attendsthe workshop is invited toattend the monthly danceat the Community Build-ing which the Senior Citi-zens sponsor.
The workshop is neededto help find dancers to per-form in a play this fallabout Willard Stone’syounger years. Dancers areneeded for the scene where
he meets the woman whowould become his wife,Sophie Coger, at a honkytonk in Oktaha in 1940.
Dancers needed for thatscene can be high schooland adult ages.
April Stone, who is incharge of the LGAAChilden’s Theater, encour-ages everyone to be a partof this community-widecelebration. Contact her at918-729-0487 for more in-formation.
May 2016 What’s Happening in LG Page 3
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Callery presents history of early LGLG Creative Communi-
ties is a group workingwith the Creative Okla-homa organization in a 20-month initiative to fostercreative ideas in our com-munity.
On March 18-19, a smallgroup of LG citizens at-tended the opening retreatweekend hosted by Cre-ative Oklahoma in Okla-homa City for all 8 of thecommunities selected forthis project.
Creative Oklahoma de-scribes the project in thisway:
“Creative Oklahomawill work intently withthese communities over a
a slide show of historicaltown photos, and he gavedetailed information aboutthe photos. A brief discus-sion of the Oklahoma Cre-ative Communities Initia-
twenty-month time periodto cultivate new ideas thatcontribute to economicgrowth and societal trans-formation. We believe thatfostering a grassroots net-work of Creative Commu-nities is essential to the vi-brancy of the state and willhelp Oklahoma become anationally recognized des-tination to live, work, andvisit.”
In keeping with the mis-sion of the Creative Okla-homa Initiative, LocustGrove’s history was dis-cussed on March 25, at theVFW Hall by CentennialCommittee member HughCallery. Callery presented
(Continues on Page 6)
FORMER NEIGHBORS. . . Hugh J. Callery visits with JoanBennett, following his presentation on the history of Locust Grove.The two lived next door to one another when they were growingup. Callery lives in Owasso, but he said his volunteer hours arespent in Locust Grove. In addition to the Creative Communitiesproject, he is also a member of the LG Centennial Committee.
tive also took place.Among the topics dis-
cussed were the roads oftravel.
State Highway 11 wasbuilt in 1925.
“The highway ran fromthe Arkansas state linethrough Locust Grove toBoise City,” Callery said.
In 1934 Highway 11 be-came 33, and in 1982, 33became 412.
In 1955 only 20 percentof Oklahoma roads werepaved.
The Locust Grove TagAgency has a new locationand new services, too.Owners Brenda and JasonWilliams took over the tagagency when Loy Willisretired in January, 2015,and Brenda runs theagency now, with Loy andBrenda’s sister Beckyhelping her out.
“We have been blessedby the opportunity to havethe agency and also withthe purchase of our newbuilding,” said BrendaWilliams.
The new office site, lo-cated at 216 E Main, wasmore recently the law of-fices of Tammy Ward.
“I have always loved thebuilding,” said Williams,“and when the chancecame up to purchase it, wedidn’t pass it up.”
Along with the new lo-cation, Williams said thatthey are offering some newservices, includingPikepass services. Besidesvehicle registration and
Tag Agency moves downMain, offers more services
title work, the tag agencyalso offers notary services,drivers licenses, Check-Free bill pay and fax ser-vices.
The tag agency is openMonday through Fridayfrom 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.and can be reached at 918-479-1800. The fax numberis 918-479-1801.
“We are very thankfulfor our customers’ loyaltyover the last year and a halfand we hope that each timethey come to our agencythey know we appreciatethem and we will do whatwe can to help with what-ever they need,” said Will-iams.
Locust Grove Tag Agency216 E. Main St./PO Box 1213
opportunity to havethe agency and alsowith the purchase
of our newbuilding.”
-Brenda Williams
NEW DIGS ON MAIN. . . The Tag Agency, owned by Brendaand Jason Williams, moved just over a block down Main to216 E. Main last week. The agency is open Monday throughFriday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The phone number is 918-479-1800. The Williamses purchased the house which was mostrecently owned by Tammy Ward for her law offices, just westof Holman Company.
May 2016 What’s Happening in LG Page 5
Quantie Auto SupplyHarold Jr. & Georgeann Quantie - Owners
Family Owned & Operated for over 40 Years
Phone (918) 479-8797Fax (918) 479-8796
Hwy 82 South, P.O. Box 428Locust Grove, OK 74352
On Sale Now!Stihl Chainsaws
with free carry case
Mike Wheeler to makesecond appearanceat Art Show May 14By Shaun Perkins
If you work on trees fora living and have an artis-tic eye, you might eventu-ally end up becoming achainsaw artist. At leastthat’s what happened toLocust Grove’s MikeWheeler, a chainsaw artistwho has been making artfrom trees for many yearsnow.
“I do tree work and al-ways had a lot of woodaround to practice on so Ijust decided to try andmake something out of it,”Wheeler said.
That work got more dif-ficult this winter whenWheeler was watching hisson Jaiden at the statewrestling tournament andsomeone broke into hishouse and stole hischainsaws that he uses forcarving.
After Rural OklahomaMuseum of Poetry directorShaun Perkins bought awar memorial carving fromWheeler for the museum,the Locust Grove Arts Al-liance decided to donatefunds for Wheeler to buynew chainsaws.
Wheeler, who has fourchildren, Sam, Andrew,Faith and Jaiden, grew upin Tulsa and Claremore butspent his summers in Lo-cust Grove.
“I’ve lived in Locust forabout twenty years,”Wheeler said, “And I reallyenjoy it. The people aregreat here.”
Wheeler will be makinga return appearance at thisyear’s LGAA Founder’sDay Art Show, where hewill be chain-saw carvingon Broadway Street, acrossfrom the VFW. To reachWheeler, contact him at918-856-0050.
As a bonus for the Lo-cust Grove Arts Alliance,Wheeler will be carving abear on Founder’s Day, andgive it to the LGAA as agift to be used as the groupsees fit. One possibility isthat the bear will be raffledoff on Founder’s Day withthe rest of items in the si-lent auction.
NEW BEAR TAKING SHAPE. . .Mike Wheeler works on achainsaw sculpture during the Founder’s Day activcitieslast year. He’ll be back in the same spot, across from theVFW.
918-479-7990 112 E. Main Street Locust Grove, OK 74352on the corner of Broadway & Main
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was gravel. They wererough roads. On Thursdaynights Mom and Dadwould load us boys up toeat in Salina. It took 25minutes, and we could lis-ten to a whole radio showon the drive,” Callery said.
Other segments of thepresentation included con-versation about the busi-nesses of the first 50 yearsof this community.
“There were no emptystores downtown in the’50s,” Callery said.
A report on the earlyschools, celebrations, fer-ries, the locations of Doc-tor Hugh Callery’s offices,etc. was shared. “Doc
(Continued from Page 3) Callery’s mother,Helene, was an educatorand taught at LocustGrove, Murphy andLowery. She lived in Lo-cust Grove until her deathin 2004.
The local LG grouphopes to involve as manypeople in town as possiblein this project.
The group will havemore meetings, presenta-tions and workshops in thefuture. Contact: ShaunPerkins [email protected] orby phone, 918-864-9152for more information.
Callery,” the presenter’sfather, served the commu-nity for 50 years and diedin 1991.
“Dad practiced until1991. He never retired.Office hours didn’t meananything. People oftencame to the house to betreated,” Callery said.
THE END. . . Hugh J. Callery chose a unique slide to endhis presentation of the town’s history. Those who missedhis presentation will be able to watch it on Founder’s Daywhen the Locust Grove Arts Alliance will be running therecorded version throughout the day at the VFW Hall. Thehall opens at 10 a.m. when more than 25 exhibitors will bedisplaying their artwork. Items will also be available in asilent auction that will run from 10 a.m. until parade timeat 3 p.m.
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Photography, wood works, paintings, jewelry, and vari-ous other artwork will be on display. The following is alist of artists that will be showcase during the art show:Marea Breedlove, Amy Bolin, Tristin Bruner, JenniferDowning, LaTasha Duncan, Angela Elliston, Ray Grass,Jennifer Henson, Shelley Horton, Stuart Horton, DeanMajors.
Also, Kelly Palmer, Betty Perkins, Georgia Rainbolt,high school art students, The Rural Oklahoma Museumof Poetry, Amanda I. Smith, April Stone, Mike Wheeler,Deaana Vaughn, Dean Wyatt, Jerry Yates, Roxann Yatesand Mary Yoder.
Contact Roxann Yates by phone at 918-530-5321 orby email at [email protected] for more details.
(Continued from Page 1)
--Founder’s Day--
In March, Locust Grove was selected as one of eighttowns in Oklahoma to be a part of Creative Oklahoma’sinaugural Creative Communities Project. In this project,the nonprofit organization Creative Oklahoma will workwith each community for 20 months in creative prob-lem solving to address economic development and qual-ity of life issues.
The leadership group for LG Creative Communitiesconsists of Marea Breedlove, Hugh J. Callery, ElaineClark, Ray Grass, Jennifer Henson, Angela Holman,Shane Holman and Shaun Perkins. The team sponsoredthe LG History in Photos, a presentation by Callery onApril 25, which will be available for viewing at theLGAA Art Show at the VFW Hall on Founder’s Daythis year.
More information about LG Creative Communities,including sign-up sheets will also be available at theVFW Hall. The Creative Oklahoma mentoring team willbe in Locust Grove on May 23, Monday, to start theprocess of working with the community. The place andtimes will be announced soon. Follow LG Creative Com-munities on Facebook for updates.
May 2016 What’s Happening in LG Page 7
Readers are invited to check out the Mayes CountyArts Scene, a place where information on local art of allkinds -- dance, music, performance, visual, literary, etc.-- can be shared.
Search Mayes County Arts Scene on Facebook and“like” the page to keep up-to-date on arts information inour county. Also, post any arts-related news to MCASpage.
Join
theLG is Creative OK pick
Page 8 What’s Happening in LG May 2016
Ron’s Auto Repair
Ron Noble
Owner/Operator
918-479-2075
109 W. MainLocust Grove, OK 74352
lived in Hominy and Bro-ken Arrow and returned toYonkers in 1938.
“In 1948 the Fort GibsonDam was built, and Yon-kers was in the flood plain,so the folks moved movedto Peggs,” he said.
Mayes attended the firstschool built in Yonkers. Itwas replaced with a stonebuilding whose remnantscan be seen today.
“It was a one-teacher,one-building school thatstudents attended from firstgrade through eighth,” hesaid.
The ferry and train stopare some of Mayes’ fond-est memories.
“The ferry was fourmiles from Yonkers. Itwould take riders fromWagoner, 12 miles awayfor 25 cents,” Mayes said.
(Continued on Page 9)
(Continued from Page 1)Before World War II,
people couldn’t flag thetrain to make it stop.
“During the war every-thing was rationed. Peoplecouldn’t get gas or tires, sothey would flag the traindown to go to Wagoner.The government said the KO & G train had to stop ifpeople needed transporta-tion. The cost was 23 centsto go and 28 cents to buy aticket to come back,”Mayes said.
His parents and siblingare now deceased. He andWanda had five children --the late Tim Key, KarenKey Rice, Andrea KeyRawdon, Marsha Key Vickand Mark Key -- six grand-children and seven great-grandchildren. The Keyshave been married 65years.
“We have love and re-spect for each other, and wethank God every day for hismany blessings,” Wandasaid.
The couple were mar-ried in 1950, and in 1958they bought “the onlyhouse we have everowned,” Mayes said.
It rests on the foundationof “the old grocery storeand post office of Mark,Oklahoma,” Wanda said.Mark was two miles west
of present day LocustGrove.
The Keys hope to havean historical marker placedsometime in the future.
But in the past, Mayesserved in two wars -- WorldWar II and the Korean War.
“On my 18th birthday Iregistered for the army,”Mayes said.
After basic training atCamp Robison in LittleRock, Mayes left for Camp
Mayes Key recalls life in early day Yonkers. . .
(Story by Roxann Yates)
May 2016 What’s Happening in LG Page 9
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Shelby, Mississippi, andbecame a soldier of the69th Infantry Division. InOctober he was sent toNew Jersey, after which heboarded a ship destined forEngland.
“On Christmas Day, re-placements were neededfor the Battle of the Bulge.Eighty men from eachcompany of the 69th Divi-sion were then sent toLaHavre, France,” Mayessaid.
Subsequently, Mayesbecame a soldier in the83rd Infantry Division andhe and other soldiers wereput in box cars bound for
frostbite can still be seentoday.
The division battled forthree weeks. “All reserveswere sent in,” said Mayes.Allied and German casu-alties were great, but theGerman losses wereheavier. This battle was thebeginning of the end forthe German forces.
Involved in three cam-paigns -- the Battle of theBulge, Rhineland andCentral Europe, Mayes, inthe second campaign, be-came the first Oklahomanin the 9th Army, CompanyE to reach the Rhine River.
On their march to Ber-lin, Mayes’ divisionstopped in Badertz, Ger-many, where word of acounter attack of panzerswas rumored. “The com-pany put a line for a phone,then pulled back one anda half miles to set up a de-fense,” he said.
Mayes and three othermen were picked for lis-
Belgium.“In my first combat at
the Battle of the Bulge, inthe Ardennes Forest, wecouldn’t have fires be-cause it would signal theGerman forces. We didn’thave good boots, and myovershoes were way toobig. That was the coldestwinter on record,” Mayessaid. “I got frostbite on myfeet and legs. I wouldn’t goto the hospital becausewhen I came out, I wouldbe put in a different unit.”
Mayes, instead, wassent to an aid station andthen to a clearance stationto recover. Evidence of his
tening duty. “We were tolisten for the armor and callthe company,” said Mayes.
“I saw the phone linejerk the next morning,” hesaid. “A company of Ger-mans overcame us andtook us prisoner.”
Mayes and three othersoldiers were taken to aregular army camp. Themen were commanded toempty their pockets.
“I had a new knife fromSears and Roebuck andwrapped it in a handker-chief to conceal it,” he said.Mayes carried the knifemany years afterward. “Icarried it too long,” andonly part of it remains. “Ialso had a spoon and fork.I still have that fork.”
The prisoners continuedto march to one barn andthen another. They weregiven bread and cans ofhorse meat to eat.
“The meat got biggerand bigger the more Ichewed it,” said Mayes.
Eventually, the prisonersended their march south-west of Berlin at Stalag11A prison camp. The pris-oners were only fed dehy-drated vegetable soup fullof white worms.
“We just thought of theworms as protein,” saidMayes.
A telegram, read to arelative who had the only
Mayes Key tell of his time as a POW. . .(Continued from Page 8)
(Continued from Page 9)phone in Yonkers, relatedthat Mayes was missing inaction.
“My cousin wrote themessage out and deliveredit to my parents,” Mayessaid.
After being in the POWcamp for three weeks, anAmerican lieutenant andGerman camp commandernegotiated a truce, “and the83rd Division came in withtrucks and ambulances andliberated us,” said Mayes.
“General Eisenhowersaid all POWs will be senthome,” said Mayes.
A second telegram homestated that Mayes had beenreturned to military con-trol.
While being processedto go home from a “tentcity” named for cigarettebrands, Mayes was in thecamp “Lucky Strike,” andhe spotted his cousin fromYonkers, Sherman Sly.
“Sherman was a turretgunner on a B17. He wason a raid on a German ballbearing factory. Sixty Al-lied planes were shot
down, and Sherman spent19 months as a POW,”Mayes said.
From that time on, thetwo never separated. Bothcrossed the ocean on a lib-erty ship “and we could eatanytime we wanted,”Mayes said.
In 1950 Mayes againserved his county with theNational Guard 45th Divi-sion during the KoreanWar.
While serving 14months in the war, his firstchild, Tim, was born.
“I didn’t see Tim until hewas nine months old,”Mayes said.
Later, Mayes became an
electrician, worked atOklahoma Cement as elec-trical supervisor and retiredafter 29 years of service.
This small-town man hasserved his family and hiscountry in a big way.
