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Oklahoma SCS/NRCS Retirees Newsletter April 2009
The Oklahoma SCS/NRCS Retirees met April 24, 2009 at the Hometown Buffet Restaurant in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Sixty three people were in attendance. They were: David Ankle, Kenneth Babek, Mike Barrick, Don & Darlene Bartolina, Kenneth and Rebecca Blan, Bob & Loretta Bourlier, Lester & JoAnne Brockmann, Steve Chessmore, Everett & Helen Cole, Les & Barbara Conner, Bob & Betty Day, Wayne Fjeseth, Fred & Gayle Fortney, Randy & Bonnie Freeland, Jim & Roberta Frie, Lloyd Garrison, Gayle & Mary Goforth, Darwin & Laverne Hedges, Jim & Mollye Henley, Odos & Dianne Henson, Velma Jean Herndon & son Royce, Sandra & Terry Hough, Clay Hunt, Winnie Jaques, Mavis & Wilene Jones, Otho LaMar, Jim McCampbell, Lowell & Minnie McMasters, Gordon & Minnie Carol Moebius, George Moreland, Bill & Ladonna Petermann, Eddie & Linda Rathbun, Stan Rice, Ray Riley, Dan & Sharon Runnels, Norm & Jane Smola, Keith & Phyllis Vaughan, and Billy & Marcella Wagner.
Updates were received on several retirees who were not able to be at the meeting: Nick Lambeth was taking his mother to the doctor and his wife Doris is helping with her sister who is battling cancer; Steve York has had a leg amputated due to diabetes. He is living in Chickasha. Ruel & Shirley Bain had called and said they weren’t well enough to attend.
After a prayer led by Glen Mullen, the group enjoyed a delicious buffet meal and then conducted a brief business session led by President Randy Freeland. Sandra Hough, Secretary/Treasurer, read the minutes from the last meeting and gave a treasurer’s report. Sandra indicated she has 345 members on her mailing list and mailed a notice of the meeting to each. The group was reminded that the Oklahoma Retirees Website is up and running and also pretty current. It can be accessed at: http://www.cyber-shack.net/nrcs/
Our current President asked those in attendance, who had not filled out an information sheet, to please do so. Sheets were passed out and were either returned at the end of the meeting or mailed to him.
Fred Fortney read a list of retirees who have passed since our October 2008 meeting: Billie Bollinger, wife of Gene Bollinger; Bob Barton, Cheyenne; Elesa Willis, retired State Conservationist of Delaware and daughter of Roland & June Willis, Stillwater; LaWauna Hicks, wife of Newman Hicks, Blackwell; Elva Lehman, widow of Ted Lehman; and Nadine Evans, widow of Charley Evans. A moment of silence was observed and Fred offered a prayer.
Those attending the meeting for the first time were asked to stand and introduce themselves and their spouse, if present. They were Ray Riley, Jim & Mollye Henley, Steve Chessmore, Wayne Fjeseth, Clay Hunt, Darwin & Laverne Hedges, and Kenneth Babek.
Some of those “first timers” gave a few details about where they had worked and a little about their retirement plans and family members. Wayne Fjeseth retired in May 2008 from the DC position in Guthrie, Oklahoma and now lives in Moore, Oklahoma. He is working part time for the Census Bureau while doing wood carving in the evenings. He enjoys hunting turkey, deer, quail and wild hogs. He also enjoys fishing and is headed to Canada in June. His wife teaches AP Environmental at the local high school. They have 6 grandkids.
Darwin Hedges retired in 1986 and now lives in his hometown, Seiling, Oklahoma with his wife Laverne. In 1990 they established the “Mexico Children’s Mission, Inc.” and have made 49 trips to Mexico since then. They currently support 15 Mexican Missionaries and Pastors. They manage a food pantry in their local church and provide food for 25-35 families. Their 3 sons live in Tennessee and Arkansas. Jim Henley just recently retired from the State Office in Stillwater, Oklahoma as the GIS Manager. After working on several soil surveys around the state he spent the last few years of his career in two area offices then the state office. He and his wife Mollye live on an acreage outside Perry, Oklahoma. They enjoy fishing and spending time doing farm work.
Vice-President Stan Rice asked retirees to share funny stories from their careers with SCS/NRCS. Retirees were asked to keep the stories brief. Many volunteered stories to the delight of those in attendance. Everyone was invited to bring some funny stories to future meetings. This will be an ongoing agenda item at future meetings.
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