February 4, 2023 Issue, Page 10 of 10

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10 - The Elk City News February 4, 2023 Charles in Charge June. He arrived well pre- bombed London numerous Elk City baseball team from display in the City Hall con- pared, times during World War II in the 1930s or ‘40s, the old ference room where the City The Oklahoma City native 1940 and ‘41, killing thou- Mayer Building at the south- Commission meets. and Westmoore High School sands and destroying many west corner of Broadway and graduate earned a bachelor's of the city’s buildings. Dur- With Charles Wren in charge Jefferson that once housed Elk degree in History at the Uni- ing Hitler's Blitz, Londoners City’s post office, and the origi- of collecting and cataloging versity of Oklahoma. Then he removed several books, writ-nal Grubitz Furniture building, local artifacts and communi- picked up a master’s degree at ten as far back as the 15th and The photos—found inside a cating their stories, Elk City’s the University of Central Okla- 16th centuries, to the Lon- Braum's paper sack—are on history is in good hands. homa, having studied British don Dutch Church building to History. avoid their destruction. His UCO experience led him to Wren spent time with these the field of historical preserva- tion, books while conducting thesis research in London. Oklahoma As a graduate student, he ‘This hands-on experience with worked at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. centuries-old, fragile historical documents supplemented his Oklahoma Hall of Fame expe- Landowners to ‘Then, while writing his mas- ter’s thesis—a book that capped his graduate studies— Wren had the opportunity to rience and university studies and prepared him for what he does full time at the museum Hear about 30x30 Executive Order study abroad in England. “I complex—meticulously sort, spent weeks in London cata- store, and display relics of Elk loging books that had been City’s past. removed from harm’s way dur- Since assuming the museum ing the Blitz,” Wren said. post last summer, Wren has By Sheryl Ponce ing to retain her property been immersed in the mu- rights. She will also share what Nazi leader Adolf Hitler want- seum’s thousands of historical Area landowners are encour- successful actions that were tak- By Landry Brewer preserving Elk City's past and ed to invade and quickly sub- artifacts, arranging them so aged to attend an informational telling its stories. due England as his military that they tell their stories. meeting on Feb. 13th at 6:30 en by local and county officials For more than half a year, Wren became the Elk City Mu- had much of continental Eu- ‘The museum complex’s newest p.m. in Elk City’s City Hall to to protect her private property Charles Wren has been busy rope, so the German air force addition is the general store, seum Complex Curator last which has consumed much of hear Angel Cushing from Kan- from being brought under fed- Wren's time on the job. “I'm sas to speak about President eral control. trying to tie it into the Herring Biden's initiative to incorporate Oklahoma landowners may & Young Store,” Wren said. 30 percent of the US land into be interested in how the initia- ‘The more than 1,000 items in- Federal control by 2030. tive could impact their land. The side the almost-finished gen- According to President eral store came from the Flying Biden's “Fact Sheet: Biden-Har- expansion of national lands in W. Ranch. ris Expansion of Locally Led some states are said to include He and his staff have also be- Conservation Efforts in First private property through Na- gun sifting through a collec- Year of ‘America the Beautiful’ tional Heritage Areas (NHA) tion of 1918 letters from local Initiative,” the report establishs and other programs. The Ch- soldiers who fought in World War I. “In one letter a soldier a goal of conserving at least 30 isholm Trail and Great West- explains hearing the sound of percent of US lands and waters One Hundred-Year-Old Building bullets whizzing past,” Wren said, by 2030 for national conserva- tion. ern Trail in Western Oklahoma have been identified as land to Cushing will be talking be incorporated in the National hosts One Hundred-Year-Old Wren also provided City Hall with photos that include an about her experiences in work- Park Service's Trail System. Birthday Celebration LaVerne Tucker celebrated A large gathering of family Tommy and grandson Mon- her 100th birthday on January and friends honored LaVerne. te. LaVerne’s family includes 14, 2023, in the Bulo School She was born on January 9, Tommy and Nelda, Danny, Building that was opened for 1923, to Grace and Claud R. Henry Rose, grandchildren, dasses in 1923. Schooling Cox in Wheeler, Texas. She great grandchildren anda great took place in the building from graduated from Wheeler High great granddaughter. She is the 1923 until 1963. The instruc- School in 1940. LaVerne has matriarch of a five-generation tional staff at the time of clos- been honored as the oldest family. ing were Mrs. Lavena Rose and graduate to attend the Former LaVerne was honored also Mr. Clyde Lewis. The students Student Banquet. She married by receiving recognition from went to Sweetwater Public Earl Tucker on December 19, Governor Kevin Stitt, Repre- Schools. After the school clo- 1945 and moved to the Sunny sentative Anthony Moore, and sure, the building was used as Point Community. She is cur- Centenarians of Oklahoma community center. Many so- rently living in the house that Henry Rose, Becky Drin- cial events and meetings took she moved into as a new bride. non and family have remod- place for several years follow- ‘The Centennial Tucker farm is eled the school building into an ing. managed by LaVerne, her son, event center. The building has Dobson Fiber is Title Sponsor for SWOSU’s 2023 Everett Dobson Bulldog Golf Classic Southwestern Oklahoma State University communications company. (SWOSU) benefactor Dobson Fiber will serve Mr, Everett Dobson serves as Executive Chair- as the title sponsor of the 2023 Everett Dobson man of Dobson Fiber and the owner of Oak Bulldog Golf Classic. Tree National. Dobson is a 1981 SWOSU gradu- Apply online at www.endurancefcu The Dobson Bulldog Golf Classic began in 2015 ate who was inducted into the SWOSU Distin- @ndurance benefit the SWOSU golf team and other guished Alumni Hall of Fame in 1999. He has 3WOSUathletic programs. The tourney is played endowed the Everett Dobson Chairs in Business, on the prestigious, private Oak Tree National in Marketing, Management, and Finance in the Edmond. Teams will begin the morning with Everett Dobson School of Business & Technol- oreakfast, followed by a scramble-style tourna- ogy at SWOSU and provided the private invest- nent. ment necessary to construct the Everett Dobson ‘Dobson Fiber’s generous support for this sig- Golf Training Facility on SWOSU's Weatherford aature event allows us to raise much-needed campus. In 2015, Dobson was inducted into the Federal Credit Union funds for the golf team and other SWOSU ath- etic teams,” said SWOSU Athletic Director Todd SWOSU Presidential Order of Merit in recogni- tion of his 25 years of service on the SWOSU 105 Regional Drive - 225-2690 Helton. Foundation, Inc. Board of Trustees where he *Restrictions apply. 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