Ella Louise Hornbuckle


Ella Louise Hornbuckle, 85, of Poteau, OK (formerly of Wister, OK) passed away Saturday, April 30, 2011 in Poteau. Louise was born in Wister, OK on August 2, 1925 to William Lawrence & Ora (Little) Free. She was a homemaker and a member of the Methodist Church in Wister, OK. Louise was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Billy D. Hornbuckle on October 27, 1999;sisters, Jean Ballew, Geneva Johnson; brothers, Bill Free & Nim Free; and great granddaughter, Sierra. Louise was very proud of her Choctaw heritage.

Survivors include her daughter & son-in-law, Sue & Dennis Phelan of Broken Arrow, OK; sons & daughters-in-law, Tom & Judy Hornbuckle of Ilwaco, WA, Jack & Lila Hornbuckle of Poteau, OK, Billy & Carmen Hornbuckle of West Hollywood, CA; 6 grandchildren; 6 great grandchildren; 2 brothers, Tommy Free of Torrance, CA and Bob Free of Poteau, OK; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives & loved ones; many beloved friends.

Services will be 2 pm, Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at the First United Methodist Church in Wister, OK with Rev. Will Langrehr officiating. Interment will follow in Ellis Chapel Cemetery, Wister, OK.

Spotlight on Bastøy Prison

Have you had a chance to check out Ann Pedersen's article on Norway's progressive prison system in the May issue of Viking? This article has already generated some interesting reader feedback, both from those who admire Norway's approach to incarceration and from others who feel this philosophy could never work in the United States. If you've got an opinion to share, I'd love to hear it. Write me at vikingeditor@mspcustomcontent.com.

Viking readers aren't the only ones talking about Norway's prisons. If you'd like to learn more about Bastøy prison, one of the two facilities featured in Pedersen's article, you can watch these reports from Deutsche Welle TV and AlJezeera's English Channel.

While Bastøy today is a model of progressive justice, it hasn't always been the case. If fact, for the first half of the 20th century, Bastøy was home to a notorious bording school for disadvantaged boys. The 2010 film "King of Devil's Island" (Kongen av Bastøy) dramatizes the true story of a violent uprising led by the youth in 1915. The Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, (Norsk Folkemuset) has collaborated with the filmmakers with their current exhibit, called "Bad Boy? Bastøy Boys' Home." If you're in the Oslo area, check it out!

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Photo courtesy of Ulf Larsen, Wikimedia Commons.

Betty Joe Merrill




Betty Joe Merrill, 81, of Humble, TX (formerly of Poteau, OK) passed away Monday, April 25, 2011 in Kingwood, TX. Betty was born January 10, 1930 in Poteau, OK to Jacob Elton & Eunice (Beall) Odom. She was a homemaker. Betty was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Talmage Merrill; brothers, Sam Odom, Buford Odom, Bryant Odom, & Trible Odom.

Survivors include her daughter & son in law, Tina Renae (Merrill) & Carlos Raul Sanchez of Humble, TX; grandchildren, Carlos Raul Sanchez II & Elisa Donatella Sanchez; other relatives & loved ones; many beloved friends.

Services will be 2 pm, Thursday, April 28, 2011 at the Oakland Cemetery Pavilion, Poteau, OK with Rev. Jim Cook officiating. Interment will follow in Oakland Cemetery, Poteau.

Billie Louise Finton





Billie Louise Finton departed this life at the age of 86 on Monday, April 25 in Granbury, Texas and has been received into the loving arms of Jesus Christ, our Savior. She was born Willie Louise Tucker on October 9, 1924 to William and Janie Hobson Tucker in Cameron, Oklahoma. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Travis, her sister, Ocie Myers and her husband, Earle Finton.

The family will receive friends at Evans & Miller on Friday, April 29 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Graveside services will be at 10:30 am on Saturday, April 30. 2011 at Witteville Cemetery, Poteau,OK with Rev. Bryan Fields officiating.

Louise attended Cameron schools and worked for a short time in a wartime airplane factory in Kansas. In January 1945 she married Jerry V. Camp in Florida where he was stationed with the U.S. Navy. She also worked at Poteau Food Market and as an election official for many years. She enjoyed her extended family, her weeks camping at Kerr Lake and her many nights of card playing with friends. She spent most of her life in Poteau and in 2009 moved to Texas to be near family.

She leaves behind her son, Larry Camp and wife, Sylvia, of Granbury, Texas; her granddaughters, Christi McCraw and husband, Chris, of McKinney, Texas and Amber Wegner and husband, Wade, of Dallas, Texas; her great-grandchildren, Macie and Mattson McCraw and Laney and Ava Wegner; sisters, Edith Bomar and Erma Sullivant; brothers, Marvin Tucker, Harrell Tucker, Herbert Tucker and Bill Tucker; and very special friend, Wanda Lawrence.

Memorials may be made to Samaritans Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607-3000.

Janice Patricia Blansett


Janice Patricia Blansett, 55, of West Fork, AR passed away Sunday, April 24, 2011 in West Fork, AR . Janice was born April 16, 1956 in Mesa, AZ to Dewayne & Norma (Masterson) Newton. She was a homemaker. Janice was preceded in death by her mother, Norma Hunt; & brothers, Jimmy Hargis & Chris Dayberry. Survivors include her husband, Steve Blansett of West Fork, AR; daughters, Sabrina Duncan of Alma, AR, Kathleen Blansett of Belton, MO; sons, Jonathan Blansett of West Fork, AR, Damien Blansett of Pocola, OK, Logan Blansett & Steven Blansett of
West Fork, AR; 5 grandchildren, Andrew & Luke Duncan, Jackson & Malachai Blansett, Hailey DeBurger; sisters, Dena Newton and Denise Newton of Arizona; brothers, Billy Paul of Texas, Russell Hunt and Darryll Hunt of Springfield, IL, Dale Newton of Arizona; her father & step-mother, Dewayne & Willa Mae Newton of Arizona; other relatives & loved ones; many friends.

Services will be 11 am, Thursday, April 28, 2011 at the New Hope Cemetery Pavilion, Spiro, OK with Rev. Jim Cook officiating. Interment will follow in New Hope Cemetery. The family will be at the funeral home in Pocola on Wednesday evening from 6-8 pm to visit with relatives & friends. Evans & Miller Funeral Home, Pocola, OK

Faith Mackenzie Jergins


Faith Mackenzie Jergins was granted her angel wings on April 22, 2011. Her precious final moments were spent embraced by family during her brief stay at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, AR. Faith was born on April 19, 2011 in Fort Smith, AR

She is survived by her mother, Ciera Jergins of Keota, OK; uncles, Travis & Shane Williams of Spiro, OK; aunt, Sydney Burrough of Spiro, OK; great-aunts & great uncles include, Ashley Williams of Pocola, OK; BJ Williams of Spiro, OK; Chris & Tina “Camel” Darneal of Keota, OK; great grandmother, Edwina Burrough; step grandparents, Cliff & Tamara Jergins of Van Buren, AR; & numerous cousins. Faith was preceded in death by her great grandmother, Charlene (Loudermilk) Beagles & her great grandfather, Vincent Burrough.

There will be a private memorial service Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 10 am at the Woodlawn Memorial Park Chapel, Fort Smith, AR. Burial will be in the Garden of Angels. Arrangements under the direction of Evans & Miller Funeral Home, Pocola, OK.

In lieu of flowers, contributions and condolences may be sent to 21086 East County Road 1164, Keota, OK 74941.

Embur's Song makes the grade in the Doubledogdare at Keeneland

Embur's Song defeats Check the Label in Keeneland's Doubledogdare
Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Returning to the scene of her 13-length maiden triumph last spring, synthetic specialist Embur's Song grabbed the lead at the start of the mile and a sixteenth Hillard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes-G3 at Keeneland on Friday and never looked back, holding on to win--and in the process set new track and stakes records--even as stretch-running Check the Label breathed down her neck.

The victory was Embur's Song's first in graded stakes company, and the lightly raced four-year-old filly looks like she's getting better all the time.

The Todd Pletcher trainee, an Ontario-bred daughter of Unbridled's Song, has never been off the board on synthetic surfaces, and after her winning performance in the Doubledogdare, in which she stopped the timer in 1:41.62, she's now won three of her seven lifetime starts,and amassed earnings of $244,940.

The eighth foal out of the stakes-placed, stakes-producing Bold Ruckus mare, Embur Sunshine, Embur's Song was purchased for $170,000 by Fares Farm at the 2008 Keeneland September sale.  She is a half-sister to four Canadian winners, including stakes winner Ten Flat (by Meadowlake), who won the Silver Deputy at Woodbine.

Embur's Song became the 88th stakes winner for her sire, Unbridled's Song, sire also of last year's Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic-G1 heroine, Unrivaled Belle.  She is bred along the same pattern as Grade I winner First Defence (out of a mare by Seattle Slew), who won the Forego and now stands for $7500 at Juddmonte Farms.   Both are from Boldnesian-line mares.

Daughters of Embur's Song's maternal grandsire, Intermediate/Classic Chef-de-Race Bold Ruckus, have produced at least 70 stakes winners, including Canadian Three-Year-Old Champion Bolulight and Set Play, who won the Del Mar Debutante-G1.  According to Dr. Steven Roman's website, the average winning distance (AWD) of the open stakes races won by sons and daughters of Bold Ruckus mares is 6.95 furlongs.  With her tenacious victory in the Doubledogdare at 8.5 furlongs, Embur's Song demonstrated that she's a lot more than a one-run sprinter, and that makes her future seem bright, indeed.

Kenneth E. Harrison





Kenneth Earl Harrison, Loving Son and Brother, You went home to be with your Father in Heaven early Thursday morning. Your family and friends will love and miss you dearly and your memory will live on in our hearts and impressions you have
left upon us. Ken was born in Poteau, Oklahoma on July 23, 1951. He attended Poteau Schools and went on to earn his masters degree in psychology from Eastern State University. He was employed by and retired from the State of Oklahoma. He was preceded in death by his father, Oren Harrison and paternal grandparents Jim and Lou Harrison of Poteau, Oklahoma, maternal Grandparents D.L. and Caroline Standridge of Poteau, Oklahoma and numerous maternal and paternal aunts and uncles, and great nephew, Josh Levi Holstead. Ken is survived by his mother, Wilcie C. Harrison of Fort Smith, life partner, Charles Linebarger of the home, Van Buren, Arkansas, and sister, Joyce M. Gallant of Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Additionally, Ken is survived by his niece, Teresa and her family, Roger, Abigail and Seth Newton of Rogers, Arkansas and Nephew Brian Holstead of Poteau and his family, Hillarie, Hannah, Jake, Payton and their mother Stephanie Holstead of Owasso, Oklahoma. He is also survived by paternal Aunt Virginia Harrison and numerous cousins Ava, Bobbie, Mary, Carol, Bob, Judy, Wayne, Jerry, Ronnie, Sharon, Karen, Eugene, Nancy, Sharon, Rita, June, Mike, Wilma, Loretta, Brenda, Sherrie, David, Terrie and Randy.
Services will be 2 pm, Monday, April 25, 2011 at Evans Chapel of Memories.
Arrangements are under the direction of Evans & Miller Funeral Home, Poteau, OK. Pallbearers will be Chuck Hollingsworth, Benny Gullick, Adrian Sconyers, Darrell Turner,& close family friends. The family will be at the funeral home on Sunday evening from 5-7 pm to visit with relatives & friends.

Grete Waitz: Legendary Athlete, Role Model

I was sorry to hear of the passing of Norwegian runner Grete Waitz this week. In the November 2010 issue of Viking, Åge Dalby of the Norwegian Olympic Museum calls Waitz the most influential long-distance female runner of all time. In addition to winning the title of marathon world champion in 1983 and a silver medal at the 84' Olympics, she won the New York City marathon an astounding nine times.

In Norway, Waitz's accomplishments made her a hero. Her statue, pictured here, stands outside Bislett Stadium in Oslo and a Norwegian postage stamp was issued in her honor in 1997.

But while Waitz became famous for her athletic prowess, she also will be remembered as a role model to a generation of female runners. She was a spokesperson for corporate health and wellness and organizations such as CARE International, the Special Olympics, and Aktiv mot Kreft (Active Against Cancert), the foundation she started in 2007.

To learn more about Grete Waitz and nine other great Norwegian athletes, check out "10 Athletes Who Shaped a Nation" in the November 2010 issue of Viking.

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Photo courtesy of Flickruser aktivioslo.

SLC Half Marathon & Utes Spring Scrimmage

I'll be perfectly honest: I am not one of those people who has a lifelong goal of running a marathon. Or a half marathon. Or really anything with -athon at the end. It's not that I'm not goal-oriented or driven in any way, I'm just not really driven to run. I think it's high time that I admit this to myself, and I'm recording it here so that the next time I'm tempted to sign up for 13.1 miles of torture, I'll remember how I really feel.

Okay, okay, I'm making it sound much worse than it actually was. Even though it's Wednesday I am still in a little bit of pain from my run on Saturday (I think it's achilles tendonitis), it did feel really good to cross that finish line, and I am proud that I can count "running a half marathon" as an accomplishment.

By the way, when I say "run", what I mean is "jog/walk". Just so we're clear.

Last Saturday, the 16th, my mom, our friend Heather, and I met in the lobby of the Sheraton at at bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed 5:45 am along with our friend Sarah and her sister who ran the 5K. We took the TRAX train up to the University of Utah where we joined 8000+ people for the Salt Lake City Marathon/ Half Marathon. The energy at the starting line was palpable, and it was really fun to take part in such a big event.

My mom broke her arm in a skiing accident a couple of months ago and just got her cast off last week, so we agreed to take it easy. This was also my first (and probably last) half marathon-- the greatest distance I'd run until Saturday was a 10K back in November '07. Needless to say, I was glad to have a partner in taking it slow!

I actually felt really good (not fast, but good) through mile 10-- so good, in fact, that I took a little picture of the mile marker and thought, "hey! Only 3 more miles! I can do this!" I'm pretty sure those were my thoughts about 10 seconds before I completely hit a wall. Those last three miles felt like another ten! After what seemed like an eternity of robotic slow-jog motion, I finally reached the finish line, finally crossed it, and finally got my little medal that proves that I did it. Yay! Whew!


I'm purposely not sharing my time-- if you've run a half marathon, you'll laugh, and if you haven't, it won't mean anything to you anyway. Let's just say that slow and steady will probably not win the race, but it does finish. Eventually. :)

After the race was over and I had guzzled two little chugs of chocolate milk, we hurried back to the hotel so I could shower and meet up with my boys for our traditional Utah Spring Scrimmage day.

We met Gramm & Gramp at Hire's, then went up to Rice Eccles Stadium to watch next season's Utes. I didn't watch a lot of football because I was busy watching these little stinks:



Grammuh let Gordon use her camera-- brave!!-- and he was so excited to take pictures of the players.


After the game, Tom and Chris went down on the field (Neil was asleep in my arms, I was too sore to move, and Gordon was in trouble) and had fun seeing the field up close.


We visited Chris' grandpa that afternoon, but I was with a sleeping Neil in the car most of the time and didn't get any pictures. I'm hoping Gramm will pass some along!

Lee McCaslin


Lee McCaslin, 47, of Muskogee, OK (formerly of Poteau, OK) passed away Sunday, April 17, 2011 in Spiro, OK. Lee was born October 28, 1963 in Muskogee, OK to Roy Lee Jr & Kathleen (Pearson) McCaslin. He was a graduate of Northeastern State University. He worked for Upjohn Company in Lincoln, NE. After leaving Upjohn he worked for the Department of Human Services in Poteau for 17+ years. Lee was preceded in death by his wife, Christie Cook McCaslin on February 6, 2010. Survivors include his daughter, Whittney Way of Poteau, OK; his parents; father & mother in law, Jim & Jan cook of Poteau, OK; Sister, Jane Allen of Muskogee, OK; brother & sister in law, John & Stacy McCaslin of Rogers, AR; nieces, Brooke, Ashley, & Aubrey; nephew, Brendon; aunts & uncles, Sue & Lucian Gassaway Sr., Shirley & Stan Metcalf, Harold & Sadie Stephens; other relatives & loved ones; many beloved friends. Services will be 10 am, Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at Evans Chapel of Memories in Poteau, OK with Rev. Jim Cook officiating. Interment will follow in Oakland Cemetery, Poteau, OK. Pallbearers will be Bret Smith, Chris Barnes, Darin Smith, Lucian Gassaway Jr., Jim Hurst, David Anderson, Mike Scrimsher, J.D. Cook & Zac Cook.

Groundhog Day

A couple weeks ago I wrote the following…and then didn’t follow up. I got busy with the business of writing, and the moment that spurred the words below passed. Momentarily.

You know those platitudes your parents spouted to comfort you in tough times? Phrases like ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’?

C’mon you know what I’m talking about. You use them on your own children. I do.

I’ve discovered an ugly truth, though. Those ‘words of wisdom’ are just as annoying when you’re on the delivering end as when you’re on the receiving end.

Being a parent is sometimes like being stuck in that Bill Murray movie ‘Groundhog Day.’ Murray’s hapless weatherman character is forced to relive the same strange day repeatedly, until he gets in right. The more we tell our children whatever woe they’re experiencing is a ‘character-building experience,’ the more we get it wrong.

Oh, the advice is accurate and the words spot-on…but, honestly, how much good are we really doing?

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not advocating being anything but the supportive, nurturing parent. However, when spouting all the ‘blah blah blah,’ remember to throw in a line or two about how you know this won’t make things better. Because it won’t.

But it will remind your kid you care. Try to listen more than talk. Listen to what they don’t say as much as what they do say. And don’t remind them you’ve been there and survived. It’s not about you, it’s about whatever your son or daughter is working through.

And they will get through it. And move on to the next thing, just as we did at that age.

Nobody ever said it was gonna be easy.

A Royal Visit

The Palace in Oslo recently made the official announcement that Norway's King Harald and Queen Sonja will visit the United States this fall. The 12-day trip, scheduled for Oct 11-22, will include stops in New York, Minnesota and Iowa. While in New York, Their Majesties will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American Scandinavian Foundation, in addition to attending other business and cultural programs. In the Midwest, the king and queen will visit Norwegian-American cultural organizations and communities.

To learn more about the royal family, check out the feature story "A Thoroughly Modern Family" in the December 2010 issue of Viking magazine. The article includes a royal family tree and a history of the modern monarchy.

To get you in the spirit of this historic event, we thought you'd enjoy this video clip of the 1968 royal wedding of King Harald and Queen Sonja in the Oslo Domkirke. And stay tuned for more details on the royal visit!



Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Clyta Britton




Clyta Britton, 89, of Howe, OK passed away Wednesday, April 13, 2011 in Poteau, OK. Clyta was born February 4, 1922 in Springhill, OK to Thomas Franklin & Nettie Mae Howell. She was a wife, mother, counselor, friend, chef, accountant, teacher, fashion designer/seamstress, plumber, carpenter, camper, landscaper & every other job that fits under the heading of homemaker. She was a long-standing and very active member of the First United Methodist Church of Poteau and enjoyed many years of singing in the choir. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, James Britton; baby daughter, Peggy Ann Britton; infant sons, Grant Britton & Baby Boy Britton; grandson, Michael Todd Britton; brother, Sgt. Thomas Burnett “Lefty” Howell, USMC; sisters, Thelma Browning, Wilma Waters, Frankie Dansdell, Vivian Smith, & Jane Pounders.

Survivors include her sons & daughters in law, Jim & Rhonda Britton of Howe, OK, Daune Britton of Howe; Max & Sandy Britton of Corpus Christi, TX; daughter, Judy Peerson of Poteau, OK; 10 Grandchildren; 15 Great Grandchildren; other relatives & loved ones; many beloved friends.

Services will be 2 pm, Monday, April 18, 2011 at the Methodist Family Life Center, Poteau, OK with Dr. Rev. Greg Tener officiating. Interment will follow in Monroe Cemetery, Monroe, OK
Pallbearers will be Justin Pickle, Scott Britton, Jacob Britton, Bob Britton, Jon Britton & Doug Camp. The family will be at the funeral home on Sunday from 2-4 pm to visit with friends and relatives.

Wanda June (Tucker) Camp


Wanda June (Tucker) Camp, 85, of Poteau, OK passed away Thursday, April 14, 2011 in Spiro, OK. Wanda was born September 5, 1925 in Fairview, OK to Homer McCurtain & Pearl Ida (Butler) Tucker. Wanda was a beautician. She loved her Sunday School Class and spending time with her family; she was proud of her Choctaw Indian Heritage. She was a member of the DAV Auxiliary. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Camp Sr.; sisters, Mary Lou Jerome, Doris Graves; & her parents.

Survivors include son & daughter in law, Charles H. Jr. & Carol Camp of Poteau, OK; daughters & sons in law, Judy & Bob Womack of Keota, OK, Karen & Enie Tobler of Spiro, OK; grandsons, Bob Womack of Keota, OK, Danny & Liz Womack of Bixby, OK, Chris & Michelle Tobler of Wylie, TX; Great Grandchildren, Hayley Womack, Hayden Womack, Scarlett Tobler, Colin & Tara Womack, Cassie Womack; sisters; Nancy Mendenhall of Tulsa, OK, Cordelia Newnam of Broken Arrow, OK; other relatives & loved ones; many beloved friends.

Services will be 2 pm, Saturday, April 16, 2011, graveside at Witteville Cemetery, Poteau, OK with Rev. Phil McGehee officiating. Pallbearers will be Bob H. Womack, Danny Womack, Chris Tobler, Colin Womack, Bob J. Womack, & Enie Tobler III.

Finding Norwegian Film

If you're a fan of Norwegian film and you live in the Twin Cities, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival begins today and runs through May 5. This year's festival, which includes more than 170 films from 50 countries, will feature several Norwegian films and an appearance from Norwegian filmmaker Bent Hamer.

The good news—no matter where you live—is that it's never been easier to watch Norwegian films. A number of cities, such as Seattle, Milwaukee, Los Angeles and Austin, are host to Nordic film festivals. Scandinavia House in New York shows Nordic films year-round. There's also a growing number of Norwegian titles available on Netflix. Finally, don't forget the Sons of Norway media lending library, available as a benefit to membership! (Log in as a member on Sons of Norway's website to read more about it.)

Want to learn more about the past, present and future of Norwegian film? Check out Rob Nelson's article in the August 2010 issue of Viking!

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Joy "Nadine" Shadwick




Joy Nadine Shadwick, 77, of Howe, OK passed away Tuesday, April 12, 2011 in Howe. Nadine was born August 24, 1933 in Hannah, OK to Willis & Josephine (Burr) Stephens. She was a homemaker and was of the Baptist faith. Nadine was preceded in death by her husband, Milburn Shadwick; son, Malcolm Shadwick; sister, Helen Norwood; and brothers Joe & B.M. Stephens.

Survivors include her son & daughter in law, Bill Shadwick & wife, Barbara of Poteau, OK; daughter, Diane Frizzell of Howe, OK; grandsons, Rusty Frizzell, Michael, Charlie, Brian, & Clayton Shadwick; granddaughters, Heather Lashley, Amanda Moore, & Alisha Plummer; 15 Great Grandchildren; brothers, Ira & Imogene Stephens of Poteau; Warren & Kay Stephens of Wister; Willis Stephens; other relatives & loved ones; many beloved friends.

Services will be 10 am, Saturday, April 16, 2011 at Poteau Valley Baptist Church, Poteau, OK with Rev. Jim Parsley officiating. Interment will follow in Howe Cemetery, Howe, OK. Pallbearers will be Rusty Frizzell, Michael, Charlie, Brian & Clayton Shadwick & Robert Faulkenberry. Honorary pallbearers will be Chad Tolbert & Wes Lashley. The family will be at the funeral home on Friday evening from 6-8 pm to visit with relatives & friends.

Norma Jean Minks


Norma Jean Minks, 54, of Poteau, OK passed away Wednesday, April 13, 2011 in Heavener, OK.
Norma was born May 4, 1956 in Poteau to Catherine Thurman. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include his sisters, Betty Jo Shelby of Kellyville, OK and Mary Katherine Charlton of Tulsa, OK; numerous nieces & nephews, other relatives & loved ones; many beloved friends.

Services will be 10 am, Friday, April 15, 2011 – Graveside at Greenhill Cemetery, Cameron, OK

Family Dinner: Nannified

I am a big proponent of the family dinner.  When everything works out right, there is nothing better than sitting around our square table, three little boys, one big boy, and me, eating something tasty and talking together.  The dinner table is almost always a place of smiles, laughter, and satisfaction, and rarely sees arguments or tears.  I am also pretty sure that 90% of the compliments I receive as a mom are given to me because of something served at that table.  (The other ones come on Sunday mornings when Chris says, "tell Mom that she looks pretty" when I'm ready for church.)  And, to back up my love of dinnertime, studies have shown that children who eat regular sit-down dinners with their families enjoy a better sense of belonging and fewer instances of drug, alcohol and promiscuity.  I'm in!

But, read the above paragraph with that little caveat:  when everything works out right.  That's the hard part.  Life is busy, our budget is tight, someone is going here or there, and I haven't planned the menu enough to shop for it.  When that happens, it's either running to the store at 5:30pm to grab something quick and easy, or worse, running by a fast-food place for takeout.  You know you're not on the right track when one of your kids says, "McDonalds again?!"  (By the way, the kids getting sick of Mickey-D's hasn't actually happened since we lived in Logan and I was working full time, but still-- I remember the sting well!)

I tend to shy away from books and sites that help with meal planning, mainly because I am not wanting for recipes.  In my cookbook cabinet, along with my selection of favorite cookbooks, I also have a folder full of recipes I've gathered over the years, plus three + years subscription of my favorite food magazine, Everyday Food.  My wonderful maternal grandmother, Nonny, who is an equally wonderful cook, is sending me her recipes so that I can compile them for posterity.  And, in case you haven't noticed, this blog has links to some incredible recipe sites, including Culinary Collie Sue, managed by my sister-in-law, Emily, and Bex Box, where my delightful friend Becca shares delicious recipes and fabulous recipe cards.  So, recipes are not the problem.

For me, the biggest challenge with family dinners is the planning.  For some reason, even with my abundance of recipes, when it comes time to plan for the next week or two, I tend to draw a blank.  Even though there are plenty of things we love and would love to try, I often end up making the same old stuff because that's all I could think of at the time.

Enter the Food Nanny

When we were in California, my sister-in-law, Heidi (also an excellent cook-- see, I have inspiration everywhere!), introduced me to the idea of meal-planning, Food Nanny style.  The idea is pretty simple:  each day of the week has a theme, and you plan your meals accordingly.  It seemed pretty elementary-- almost too elementary, in fact-- but then Heidi mentioned how the idea is actually working really well for her family.  So, I decided to give it a try myself.

Last week was our first week, and here's what we (I) came up with for our nightly themes:

Sunday:  Family Traditions  (meat & potatoes, traditional Sunday dinner stuff)
Monday:  Mexican
Tuesday: Italian
Wednesday: One-dish/ Crock Pot/ Simple
Thursday: Asian
Friday:  Fish
Saturday:  Kid's Faves (pizza, mac & cheese, grilled cheese, etc)

This picture has nothing to do with this post, but I think it's funny.  I guess I could say that Neil is so excited about dinner that he jumps down the stairs?


I was surprised at how easy it was to come up with a menu, and in fact, I came up with weekly menus for six weeks.  That's 42 different meals without a single repeat.  If I didn't have the little paper in front of me, I wouldn't believe it myself.  The ease came from narrowing down my thought-process into a single category-- instead of trying to brainstorm everything I could possibly make, I just focused on the one theme.  Mexican: enchiladas, fajitas, sweet pork salad, white chicken chili, shredded beef tacos, etc.  You get the idea. 

I can also see how flexible this schedule is-- I kept some of my themes pretty generic to fit around our lives.  Wednesdays, for example, are always a little crazy around here, so it makes sense that our dinner would be easy to prepare and serve.  And we sometimes go out on Friday nights, so I put "fish" there, since I don't have quite as many fish recipes as some of the other categories. 

Here's how it worked last week:

Sunday:  Glazed salmon with Rice Pilaf
Monday:  Chicken Fajitas with oven-roasted vegetables
Tuesday:  Spaghetti (I tried a new homemade sauce and added sweet onions) with breadsticks and peas
Wednesday:  Pulled Pork Sammies
Thursday:  Sesame Chicken
Friday:  Dinner out at Morenita's (I was tempted to get something with pesce, but I can't resist their tacos carnitas!)
Saturday:  homemade pizza

It was a really good eating week, and even though nothing major happened at any of our dinners, it just felt good to be together.  We're trying this system again this week and I find myself looking forward to our themed nights.  Yum yum!

Inmon Emmanuel Thompson


Inmon was born August 26, 1951 in Shady Point to Clifford E. & Alburna J. (Moore) Thompson. He was the eighth of ten children.
Inmon was preceded in death by his father, Clifford E. Thompson; sister, Earnestine Thompson; the mother of his children, Dorothy Jones; nephews, Joey, Kevin, Jarryl & Jerrell and niece, Linda. Inmon attended Oklahoma City Public Schools and graduated from Douglass High School in May 1969, where he played football. Inmon retired from Santa Fe Railroad and moved to Shady Point to help his mother take care of his father. Inmon was the “King” of the “Kitchen”. There was nothing that he could not cook and make it taste “GOOD”. Inmon received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior on Saturday, March 26, 2011 before he departed this earth.
On Wednesday, April 6, 2011 around 11:50 pm Inmon made his Grand Entrance through Heaven’s Gate.
Those who will forever cherish his memory: three children, Tammy, Clifford, and Janet; ten grandchildren, two great grandchildren; mother, Alburna J. Thompson; two brothers, Richard Thompson (Johnnie), Keith Thompson; six sisters, Clementine Hornback (Joseph), Christine Thompson, Lillian Bundage (Clyde), Margaret Hill, Angela Rentie (Robert) and Juanita Roberts (Jarryl): God Mother, Alice Davis; one aunt, Peggye Moore; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Services will be at noon, Wednesday, April 13, 2011 in Evans Chapel of Memories, Poteau, OK with Elder Jarryl L. Roberts Sr. officiating. Interment will follow in Shady Grove Cemetery, Dog Creek, OK
Evans & Miller Funeral Home, Poteau, OK

Terry Douglas Conn



Terry Douglas Conn, 65, of Poteau, OK passed away on Sunday, April 10, 2011 in Ft. Smith, AR. He was born on May 6, 1945, in Ft. Smith to J. Russell & Allene Holton Conn. Terry grew up in Poteau, OK & graduated from Poteau High School with the Class of 1963. While in high school he excelled in academics and band, and participated in Boy Scouts, reaching the rank of Eagle Scout. He was a junior fireman for the Poteau Fire Department and worked for the Poteau Police Department over the summers while in college.

Terry graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1967 with a Bachelors degree in Business, and attended Oklahoma City University for one semester of law school before leaving to serve as a Naval Intelligence Officer during the Vietnam War. Later he obtained a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Detroit.
He joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1971 as a Special Agent. His assignments included Chicago, Detroit and Washington, D.C., where he was Head of the Budget for the Bureau. He retired as the Senior Resident Agent for the Ft. Smith FBI office in 1995.
He has held many offices of the Poteau Rotary Club and the OSU Alumni Association, where he served on the National Board of Directors. He was also a Trustee and staunch supporter of Carl Albert State College in Poteau. He was a consultant for the new Poteau Police Station and served on the committee for the new Reynolds Convention Center to be completed this summer. Terry was a rancher of Registered Angus Cattle for several years. He had a passion for reading, traveling, cruises, ballroom dancing, and sharing stories with friends and family.
Terry is survived by his wife Vickie Conn of Poteau, daughter Megan Jones and husband Gene of Dayton, OH, son Steve Conn of Summerville, SC, stepson Granville McAnear and wife Page of Dallas, TX, and stepson Dr. Garrick McAnear and wife Heather of Oklahoma City, OK; two brothers, Scott Conn of Oklahoma City and Chris and Susan Conn of Tulsa and one nephew and four nieces.
“Grandpa Terry” also leaves behind nine grandchildren who were the delight of his life: Evan and Matthew Jones of Dayton, OH, Sophia Conn of Summerville, SC, Amelia, Elise and Sam McAnear of Dallas, TX and Madi, Lynnley, and Bo McAnear of Oklahoma City, OK.

Services will be held 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at First Baptist Church in Poteau, OK with Rev. Phil McGehee officiating. Interment will follow in Oakland Cemetery, Poteau, OK. The family will visit with friends and relatives from 1-2:30 pm in the Family Life Center at First Baptist. Donations may be made to the building funds of First Baptist Church or The United Methodist Church in Poteau.

To Catch a Fortune: How Perverted Justice conned us out of $1.2 Million

This is an "aussome" article from theLand Down Under on the woes of Perverted Justice. Do I need any more proof of the Big Registry industry?


http://www.defamer.com.au/2011/04/how-the-weirdos-behind-to-catch-a-predator-blew-us1-2m/

 

Remember ‘To Catch a Predator’, the awful festival of horror and shame from Dateline NBC that briefly captured America’s heart in the mid-aughts? We thought we’d check in with the creepy internet vigilantes behind it, and guess what? They’re broke.

“To Catch a Predator” was a series of Dateline internet stings where fake 13-year-old girls and boys would lure would-be statutory rapists to fake houses set up by NBC News. Instead of the promised pre-teens, they’d encounter NBC News correspondent Chris Hansen, who would explore their awfulness and berate them in an interview before sending them out the door and into the arms of awaiting cops.


For a while, it was the best thing NBC had going, beating The Office and matching The Apprentice in ratings in 2006. Then one of the caught predators shot himself in the head while NBC News cameras waited outside his home, and people started to wonder whether reveling in the sickness and criminality of damaged people whose crimes were hypothetical and who wouldn’t have even been there if NBC hadn’t lured them there was really such a good idea. The network pulled the plug in 2008.


The stings were conducted by Perverted Justice, a loosely organised online vigilante outfit founded by a Portland man named Phillip John Eide in 2003. Eide – who changed his name to Xavier von Erck in 2006 – and his volunteers initially just documented the predators they caught and exposed them online, but soon they started working with law enforcement and local TV stations. When NBC News took them national, the network paid Perverted Justice more than $US100,000 per sting. “Von Erck” was an odd partner for a national news organisation – he looked like Kevin Smith, called the civilian victims of al Qaeda “shameless and pathetic” on his blog, and once pretended to be a woman to seduce an online enemy in an attempt to ruin him. All told, NBC News paid him somewhere in the neighbourhood of $US1.2 million between 2006 and 2009.


Where did the money go? Back in 2006, “Von Erck” had big plans for his franchise. He founded a nonprofit called Perverted Justice Foundation Inc. to receive NBC’s funds, and hoped to apply them to the tax-exempt goal of “promot[ing] internet safety” and helping cops “apprehend internet based sexual predators”.


In 2006, according to PJFI’s application for tax-exempt status, he predicted that NBC would pay the foundation $US2 million in consulting fees by 2008, and that it would soon be raising hundreds of thousands of dollars from major corporate donors like Wal-Mart and Microsoft. It planned to develop special software to help parents monitor their kids’ internet usage. It hoped to send its members on speaking tours to spread the word about predators and to publish guides and brochures for parents and kids. PJFI set up a web site and started paying “Von Erck,” treasurer Dennis Kerr, and secretary Allison Shea $US120,000 annual salaries. Shea and Kerr were active volunteers for Perverted Justice prior to the NBC deal; Shea, who also goes by the name Del Harvey, is now Twitter’s “director of trust and safety.”


The NBC money dried up sooner than expected, and corporate donors never emerged. In 2009, according to PJFI’s tax return, the group had a whopping $US2148 in income and $US10,368 in cash on hand at the end of the year. While Perverted Justice as a group still conducts untelevised stings and claims convictions of predators—their 542nd, they say, was convicted on Tuesday—the foundation is obviously nonfunctional. Its “programs” are little more than apparently defunct web sites—howtodealwithcreepypeople.com, for instance, purports to help teens deal with abuse and hasn’t been updated since 2008. The Perverted Justice Academy, which supposedly trains law enforcement in how to conduct stings on its own, is “conducted online in our own private law enforcement training chat rooms.” Each course lasts an hour.


All told, the Perverted Justice Foundation spent more than $US1,202,739 in from 2006 to 2009 in pursuit of its tax-exempt goals. Of that, an astonishing 82% – $984,233 – went to salaries. Almost all of it – $783,000 – went to “Von Erck”, Kerr and Shea.


Over the course of four years, the foundation spent just $US218,506 on things other than employees. More than $US50,000 of that went to “travel and entertainment”. Another $US13,766 went to “equipment”, and nearly $US29,000 went to “website”. In other words, “Von Erck” basically set up a nonprofit to accept NBC News’ money and spent it on himself, his friends, and his web site. Rather than use the money to build a long-lasting institution that might help people – or at least spark more paedophile suicides – he blew through it, and now he’s got about ten grand left.


“Von Erck” didn’t return an email seeking comment. A message left on the foundation’s voicemail wasn’t returned.


Read the Perverted Justice Foundation’s 2006 application for tax exempt status and its 2007, 2008, and 2009 tax returns here: 


http://www.scribd.com/doc/52491864

Marie Mae Nichols


Marie Mae Nichols, 102, of Poteau, OK passed away Tuesday, April 5, 2011. Marie was born March 2, 1909 in Poteau to Henry P & Betty (Sanders) Blackman. She was retired from Holton’s Grocery Store. Marie was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Roland Blackman; two sisters, Opal Blackman, Irene Schrodt; and one son – Carmond Nichols. Survivors include daughter-in-law, Cecile Nichols; 4 grandsons, Bobby, Randy, Brett, Roger Nichols; 2 step granddaughters, Karen Sullivan & Carole Johnson; 7 great grandchildren; 10 step great grandchildren; 7 great great grandchildren; 20 step great great grandchildren; several cousins; other relatives & loved ones; many beloved friends.
Services will be 10 am Saturday, at Evans Chapel of Memories, Poteau, OK with Rev. James Crawford officiating. Interment will follow in Oakland Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Sean Nichols, Shannon Nichols, Tim Dewitt, Joshua Cantwell, Joe Rollman, Charles Clemmer (Nichols) and Brian Cross.

The family will be at the funeral home on Friday evening from 6-8 pm to visit with friends & relatives.

These boots were made for walkin'

Or dancin'...


Neil loves my knee-high boots.  The past few days, the first thing he does when he wakes up is ask "where my boots?"

I usually say, "those are my boots," to which he replies, "no, they MY boots."

Once he puts them on, he'll say "I'm Woody" or "I'm Spiderman" (pronounced pydoman) then walk around the house.  He's gotten pretty good at walking up and down the stairs and even dancing.  You go, Pydoman!

Our Mini CA Vacation

Even though the drive was way too long and our trip seemed to go by way too quickly, our visit to California last week was just wonderful.  Since we planned the trip with pretty short notice-- Chris was there for four weeks for work, and the kids and I decided to visit him when he got the assignment-- and because we weren't there for much longer than an extended weekend, we didn't really do anything really touristy.  We were mostly just excited to be with Chris and to enjoy a little bit of warm weather. 

Here's the abbreviated travel log:

Friday-- early, early, early getting on the road.  My mom came along, so there were two adult drivers, but the kids still had to quiz us on what either of us would do if we felt tired.  We had an uneventful drive, including a safe but snowy passage over the Sierras.  The most annoying part of the trip was being stuck in traffic when we were just five minutes away from my grandparents' house.  We dropped my mom off at her dad's, then drove to Livermore to meet Chris at last!  Hooray!

Saturday-- rainy and chilly.  We dropped the boys off with my mom and Poppa and Sue, then Chris and I went up to Folsom to the Sacramento Temple.  It is absolutely beautiful and I'm so glad we got to go.  Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating, so I missed getting a nice shot of the two of us there.  Still, I think this one is kind of cool.


After a short but sweet visit with my mom and grandparents, we took the kids and headed South on I-5, where we made a very sweet little stop.


Mmmm... Ghirardelli.  They have an outlet just south of Stockton, so we stopped for sundaes and a pound of those yummy chocolate squares.  Thomas discovered his new favorite candy:  Ghirardelli milk and caramel squares.

Saturday night-- pizza and root beer in our hotel room, just the five of us.  It was so fun.

Sunday-- church with the Myers family, a delicious dinner from Heidi, and cousins, cousins, cousins.  We're lucky to have such great kids in our family!

Monday-- Sunshine!  Capri Pants!  Hooray!!!

It was such a beautiful day, so we spent a lot of time outside.  We had a delicious breakfast with Heidi and her boys at Denica's, then took our boys to Oakland to see the Oakland Temple.  We toured the visitor's center and enjoyed the beautiful view of the city and the bay.


My parents were married in the Oakland Temple in 1978, so it's kind of cool to visit.  

It was so lovely outside, so we decided to have lunch at a park in Danville.  It was perfectly warm, without being hot, and everyone was in a good mood.  The boys played for more than an hour and I took picture after picture of warm, smiley faces.  It doesn't get much better than this.


We spent Monday afternoon and evening with the Myers family and went to a cool shopping center in Danville with a pond and lots of ducks.  Heidi had containers of bird seed for everyone and the kids had a great time.  It made me excited for summer, when it's warm enough to feed the ducks on the riverbank here in Idaho Falls.


Tuesday-- time to head home.  We said our good-byes to Chris (luckily for only a few days!) and headed to Elk Grove to pick up my mom.  It was fun to spend a little bit more time with Poppa and Sue and we took some fun pictures of everyone together.


I was able to meet up with some of my Creative Team members for lunch in Roseville, then we drove to Elko, NV for the night, then back to Idaho.  The warm weather had melted nearly all of the snow, so our passage through Northern CA and Nevada was smooth. 

So, there you go-- our short but fun trip.  Luckily, we're planning another visit in July for my grandpa's 80th birthday and a lot more cousin time.  We can't wait!

Chris flew home on Friday and we spent a lovely relaxing weekend together.  It's so nice to have him back.

Paraplegic faces jail in violent citizen’s arrest

‘I’D DO IT...

Why do people continue to take the law into their own hands rather than let the police do their jobs? I'm sure this guy will get off Scott-free of course, but at least he was arrested for assault. I'm not defending his victim's wrongdoing in saying this, but allegations are just that-- allegations. That is a job for the Criminal Justice system, not every armchair vigilante out there, to determine guilt or innocence. Even though dealing with this guy in prison will cost taxpayers a fortune in medical costs, I'm all for locking another vigilante up in the name of public safety.

I find it hard to believe he didn't mean to assault the guy. He could have called the police and had them arrest the man at his home. Sorry but something smells funnier than the typical old man scent of ben-gay and moth balls. This sounds a lot like intentional assault to me. 

http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2011_0405paraplegic_faces_jail_in_violent_citizens_arrest_victim_charged_with_child_abuse/srvc=home&position=1

Paraplegic faces jail in violent citizen’s arrest

‘Victim’ charged with child abuse

By Laurel J. Sweet and Christine McConville
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 

Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe is pressing ahead with a felony assault charge that could put a paraplegic grandfather in the slammer for up to 10 years for whacking his 3-year-old granddaughter’s alleged molester with a Louisville slugger after setting a trap for his arrest...

Hebert, left confined to a wheelchair with only partial use of his arms after a car crash in Falmouth a decade ago, was summonsed to Edgartown District Court on March 25 and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He said he was advised by a judge to get an attorney and is due back in court May 2 for a pretrial conference...

Hebert’s granddaughter is the child of his life partner’s daughter, but he considers her his kin. The child goes by a different name and her mom married the accused last summer.

Hebert claims it was over Christmas that the tot began asking her grandparents to protect her.

On Feb. 22, Hebert said his partner took her daughter and granddaughter, who were visiting, back to the mainland to talk to police, while he lured Hardy to his Mac PC Sales and Service shop in Vineyard Haven.

Hebert said “fear” prompted him to bring a baseball bat to the rendezvous and call state police to back him up.

Hebert said he pointed the bat at Hardy and ordered him to stay seated until police arrived, but Hardy, he said, stood up and laughed at him — and that’s when he used the bat.

The Mystery Behind IKEA Product Names

Swedish furniture retailer, IKEA, is often known for its affordable and Scandinavian-inspired products, do-it-yourself assembly and large showroom stores. But, perhaps almost as well known, are their product’s distinctive names. A simple google search brings up numerous articles on the topic, a game dedicated to matching IKEA’s product names with the item type, even an interactive product name generator application. What might seem to be a mishmash of unfamiliar words and characters to the average shopper is actually much more. With product names ranging from “Billy” to “Snitta” and everywhere between, IKEA actually employs a complex Scandinavian naming system to the over 10,000 products they sell.

For instance, in my home there is an Aneboda, Bjursta, Malm, Aläng and Mongstad, or in other words, three locations in Sweden and two in Norway. So how do a dresser, dining table, bed frame, lamp and wall mirror turn into place names? Here are just a few of the Scandinavian naming rules that apply to IKEA’s many products:


• Beds, wardrobes, and hall furniture: Norwegian place names
(e.g. Elgå - “Location in Norway” - wardrobe)

• Children’s items: mammals, birds, and adjectives (e.g. Mammut - “Mammoth” - wardrobe)

• Bathroom articles: Scandinavian lakes, rivers and bays
(e.g. Boasjö - “Swedish lake name”- 5 piece bathroom sink set)

• Chairs, desks: men’s names (e.g. Gustav - workstation desk)

• Textiles, curtains: women’s names (e.g. Felicia - throw blanket)

• Upholstered furniture, coffee tables, bookshelves, media storage: Swedish place names (e.g. Ektorp - “Location in Sweden” - upholstered sofa)

• Kitchen utensils: foreign words, spices, herbs, fish, mushrooms, fruits or berries, functional descriptions (e.g. Snitta - “To cut”- knife set)

• Carpets and rugs: Danish place names (e.g. Gåser - “Location in Denmark” - floor rug)

Now you are probably asking yourself, “where did the idea for these IKEA names come from?” Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA’s founder, created the naming system in the hope that naming the products with words and proper names rather than numbers would be easier for the shopper to remember. It was also helpful for Kamprad, as he is dyslexic.

While IKEA’s unique naming system is certainly one of the most well known, it is hardly the beginning of the trend toward retail product naming. Furniture Chairman at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Antonio Larosa, pre-dates the idea much farther, saying, “Throughout history, furniture pieces were given the name of a monarch, such as Queen Anne or Louis XIV, to gain favor and influence.” Giving proper names to retail items creates a visceral connection and many retailers have taken cues from these early ideas in an effort to lure shoppers.

No matter the reason behind IKEA’s product naming procedure, one thing is certain, knowing the nomenclature makes a trip to IKEA all the more interesting, and perhaps even informative.

Itching for some additional examples of IKEA items with a Norwegian moniker? Here are a few to get you started…
Trondheim: Collection of bedroom furniture
Tromsö: Collection of loft and bunk style beds
Stolmen: Collection of wardrobe furniture
Fåvang: Collection of foam mattresses
Figgjo: Decorative bathroom mirror
Nidelva: Bathroom storage tins

Earl Lloyd Rose Sr.



Earl Lloyd Rose Sr., 70, of Monroe, OK passed away Wednesday, March 30, 2011 in Heavener, OK. Earl was born in Oklahoma City, OK on December 25, 1940 to James & Aplah Mae (Woodruff) Rose. He worked at the Gerber factory. He was preceded in death by his parents & 9 siblings. Survivors include his wife, Iona of the home; daughters, Victoria Williams of Roland, OK, Lisa Bates of Washington, Melissa Hooper of Monroe, OK; sons, Earl Rose Jr. & Jason Rose both of Ft. Smith, AR, Billy Wayne Rose of Mulberry, AR; 24 Grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren; sister, Milverta Thomas of Rose Hill, KS; other relatives & loved ones; many friends.
Services will be 11 am, Thursday, April 7, 2011 at the Knothole Cemetery Pavilion in Cameron, OK. Pallbearers will be Mickey Goins, Jesse Hooper, Johnny Lambertson, Bruce Blaylock and William Blaylock.

Nathan Terry "Tater" Covey


Nathan Terry “Tater” Covey, 19, of Wister, OK passed away Monday, April 4, 2011 in Poteau, OK. Nathan was born July 29, 1991 in Poteau, OK to Casey Joe & Robin Christina (Collins) Covey. He is survived by his parents, Casey & Robin Covey of the home; brother, Nick Covey of San Diego, CA; sister, Ciara Covey of the home; paternal grandparents, Terry & Leslie Covey of Wister, OK; maternal grandparents, Joan & Randy McDaniel of Monroe, OK, Tom & Tess Collins of Alvin, TX; other relatives & loved ones; many friends. Services will be 2 pm, Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at Ellis Chapel Church in Wister, OK with Sam Walden & Rev. Jack Covey officiating. Interment will follow in Ellis Chapel Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Cody Covey, Buck Covey, Joe Berry, Joe Blair, Chris Woolbright, & Jacob Collins. The family will be at the funeral home on Tuesday evening from 6-8 pm to visit with relatives & friends.

Sweet Treats

It was a pleasure to work with Kari Diehl on "Sweet Talk," Viking magazine's cover feature for April. I came across Kari's Scandinavian food blog a few months ago and have been a fan ever since. If you enjoyed her article on Nordic coffee celebrations, then you'll enjoy this expanded post on the same subject, with plenty of recipes for cakes, tortes and cookies.

As if that weren't enough, Sons of Norway's website is loaded with dozens of great Norwegian recipes for breads, desserts and baked goods as well. When the treats come out of the oven, all that's missing is good coffee and conversation!

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Kayda C. Hall



Kayda C. Hall, 61, of Poteau, OK passed away Saturday, April 2, 2011 in Eufaula, OK. Kayda was born August 20, 1949 in Poteau to Buster & Eunice (Fisher) Lynn. She worked in a nursing home laundry. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Bill Lynn.

Survivors include her son & daughter in law, James & Mallory Hall of Ft. Smith, AR; sister, Judy Sparks of Fayetteville, AR; 2 grandsons, Johan Hall and Tyler LeDoux of Ft. Smith, AR; nieces & nephews, Dana & Greg Welton, Eric & Suzanne Billings, Lisa Billings, Aimee Lynn, Kyle & Mitzy Lynn, Bret Billings, Kendall & Gwen Lynn, Kelly & Molly Lynn; other great nieces & nephews; her cat, Sabrina; other relatives & loved ones; many friends.

Memorial Services will be 2 pm, Thursday, April 7, 2011 in Evans Chapel of Memories, Poteau, OK with Rev. Phil McGehee officiating.

Adam Duncan Morris



Adam Duncan Morris, 46, of Wister, OK passed away Friday, April 1, 2011 in Fort Smith, AR. Adam was born January 17, 1965 in Poteau, OK to Phillip Duncan Morris & Nina Louise Thompson Morris. Adam was a veteran of the US Navy. He worked at Mack Steel. Adam was preceded in death by his father, Phillip Duncan Morris. He is survived by his mother and father, Nina & David Johnson of Wister, OK; and brother, Christopher Sean Morris & sister in law, Teresa of Wister, OK; nieces Clancy & Casey Morris; great nephew, Landin Morris. Services will be 2 pm Thursday, April 7 at Bethel Baptist Church, Wister, OK with Rev. Clyde Steelman officiating.

Billy Ray Hill


Billy Ray Hill, 74, of Wister, OK passed away Friday, April 1, 2011 in Wister. Bill was born December 7, 1936 in Wynette, OK to Thurman & Jewel (Killion) Hill. He was a rancher. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Evelyn Earnhart.
Survivors include his daughter, Sandra & Rodger Gentry of Wister, OK; son, Michael Hill & Theresa Milligan of Wister, OK; grandchildren, Chad & Kara Robinson of Summerfield, Michael & Chasidy Gentry of Wister, OK, Ethan Hill & Krystal Hag of Wister, OK; 8 great grandchildren; brothers, Eugene & Marvel Hill, Jimmy Hill of Wister; sister-inlaw, Billie June Wedge “Aunt B”; other relatives & loved ones; many friends.
Services will be held at 2 pm, Monday, April 4, 2011 at Green Country Cowboy Church, Wister, OK with Rev. Victor Sweet officiating. Interment will follow in Maxey Cemetery, Wister, OK. Pallbearers Ethan Hill, Michael Gentry, Willie Carshal, C.W. Covey, Dean Covey, & Bud Morgan; Honorary pallbearer, Jay Johnson. The family will be at the funeral home on Sunday afternoon from 2-4 pm to visit with relatives & friends.