Garber Billings News (Garber, Okla.), Vol. 96, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 1, 1996 Page: 4 of 6
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4 Garber-Billings News Thursday, August 1, 1996
7 Moss Turns 93 In December
I’ve Met So Many Nice People In My Life"
them. At this point, Opal's daugh-
ter: Donna, remarked that her
mother was always one to send
cards to everyone for birthdays, an-
niversaries, etc. and just sent cards
to everyone she ever knew. Opal
had a pleasant smile on her face as
this was related Opal never men-
tioned this but 1 was shown a me-
Western To
Hold Tryouts
For Women’s
Fastpitch
Circle
Enterprise 5
Hercules Tire Dealer Come In Get Yours Today!
Brice Manley - 725-3500 or 725-3477
P.O. Box 306 - Billings, Oklahoma 74630
When I went to visit with Opal
Moss for this interview our con-
versation was centered about the
instrument case that belonged to
Dr Renfrow, an old time resident,
whose house has become the center
of interest in the Billings communi-
ty due to its restoration It seems as
though, Erett Moss (Opal's hus-
band) had purchased this case at an
auction, refinished it and it had
been kept through the years until
they thought it appropriate to do-
nate the case to be in the home and
in its proper setting.....but we are
getting ahead of our story.
Webster defines a 'lady' as a
woman of refinement and gentle
manners and as I sat across from
Opal discussing her life and the
happenings thereof, I truly felt that
she fit this description.
On December 23. 1903 Opal was
born to William Edward and Mary
Emma Swihart and at this time it is
(believed that Opal was among the
first babies delivered by Dr.
Renfrow. Opal is one of six chil-
dren. She had two brothers, Lloyd
& Fred and three sisters, Rubye
(Mrs. Ray Robbins; Nellie who
later became the wife of Harvey,
Yost); and Mayme (who is visiting
with Opal now
In December, Opal will be 93,
and Mayme just recently cele-
brated her 90th birthday while vis-
iting here in Billings.
During her childhood, Opal re-
called being in a flood. All of her
family went to their neighbors (the
Hoff's) staying all night. "We
stayed up most of the night too as
there were so many children" ...
during this part of our conversation
Opal remembered Dorothy Long as
being one of her best friends.
The family lived in and around
Billings for some ten years and
then moved to a farm on Salt Fork
(as Opal described it--"by the bend
of the river"). During this time she
attended a school by the name of
Cottage Hill. On every Friday
night, they went to the school
house for "Literary"--when I men-
tioned that I had heard of this but
didn't really know what it was Opal
explained that "this is when every-
one put on a program and took pies
and stuff to eat”. About this time,
Mayme chimed in with "Opal re-
member how we used to sing at the
Literary?" Opal nodded her head,
smiled and said yes, we used to
sing a lot together". At this time
the two sisters began to reminisce
about their songs and a fellow
named George who played the or-
gan. They agreed that they sang a
lot of church songs.
When Opal was around 12 years
of age, her "Papa died" as Opal re-
called. He was only 48 years of age
and had completed a full days work
that day. I was given the opportuni-
ty to read his obituary and was so
impressed with the wording de-
scribing him that I am printing a
portion taken from the Tonkawa
News: William Edward Swihart
was a most affectionate and indul-
gent husband and father, a fine
neighbor and a good farmer who
held the esteem of the citizenship
of every section in which he has re-
sided and the vast assemblage that
paid the last tribute to his memory
at the graveside from both his old
and new homes told the high es-
teem in which he was held. I
couldn't help but think some of
these excellent qualities attributed
to Opal's father is a part of her line-
age from him.
During this period of Opal's life
her older sister, Nellie worked for
M. G. Kreger in Tonkawa, and her
brother worked in Kennedy's Gro-
cery Store. Opal and Mayme at-
tended UPS (University Prep-
aratory School) which is better
known now as NOC. While at the
school, everyone was required to
take army training, due to the
influence of WW1 and wore uni-
forms. At this point of our visit
Opal and her sister, Mayme were
recalling the blue "middy" blouses
that were required and about the
regular drill courses. One of their
teachers was named "Horton” and
they also remembered walking
about two miles from home to
school.
Opal had also started dating a
young man, Erett Moss, mentioned
at the beginning of this article.
While the Swihart family was still
living on the farm, Erett had come
to visit his uncle (Homer Moss)
who lived on a neighboring piece
of ground. Part of Opal's and Er-
ett's social life consisted of attend-
ing parties at the college sponsored
by the faculty for the students. I
think it is amazing sometimes what
a person of Opal's age can remem-
ber. but she told me that 'Babe
French' played the piano for some
of the parties and also Pete Cald-
well, whose dad was president of
the college at that time".
One day, after eating dinner with
Erett's aunt and uncle, Opal and
Erett, decided they would get mar-
ried and planned to keep it a secret.
They picked up two more couples
who were discussing the same sub-
ject and Opal said that they told
them that getting married was the
thing to do "if you love each other
enough". They became husband
and wife in Stillwater at the minis-
ter's home on August 3, 1924.
Opal's & Erett's life together was
full of travel and going to a lot of
different towns At first they made
their home in Okmulgee where he
worked for Ollie, his brother in a
paint and body shop. Another em-
ployer was Spartan Aircraft in Tul-
sa. Through the years at various
places Opal worked at "clerking
for dry goods stores -including C.
R. Anthonys". Their family grew
with the birth of Bob Moss and lat-
er their daughter, Donna (Mrs.
Carl) Pittman. Some of the time
was spent working for the Ameri-
can Liberty Pipe Line and living in
Kilgore, Texas. Opal's husband
eventually retired from having
worked for Texas Eastern Pipe
Line and living in Arkansas, In-
diana, and Louisiana. I made the
statement that she had really
moved around a lot during her life-
time to which Opal replied "but I
met the nicest people wherever we
went".
During their years in Louisiana,
Opal was very active in home dem-
onstration clubs and held a state of-
fice. With the instructors from the
University of Baton Rouge as
sponsors. Opal became involved in
a lot of projects. The handicapped
people of this area benefited from
this-along with people in need to
whom gifts, toys food etc. were
distributed Opal took the time to
tell of some of the polio victims
they assisted and was reminded of
four individuals they helped. Later,
Opal said, "two of the patients
could paint pictures with brushes in
their mouths”.
She enjoyed going to the old sol-
diers home and writing letters for
mento from the Louisiana
Cooperative Extension Service that
read as follows: Congratulations to
Mrs. Moss for two years of out-
standing leadership as Louisiana
Home Demonstration Council
Family Life Chairman. Two na-
tional awards came our way in a
three year period and you helped to
make this award possible.
During their marriage and the
moves to various parts of the coun-
try they became interested in at-
tending estate sales, especially in
Indiana and Erett began to collect
and refinish antiques. Opal stated,
"Erett was so good to help me--he
made a lot of the toys we gave
away and one time when I had to
entertain a women's group he made
cutting boards for each one from
the trees from Toledo Bend".
Opal & Erett moved back to the
Billings area in 1976 after purchas-
ing the farm home of Bill and
Maxine Keith and lived there for
several years. Opal explained "I've
always enjoyed life--there was, al-
ways something for me to do".
Whenever I have had the pleasure
of being in Opal's presence I have
always been impressed with her
gracious way of making you feel
comfortable and during this visit it
was amazing how kind and with
such manners she conversed with
every one. One can see how these
social rules of conduct have passed
from generation to generation. As
her grandchildren and great grand-
children came in and paused to
give her a hug and a kiss 1 couldn't
help but, think of the verse in Prov-
erbs which says--"Give her of the
fruit of her hands, and let her
works praise her in the gates".
Opal and her sister, Mayme are
looking forward to the Swihart
family reunion being held August
3rd and 4th. Truly they are
survivors.
By: Bertha Hostetler
Western Oklahoma State College
has set tryouts for their new Wom-
en's Fastpitch Softball Team to be
August 3, at the college's baseball
practice field.
It was approved by Western's
Board of Regents to begin the pro-
gram in the 1996 fall semester so
active recruiting for the team has
begun, according to coach Allan
Meier. Some tuition and fees
scholarships are available for those
who make the team.
Because this will be the first year
for Western's Softball team, the
team will compete as an indepen-
dent. This will allow Meier to
schedule the games close to the
southwest Oklahoma area. The
team's season will begin in the fall
with scrimmages and continue in
the spring with games. They will
play only half the number of games
in a regular season to cut down on
travel costs and have time to devel-
op a high quality program.
Meiers said, "Because this is a
new program, it will take some
time to develop it into a strong one.
1 will attempt to schedule the
games so that the players only miss
a minimal amount of class time.
This will also be helpful in that
most of the players will be attend-
ing Western for the first time."
Candidates for the team are asked
to bring their own equipment to the
tryouts which will the begin at
10:00 a.m. for catchers and pitch-
ers Tryouts for infielders will be
fro m 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.; for
outfielders from 1:00 p.m. to 2:15
p.m and a controlled scrimmage
will be held from 3:00 p.m to 5:00
p.m.
Players can attend more than one
session. If someone is interested in
playing softball but is unable to at-
tend the tryout session please call
Meier at (405) 477-7803.
The nice thing about egotists
is that they don't talk about
other people.
—Lucille S. Harper
Speaking Frankly
A Weekly column by
Governor Frank Keating
The Quest for Excellence
Like most Americans,
you've probably spent many
hours in the past two weeks
watching the
competition in Atlanta.
Those schools produce
educated, qualified graduates
who are ready to go on to college
Olympic or the workplace
We've also seen some
There is one common examples that are less inspiring,
element in the Olympic Games. An Oklahoma City television
w hether the sport is a station recently aired reports of a
high-profile one like swimming school where students who failed
or track and field, or one of the repeatedly were promoted to the
less well known events: every next grade because they were
competitor strives for personal "too old."
excellence in dozens of That cheats these young
interviews, winners and people and sends a terribly
also-rans alike have said, "I'm distorted message Imagine
here to do MY very best" Olympic judges handing a medal
Oklahoma's children return to the last-place finisher in the
to school during the next few 100 yard dash just because he
weeks. Wouldn't it be wonderful showed up on time.
if each of our 600,000 public Success is earned. Not every
school students walked back into student can win an A, but we
the classroom this fall on the must expect every student to try
same quest for excellence our - and we must adhere to
Olympic athletes have exhibited academic standards that
in Atlanta? challenge every student to do his
In many of our school or her best work.
districts, teachers, parents and This fall, let's remind our
students are linked together in a children that the Olympic spirit
solid quest for excellence Those they admired in July also applies
schools set high academic to the classroom.
standards They offer Let's make the 1996-97
challenging courses Students school year a quest for
must earn their grades, because excellence.
that's how life works: hard work
and ability yield dividends
233-9800 JKJ 233-9800
RIAL ESTATE AND AUCTION COMPANY
KANDICE OHERN - Asso. Broker
WES DOTSON - Auctioneer
L. D. RAPP - Sales Asso.
KEITH JAMES - Broker
Residence P.O. Box 157
Pond Creek, OK (405) 532-6226
1301 EAST WILLOW - ENID - OKLAHOMA
912
YOUR
ALT H
GOD ONLY KNOWS
People who go to church
are healthier than those who
worship at home. This is not
a pitch for a particular
church, synagogue or mosque.
Rather it is a study of four
thousand randomly selected
elderly people by Dr. Harold
Koenig, a psychiatrist at Duke
University. He told the
American Association for the
Advancement of Science that
people who pray at home or
watch religious television do
not enjoy the same mental or
physical health benefits as
those who go to church, and
it cannot be totally explained
by the fact that some people
are too ill to go out to reli-
gious services. Researchers
speculate that religious rituals
themselves may contribute to
mental well-being. The pres-
ence of other worshippers and
social interaction reduces feel-
ings of isolation, and perhaps
if we identify with our God,
community, and church we
tend to focus less on our own
problems. Exactly why, God
only know.
t INTEGRIS
Bass Baptist Health Center.
Monroe & Garriott • Enid, OK • (405)233-2300
Birth Class at
the BirthPlace.
PRE-NATAL CLASSES
Tuesdays • Sept. 10-Oct. 1,1996 • 7:00-9:00 p.m.
The perfect class for every expectant parent.
Designed especially to be taken in early pregnancy
To prepare you for every exciting aspect of pregnancy and
baby care!
LAMAZE (LASSES
Mondays • Aug. 19-Sept. 23 • 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Wednesdays • Sept. 4-Oct. 9,1996 • 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Total preparation for your labor and delivery, to be
taken after your seventh month. Classes fill quickly,
so register early!
SIBLING CLASSES
Saturday • Aug. 17,1996 • 10:00 a.m.-12:00 Noon
For "Big Brothers dr Big Sisters-To-Be" to team what
to expect and flow to help when the new baby comes
home! Take the class nearest your due date.
BABY CARE BASICS
Mondays • August 5 & 12 • 7:15-9:30 p.m.
Wednesdays • August 21 & 28 • 7:15-9:30 p.m.
Covering all the fundamentals you need to know
to care for your newborn baby!
Call 405/249-LOVE (5683) to Register!
THE BIRTH PLACE
40 AT ST. MARYS MERCY HOSPITAL
305 S STH • ENID, OK 73701 • 405/249-3470 • 405/249-LOVE
A PART Of MERCY HEALTH SYSTEM OKLAHOMA
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Hogan, Vickie Lee. Garber Billings News (Garber, Okla.), Vol. 96, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 1, 1996, newspaper, August 1, 1996; Garber, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc2244277/m1/4/: accessed June 27, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.