The summer after my junior year in high school, my parents let me take a trip by myself to California ON A BUS. Trailways, to be exact. I left from a tiny town in the TX Panhandle (the nearest bus stop). Destination: Barstow, CA, where Aunt Pat and Uncle Dall would pick me up for a month-long visit. I can …
Cream of the Crop
They were originally called the Happy Helpers – the Home Demonstration club of my mother-in-law, Dorothy’s rural county. One of several such groups in the area, they met once a month and took turns presenting “lessons” they received from the County Extension office – lessons in cooking, sewing, canning, parenting, and so on. The women were friends and a lifeline …
Message to my Dad
Happy Father’s Day to my dad, Mike Brune, and all the dads out there! This is your day – Enjoy! MESSAGE TO MY DAD: You taught me how to ride a bike bait a fish hook open a pasture fence gate give a tenth back of whatever I had You were there for my first broken bone to pick me …
Pioneer Days, 2012
After months of anticipation and preparation, Pioneer Days in the hometown of Guymon, OK, finally arrived. Sometimes the anticipation exceeds the enjoyment of the actual event, but not this time. I’m so proud of my dad who was chosen from a field of candidates to be the Parade Marshal for this year’s parade. We had to submit a bio which …
A Real Pioneer – Part 2
In the previous post, I gave my dad’s history as a descendant of No Man’s Land homesteaders and the bio of his early years. This picks up after his discharge from the Army. Marriage, Family, and a Lifetime of Adventure: Mike returned to Guymon where he met Patricia (Pat) Brown, a hometown girl. They married on May 28, 1949, and …
A Real Pioneer – Part 1
A few months ago, one of my distant cousins suggested my sisters and I nominate our dad for the honor of Parade Marshal for Pioneer Days in his hometown in Guymon, OK. The criteria included being a descendent of “No Man’s Land” homesteaders in the Panhandle, being a current resident, and had to have lived in one of the three …