Moving On

We checked in to Lake Murray State Park near Ardmore, OK. Beautiful park on the lake.

We were there to go to Cowboy Way Fest in Gene Autry. My parents grew up there when it was first  named Berwyn, OK. During their childhood Gene Autry bought the farm next to theirs for his rodeo stock. The name of the town was eventually changed to Gene Autry. The day of the celebration the town grew for the day from 500 to 35,000.

Pic of the Post Office front housed
in the museum

My grandmother ran a grocery store and was Postmaster for a while. The town eventually died down and the schoolhouse was no longer needed. It was then turned into the Gene Autry Museum. It houses  Cowboy memorabilia and showcases cowboy singers once a year.

My mother's brother, Les Gilliam, sang with a band during college, then began an accounting career in Ponca City. After early retirement he took up singing again. He and my Aunt Martha have traveled for 20 plus years keeping cowboy music alive. He is famous in those circles and is in the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. He also sings good! If interested his website is Les Gilliam.com.

Sons of the Pioneers singing at the festival

We attended the festival and enjoyed visiting with them and their daughter, Julie.

We also met a relative we had not known before. He is my Aunt Margaret's -- Les's sister's --nephew by marriage. Her husband, George's brother's son. What does that make me and Lou?? Whatever it is, we enjoyed visiting with him and his wife Pam. We found out their favorite  restaurant in Ardmore is Two Frogs (same as ours) so we drove in, had dinner, and enjoyed talking about all our relatives!!

Les Gilliam and Call of the West

Now, on to Oklahoma City to visit some of Dennis's relatives.

Our church at home is now hooked up with utube. We were able to go to church today on the road! We figured out how to watch our service live. Actually, I watched and Dennis drove. Another great sermon, Taylor!!

If you can't go to your church on Sunday, I invite you to ours at utube : Sugar Land Baptist Church.

Will catch you up later as we travel to Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, then our destination in Minnesota.