Each time I went to Strong City on Memorial Day I was surprised to find our family graves (Guernseys and Andersons) already decorated with flowers and American flags for our veteran kinsfolk.  It was a few years ago I discovered who the nice person was  that made that possible, Ora Bell (CAFFEY) Leach.   This year there were no flowers and when I went to the Community House for the wonderful luncheon,  I was told the sad news that Ora Bell passed away last year.  She was 91 years old (I always thought she was younger than me).  At lunch I sat with her family and they told stories about their mom, the one I liked best was   “she went around and decorated several cemetarys ,  one small country cemetery, where her grandfather was buried, she could not find his stone, so she just decorated every grave there knowing that one of them had to be her grandfather”.   Another lady, Nelda Davis, who watches over the cemetery said Ora Bell “had placed three stones for persons who did not have a marker.  One of my joys is going to Strong City on Memorial weekend and meeting the honest and giving people that lived in Roger Mills County.  The old timers would always ask who I was and then proceed to tell me stories about William H. (Black Bill) Anderson, who knew more about horses than anyone,  Tommie Lee Anderson who always nursed the sick, Elmer Guernsey and stories of the family piano.  Nelda said her father bought his first car in Strong City and on the way home he ran over one of Granddad Guernseys pigs.  When he got home he gave the keys to his family and never drove the car again.  This year there not as many stories and I realized that I, at age 80, am the old timer!   The above picture with the Ford Mustang are Ora Bells family grave stones.  Next year I will bring her flowers from the Andersons and Guernseys.    Our cousin Bill Caffey was a good friend of Ora Bells.

                                                                                                                                                                                                           Ora Bells Children

Strong City is celebrating its 100th birthday 1912-2012.  Once, one of the largest towns in western Oklahoma, today there is only Community Building and Baptist Church.  I would guess the total population would be less that 100.  This year the small group built a float with a small train engine, and a cargo of cabbages, alcohol and broom corn.   The float was in memory of the train in 1929 that was carrying a car load of cabbages to Strong City.  Underneath the cabbages was 45 five gallon square cans and 24 cases of half gallon tins of alcohol, being shipped to some men in Strong City who were going to cut it and sell white lightning  to this dry area .  Somehow the revenuers found out about the alcohol and followed the boxcar to Strong City.  Sheriff Hancock and his deputies  (Grandfather William, Black Bill, Anderson was a deputy),  ordered the alcohol be dumped on the ground.    A young boy dropped a match to see if the alcohol would burn,  it caught the depot on fire and during the ensuing confusion several containers disappeared, including th five gallon container put in the depot for evidence.

STRONG CITY PARADE FLOAT.

I drove 180 miles thinking about the country dinner I was going to experience.    Pan fried chicken, tender brisket, smoked ham, cheese brocoli casserole,  fresh vegetables giant rolls, watermelon and much much more.   The desert table was as equally impressive.  They would not think of charging a friend for this 5 star dinner.

                                                                                                                                                                                                     Five Star Country Dinner

The community building walls have a collection of early day Strong City pictures, including one of the Guernsey family.   I brought a new picture for their walls,  the Red Moon vs. Strong City,  Girls Basketball teams of 1914.  The Red Moon picture included my father Orren Anderson, the coach and one of his sister Lillie sitting on the ground.   The Strong City team included my mother Alida Guernsey (sitting far right) and her sister Luella (top row left side).  I assume that the two teams must have played each other  in that they were only a few miles apart.  I did not have to assume that Coach Anderson married his opposing guard Alida on March 15, 1919 in Cheyenne,OK.

                                                                                                                                                                                              1914 GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM

After everyone had way too much to eat, they gathered for a group picture.  Sitting on the right in a pink suit and in a wheel chair was May Cogburn, 101 years old.  Her mind is very sharp and she remembers our Grandparents.  I started back home and for another 180 miles I thought  about these wonderful memories and how fortunate we all are  for our rich  heritage  .   Jim Lee Anderson