CEDAR LAKE FISHING CHAMPS

Posted on February 26, 2016 by whoismygrandaddy

Dear Kinfolks,

My previous family blogs were about our “granddaddy’s” and their colorful backgrounds, both within and outside the law.  I have always been fascinated  with our hardy ancestors who in the 1800’s,  pioneered the land openings of Oklahoma and Texas.  Today, I have fast forwarded a few generations to Papa Jim Anderson and his grandkids.

Around 2003 we purchased 3 plus acres of Stillwater land, filled with cedars, brush and poison ivy.  Jane could visualize our new home sitting next to Cedar Lake.  Jim could visualize 3 plus acres of cedars, brush and poison ivy!

Grandkids fishing            House, 3014 SANGRE

PAPA  JIM’S VISION                                                          JANE’S VISION

On one of my trips to our acreage, three of my grandsons asked if they could come along and go fishing.  We stopped at Walmart and purchased the best $4.50 fishing rods and reels that they offered.  After buying some worms (Hayden thought they were his new pets) we proceeded to Cedar Lake.  I showed the boys  a good fishing spot and then I took off with my brush cutter to do some clearing. 

Grandkids fishing_0001

Soon after, Andy yelled “Papa we caught a fish”.  I told them to put it on a stringer and went on brush cutting.   Again I heard “Papa we caught a BIG fish”…..  put it on the stringer.  When I heard the third “Papa we caught a really Big fish”, I thought I should go investigate what they called a big fish.  I have lived on Cedar Lake now over 10 years, I watched many fine fishermen in their boats and fine fishing rods come and go,  but I have never seen anything on their stringers like what the boys had caught with their $4.50 rods.   

Andy, Hayden and Adam with their Cedar Lake prize catch.

Andy, Hayden and Adam with their Cedar Lake prize catch.

Their “big” fish were really big!  A five pound bass, a five pound catfish and a three pound bass.  I crowned them the CEDAR LAKE FISHING CHAMPS.

After dark we headed back to Enid and I listened to their tall fishing stories all the way back.  When we arrived home the boys asked “can we eat the fish TONIGHT”?  I hope they did not see the expression on my face when I thought about cleaning and frying the fish after 10 pm.  We did and they tasted great.

LIFE IS GOOD…..ITS JUST THAT SIMPLE

Papa Jim

                                                                                                                         

 

 

 

 

 

 

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REMEMBERING COUSIN FRANK

Posted on January 13, 2016 by whoismygrandaddy

 

Dear Cousins,

On May 1, 2015 we lost our cousin Frank Harrison McGregor III.  When I started writing blog stories about Guernsey Cousins,  Frank was always the first to contact me with a sincere “thanks”, he really  encouraged me to continue writing. So again, I  am writing a cousin story and dedicating it to our loving memories of Cousin Frank.

Frank McGregor_0001

Frank was born June 22, 1950 in Oklahoma City to Frank Harrison McGregor, Jr. and Dorothy Lee Caffey McGregor and passed away unexpectedly at the age of 64, on Friday May 1 in Las Vegas, while on a guided bicycle ride around Lake Mead during his fraternity’s annual trip.

When I asked my cousins for their memories of Frank, these words kept coming up, “warm personality, great sense of humor, integrity, fun,  brilliant mind, loved God”.  None of these answers came as a surprise,  as we knew of  his heritage…………. his mother Dorothy’s fun personality and dry wit, his dad Frank Jr.’s warm smile and leadership, his grandfather Lee Caffey a wise Marlboro cowboy,  and his grandmother Luella a loving sweet lady.  Combine all these wonderful traits and you have Cousin Frank.  His cousins all benefited from his inherited leadership abilities when he took charge of negotiating the Guernsey oil leases for all of us.   After negotiating a very successful lease, we showed our appreciation with money for his Rolex watch collection.

Frank McGregor

 Check out those eyes, think there might be a little “orneriness” in this young lad?  My early memory of Frank was when Dorothy Lee brought he and sister Cathy to visit our family.   While we were having a family visit, Frank took Cathy and his cousins into the bedroom and taught them how to make a trampoline out of the kids bed.  When a loud crashing noise came,  Dorothy started looking for a switch (or ball bat).

Frank McGregor_0001

Frank loved God, his family, his friends and his community.  After graduating from law school in 1989, he married Cherie and was so happy to also get a daughter Heather.  Franks son, Harrison, was born in 1994 on his mother’s birthday.  He cherished spending time with his wife and children, socializing with friends, playing football in the annual Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving Day, reading, crossword puzzles, riding his bicycle, and OU football (I made a point to never discuss OU/OSU football  with Frank).    He was head of the deacons at Westminster Presbyterian Church at the time of his passing.  Frank was so excited about 2015 –  the year he and Cherie would celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, Harrison would celebrate his 21st birthday and Frank would have celebrated his 65th birthday,  he so enjoyed life.  Frank is greatly missed by his family, cousins and many friends.

I vowed to keep my blogs short, so I decided to remember Cousin Frank in two parts.  Coming next will be a very witty remembrance of Frank by his sister Cathy .

Jim Lee

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