I got a call last Friday from Marilyn Trent, who is the activities director at Yukon’s Gran Gran’s place, which for many years was known as the Yukon Convalescent Center. I usually always talk with administrator Nell Lusty, who everyone likes, and she is always very helpful with information and getting us whatever we need. Anyway. Marilyn told me they were going to have a special birthday party for Yukon’s Pauline Pruitt who was going to celebrate her 100th birthday. Marilyn said Pauline was very excited about the party and even more excited that her 91-year-old brother Jack Pruitt was going to get to visit and share in the celebration.
In the next few weeks, we are going to interview Pauline (with the help of her niece Brenda Billie) and look back in time at what this great woman has watched happen throughout her many years.
Happy Birthday Pauline.
I recently talked with my old friend Andy Shoaf, who for more than 40 years, managed Smith and Turner Mortuary in downtown Yukon. Andy is now “semi-retired” and works for another funeral home. I happened to catch him on the phone while he was on his way to the Tulsa airport taking care of final arrangements for a family. I remember for so many years when Shoaf would call me at fifteen minutes past 5 p.m. on many Friday afternoons, after the paper had already gone to press, needing to get an obituary in for the next morning. Shoaf always told me that those families were going to be in town in the morning and it would mean a lot to them to see their loved ones’ final publicity in the hometown paper. We would always re-do a page to accommodate Shoaf. Andy was always very complimentary of Donna Yanda, who owns Yanda & Son Funeral Home. He told me several times in the past few years that Donna is so professional, very pretty and very caring toward all her families. I agree and have heard exactly the same.
Donna Yanda is not just one of the best female funeral directors in the country, she is one of the best funeral directors in the country. I always try to sit by her when I bid-up the Oklahoma City Thunder tickets she donates to the Yukon Chamber of Commerce banquet each year. Yukon is a better place because of Donna Yanda and Andy Shoaf.
The Yukon Progress lost one of our best salesmen this week when 7-Eleven clerk Ross Garrett was killed during a robbery at his store at 12201 W. Reno. Our circulation manager Jeremy Pyle said he ran into Ross all the time and that everyone at all the 7-Elevens couldn’t wait for this time to the year when he began delivering his famous banana bread. 7-Eleven sells a lot of single copies of the Progress for us. Ross was such a big part of those sales.
Like Jerry Lewis used to always sing, “Oh Thank Heaven for 7-11.”
Oh, Thank Heaven for Ross Garrett. Thanks for selling our papers Ross. We will see you again.
I stopped into Louie’s this week and ordered the blackened salmon with fresh fruit and fried green beans. Louie’s General Manager Brant was off that day and I always like to pick his brain when I see him. He always has a story to tell me or let me know who has eaten at Louie’s while they were in town. Anyway. If you like salmon, you must order it blackened and ask them for a side of Bourbon sauce to accompany the fish. It is unbelievably good. I can remember when the best restaurant we had in Yukon was Harry Bears. How many fried peaches from Harry Bears did you eat?
Speaking of eating, I am working on a special tab size edition of the Okarche paper that will be distributed in January of 2021 for the 125th birthday of Eischen’s. Eischen’s is now the official “oldest bar” in Oklahoma ever since our Horseshoe Bar on Main Street closed last year. This special paper will be distributed in every newspaper in the state of Oklahoma and it is my hope to create some economic development as we invite people into Canadian County.
Many people from all 77 counties is Oklahoma can come to Canadian County to eat fried chicken, play slot machines in Concho and come shop all our great stores in Yukon. I am working on a couple of banks to be the presenting sponsors of this special paper but it will probably be Tyson chicken for that coveted back page.
On a slow Saturday at Eischens in Okarche, they still sell 900 fried chickens without breaking a sweat!
Thanks so much for reading. I will see you next Saturday. Would you like a Progress?
