Long-time Stroud resident Delmer Summers suffered a terrible loss when his home went up in flames this past Saturday.
His daughter Kalah resides with him but was not home at the time. I spoke with Delmer, and he told me he was lighting a kerosene heater when it just blew out on him.
He suffered minor burns to his head but is extremely lucky to be with us to tell us his story. The home was a total loss, and a GoFundMe account has been set up by Jeremy Smart to help the Summers with this tragedy.
Delmer is a beloved member of our community. He is a member of the American Legion and worked for the school system for many years. He was also a baseball umpire, having played the game himself.
Just about anyone you talk to who played sports at Stroud has a special love for Delmer and his days as an umpire.
Stroud is fortunate to have active Red Cross volunteers right here in Stroud. Ken and Celeste Carpenter have worked with the Red Cross for many years and are always right on hand to offer assistance to those needing the Red Cross.
A big Town Talk thank you goes out to Ken and Celeste for being immediately available to the Summers.
Stroud resident and Class of 1966 alum Kenny Johnson recently passed away. There was not an obituary available at this time but for more information check the Stroud Alumni Facebook page.
Kim Brown Beasler posts obituaries on this page as they become available and is good at keeping us informed of the deaths of our friends and classmates. My mom taught Kenny in school and said she had a soft place in her heart for him.
She told me she made him stay after school one day and he had to walk home. The problem with that was he lived several miles south of Stroud and had quite a walk. Once she learned this, she said she always felt bad about it.
Another Stroud graduate, Mike Hesket, Class of 1977, passed away on December 29th. His family held a Celebration of Life for him this past Saturday here in Stroud. They asked in lieu of flowers donations be made to the American Heart Association in Mike’s memory.
Mike was born and attended school in Lawton until the 5th grade then moved to Stroud where he graduated. He was living in Lawton at the time of his death. Town Talk expresses its condolences to the Hesket and Johnson families.
I promised you a few weeks ago that I would update you on Stroud’s new museum, the Route 66 Spirit of America Museum.
Well, the update is still coming but you’ll have to wait one more week. I am going to meet with the museum’s owner, Steve Brant, this week and get a sneak peek inside.
Watch next week’s paper for all the scoop I’ll learn from Steve. He did tell me he hopes to open for business the end of March.
Activities coming up include City Council meeting tonight (Thursday), January 12th, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. Also, on Thursday the 6th, 7th and 8th grade girls’ basketball teams will host Prague with games beginning at 4:30 p.m. while the boys’ teams will travel to Prague to challenge the Red Devils also beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Friday night you can catch some High School Tiger basketball at the Route 66 Coliseum. Stroud will take on the Chandler Lions in a district game.
The Mason’s monthly “all you can eat” breakfast will be this Saturday at the agricultural building from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. No rising costs here, the cost is still just $7.00.
Also on Saturday are our elementary community games. The first graders will travel to Chandler to play the Lions at 1:00 p.m. There will be no school on Monday, January 16th in honor of Martin Luther King Day but there will be an Oklahoma Blood Institute blood drive in Chandler from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Don’t forget the clothing ministry is open every Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Eat, drink and shop right here in Stroud, Oklahoma. We have a coffee shop, ice cream parlor, great restaurants and shops full of basic necessities as well as gifts, clothing, jewelry – you name it, Stroud has it.
If you haven’t shopped local lately, you’re missing out but for those of you who have, thank you for continuing to shop local………….first!