Jimmy Davis and friends

Tonight I have included a few memories by Jim Davis who was a few years older than me but I just thought about all the small stuff and even some big stuff that effected our lives.  So here are a few memories from Jimmy:

I lived along the west side of the Denoya road. The Hathcoat home was at the corner of  where the road that lead west to Kaw City. Back a 100 yards or so on the west side of the there was a family that I can no longer remember the name of that lived a little south of them and on the west side of the road. Just a little further south was Taylor’ Store. South of the store a little ways the road split. Straight ahead on Denoya rd., I believe you could drive all the way to Old Highway 66 and go east to Pawhuska or west to Ponca City. If you turned left you went down a long hill to a pecan farm. The owner used to let anyone pick as many pecans as they want as long as you gave them half.
We lived there from 1948 to 1960. Our home was built by my Dad. A 100 yard or so north of the Hathcoats and across the road was Ed Connelly’s home. Someone lived across the Denoya from them and someone lived just north of them. We lived maybe 100 yards northwest of the Connelly’s. Just southwest of the Connelly’s a short distance was the Bill & Wilma Eden. They had two kids both younger than me. Billy and a sister I cannot remember. I think they ran the Dixie Dog at one time. Due west of the Connelly’s maybe 200 yards were the Lees.
I had two brothers. My older brother is Don Davis. He graduated in 1960. He now lives in Mountain Home Arkansas. My younger brother is Glenn who was born in 1955. He now lives in Grey Lake Illinois.
I certainly remember a lot of stories I would like to pass along. My wife just got home so I am going to close and continue this later.

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Another email from Jim to Russell.

My name is Jim Davis (Jimmy then) We had to know one another. My dad (Gene Davis)was a lead man on the pump crews and organizer for the union. You and I were in the same grade. My Dad was killed in a car wreck crossing the Arkansas River at Ponca City in the December of 1955. My mom packed us up and we moved to Tucson in 61. I was 12. We lived on Phillips land less than a mile northwest from the general store. Our Neighbors were the Connely's Hathcoats and Lee's. My best two friends were James Hathcoat and Marc Whitt. I remember Camp #32. I remember a friend who lived in the second or third house from the south end. Those were idealic days growing up in Denoya. We played incessantly among the old ruins. My Dad used to organize these huge card games with all these families at our house. The grownups would play cards and the kids would play hide and seek. In the summer we would eat watermelon and homemade ice cream. We just had to know each other.


These two emails were a little of a repeat of each other but they show the character of the Osage and Shidler area.  What I hope you see is the friendship as well as hard times but they all make memories and they all ultimately create character.  Let me list a few key words:

Memories

Camp

Phillips land

Denoya

grownups

play cards

eat, ply, together

brothers

death of a father

Well I don't know about you but I don't see anywhere in here these things:

I wish I spent more time at the office

I needed a bigger house

I am in a hurry

I have too much to do

I am tired

You fill in the next question ....

What all these things say is spend time with family and friends and take time for people because they are important.  Today I got a friend request from Glenetta Harmon who I went to school with at Shidler.  I honestly did not invest enough time to get to know her but she was a nice person and a little quiet but a pleasant person who was part of my life.  So today I want to thank Glenetta for saying, "be my friend".

What did I learn from the Osage?

• enough is already said so say no more

Thanks for your time,

gary@thepioneerman.com