There are Heroes from the Osage

 I was talking to Suzi (Snyder) Taylor, daughter of Gladys Snyder (Aunt Gladys to me) the other day and we got to talking about Uncle Snyd and Uncle Maf (I never knew how to spell it but that is how i said it, Maf).  They were both in WWII.  Uncle Maf would talk more about the war than Uncle Snyd but Uncle Snyd was a prisoner of war and in the Batan March and I was around him a lot.

I worked many an hour on Uncle Snyd's farm in Kansas just north of Grainola, Oklahoma, but one day I decided to ask him about his experience.  Here is what I remember him sharing with me:

As most of you know or should know about the BATAAN DEATH MARCH in the Philippines is most soldiers never made it back to America.  Uncle Snyd was a prisoner for about 2.5 years where in his words, "they did their best to kill me".     For the remainder of his life, he suffered a lack of feeling in the bottoms of his feet and was legally blind due to starvation.  My recollection of the stories is that Uncle Snyd went in at about 200 lbs. and came out 110 lbs. with what was called dry beriberi which is a deficiency of vitamin B-1.   For the remainder of his life he refused to eat rice and chocolate.  During those years he was fed very little rice and it was bad rice filled with maggots.  Occasionally he got chocolate and it was rancid (spoiled).  He ate bugs, like roaches and grasshoppers to get protein and stay alive.  He shared that when they were marching or about any situation that if a fellow soldier stumbled or fell you were not allowed to assist them else you would be shot on the spot and the falling person would be shot.  You were to march over the body.  Also, you were not allowed to stop to relieve yourself, so you were constantly soiled from urine and crap plus generally everyone had diarrhea.  

I never really asked him why he volunteered for the military, but most did it out of loyalty for their country, America.  He never talked about it except the one time I remember asking as we drove to the farm.  You see, he could not drive himself so one of us had to drive him everywhere he needed to go.

He served for me and you so that we could live in a country with freedom and opportunity.  He lived for a higher principal than self.  I would also say that he shared with me that the cruelty put on him and others was the worst of human behavior.  Uncle Snyd never cursed that I remember but upon that day he let it loose as he spoke about the treatment by the Japanese.

I can't remember whether it was Lewis Morris or Beth Shumate but one of them gave me an assignment in the 6th or 7th grade to write a paper about Grainola.  Just FYI, I still have that paper / notebook and it sits right here in my office.  Anyway, I interviewed about every person in and around Grainola about its history and its people.  What I found was that almost every man and woman were involved in that war in some way.  Arnold Jones, Paul Jones, my dad, Gladys Snyder, Uncle Bill Snyder (Suzi's and Billy's dad) all served in one way or another.  I even found one person who fought in WW I and II and I am sorry I forgot his name.  He lived right east of Don Casselman on the south side of the street.  

What I learned is that Grainola was full of heroes, not because they fought on the front lines but the fact they served a higher purpose than themselves.  They respected each other and the laws of the land and the leadership of our country (sure wish that was as easy today).  

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• Heroes are available if you look for them
• Principles are important and we should respect and uphold them
• We all can handle more than we think or want
• None of us deserve to cry about our troubles or complain about our circumstances until we walk in those shoes

Well, thanks for listening and in case you wonder why I wrote this story it was so we could honor all those heroes and never, never forget about the sacrifice our military folks make for our freedom.

gary.olson@finaciti.com (yes, this is a new email address)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Inflation and the osage -- a little financial information

 

What do I do with inflation and interest rates and my savings?

Well I don’t know but you might consider the Series I Savings Bonds.  Here are the restrictions but right now they are paying 9.62% for the initial rate sold from May through October 2022.  You are required to hold them for one year and they pay interest for up to 30 years or until you cash them in, after the one year.  The interest changes each 6 months.  An example:  if you cash it in in 18 months you get paid the interest on the first 15 months.  The interest is compounded semi-annually.  The interest rate changes each 6 months based on a formula tied to inflation.  If you want more detail information, go to the Treasury’s site.  There is an annual limit of $10,000 per year per person.  (treasury-direct.gov).  strangely enough, you can purchase an additional $5,000 per year in paper I bonds using your federal income-tax refund.  You can purchase them for friends, like me, relatives, and others.  If you purchase for a friend or family the limit is on them not the buyer.    If you find this too complicated call a financial advisor (not me as I am retired, however I will give you a few names to call).

Relative to the market, there are a lot of thoughts and ideas out there.  Fear is the biggest problem and if one looks to history the answer is simple, at least for me.  I am staying put in the market with the money I do not need for the next two years.  This is deemed part of the bucket theory and has worked well for me and many friends. 

Now to just assist a little money saving ideas:  for me getting rid of cable was an easy savings of about $150 per month.  I replaced it with PLUTO which has about 250 channels and is free.  So what is the downside?  Commercials and no recording of shows.  What is the upside?  $150 towards retirement or debt or something fun to do with my family.  You decide but most of all do something!  As my dad, Cliff Olson, said “let’s do something, even if it is wrong”.  My dad was a blessing and a wonderful teacher of the basics in life.  He never said to keep it simple but, that is what he did.  He taught by example.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

·       If you take idleness and turn it into action you will never regret (never might be too strong)

·       Even the Bible tells us to not be idle Proverbs 16:27. In The Living Bible, it says, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; idle lips are his mouthpiece.”

·       to be prepared, you have to prepare … go figure

thanks for listening,

gary@mylifelegacy.co

You got dirt in your face or?

 Remember the good old days when you could have all the folks in the front seat of your pickup and the back end loaded as well?  Also, there were no extended cabs, no seat belts and a lot of times, no air conditioning.  Not because there was no air conditioner but because it either did not work or there were so many folks in the front seat it did not make sense to turn it on, plus the windows were open to maximize air flow.  And remember those little triangle windows which you could turn in toward you so that even the bugs got sent right at you?  And most of all, remember driving on all those dirt roads and for sure you never wanted to be behind someone!  The dust was huge, and it was so bad you could not even see the vehicle in front of you.  Those were the days my friend, I thought would never end, forever and a day (Simon and Garfunkel).  

But now after a few memories let me tell you about Uncle Don Lane who recently passed.  Susie Snyder (now Taylor) and my cousin Niki were riding in the back of one of those old trucks with a cloud of dust behind.  I am not sure but if someone told me that Uncle Don slept with a chew of tobacco in his mouth, I would have believed them.  I don't think I ever saw him without a huge knot in his jaw from Red Man Chewing Tobacco.  He always had one of those pouches in his hip pocket in case he needed to freshen up (if you know what I mean).  I guess the one positive thing you could say is that Uncle Don did not smoke, and I did not have to smell all that smoke.  But the one thing Susie pointed out was her and Niki were sticking their heads out on the driver's side and Uncle Don let one of those liquid arsenals go out the driver's window and it splattered all over Susie and Niki's faces and clothes.  They were yelling and screaming at Uncle Don for that one.

Now another Uncle Don tobacco story was when Larry (my brother) who passed on December 29, 2021 and I, plus Billy Snyder (Aunt Gladys Snyder's son) were hunting rabbits at Grandma Annie and Popie Jess's place near Oologah, Oklahoma.    When you are rabbit hunting you always look for places where rabbits hide.  There was a large pile of brush which is a favorite for rabbits and we started trying to jump a rabbit.  I should tell you that Jumping a rabbit means trying to scare them out of their hiding place.  Well, as it turns out there was a bumble bee hive in there, so when we were rattling the brush a swarm came out and went straight for Larry.  One got him behind the ear and he started swelling up fast.  Uncle Don saw the commotion and came running.  When he got there he removed that ball of tobacco from his jaw and slammed it on the swollen area just behind Larry's ear.  It was Gross!  It dripped down his neck but it did work and the swelling stopped and went down pretty fast.  

So ,what do you learn in the Osage?

• a slimy ball of tobacco mixed with your saliva can save, or at least in this case, a life.
• old remedies may or may not work but it sure makes for a good story
• when someone says spit in your eye, think of Susie and Niki

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

Bet you can't guess who is the worst?

 Who do you think is most likely to file bankruptcy?  

• a professional athlete
• a lottery winner
• a guy making minimum wage

lottery winners 7 out of 10 file bankruptcy

pro-athletes 6 out of 10 file bankruptcy

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Why?

1. they did not have a plan

2. they did not listen to a professional financial advisor

3. they had more money than they knew what to do with

I don't know about you, but when you grow up working hard and your parents believe in discipline, and I mean the old-fashioned type, you value the dollar and you know that money does not grow on trees and when you get some, you try to hold onto it.

Today I was talking to a friend, and we got to discussing folks we knew who were wealthy.  We both knew the Noble family out of Ardmore, and the Mitchel family out of Dallas and of course you know I worked for Ross Perot out of Dallas, and I also have a friend out of Alabama named Cam Lanier. All, we would consider rich.  But what we found common amongst the ones we both knew is they were handy with a dollar and kind in spirit.  So, I will tell you two stories to make my point.

Mr. Noble was at what was the SEA Ranch north of Grainola,  and he had his cowboys working cattle and Tanny Olsen and his cowboys were there as well.  It was common in the old days to help each other out when it came time to work cattle.  Dad (Cliff Olson) was there that day and it was raining.  Tanny offered to take one of the rain slickers from one of the cowboys for Mr. Noble.  Mr. Noble refused and made the comment, "if one of my cowboys does not have a slicker, I will not have one either".  

The second story is about Cam Lanier.  A number of years ago I was working for Cam and getting to know him and I noticed he drove the same vehicle my wife did.  He had a Ford Expedition about 10 to 12 years old and black, just like Shouna's.  But there was one difference, Shouna's had been washed.  I guess I should tell you a little about Cam (Cambell).  He had built a cell phone company from scratch and sold it to what became T-Mobile.  On the internet it shows he sold it for $4 billion.

These two men were known for being approachable and who worked right along side of their employees while being cautious about the dollars and generous in their spirit.  These men were not arrogant or lazy.  In fact Cam, whom I worked for, had me stay at his house and cooked breakfast every morning for us.  His kids were grown and his wife has Alzheimer's and was in long term care so maybe I was just good company.

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• hard work is common in folks who made their own wealth.  I should say honest wealth.
• folks who care about people and especially their employees, are successful even if they are not what we call wealthy
• what seems like they are getting wealthy off others labor is actually creating jobs for those folks like me and probably you

thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

Who needs a Mentor?

 

Who was your mentor growing up and why would you name them?

I personally can name a few but here is just one:

Aunt Gladys was my high school math and science teacher but more importantly she was my aunt (mom’s sister) but what she did for me was not her teaching but her encouragement!  She included me in doing puzzles at a very early age, like 6 and 7, and then she would find different types of puzzles (typically those wooden animals or shapes) and give them to me for my birthday or Christmas.  She would also give me high school math problems when I was in grade school, and she would tell me how I was better than some of her high school students.  I don’t know if she was telling me the truth, but the fact is she basically told me I was smarter than I thought I was.  She made me want to do better.  I wish I could say she was a great Christian influence but that was not the case.  She was an officer in WWII and she could cuss like no other person I knew when she got mad.  One last thing I want to say about her example:  She lived to about 87 years old, but she basically never watched TV.  She read and I would say studied her entire life right up until she passed.  She had over 40 years of National Geographics, and she had over 100 hours of doctor level studies from OSU and other colleges (she did have a masters from OSU and undergraduate from UCO).  She would take a subject at the first of every year and study it for a year.  I know two times she studied the bible but also, she studied many other topics.  One year I helped her put together an extensive collection of leaves and one-year bugs and one year rocks and the list goes on and on.  She never could cook.  She made a difference.  Can I?  Can you?

So what do you learn in the Osage?

• small comments can make a big difference in a life
• a life well lived might be hidden if you are not looking for it
• we should honor real heroes in our lives

thanks for listening,

gary@mylifeleg
acy.com

Shidler's own Forest Gump - Jay Snow

 

Shidler’s own Forest Gump – Jay Snow

Jay Snow, Jim Miller and me

When I first moved to Shidler it seemed that everyone wanted me to fight somebody because I was so big for my age.  As I recall it was PeeWee Robinson (the littlest but best basketball player) who decided that Jay Snow and I should fight each other.  So, he started this banter between us (jay and me) where we were calling each other names and ultimately a fight was decided upon.  I should point out that Jay and I neither one had said any of the words PeeWee was saying but we both believed PeeWee.  It was decided that Jay and I would duke it out in the back yard at David Howell’s house (by far the smartest guy in the class but just never applied it to studies).  Being Shidler, it seemed that everyone in school wanted to witness this fight.  Can you imagine about 200 kids walking across town to David’s house?  I am sure it was not that many, but it sure seemed that everyone was there. 

Jay was fast and tough.  I was slow and big.  The fight began and Jay came at me with all he had.  I grabbed him by the back of his head and threw him to the ground.  Next, he got up and came at me again.  I had never fought before so when I took my fist and threw a haymaker at him, it landed on his head, but I had my thumb inside my folded fingers.  I think today I still pay for that as I have arthritis in my thumb, and it is hard to open the peanut butter jar.  Jay came at me again and I threw him to the ground.  I just really did not want to hit him, and I certainly did not want to fight in the first place.  I wonder how many kids bet on the outcome.  Finally, after a few minutes I threw him to the ground again and sat on him.  You must know the problem for Jay was that my arms were so long he had a hard time getting inside my reach.  While I sat on him and held his arms, I said why don’t we quit and call it even.  He agreed and we went inside David’s house and ate a sandwich together.  We became great friends and buddies from that day forward.

In fact, in a subtle way Jay had a long-term effect on me.  He was a strong believer in Jesus Christ, and I trusted him even though at the time it kind of drove me crazy when he would talk about Jesus.

You may not know it but Jay had some tough things going on in his early life and one day he chose to go to New York and dip his foot in the ocean and then start walking, just like Forest Gump.  Jay walked for 2 years and 4 months across America.  Later he walked across South America as well and who knows what else but finally, he settled in on becoming a Ranger with the US Park Service.  You will enjoy this video of Jay:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0D5vyone30 

I am so glad I got to spend a good amount of time with Jay last October 2021.  Jay has passed recently but he will not be forgotten.  I miss my friend, but I have my memories.

What do you learn in the Osage?

·       Your story is important, and you need to tell it

·       You can be lost or thought dead like Jay, but not forgotten

·       A fight can be the new beginning of a great relationship

·       Forgiveness is greater than any grievance

Thanks for listening,

gary@mylifelegacy.co

 

Dr. Larry Olson - living on Beaver Creek

 

Dr. Larry Olson – living on Beaver Creek

For some reason Larry was always little, like dad, and I was always big like Uncle Olie (Minnesota Uncle).  Larry use to pick on me until I was about the 2^nd grade when I got bigger than him.  The doctor told my folks I would always be small because I was so sick as a little boy but by the time I was in the second grade I was taller than Mrs. Casselman, my teacher.  It was kind of embarrassing.  As soon as I was able, Larry stopped pestering me.  That means I retaliated. 

Larry and Dad but mostly Larry, taught me to hunt and fish.  Dad was especially good at teaching me to work.  Larry could milk a cow by hand faster than anyone I remember except Grandma Annie Lane.  Dad was pretty good too.  I was so glad we got rid of the dairy, but it left us with Jersey (our milk cow) and she had to be hand milked every day, twice a day.  I hated milking and I was not good at it.  She could handle two calves and still provide all the milk we needed.  I should mention that when the cow would slap Larry with its tail or the hobbles would get loose and she would kick-the-bucket (literally), Larry could rally cut one loose with words.  Many of you know what I mean and especially all those folks from Edisto or South Carolina who knew him. 

Ok, back to fishing and hunting.  Larry was the smart one and always talked me into acting like the bird dogs and walking down in the creek to jump the quail (we never had bird dogs).  That allowed him to get a better shot.  He hunted mostly with a 410 or Dad’s old 20-gauge bolt action and he was patient and accurate.  Billy Snyder would hunt with us on occasion (he is first cousin and Gladys’ son and Suzie’s brother).  They were the same age, and I still got the dirty work of crawling up and down the creek bed.  I actually loved it. 

I should also tell you that Larry and Bill were squirrel hunters, and me as well.  We had those big red squirrels and we never got skunked.  On occasion we would kill one and it would crawl into its nest.  NO problem, we always needed firewood as our house was mostly heated with firewood.  Dad would never let us leave a squirrel in a tree.  We had to cut it down and split the logs and of course carry it to the house.  One of those trees could supply a lot of wood.  To say the least Larry was great with a chain saw and so was dad.  I was the splitter (we did not have one of those fancy log splitters) and I did it the old-fashioned way with a sledge, steel wedges and an ax.  I would load the trailer.  Do you notice that Larry always got the easier part of the job?  Ask Becky Davis at Edisto, she would agree with this, or Bob Webb.  Bill and Larry always had really cool 22 rifles with scopes and I would have a Ruger 22 without a scope.  They were great shots.  Fishing, we will get to it.

I suppose I should go and get some work done.

So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• Some folks get handed the books when God made them and some get the looks, go figure
• God made some of us humble and some of us prideful, go figure
• Time spent with family is more important than who was best

Thanks for listening,

Gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co

A Brother worth having, Dr. Larry Olson

 

Larry Olson

We were raised on Beaver Creek 1 mile north and 3 west of Grainola, OK.  On a few hundred acres plus leased ground of a few sections.  He was the oldest and I think he was perfect in every way.  As a younger brother by 3.5 years he was my teacher and boss when Dad was not around.  We were always work aholics (is that a word) in work and play.  If we were not working with the cattle, hogs or chickens we were fishing and hunting up and down Beaver creek and I should say for hours and hours at a time.  Mom never worried about us as she knew we would come back if we got hungry. 

We raised registered Herefords and commercial cross cattle and what seemed like thousands of hogs.  It was not.  We also raised row crops like maize and corn plus alfalfa and wheat.  Every year we raised and showed cattle and hogs for the Osage county livestock show.  I would say the highlight was when Larry won the grand champion steer and I won the reserve grand champion steer.  Of course, Larry was an excellent livestock judger and until he graduated high school and started judging at OSU, he was the best, but he taught me to be the best after he left.  One year while on the OSU livestock judging team, he was also one of the judges who took judging the orals at livestock shows.  He gave me the worst score I ever received only to find out it was the best score he gave.  I was mad as hell at him until I found out.  I won the judging contest.  He was a great teacher.

Larry was always the best and most organized and it showed when he was at the highest level in Boy Scouts, 4-H, baseball where he pitched a perfect game, hunting where he was the best and fastest shot in quail hunting and red squirrel hunting. Raising cattle, hauling and bailing hay, driving a tractor, giving speeches at the state speech contests, in his studies valedictorian and at OSU the Presidents honor roll, he even ironed his own shirts.  He was like a nut that does not fall far from the tree, he was just like mom in perfection and like Dad in working hard and long every day.  He was always a leader in 4-H, the Methodist Youth Fellowship, and Oklahoma Hereford Association where he was President at one time. 

Larry was amazing with all the nieces and nephews and my daughter Wynter was the first one.  He would do anything she asked including having a fake tea party or watching the Smurfs.  He was the same with every child in the family and in particular Ryan Crow who wrote the following and I read this to him not 10 minutes before he passed:

 

Uncle Larry,

You will never know how special you were to me. You're the reason I know how to fish and why I love it so much. You taught me everything I know. I remember the day you showed me how to put the pink bubble gum fluke on my hook. I caught a pretty big bass shortly after that. I also remember the day we were on the boat on Richard's pond and I accidentally hooked a bob wire fence that was in the water. I felt so bad but you helped me out of it. I can't tell you how many times I hooked trees, fences, or grass and you always talked me through it and got it out and I never lost the bait. You mean so much to me and always will. I can't wait to fish with you in heaven and catch the biggest fish we've ever caught. I love you Uncle Larry and always will. Thanks for everything you've taught me.

I guess I should mention a couple things he was not perfect in, at least in my mind.  Once when he was about 12, we were supposed to burn off some dead brush piles.  Well, we poured about a gallon of gas on the pile then Larry bent down on his knees with a match and it exploded.  It burnt his eye brows and the hair on the front and sides of his face.  Luckily his skin was ok.  Another area where he was not perfect was when he ran over me with the truck.  Basically he pinned me between the barn and the truck and I still have a crease in my leg to prove it.  It was the only time I ever saw him cry as he thought he had killed me.

Here is Larry‘s (Dr. Olson)  fishing lunch menu:  beanie weenies, Famous Amos cookies, Cheez-its and there might be some Baby Ruth’s.  Those are his standard meal while fishing. 

Thanks for listening,

A Life Well Lived, Dr. Larry W. Olson,

By Gary Olson (brother)

 

 

Dr. Larry W. Olson April 19, 1949 to December 29th 2021

 

Obituary

Dr. Larry W. Olson, PhD

April 19^th, 1949 to December 29, 2021

Larry Wayne Olson went to his eternal home on December 29th, 2021. He was born in Winfield, Kansas to Clifford and Opal Olson. Larry received his undergraduate at Oklahoma State University and his master’s and PhD at the University of Nebraska. 

Larry had a passion for detail. At an early age, he developed a love for cattle and fishing while working on his parents farm and ranch in Osage County outside of Grainola, Oklahoma.  Larry graduated from Shidler High School with many honors, especially in 4-H on a local and state level.  He never wavered about his dream of building a bull and cattle research facility once he received his doctorate.   At Clemson University he was:

 Professor and Founder of the Edisto Forage Bull Test

Throughout life he loved to fish. He could tell you how many fish he caught each day and every year, the weather on that day, location, and lure he caught them on.  His focus for detail was unmatched in his career and fishing.

He loved his nieces and nephews, grand-nieces, and nephews.   He purposed to do anything they wished including having tea parties. Ultimately, he taught everyone to fish, THE RIGHT WAY.  It was especially heart warming at Christmas to see the fun gifts he gave his great-nieces and nephews.  The most recent gift was Pink Bubble Gum Supper Flukes.  Even those who were too young to fish received the prized Bubble Gum Supper Flukes.

Larry was a humble person. He loved Oklahoma, Osage County, and the country life, but he loved South Carolina, as well. He lived in Barnwell, South Carolina for 41 years and built a life there with many committed and kind friends.  In retirement he fished, literally, every day weather permitting.  His last recorded fishing date was late October and he documented 1350 bass in the boat for 2021.  I am certain he is fishing in heaven and talking to all the cowboys who went before him.

He is survived by his mother, Opal Olson (93) of Hennessey, Ok., sister Debbie and husband Butch Schaefer of Perry, brother Gary and wife Shouna Olson of Edmond, nephew Preston Olson and niece Wynter and husband William Casallas and their children Brecklyn and Brookston of Oklahoma City, nephew Chase his wife Kathryn and three children, Grace, Kelli and Cara of Edmond, nephew Cliff and wife Suzanne Crow of Kingfisher, and three children, Jayden (husband Jace) Flewellen, Zac and Ryan, Richard and wife Nancy Crow of Perry ,and three children, Alex, wife Kyleigh and daughter Ellie Opal, Megan and Clifton. 

In lieu of flowers make a donation to:

The South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association.  PO Box 207, Saluda, SC 29138.
Please make checks payable to the South Carolina Junior Beef Round-Up Larry Olson Scholarship Fund.

We would love to hear from you, especially your memories and stories of Larry.  Please send them to:

Gary Olson

12501 Dutch Forest Pl.

Edmond, Ok 73013

Or email to gary@mylifelegacy.co