by Lucy
on February 1, 2014
Though hobbled by injuries received in the Painted Desert, I was still able to enjoy a photo tour of Monument Valley — a ‘holy place’ that I dreamed of visiting since before I knew exactly where it was. This view of John Ford’s Point was captured as a storm approached the valley.
During a recent snow storm, it was my good fortune to watch again “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”. There’s a part of the movie where the cavalry troops are making their way back towards the fort in the midst of a wild storm. The filming of it was awesome, especially given the older technology of this old movie. I was transported back to the day that I actually saw this valley with my own eyes.
by Lucy
on December 27, 2013
Wirt, Oklahoma – Christmas Day in 1920
This virtual shanty town was thrown together to house an influx of oil field workers and supporting trades for the big boom at Healdton Field in the early 1900s. It’s written that the second stories of some buildings were brothels. Living facilities were hard to come by, and squatters grabbed any vacant property. Many folks lived in tents.
The town burned several times, the most notable time for me was the Christmas fire in 1920. My grandmother, Sylvia Rogers Caldwell, was nine months pregnant — and she lived in Wirt where my grandfather was employed as an oil field worker. Their tiny little two room shotgun house (below) likely still smelled of smoke from the blaze when she went into labor late on the night of December 27.
My great aunt, Katie Wynema Caldwell Windsor, told me that they hung canvas over the porch for my grandmother’s accouchement. These humble surroundings welcomed my father into the world in the very wee hours of December 28, 1920.
Happy ninety-third birthday, Dad. I miss you.
Stephen Paul Turco (1942-2012)
Our old Army buddy and Ron’s platoon leader from Fort Hood, Texas. He reminded us often that he was Italian and that he was from Nebraska, two things he was most proud of.
Found this marvelous portrait of Steve on his daughter’s Facebook page.
Fond Memories
- Typing Steve’s resume when he was leaving the Army after Viet Nam and returning to civilian life. He had an old portable typewriter that he brought to our house for me to work on. After a zillion typings, the project was complete to his satisfaction — and Steve took me out to dinner at the Officers’ Club. While we were out, my dear tomcat (Barney) saw fit to spray the typewriter. For 20 years after that, Steve never let me forget!
- Driving to Fremont, MI to surprise Steve on the morning of his 50th birthday party — when the Merrill family hosted a big brat cook-off for him at their home. Steve celebrated by firing off his miniature cannon, much to the neighbors’ chagrin.
- Doing the ‘Duval Crawl’ with Ron in Steve’s chopper. We flew low over downtown Key West and then out over the ocean. Ron and Steve spied sharks in the water, so Steve turned the chopper on it’s side so I could look out the open door easier!! Scared me to death!
Steve turns 50 in Fremont, MI
Obituary
A 25-year resident of Key West, Steve Turco died Monday, Nov. 19, 2012. He was born in 1942 in Omaha, Neb., and grew up in Ogallala. Steve graduated from the University of Nebraska, and served in Vietnam as captain with the 1st Cavalry of the Army. He was a decorated combat helicopter pilot. [continue reading…]
by Lucy
on March 27, 2013
by Lucy
on March 27, 2013
My grandmother, whose name I share, was widowed on March 27, 1934, and left with two children to raise alone. She devoted her life to Bonnie Mae and to my father, Carol — not remarrying until after both had left the nest.
She had a beauty shop (they were not called salons then!) on 16th Street in Amarillo, Texas, for many years — it was called Gem’s Beauty Shop, as this article notes. The name Gem came about when my granny was quite young — her sisters were named Ruby and Pearl. When she asked her parents why her own name was not Opal or some precious stone — her father told her that she was a rare “Gem” named Sylvia. And so, for her whole life, the family called her Gem.
Back to the beauty shop: I discovered Newspapers.com this week. And in searching the old Amarillo papers online, I found this interesting story on Wednesday, June 19, 1940. It was a wonderful little window into my grandmother’s world.
The photo in the center was made in Amarillo in the 1940s. How handsome she was, this Choctaw lady. On the right, she is on her horse — the caption on the back said, “Gem on the Rio Puerco”.
I remember going to her beauty shop and getting a shampoo with “egg shampoo” and a special creme rinse. Then she sat me up in her chair before the mirror and trimmed my wispy little red hair. Ladies in the shop would remark on my “pretty red hair” — and my grandmother would say, “Sylvia Dow is a strawberry blonde.” She was the only person in the world to make me feel beautiful.
