More on Olympic Oaks.AMERICAN FORESTS American Forests is a nonprofit conservation organization that promotes healthy forests and urban tree planting. The organization was established in 1875 as the American Forestry Association, by physician/horticulturist John Aston Warder and a group of like-minded citizens : I saw the short story regarding the tree presented to my father [gold medal gold medal traditional first prize. [Western Cult: Misc.] See : Prize wrestler Frank Lewis] by Hitler in the '36 Olympics (see Tracking Down the Olympic Oaks, Spring 2003) and thought you should know the story from a family member. Near the end of the tree's life, it suffered from a number of problems, not the least being poor care and maintenance. When my father heard the tree was noticed by a Jewish student who was offended by its presence, my father did not hesitate; he instructed the fraternity and Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University, at Stillwater; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1890, opened 1891 as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, renamed 1957. to cut it down. This is indicative of the man my father was and what his children strive to be, a gentleman, a civic leader, a responsible member of the community, and an individual who was horrified hor·ri·fy tr.v. hor·ri·fied, hor·ri·fy·ing, hor·ri·fies 1. To cause to feel horror. See Synonyms at dismay. 2. To cause unpleasant surprise to; shock. by what the Nazi's perpetrated upon millions. Dad met Hitler during those games in '36, and he recognized the Germans were arming for war. He signed up at the beginning but was told that his work in the oilfield was much more valuable. When he was called up in early '45, he prepared the family for his departure, only to be spared because of the victories in Japan and Germany. Dad was a quiet man who always seemed uneasy about the notoriety. He seemed more comfortable when he talked about having a daily breakfast with Jessie Owens, because they both got up early. These were very tough times for the world and they touched men such as my father. He was from a single-parent family single-parent family Social medicine A family unit with a mother or father and unmarried children. See Father 'factor.', Latchkey children, Quality time, Supermom. Cf Extended family, Nuclear family, Two parent advantage. , with his mother raising three on her own in very rural Oklahoma. This is what made the tree so significant--not the man who many named the tree for, but the individuals who stood up against the best, then the worst the world had to offer, and overcame. They overcame with humility and grace and have let so many others tell tales about them. During Dad's funeral, members of the Sigma Chi fraternity stood and sang the fraternity song in his memory; there were few dry eyes A condition in which the eyes feel dry or have a burning or stinging sensation due to an insufficient amount of tears. Dry eyes can be caused by the lack of blinking, which often occurs when users stare at a computer screen. among the 1,200-plus friends, associates, and family present. There are few moments that truly show how a man is, but one is a funeral for a simple man on a hot day in the heart of Oklahoma. A funeral for a man just short of his 86th birthday, in which there isn't a seat in the house, in a sanctuary with pews made of golden oak and a soft light that is bent by the stained glass stained glass, in general, windows made of colored glass. To a large extent, the name is a misnomer, for staining is only one of the methods of coloring employed, and the best medieval glass made little use of it. of the arched windows. This is what we are truly about. Now Dad is laid to rest in a rural cemetery alongside a dusty country road, next to the son of his brother Robert. There is a tombstone Tombstone, city (1990 pop. 1,220), Cochise co., SE Ariz.; inc. 1881. With its pleasant climate and legendary past, Tombstone is a well-known tourist attraction. The city became a national historic landmark in 1962. with both his and the love of his life's names carved in the stone, along with the Olympic rings, all under the shade of a dark, large red oak. Thomas Robert Lewis Tahlequah, Oklahoma |
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