We’ve still been blessed beyond measure since last week. And we have another week to look forward to more blessings.
Prayers to the families of Faye Etheridge and Sammy Overstreet during their losses of these family members, and to their friends, also.
There will be a free dinner at the Ryan Senior Citizen, brought to us by the Ryan First Baptist Church this Sunday, October 28th
This coming week, you better get ready for a lot of events around our community.First, trick or treaters will be getting out in their frightful costumes on Wednesday evening, October 31st.The Ryan City Council declared October 31st, the day to be observed for trick or treating around Ryan.Then, the next event is Friday, November 2nd.Our Ryan Methodist Church is having our annual Fall Bazaar, starting at 10:00 at the church, will be a bake sale, followed with chili, stew, or chicken tortilla soup. Please help our Methodist church by purchasing some fantastic baked goods and then filling your tummies with a wonderful lunch with dessert included. Then, the 3rd event will be Sunday, November 4th, at the Ryan Senior Citizen Center.The annual Thanksgiving dinner to raise money for keeping our center going for another year.These dinners are fantastic! If you don’t plan to have turkey and dressing of your own, you can’t beat this. There are a lot of people that work hard to make this event possible.This year, Linda Ryan will be providing her homemade rolls for the dinner. You can’t beat them either! She is a fantastic cook.
This Saturday will be the 4th Saturday of the month and the Ryan food bank will be making their distributions for this month starting at 10:00 am behind the Ryan First Baptist Church.
I am looking forward to getting Brionna for a stay for this coming week’s events. She is looking forward, too.
One more thing to add, there is a free dinner at the Ryan Senior Citizen, brought to us by the Ryan First Baptist Church this Sunday, October 28th.Plan to attend this event, too.
Kim’s news for this week:
The rain has ceased for a few days at least. But, I had no doubt that the sun would come out.
The pond is full of water and grass is growing like it oughter.
Everyone have a blessed week. Prayers to those that are ill or in need of God’s loving touch in their lives.
You might expect when a sports writer is asked to write a tribute to someone the focus would be on that person’s accomplishments as a coach or player.
But, this article will be focused more on the person than his accomplishments.
Last week a large crowd gathered at Ryan’s First Baptist Church to say goodbye to legendary Ryan coach and principal, Raymon West.
Most anyone that has been under the instruction of Mr. West would probably choose to focus on the man because
his contribution to the lives of people went farbeyond the football field, basketball court or baseball diamond if they were tasked with writing a tribute.
As Bro. Mark Kunkel, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Terral, said numerous times while conducting the service, everyone was mostly there to honor the man Mr. West and not Coach West.
However, well over half the crowd identified themselves at one point in the service as having been coached by Coach West.
And certainly his coaching ability is not to be overlooked, but each person who has come under the influence of Mr. West would probably be quick to agree with Bro. Kunkel and this writer that his greatest achievements were what he poured into our lives.
You see the goal of Mr. West was not really to produce great athletes – although that did happen. His goal was to prepare high school students for life.
And, for the most part he was a master at teaching life lessons.
Mr. West was tough. He was a disciplinarian. However, he correctly knew that making life a bit difficult in the athletic arena would serve each person well when they began to tackle life as a young adult.
And, some of those lessons not only served us well as young adults, but throughout our life time.
As was noted in the funeral service, Mr. West cared deeply for people. He endeared himself to most every athlete he ever coached and those he taught.
The compassion Mr. West had for people carried over to his retirement years as he served people through his church and was frequently present when a need had to be met in the community.
Everything Mr. West did was with great passion – his family, ranching, teaching and coaching.
Mr. West’s accomplishments in the coaching profession should not go without mention. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1988. Most everyone knows he coached the 1965 Cowgirl squad that won the Class B state championship – the only state title in school history. He coached the Cowgirls for a total of 13 seasons.
He coached the Cowboy basketball team for 15 seasons and took the 1962 squad to the state tournament – one of only two boys’ teams to advance into the state tournament.
Mr. West’s contributions to the football program are more notable than most people might think. He coached football on three different occasions – in 1958, 1962-1963 and 1977-1980. The 1962 squad just missed out on a district title and finished 8-2 which tied the 1929 football team for the second most wins in a season up to that time.
It is likely that one of the key decisions made by Mr. West while serving as principal and head football coach at Ryan was moving from 11-man football to eight-man football following the 1977 season. The decision probably saved the football program and he coached the Cowboys to the playoffs in the first year of eight-man football.
Mr. West also coached baseball in the early years at Ryan.
In the four sports coached by Mr. West, he led squads to 14 conference championships, three county championships, seven bi-county championships, 10 district titles, three regional crowns and one state championship.
No tribute, however, would be complete without personal stories because Mr. West had a profound impact on my life.
Late during my eighth-grade year and Mr. West’s first year back at Ryan after having coached at Burkburnett, Texas and Duncan, he noticed right away that my athletic genes were just about non-existent.
Mr. West came to me and asked me if I would be interested in being the student trainer, which I did after football season that year. He sent me that following summer by bus to Baylor University to attend the National Athletic Trainers Association annual convention.
I was definitely way out of my league (can you imagine a kid who just completed eighth grade going on a trip like that alone?), but I learned a few things and spent the rest of my high school days helping with all sports. Mr. West saw potential in me that I did not see in myself and giving me that responsibility helped me stay connected to sports.
As you can imagine we spent a lot of time together during basketball practices. During that time I learned a lot about basketball, but did not fail to pick up one or two life lessons along the way.
One of those came one afternoon after Ryan had suffered a loss in a game that was not well-officiated. And, as I have a tendency to do even today, I was griping about how poorly the officials called the game the night before.
I suppose Mr. West had heard enough and he looked at me and said, “You worry about the things you have control over. We have no control over the officiating.”
That little tidbit has remained with me through the years and has been invaluable in my life’s journey.
In the years following whenever I would make my way to Ryan I would try to make sure I came in contact with Mr. West.
A side note – most anyone coached by Mr. West were all afraid to ever call him anything but Mr. West or Coach West. It was always difficult to address him as “Raymon.” But, that is the kind of respect he commanded and deserved.
Many others and in particular his family could share similar stories about how Mr. West impacted their lives. I am just fortunate I had the opportunity to be the one to write this article.
I believe it is pretty easy to come to one conclusion – there will never be another Raymon West.
(l-r) Mollye Compton, Brionna Compton, and Lynette Weatherly
They closed the doors on Monday of this week, December 31, 2018.
It’s as much a part of Ryan as City Hall, or the bricks on Washington street.
Ryan Drug has been an essential part of the community since Dewey and Gladys opened the doors on January 1, 1924.
While operating the drug store, Dewey also found time to raise a farm.
The store evokes fond memories for many.
Jon Harris, former Ryan resident and Jefferson county historian, remembers Dewey and Gladys Nash.
“His wife, Gladys, was one of the sweetest, most benevolent humans to visit this earth,” says Harris.
She had been his sixth grade teacher at Ryan.
Dewey Nash and his wife Gladys. (submitted photo)
“I remember him smoking his pipe,” Harris remembered. He also remembered that you could get pipe tobacco in the store.
What Harris really enjoyed was the strawberry ice cream soda you could get at the old soda fountain.
Visiting the Ryan Drug for Harris back in the day was like stepping into a Norman Rockwell painting.
Another one of the former customers remembers seeing Dewey in the store on Saturdays dressed in his dress shirt and slacks kicked back in his recliner watching a ball game.
Harris said both Dewey and Gladys would enjoy their recliners during their later years at the Ryan Drug.
Their son, James Lyle, helped out around the store after he left social work around 1985.
They had two daughters as well. Their names were Kathleen and Juanita.
Juanita is the mother of Mollye Compton, the current owner.
Originally, the store was confined to the building on the east side of the current location. It was actually in just half of the building. The other half belonged to Peggy Baker and her dress and flower shop.
This bench was a gift from Lanette Weatherly, Glenda White and Shirley White. Leman Webber did the engraving.
Mollye’s interest in the Drug store began when she was 9 years old.
That summer Mollye and her twin brother Mel would visit while their mom was working on her master’s degree in special education.
Mollye learned to work at the soda fountain making cherry limeades and salty dogs. A salty dog is shaved ice with a lime squeezed in and topped off with salt. She said there were lots of people who liked the salty dogs including Diane Breeze.
She would follow her grandad around the store. It was during one of those times that it began to dawn on her that she might want to become a pharmacist when she grew up.
This epiphany came to her during a time when she was exploring other interests.
Mollye had been in the band since she was in the seventh grade. This fostered her love for music during the time she was growing up in Denison, Texas.
She graduated from Denison High School in 1978. After graduation she attended Grayson County Junior College for two years and took the pre-requisites for pharmacy school.
She was accepted at Southwestern in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
Mollye earned her pharmacy degree in December of 1987.
This was an opportunity not afforded to Kathleen, Dewey and Gladys’ oldest daughter.
Kathleen was born in 1925. Once she graduated from high school she wanted to become a pharmacist, but her father wouldn’t allow it. He told her, “It’s not a career for a woman.”
Instead Kathleen became a teacher.
Mollye officially began working as a pharmacists for her grandfather on April 1, 1989. At that time Dewey was 90 years old.
She bought the store from her grandad in 1990, just after her daughter, Brionna, was born. Dewey passed away in 1991. It was before he passed that she bought the building the drug store is now in.
“I didn’t think I was going to get to buy it,” she says. She couldn’t get a loan at the time.
One day Jack Savage came in. She said, “I thought, ‘What have I got to lose?’, so I just asked him if he thought his bank would loan me the money.”
Jack asked her how much she thought she would need. She told him and he told her, “Just come and fill out the paperwork.”
Archie Fulton owned the building just to the west. He had bought it from Robert Huff. Birdie and Claude Thorpe originally owned it when it was a movie theater.
The main part of the current store collapsed in 2000 and had to be refurbished. It had to be completely gutted. Ronnie Campeche and Raymond Pollan did the work. It didn’t take them very long she says.
After the remodel, she moved the old soda fountain into the new part. It was nostalgic for customers, especially those who hadn’t been in town for years. Hershel Shoffner was the one who kept the soda fountain in proper working order.
She recently sold the old soda fountain to her nephew Brian Hander who lives in Denison, Texas. He has acquired a building in Denison to show off the fountain along with the memorabilia from Dewey Nash.
Molley has enjoyed the years she has operated the drug store. However, she is ready for the change.
“I just want to slow down,” Mollye says. She is ready for less stress in here life. However, she goes to explain, “You hate to leave something like this behind,” she says with tears coming into her eyes. It’s obvious she has a deep love for the people of Ryan and those she has served over the years.
She knows that there is a level of customer service that the community receives from businesses in a small town that they don’t receive in the larger cities.
Lanette Weatherly has worked with Mollye off and on for over 20 years. It was sad to watch her say goodbye to Mollye and Brionna Monday evening as the last shift of the store’s official business day came to a close. It was the end of an era.
Brionna has her own fond memories of growing up at the Ryan Drug store.
Brionna remembers the fun she had with Dru Harper. Dru would always stop by at 3:00 pm for their daily snack. You could say that Dru was like a second mom to Brionna.
Mollye and Brionna will pack up some of the remainder of the items slowly as they begin a new chapter in their lives.
Mollye will be working some for Biff Eck at Eck Drug in Waurika. She looks forward to less hours and less stress. However, she is grateful to everyone who was such a blessing to her. With tears in her eyes, she expresses her love for the people she has had the privilege to know. “This place wouldn’t have been around all these years if it hadn’t been for the people,” she says. She has had customers drive from as far away as Nocona, Texas.
She wants to say Thank You to everyone who has made working at the Ryan Drug a pleasure.
My computer is making it difficult for me to write my news for this week. It is not the operator’s fault. I can’t blame myself for this modern technology that has come to pass, it has taken 30 seconds to just get that comma into place. Maybe the computer needs to be rebooted, or, maybe the computer feels the operator needs to be rebooted. I gave up. I went to my iPad. It was dead. So, now I am on my iPhone. I could prompt it to write as I speak , but, that would be a really big mess. Enough said. I will get it done.
I have decided not to close the drug store until the end of the year. I have not found a buyer that would maintain it as an operating pharmacy. To be honest, I haven’t found a buyer period. I can still get some more ads out in other papers and see if there might be someone that might take on this business and keep it running.
Folks here in the city limits of Ryan, if you have large items that won’t fit into your trash cans, you can have those items picked up free of charge on the 3rd Monday of every month. There is a phone number you can call on your monthly statements from the Town of Ryan. You need to call them on Thursday before the 3rd Monday of that month. There are some concerned residents around town that have been trying to tell our residents of this free service.There are several property owners around town that have some unsightly piles of old furniture along with other large items, that need to be hauled off.If you don’t find the number on your statement, call City Hall at 757-2277 and they will give you the number to call.
There is a wedding shower for Shaylee Kimbro on October 14th at 2:00pm at the Ryan First Baptist Church. Her fiancé, Ryan Chester are getting married on December 8th in Chickasha. We will have a hostess box in the drug store for them if folks would like to be a hostess. Congratulations Shaylee and Ryan!
There is a blood drive here in town at the Ryan School this Thursday, October the 4th from 10:00am to 3:00pm. This is short notice.
Sunday after church I went to the store to unload my cokes and when I pulled up, my back door was shattered. It was the act of the rock that was propelled from the lawn mower. I had some ply board and my mowing man helped me put the board into place until I can get a new glass installed. That wasn’t amongst my events planned for the day.Accidents happen.
Brionna will be coming home to go to a horse show that Kim invited her to be a part of at the Cowboy Church in Waurika this Saturday morning. Brionna will be excited when I show up to bring her home later this week. We had gone and gotten some western duds for this event when she was home last time, but, the event was cancelled because of the rain we had that weekend.
Kim’s news for the week:
Saturday, Foxy and I shopped around in Wichita Falls, a big city town. Dog and horse t-shirts is what I found. One of them that Foxy saw said “I don’t go anywhere without my dog”.
Everyone have a blessed week. Pray for each other.
STERLING – It was a short stay at the Class B District Tournament for the Ryan Cowboy baseball squad, but it came as no surprise as the Cowboys closed out the season at 0-11 – the first known winless season in school history.
Last Thursday the Cowboys were pounded by Sterling, 15-0, in the first game of the tourney and then fell in a heart-breaker to Big Pasture, 5-4, in games played here.
Sterling pitcher Lane Reynolds battled control problems early but settled down to toss a one-hitter for the Tigers.
In the top of the first inning the Cowboys put two runners on via two free passes, but ended the inning without a score.
The Tigers also took advantage of Ryan pitcher Andrew Villerreal’s lack of control in the bottom of the first inning.
After one out, three consecutive Tigers walked. Eventually the Tigers scored four runs on a two-run triple by Matas Puccio and a Cowboy miscue.
The Cowboys got a leadoff walk in the top of the second and Pacen Wiest got the only hit of the game for the Cowboys but a base runner mishap contributed to the Cowboys failing to score in the inning.
Sterling added four more runs in the bottom of the second. A single, a walk and a hit batsman to lead off the inning was followed by a two-run single by Reynolds. A fielder’s choice and another singled scored the other two runs.
Reynolds then settled into a groove for the Tigers and retired seven straight Cowboys.
Sterling padded the lead in the bottom of the third adding five runs to take a 13-0 lead.
The Cowboys tried to extend the game in the top of the fifth when Trey Bryant walked and Gunner Phillips was hit by a pitch, but the Cowboys could not come up with the key hit.
In the second game with Big Pasture, the Rangers opened the contest with a walk, a stolen base, a wild pitch and a passed ball to score one run.
Andrew Villarreal
The Cowboys quickly took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when Travis Fristoe led off with a double and after one out, Grayson Tomberlin launched a bomb over the left field fence to give the Cowboys a 2-1 lead.
The Cowboys added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Fristoe’s two-out single and two errors on the play helped the Cowboys get a run to extend the lead to 3-1.
That came after the first of two lightning delays.
In the top of the sixth inning after the second lightning delay and a brief rain shower, the Rangers mounted a three-run uprising to seize the lead at 4-3. Two errors, two singles, a hit batsman and three stolen bases produced the three runs.
In the bottom of the sixth inning the Cowboys tied the game. Carson Cooper led off with a walk and Wiest was hit by a pitch. Cooper was later thrown out trying to steal third.
An error put Fristoe on base and Wiest scored on a fielder’s choice by Phillips.
A pair of strikeouts ended the inning as the Cowboys left three runners on base. Ryan stranded 11 runners throughout the contest.
In the top of the seventh, the Rangers scored as Harley Clem led off with a single and scored on Caleb Thompson’s double. This turned out to be the winning run for the Rangers.
In the bottom of the inning, Skyler Wickware led off with a single and eventually stole second, but the next three Ryan batters went down on strikes and the game ended.
Tomberlin, who pitched effectively through most of the game, took the loss for the Cowboys. He finished with 11 strikeouts and allowed only three hits.
Tomberlin and Fristoe led the Cowboys at the plate as each had two hits. Tomberlin finished with two runs batted in.
Sterling came back to win the district title with a pair of wins over Big Pasture. The Tigers defeated the Rangers, 15-0, on Thursday and then secured the district crown last Friday with another 15-0 victory.
SEASON-ENDING NOTES: The home run by Tomberlin was his first of the season and the only home run hit this season by a Cowboy….Three Big Pasture pitchers struck out 12 Cowboys during the game – the third most strikeouts by a Cowboy team in a single game in school history…The Cowboys have now lost eight straight district tournament games to seven different teams….The Cowboys were directed by Tony Roberts and he was the third coach in three seasons for the Cowboy nine….The 11 strikeouts by Tomberlin ties for the fifth most in school history behind Coby Martin’s 16 strikeouts in a 10-inning contest against Ringling in 2010, Jason Smith’s 13 strikeouts against Byers, Texas in 1994 and Preston McCarty’s and Denver Overstreet’s 12 strike outs in 1949 and 2011, respectively….The 11 games played is the fewest number of games played since 1961 when Ryan finished 6-2 on the season….The 2019 campaign was marred by inclement weather and play eligibility problems….In an earlier game against Waurika where the Eagles mauled the Cowboys, 35-1, three school records were broken….The 35 runs by the Eagles are the most ever by an opponent breaking the old mark of 28 set by Tipton in a 1952 regional tournament game….The 31 earned runs in the game is a new school mark for most earned runs allowed…Waurika collected 23 hits in the game breaking the old record of 22 hits by Whitesboro in a regional tourney game in 2011.
Happy New Year to everyone! 2019 started out the year on a pretty cold note with some winds to make it feel even colder. We are in the season of winter, so, this is to be expected. The forecasters are predicting we might get some form of precipitation beginning on Wednesday evening, going over into Thursday, with highs of 34 degrees.
I have had Brionna with me for a good little while and took her back to the Ranch on Sunday after we got out of church. I had a lot of things to tend to at the store and I spent hours there after I got back from taking her. I went back early Monday and picked her up to come back to the store for our last day of business as a drug store. We gave and received a lot of hugs and shed a few tears in the process as we finalized our last day. We have to look forward in our lives when we make decisions that affect our own lives and, also, the lives of so many others, too. I have noticed as time travels along, our bodies and minds can’t take as much as we have grown to be accustomed to. Having an aging parent, a daughter, and a mother-in-law that has just lost her husband of 62 years, and a business that demanded a great deal of my time and efforts, this was what I felt I had to do. I have been blessed with nearly 30 years of business in this town, and Brionna has been a part of it her whole life. She has been part of this business and she has enjoyed being part of it. She hasn’t known any other way of life outside of this drug store. Time will go on and tomorrow’s will come and go, but, we need to be thankful for each day that we’ve been given and look forward to whatever is in store for the future. God has control of the fate of each and every one of us, and, that is comforting to keep in mind.
Kim’s news for this week:
What a wonderful Christmas me, Ruffy Tuffy, and Foxy had. On Christmas Day, Foxy and I went to my Dad’s, and on Christmas Eve I had lunch with Gail and Steve.
A Note from Mollye
For several years, I have made a commitment to Curtis to write an article for ‘Round Ryan News column. I took over writing when my mom’s mind began to fail her. Joyce would call me that she hadn’t gotten Mom’s article, so, there were several occasions that I would write her news for her and nobody ever knew the difference (I don’t think). Mom was at a point that she felt they needed to find another writer for the column, and then, they asked me to write the column. Now, I would like to pass on the invitation to see if there might be another individual from around town that might be willing to take on this task. I have thought of several folks that are connected to the community, but, I will see if maybe someone will come forward to volunteer to keep this column going. If someone out there is interested, please let me or Curtis know. I still plan to be an active part of Ryan, but, I just want to see if someone else might be interested.
Everyone have a Blessed 2019 and ask God to guide us throughout each day of all of our lives. I love you all!
She has been practicing medicine for thirty-four years. Twenty-seven of those years were spent at the Ryan Health Clinic now known as Ryan Family Care clinic.
Friends and family gathered at the Ryan Family Care clinic Friday afternoon to wish her a happy retirement.
Jefferson County Hospital Administrator presented her with a framed picture of Duncan Regional Hospital that also featured service medals for her many years of dedication.
Brenda reminisced about the early days when Dr. Stout would come by the hospital where she and her sister were working just to give them instructions in how to stitch up a patient.
The Ryan School Athletic Department is having a fundraising meal on May 5th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, you can eat in or take home. The menu consists of pulled pork and smoked sausage with the normal side dishes. Join us and get some good groceries.
The Ryan School music department and the cheerleaders are hosting a school wide variety show on May 14th at 6:30 pm. Concessions will be available and you can purchase raffle tickets for a Texas Ranger game from any of the cheerleaders.
Summer baseball and softball are starting up with practice going on as I write. I will try to keep you apprised of the game schedules as they become available.
Gardening season seems to be going strong. Friends and family are posting photos on social media daily. I picked strawberries this week and man they were good. I am really looking forward to the fresh plums, apricots and peaches to get ripe.
I just finished another book. This one was written by Elmer Kelton. The title is “Texas Standoff”. If you have never read any of Mr. Keltons books, I would recommend any of his books. The first one for me was “The Good Old Boys”. This is a western set in the time when horses and buggies were being replaced with cars and tractors. The main characters are stuck in between the old and the new and trying to figure out if and where they belong. This would not make my top ten list but it is well worth your time.
Two books that should make that list are, “The Age of Eisenhower” by William I. Hitchcock. Mr. Eisenhower is not one of the presidents that I learned much about in high school history which is a shame really. He was a bit lukewarm on the subject of school desegregation but given his track record on race I think it may have been more about not rocking the boat. President Eisenhower was an effective leader in many other ways. The other book is a novel called “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn. It begins with a three line ad in the personals section, Teacher Seeking Pupil, must have an earnest desire to save the world. Every time I have read this book, I see something new but for the life of me I’m not sure I could sit down and do it justice in a book report. I think I need to read it again.
When taking my seat for supper monday night I was once again reminded about how age can give very different points of reference. I heard a gentleman say that he was a big fan of Pistol Pete. To which a rather young Ryan alum started explaining how Pistol Pete was once the mascot for her high school. The first speaker thought this odd that a small school in Oklahoma would choose a former collage and professional basketball player that had no discernable connection to Ryan or Oklahoma as it’s mascot. Now Abe Lemons would be a different story, he at least was born in Ryan. The confusion was sorted out and all parties concerned can be forgiven in as much as the two gentlemen are not from around here and the young lady was not born by the time Pete Maravich passed away
On the drive home I was able to enjoy all the wildflowers that are currently blooming. There are spots where the Indian Paintbrush make an almost solid blanket of color broken only by the odd buttercup and the yellow of the bush sunflower.
I received a letter today from Jon Harris. It was nice to hear from Jon and feedback is always welcome. I’m sometimes concerned that I am using up too much space on personal stories and book reports. Those concerns take second place to my worry that I misspelled a kids name, angry grandparents can be mean.
I’m not going to write about the book I am currently reading, between this book and reruns of “Criminal Minds” on television, I’m lucky not to have nightmares. I am going to give another installment of my list of favorite books. Number one is a non-fiction book called “The River of Doubt” by Candice Miller. The book is about Theodore Roosevelt and his post presidential trip down the Amazon River tributary. Given Teddy’s propensity for adventure that may have had more to do with the trip than the science, although there was some of that as well. During the exploration of the largely uncharted river that was later renamed the Roosevelt River, the United States almost lost one of its most beloved Presidents. Between the river, wildlife and disease, the lives of a large portion of the party was almost lost. Number two is “The Walking Drum” by Louis L’Amour. If you have only ever read Mr. L’Amours westerns then you are really missing out. This story is about a trading caravan in 12th century Europe and the mid-east. Louis L’Amour was a student of history and an outstanding story teller and this is one of his better books.
My proof reader told me that there was not much of “Around Ryan” in this column. Au contraire, the discussion about the mascot was about Ryan. The wildflowers are around Ryan. Mr. Harris is from Ryan. And I read the books while living in Ryan, so there (I would blow her a raspberry but I don’t know how the spell it).
The next time you are driving into Ryan, Oklahoma, take a look to the right before you come to downtown. The 22-year old Chisholm Trail scenery that has always been an eye-catching welcome suddenly appears a little different. Its subtle change might have you turn around and crawl back by. The Chisholm Trail mural!! Something’s different. The sage-covered hillside scenery has a focused depth to it. And the cattle, the cowboys and horse-drawn wagon come alive on the forefront of the dimensional landscape. To passersby, it’s beautiful and a nice addition to the town. To the people of Ryan, it means so much more.
What started out as a pipe dream for the Ryan Regeneration Group became reality during the month of July. The talk began in early 2018 to develop a plan to refurbish the 40-foot long mural depicting a scene from the glory days of the historic Chisholm Trail. A path laid by drovers, cowboys and the cattle they ran from deep in Texas through Ryan and into Kansas throughout the last half of the 19th century. The mural is the work of M.H. Henry, an artist, a passionate advocate of preserving the Trail’s history and a resident of Bowie, Texas. With the structural assistance of Hershel Shofner, the sign was erected in 1997. This mural stamped Ryan’s presence in southern Oklahoma and was a proud addition for the citizens of the town. The timing was perfect, with hundreds of former students pouring into town for the Ryan High School reunion in September. Everyone was in awe of the work and happy to know that our history would now be shared with everyone that passed through the town.
Maris Blanchard in front of the Mural she recently restored.
Over the next two decades, the mural stood strong, but began to take on the effects of the intense weather of southern Oklahoma. With the birth of the Regeneration group, thoughts began to come into words about assisting with its refurbishment and longevity. The suggestion came up to find an artist to bring the mural back to life. But not only that, find someone that shares the passion of beautifying the town. Maris Blanchard, granddaughter to Theresa Blanchard, was approached by the group to see if she would consider taking on this timely task. As recalled, the group did not even have to fully ask her help, as Maris excitedly interrupted and said, “I would LOVE to help you with the mural.” It was a joyous occasion not only for the Regeneration group, but just as much for Maris. Her father, Bobby Blanchard, was a 1975 graduate of Ryan. Back in her childhood, Maris came back to Ryan frequently with her Dad. She and her Dad shared the love of going out on land northeast of Ryan to hunt for cow skulls or any skulls she could find. Along with spiders, bugs and critters that she could talk her Dad into taking home. Maris found this would be one of her many outdoor passions that still carries on to today. Bobby passed away in 2007 and with this, Maris’ memories of Ryan started to fade over the years.
At the beginning of the project, Maris began the preparation and studied the work of Mr. Henry so that her efforts would accent his vision. All the way down to the brands on the cattle that depicted the symbol of ranches in the local area. Maris unexpectedly and pleasantly found help as the citizens of Ryan became her eyes, ears and cold-water providers during the intensely hot days of late July. Work on the project started early in the morning and went on till sundown. What could have been an arduous task became a celebration as she moved slowly and carefully through bringing the wonderful scene back to life. The town was vibrant with talk at Stick’s and the Parlor about the young lady working on our mural. It did not take anyone long to find out that Maris invited everyone in to the scene going on at the junction of Highways 32 and 81. Among the topics of interest were Maris’ other hobbies and line of work such as taxidermy and making organic home décor themed around animal cadavers and skeletal remains. Many were intrigued and Maris was endless with conversation as she learned hunting in this part of Oklahoma is right up there with football as a favorite sport.
Now with the task complete and the mural looking like new again, the Ryan Regeneration group share the joy of their pipe dream becoming a reality. And as the folks of Ryan cherish anew this testament to our heritage, the warmth and joy of knowing that the spirit of the town stretches far past the limits of the ranches and fields surrounding the city.
A very special thanks go to so many of the hard-working, fun loving members of the Ryan Generation group. A special thanks to Sherry and Eddie Pewitt, Heather and Crosby Casebolt, Dennis Underwood and many others for showing up and sharing time with Maris. A very, very special Thank You goes out to Walker and Linda Ryan. Not only for providing the scaffolding, which without it, the project could not at all have been completed. But for your warm-hearted, incredible hospitality each day this project was going on. Maris said that she has found her second home in Ryan and a new extended family that would make her Dad proud.
