Sunday morning forty-three Master Masons of Tulledega Lodge No. 201, of Henryetta will journey to McAlester, where they will take the 32 degree as Scottish Rite Masons.

This is said to be the largest class that has ever been sent out from Henryetta to take this degree. The class and eleven visitors will make the journey.

The following Master Masons will take the degree: S.L. Hodges, W.E. Sorsbery, Seth Thomas, Carl Keister, J.J. Hamilton, J.R. Rossiter, John McLeary, J.P. Addison, Charles C. Ingram, C.F. Whiting, K.O. Brookshire, T.E. Alexander, John Richards, Frank Perry, O.P. Stewart, James Watzke, J.A. Leveque, Aurthur Griffin, J.D. Martin, Elwood Hamil, A.W. Rutherford, E.C. Duvall, C.E. Byron, A.L. Stewart, A.A. Earnest, J.S. Fretwell, William Blackbird, J.G. Cole, Jim Smith, Floyd Wallen, Clarence Omstead, Walter Hurgel, J.R. Williams, G.M. Morrison, H.G. Arkebauer, R.B. Hastings, I. Hollinsworth, C.J. Goeske, H.B. Menardi, W.E. Nelson, T.L. Peckenpaugh, H.N. Drane, H.C. Johnson and F.M. Boswell.

The following Scottish Rite Masons will accompany the class: T.V. Dollins, E.S. Bailey, R.E. McIntosh, Lee Cosper, Charles Eline, O.W. Meacham, S.W. Whitson, Geo. Frew, A.C. Goree and probably others.

George H. Sutton, armless billiard player, gave an interesting exhibition of the fact that the loss of arms or legs make but little difference to a man provided that man has willpower, when he entertained a large crowd at the Smoke Shop Thursday.

He played wonderful billiards, but what interested the writer most, was that this man, whose arms have been cut off just below the elbow, could take off his coat, fold it nicely, lay it on the table, take a cigarette out of a package, put it in his mouth, light a match, smoke a cigarette and throw it away as easy as any person.

As the first part of the program Sutton played a game with one of the best local players, for 150 points the condition being this. Sutton was to run 150 points, but none of his runs were to count unless he made 100 consecutive billiards. When the game was over Sutton had 150 and his opponent had 11.

He then gave a lecture on the various difficult shots and that literally made the ball cut “didoes.” This concluded the performance.

The writer then felt as if he would like to talk to this man and was much surprised to find that Sutton lost his arms when he was a young boy, and that since that time he had educated himself. He is a graduate in medicine, and in the ministry, is a crack trap shooter and years ago punched cattle through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

The first question that the writer asked of Mr. Sutton, was “How did you lose your arms?” “In machinery,” was the answer.

“How did I ever get along without arms? What are arms good for, except to rob a bank? And you have got to use your head and legs to do a good job of that. Hands are good for performing manual labor” he said, “but God save me a head.”

As most people who have been injured, Sutton is continually being annoyed by people, who rush up and say “too bad old fellow” and it is quite easy to see that he is touchy on the subject.

He told of several instances where he had been annoyed by pests who insisted that he tell them how he was injured.

In one case he told a young man, who was too persistent that he had worred over business matters and had started biting his finger nail and his arms were the result. Another he told that he had snapped them off shooting dice.

Sutton is about 50 years old and very much resembles the common picture of the successful American business man. He is tall, well built, with an athletic figure, light hair and a close-cropped mustache.

75 YEARS AGO – 1972

Three famous names all top stars in their field will compete in a painting contest to emphasize the arts aspect of HenryEsta.

Mrs. D. W. Dunaway, chairman of the Arts and Humanities Council has arranged for special “smocks” and “berets” for the contestants to squirt paints on three easels at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 21.

The three well known stars who have agreed to participate are: Ed Edmondson, Second District Congressman who became the first man in history to win a statewide nomination in a field of 13 candidates without a runoff, in his race for the U.S. Senate; Wayne Wells, Norman, Oklahoma’s own gold medal winner in the recent Olympic Games. He is a former OU wrestler and a big drawing card; Jim Shoulders, Henryetta’s own world famous cowboy who has won the world championship rodeo cowboy title five different times for a record.

Governor Dewey Bartlett, Edmondson’s opponent in the U.S. Senate race, also was invited to participate but his schedule could not be adjusted to include this event.

The three prominent personalities from the field of sports and politics will appear on a Main Street stage to do their modernizing “paintings.”

Following their performance, their works will be auctioned off to the crowd to help defray the expenses of the arts festival that is expected to draw thousands to Henryetta over the three day period of crowded activities.

Each “artist” will be given a brush to “sign” his picture to make it more valuable in the subsequent sale.

50 YEARS AGO – 1947

T-Sgt. Samuel B. Morris, officer in charge of the local army and air force recruiting station, today urged Henryettans to get their Christmas packages for overseas military personnel into the mail as soon after Oct. 15 as possible.

Mailing time for Christmas overseas packages has been set for Oct. 15-Nov. 15, local Postmaster Frank George has announced.

Marshall Henderson, 26, 501 West Meacham, who suffered a broken collarbone when his ‘42 Plymouth sedan left the road and overturned on Highway 75 early Sunday morning, pleaded guilty late Monday to charges of reckless driving and was fined $10 and costs.

Henderson appeared before Peace Justice Gilbert Lewis for arraingment, according to Trooper F.E. Richardson of the Highway Patrol, who said Henderson was charged with driving at an excessive speed.

The accident occurred on a curve at the foot of Sains hill two miles northeast of here. The Plymouth was almost completely demolished when it leaped the road, turned over and landed right side up.

The broken collarbone was Henderson’s only known injury. A woman companion, although reported only slightly injured, was resting in a city hospital today.

Nine Henryettans attended the Creek Nation Area Boy Scout Council meet Monday night at Camp Sapulpa, and were guests at a steak dinner served by Sapulpa scouters.

Attending from the Henryetta district were Clarence Smith, Martin Jackson, Kirk Woodliff, Fred Williams, Frank Hinton, Walter Morris, Ross Boerstler, B.A. Troutman and Dyton Dunnaway.

Next meeting of the Henryetta District Scout Council will be Tuesday, Oct. 21, 1947 at 7:30 p.m. in Teen Town.

Explanation of the mysterious and heretofore unexplained low water pressure which has recently made water supplies short in some highground homes was made today by Water Superintendent Oscar Bagley, who said that Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. was using the ‘missing’ water.

While Pittsburgh cleans and refills its water tanks, water pressure may be low in some homes on Buena Vista Heights for the next two days, Bagley said.

The local water pump station is pumping water at the rate of 1,750,000 gallons per day and as soon as Pittsburgh’s out-of-the-ordinary needs are filled, water pressure will again be normal, Bagley assured Henryetta residents.

Richard Ormesher, 1107 West Division, today had been named local winner in a recent Goodrich photo contest, Paul Hunt, manager of the local B.F. Goodrich store, announced.

Ormesher won a set of new tire tubes. His winning entry was a still shot of snow-capped mountains.

25 YEARS AGO – 1997

Henryetta All Sports Boosters will be offering an autographed Henryetta Knights football for silent auction before Thursday night’s homecoming game with the Beggs Demons.

The football, signed by the team and coaches is only one of two to be offered this season by silent bid.

Anyone interested in having this keepsake can turn in a bid at the Booster Club’s table inside the main gate at Cameron Field.

Booster Club members will be present to help in the process.

Everyone is encouraged to stop by and admire the football. The second will be given away on Senior Night.

In 1986, a committed group of business and community leaders, led by then U.S. Senator David Boren, came together to launch the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Their mission was to recognize and encourage academic excellence in Oklahoma public schools.

Since that beginning, 135 local foundations have been started to help the students of local public schools.

Henryetta is starting their foundation this year. A letter signed by Dr. David Warden, president of the newly-formed organization, explaining the purpose of the organization was sent to friends and supporters of the Henryetta Schools.

The letter states the foundation is a tax-deductive, non-profit organization and is strictly educational and charitable.

The goal of the foundation is to develop a permanent endowment fund over a period of years and to use the interest income to fund programs such as grants, scholarships, student recognition and similar things.

Duane Woodliff, Henryetta Class of 1959, was aked why he would agree to serve on the foundation board of directors.

His children are grown and out of high school but Woodliff is one of the people most responsible for starting this organization dedicated to improving educational opportunities for present and future students.

“For the past several years I have seen the need to have a tax exempt endowment fund to support our schools,” Woodliff said, “not in terms of bricks and mortar, but to provide enrichment programs for our students.

“After all, I believe our students in Henryetta should have the best opportunity we can provide just as kids get in the larger metropolitan schools. I further believe that there is a significant number of other people who believe the same way.

“My feelings go back to the excellence of two teachers who had a profound effect on my life at Henryetta High School. Mr. Leroy Rampey and Mr. Derwood Clay, especially Mr. Clay. No, it really started with Mrs. Bowles.

“So you might say the English Department of my high school days gave me the desire to strive for excellence. That is the thing I want the foundation to pass on to today’s students.”

There will be a kick-off dinner on October 21 in the high/middle school cafeteria with an open invitation to every person who is interested in furthering the education of the students of Henryetta to attend.

Oklahoma’s State Superintendent of Schools, Sandy Garrett will be the speaker.

The foundation is not part of the Henryetta school system but is a separate organization dedicated to providing the best possible enrichment programs for our youngsters.

Academic excellence in Henryetta is worthy of this type of commitment.