I became a believer in the Gospel at the age of 19 in the mid 70’s while serving in the Air Force. Those who guided me through my born-again experience encouraged me to get baptized and start going to church. They were good people, however over time my discipleship experience seemed to be based primarily on what not to do. No adult beverages, no movies, no dancing, no more fun. Some things made sense, some didn’t. Over time, what felt like a self-righteous lifestyle left me spiritually unfulfilled for years. Now, I refer to myself an out of Egypt believer, who wandered in a desert place for over 40 years.

In 2018 all that changed. I got connected with a spiritually vibrant Christian community, focused on spirit filled worship, the Word of God, a rhythm of prayer, and personal discipleship. Over time I developed a daily plan for both prayer and reading scripture. I call it, “The 2:24 Discipleship Challenge.” It is not based on a scripture passage. Two hours and twenty-four minutes is 10% of a 24-hour day. It is a recognition of spending prioritized time intentionally focused on my relationship with God.

How does the challenge look? It is making my Heavenly Father first in my life. He is the first one I want to talk to and the first one I want to listen to each day. I start with worship music, creating a focus on praise. In a brief prayer, I praise and acknowledge Him then close with this statement, “Bless me as I prayerfully meditate in the Spirit of worship through your word, starting in the book of Psalms in Jesus name.” I read a Psalm a day because I want to learn to pray like David. I continue praying with ongoing intentional requests and acknowledgement of God’s work and will in my life. I close again, asking for God’s wisdom, as I read from Proverbs daily, the one that corresponds to the day of the month. Our knowledge and experience is most effective when used in light of Gods wisdom.

The third part of my prayer is a focus for each day. Sunday, I pray for the mission of my local and the global Church. Monday, for family members by name. Tuesday, for close friends who attend my local church community by name. Wednesday, I pray for our giving and the ministries of my local church by name. Thursday, I pray for friends, acquaintances, and co-workers by name. Friday, I pray for those I meet in passing who I feel a connection to or who may have a special need. Saturdays I pray for whatever/whoever is on my heart, a special need or person.

Next, I enjoy a light breakfast and continue reading scripture. I read daily from the New Testament. In addition, I read through the scriptures from beginning to end using a Chronological Bible. I start that every second January. It simply makes the stories of the Old Testament, the Gospels, Acts and the Epistles come alive as the events historically happened in chronological order.

During the day, I stay engaged with my Heavenly Father by listening to worship music whenever I drive and pray spontaneously when the opportunity or need arises. The 2:24 Intentional Discipleship Challenge has changed my life. My intentionality has prepared me for His spontaneity which I find during my daily walk as I engage with those He puts in my path. I challenge you to create your own Intentional Discipleship practice. •
Steven Sibley- Retired E7/Disabled Veteran, Publisher OK Veteran News

By Jill Stephenson

Tech SGT Marshal D. Roberts, 28 of Owasso, was serving with the Oklahoma Air National Guard when he was killed on March 11, 2020. At the time, he was the first Oklahoma Air Guardsman KIA since September 11, 2001. Roberts was a member of the 219th Engineering Installation Squadron, 138th Fighter Wing, headquartered in Tulsa.

Roberts met his wife Kristie while they were serving together. They married after four years and sadly he was killed less than two years later. Roberts had a daughter from a previous relationship. He is remembered as a loving husband, devoted father and a brother in arms that many still salute with pride and admiration.

From his obituary: The United States Air Force has set out definitions of courage and spirit that all Airmen should aspire to achieve. Courage is defined as the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Spirit is defined as an intense energy that empowers one to act when called to action. Marshal embodied these definitions – he placed God and others before himself always, even up until his last breath. Marshal will always be remembered for the love and sacrifice he made on behalf of his country and fellow wingmen.

A portion of Highway 20 between Claremore and Owasso is dedicated in his name. The post office in Owasso was named in his honor in 2023. Because Roberts was killed at the beginning of COVID, his funeral and any public ceremonies were limited. Kristie and Robert’s mother spoke at the dedication and said it was the first time they spoke about him publicly since his funeral. Kristie described Marshal as a humble man who would blush at the thought of a building or highway being named after him. However, there is no question about the importance of having permanent structures like this for the public to honor his service and sacrifice.

Because of COVID, Robert’s funeral was delayed two months, causing additional emotional strain on the family. Kristie stated they never spoke about him being killed in action, but did speak about military honors and wanting them when the day came that they were called home to be with the Lord. She said it was difficult to put off honoring him. COL Mason, Commander of the base at the time, made sure that he was appropriately honored. His funeral was held at the Claremore Expo center where he received full honors with the missing man formation flown by 138th FW F-16s and a nine-round volley salute performed by the 138th FW Honor Guard.

Roberts loved watching movies. He had funny sayings and would randomly break out in Disney movie songs and make people laugh. They would play the animal game during long car rides when his daughter was with them. They would describe the animal without saying its name and they had to guess what it was. He loved going to the zoo or the aquarium to learn about new animals. These activities were engaging and educational and kept them off their phones while driving. Attending church as a family was very important to him. Christmas was his favorite holiday.

Roberts is laid to rest at Floral Haven cemetery in Broken Arrow. His grave marker is a bronze soldier’s cross and includes a bench for people to sit, pray and reflect. It sits next to a water feature where geese are frequent visitors. Kristie shared that when she and Marshal would see geese they would always count them together because they mate for life.

I asked Kristie what she wanted people to remember most about Marshal. She said,
“That he wore his nation’s cloth and served in the U.S. Armed Forces. He didn’t feel worthy of people thanking him for his service and didn’t feel as though he’d done anything worthy of being thanked. Deploying was his way of doing what he felt was worthy of this.

His love for his daughter was also incredibly important. He gave his all to be the most amazing dad he could be. Kristie still prays for God to watch over her. She is now in her 20th year of service and currently in residency training at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa. They were required to fill out a goal sheet in the Air Force. Medical school was one of hers. Marshal wanted to support her to get through her schooling. He was with her when she got in. Accomplishing this has helped her through her grief journey. •

Jim Davidson dreamed of joining the United State Naval Reserves, but his eyesight kept him from fulfilling that goal.

Instead, the Pittsburg County native found a home in the Oklahoma Army National Guard for over 30 years of service.

“My dad was a coal miner,” he said. “I was one of six kids and thought I had the best growing up years of anybody. My brother was two years older than me and was my hero. He joined the Naval Reserve when he was 17, and I thought they had the coolest uniforms. So, my ambition was to join the Naval Reserve as soon as I got old enough. I went up on my 17th birthday. I went up to sign up, and they were giving me my physical.”

Davidson, a resident at Villagio of Bradford Village Independent Living /Assisted Living, located at 300 Enz Drive in Edmond said when he went in for a vision test, an optometrist gave him disappointing news.

“When I walked in for the vision test, the doctor happened to be my optometrist,” Davidson said. “He said, ‘There’s no need for me even going any further. You can’t pass the Navy’s vision test.’ And I was so disappointed. He said, ‘Go next door and join the National Guard. They’ll take anybody.’ Well, in 1955, that was true.”

Davidson, (Ret.) Sergeant First Class said a cousin who was in the National Guard invited him to go on a National Guard drill.

“Before I left that night (after the drill), they had signed me up. And that started my military career,” he said. “I am a retired military. I receive an annuity, though I am not officially a Veteran due to insufficient consecutive active-duty service days. And there are probably not a whole lot of people like that. But I stayed in the Guard off and on from 1955 until 1996.”

Davidson served in the 45th Infantry of Oklahoma National Guard nicknamed the Thunderbirds. He served a variety of roles in service.

“The main thing they drilled into me was what an honor it was to be a Thunderbird,” he said. “I did a little of everything. We were an infantry unit to start with. And when I retired, we were MPs.”

During his time in the Army National Guard, Davidson worked for Maj. Jimmy Burnett, who was the Unit Administrator of the National Guard Unit Company L in Hartshorne.

“All the years I was in the Guard, I worked for Maj. Burnett in one capacity or other, except for the last four years and he retired before I did,” he said. “He was a fine man to work for.”

Davidson said he only served overseas twice during his military career, and both times were in Panama.

“The only time I left the country, we went to Panama during the time that they were getting ready to retire, Mr. (Manuel) Noriega,” he said. “I was not sure what our duties were, but we got there and we discovered that we were what they called relieving active-duty soldiers. We were doing guard duty around the Panama Canal zone so the active-duty guys could do their business, preparing Mr. Noriega for retirement.”

In 1960, Davidson graduated from East Central University in Ada and then began his teaching career.

“At that time in Oklahoma it helped a great deal if a teacher had a secondary job and the National Guard was always my secondary job,” he said.
Davidson taught in Kansas and Oklahoma before becoming an elementary school principal in McAlester.
My calling, I think, in the education business was to be a grade school principal because I loved the kids and I recall my years in grade school, I was afraid of everybody,” he said. “And I felt my job was to make kids realize that the teachers and the school staff were there to make their life better.”

Davidson retired from education at age 51, followed by a brief foray into selling insurance.
He later started a second career as a child development specialist at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.

“They had a daycare center. I did not know the Army was in the daycare business. So, I went to work there,” he said. “I tell people I went to work for civil service, and I got a $10,000 a year raise because that’s what the difference in the pay I was getting as a grade school principal.”

Davidson worked at the daycare department for three years before transitioning to an employee relations position at the plant before retiring from that post.

Davidson added another job to his resume as a church pastor in Pittsburg County.

“All the churches in Pittsburg County were familiar with me because I went around speaking in different churches with the Gideons,” he said.

Davidson said he began pastoring when a small church in Pittsburg County could not afford a full-time pastor anymore.

“They were looking for a pastor for that little church,” he said. “They wanted to know if I’d come down and help them and fill in on Sundays. It developed into a full-time thing because I stayed there for 12 years.”

After retiring from that, Davidson and his wife of 63 years Mary bought a motor home and started traveling before deciding to move to Edmond to be closer to one of their two sons.

“Our son had a pastor friend who lived here (Villagio of Bradford Village), and he liked it, so we came over and visited him, and that is why it appealed to us. The people are super friendly. As retirement communities go, we are one of the smaller ones, and so that gives us more of a community feel.”

Davidson didn’t abandon his ministerial hat completely after he was selected by an advisory committee as the Villagio of Bradford Village community chaplain.

“We have an advisory committee here made up of the residents and we came home (from seeing family in Michigan) and they said, “By the way, we elected you chaplain.” I said, “Only if you get me a badge.” And so that is where the badge came from. I’ve been the volunteer chaplain here ever since.”

Davidson said what he enjoys most as community chaplain is helping send Christmas cards to Veterans.

“The residents donate Christmas cards signed a lot of times with a little message in it, and we collect them and we distribute them to all seven Veteran centers in Oklahoma,” he said. “And this year there were 1,051 cards that we delivered to the Veterans homes. It makes me feel good because I have friends who were at the Veteran’s home and many of them never have any company. They’re just all but forgotten. It’s just good to show somebody that somebody still cares.” • story by Van Mitchell, staff writer

Some Americans serve their country for a chapter of their lives. Jim Ferguson wrote a book’s worth. His record spans three years of active duty during World War II and one year during the Korean War, 17 years in the Air Force Reserve, and 31 years as an Air Force civilian engineer at Tinker Air Force Base – four decades devoted to national defense.

Ferguson’s journey began after graduating from Siloam Springs High School, Arkansas. At age 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps Reserve on October 22, 1942. He immediately attended radio technician school in Little Rock as a civilian civil servant before being activated by the Army Air Corps on March 10, 1943.

After completing basic infantry training at Camp Pinedale, California, Ferguson was assigned as a Classification Specialist and deployed overseas.

Duty at Bari, Italy

When he arrived on May 23, 1944, front-line fighting had moved north. He recalled, “Sunken ships littered the harbor…The noise and flak from the British guns are loud and heavy.”

Assigned to the 420th Signal Company, 15th Air Force, Ferguson used a typewriter and spreadsheets to take aim at manpower shortages by comparing authorized manpower to assigned strength and reporting shortages to headquarters.

The work required visiting combat units. “On a typical day, I would get on a B-17 and fly out to one of our units and get information for my reports to be this worksheet that shows how many positions we’ve got that’s vacant so that the system can send in the replacements…”

SS Charles Henderson blows up in Bari Harbor

On April 9, 1945, “In one of the greatest munitions disasters of World War II, the Charles Henderson was unloaded at Exit 14…when it was destroyed in a high-level explosion,” according to the Puglia Reporter newspaper in Italy. “This detonation caused by [handling] 500 loaded bombs loaded with Composition B, killed 542 people and injured 1,800 others…The buildings along the waterfront were destroyed by 2,000 feet, the ships were badly damaged at 2,100 feet.’”

The blast left a lasting impression and later, PTSD. Ferguson remembered, “you could still see debris that…the gravity hasn’t brought back to the ground…Our building was severely damaged with all windows and doors destroyed…I went up on the roof and found a piece of the ship that I could not lift that had been blown from the harbor to the roof of our building.”

Given rest and recreation leave, Ferguson visited Capri, Rome – where he met Pope Pius XII – and Switzerland.

He received a Bronze Star for Italy’s Rome-Arno Campaign and was discharged on Jan 28, 1946.

Korean Conflict

Service called again. “I spent one year on active duty and was discharged as a Technical Sergeant on 23 August 1951…During this period, I was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Air Force Reserve as an electronic engineer.” He continued in the Air Force Reserve as an engineer, attaining the rank of Major before retiring on 1 February 1969.

Family

Ferguson met his future wife, Beverly Murry, at a church activity in Siloam Springs in 1946. Both attended John Brown University, where he earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree using the new GI Bill.

After the Korean War, Ferguson resumed his friendship with Beverly and they married on Feb 16, 1952. He said, smiling, “She told me later that she would’ve married me a lot sooner if I’d asked sooner, but I wasn’t too smart…Beverly had said, ‘I was ready to get married long before you asked.’ The best 70 years of my life.”

They raised two children: Bill Ferguson, who married Elette and live in Mount Vernon, Washington, and Gayle Davis, who lives in Oklahoma City with her husband, Michael.

Electronic Engineer

In 1951, Ferguson began his civilian Air Force career with the Airways and Air Communications Service, renamed the 38th Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group. The Group provided communications and navigational aids. His work included preparing “site concurrence letters and engineering documents…at different bases around the country…” His team identified locations for airfield infrastructure like air navigation systems and control towers and equipment to support them during the Cold War.

Ferguson’s attention to detail and ability to work with people led to promotion as a Supervisory Electronics Engineer and eventually, GS-14 General Manager. He earned a Meritorious Civilian Service Award, among the Air Force’s highest civilian honors. He retired Dec 30, 1982.

Reflections about life

Looking back on war, Ferguson remains thoughtful and direct. “I don’t know why adults go to war. The outcome is always the same: somebody wins, somebody loses. A lot of people are killed. I still remember the burial grounds with the crosses, you know, driving by them in Italy.”

His advice for living a good life? “I’d say the golden rule would be pretty good.” His son, Bill, added, “You always told me, Dad, ‘Do more than what’s expected…Don’t just do the minimum.’”

After Beverly died four years ago at age 90, Ferguson reflected on loss and companionship. “I’m just much, much happier when I’m around people and that was a thing I didn’t recognize until I experienced living alone after my wife passed…The loss of a spouse was the worst experience I’ve ever had, you know…’”

Longtime friend Bill Dooley summed up friendship simply: “He’s a wonderful guy and I’m happy he’s my friend.”
Ferguson is 101 years old and lives in Midwest City. •
story and photos by Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret.

their goals because that gives me a sense of purpose. It also shows that I am a part of something bigger than myself. Seeing others succeed is the best part of the job.”

Long serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

“Serving in the Navy means a tremendous amount to me,” Long said. “I didn’t have a lot of opportunities that others have when they graduate high school, and I don’t know what my path would have looked like without the military. I think about that a lot. I know the mindset and skills I have learned because of the military are unmatched.”

Long is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I want to thank my wife, Marisol, for being there for me when times are hard,” Long. “She has been through lots of deployments and lots of taking care of the kids when I am away. I also want to thank our kids, Emily, Eva and Korra, for all the support they have given me over the years. It has been hard on them, but they always seem to make me laugh and keep me happy throughout the years. I want to thank the Chiefs Mess as well for allowing me to be a part of a world-class brotherhood and sisterhood. Lastly, I want to thank all of the junior sailors who have helped me get to where I am today.” • by Megan Lemly, Navy Office of Community Outreach -Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Justin Johndro

Faith has long played an important role in Crystal McGee DePue’s life in which she lost her father at age 12, and the loss of two husbands.

Born in Tehran, Iran, DePue’s parents, who hailed from Edmond, served as missionaries with the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions in that country from the late 1940s until 1954 when they returned to the United States.

The Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (PCUSA) was organized in 1837 because of General Assembly (Old School) action. Its creation marked the culmination of a discussion covering a period of years as to whether missionary operations should be carried on by voluntary societies, or by the Church in its organized capacity.

“I had come to know the Lord and I had lost my father as a 12-year-old, and I knew that God had seen me and my brothers and sisters through that,” DePue, a resident of Villagio of Bradford Village Independent Living /Assisted Living, located at 300 Enz Drive in Edmond said. “I (later in life) told my kids, God has promised to be a father to the fatherless and a husband to the widow, and we’re just going to trust that that’s what’s going to happen even though it’s hard.”

DePue, 75, said her family moved to upstate New York upon returning home from Iran in what was supposed to be a year-long sabbatical.

“I moved first to New York City and stayed there for six months,” she said. “Then we moved to upstate New York because we were back supposedly on a furlough. It was just supposed to be a year of being back in the States, visiting family, getting refreshed and ready to go back. But my father was found to have serious health problems, and the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions wouldn’t send him back.”

DePue said her father continued doing mission work in upstate New York and at a women’s college in Ohio before moving their family back to Oklahoma where he worked as an accountant.

After graduating high school in Edmond, DePue attended a Presbyterian college in Clarksville, Arkansas before attending the University of Central Oklahoma.

It was at UCO where she met her first husband James “Rudy” McGee through a friend. Within two months of dating they were engaged.

“His name was James Brent, but his college roommate had a poster of Rudolph Valentino and thought he looked like that. So, they called him Rudy,” she said.

DePue said Rudy served in the United States Marine Corps and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Her son Jameson, a retired U.S. Marine Lt. Col. also served at the same military base in Okinawa, Japan as his father.

After leaving the Marines Rudy became a teacher and taught at several schools in Kansas before landing at his last school in Goddard, Kansas.

In 1985, Rudy was killed by a student in a school shooting along with several others left injured.

“He was shot and killed right after we found out I was pregnant with our fourth child,” DePue said.

She later moved her family back to Edmond to be closer to family.

“We moved back here. I can tell stories of how God provided a house right behind my sister’s house,” she said. “I got Workman’s comp because he was killed on the job. So, that and Social Security allowed me to stay home and have the baby.”’
DePue later worked as a secretary for an oil and gas company before retiring.
Faith continued to tug at DePue’s heart, and she served a year as a missionary in Lyon, France.

“Faith gives meaning to life,” she said. “I don’t know how people make it in this world, particularly now without faith. God has proven himself faithful. As a single parent I had a choice of whether I can do it with God or without God. And I chose God.”

DePue later remarried to the Rev. Dale DePue, who served as the pastor at First United Presbyterian Church in Guthrie, and later served as a State Representative in the Oklahoma Legislature.

DePue said her husband had developed several health issues and moved to Villagio of Bradford Village Assisted Living.

“They took such wonderful care of him, and since it was COVID, I couldn’t go visit him. But when the weather was nice, they would let him come out and we could walk the community,” she said.

DePue later moved into an Independent Living cottage in Villagio of Bradford Village.

She said she enjoys living there.

“They’re very intentional about keeping us active and keeping our minds engaged and keeping us socially engaged,” she said. “It’s a great place to be. I keep telling people it’s where I need to be.” • by Van Mitchell, staff writer

For more information about Villagio of Bradford Village call (405) 348-6945 or visit www.villagioliving.com.