Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

In a heartwarming display of resilience, 1,000 senior citizens aged 65 or older came together on Saturday, April 29th, to walk or run in the inaugural Senior Marathon, a new addition to the 23rd annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Their participation allowed seniors to support the nonprofit Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. This institution has served the community for 22 years in honor of the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all those affected by the devastating April 19, 1995 bombing.
The participants of the Senior Marathon undertook a unique training regimen, walking or running 25 miles before the race weekend and recording their progress by completing 1.5 miles each week starting in January. On their race day, they completed their 26.2-mile marathon.
The Senior Marathoners embarked on their journey a day before the main marathon, setting off at 8 a.m., between the 7 a.m. start of the 5,000 meters (5K) run and the Kid’s Marathon that started at 9 a.m. Their route took them from the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum starting line on the final 1.2 miles of their marathon distance, directly south to the finish line in Scissortail Park.
Many seniors chose to continue running in their favorite 5K run. Saturday morning began with the more competitive 5K, in which a diverse group of participants, including wheelchair athletes, eagerly participated.
Norman resident Mary Cherry Burleson, 81, and her Edmond sister Jenny Cherry McMonigle, 79, participated in the “Run to Remember” 5K, making it a decade of running it for each.
Despite Mary’s admission of never being much of an athlete, her determination to be fit led her to participate. Notably, both sisters have consistently placed in the top ten of their age and gender categories in each run, earning two medals each for being in the top three.
For Mary, participating in the Memorial Marathon weekend holds a profound significance. She said, “One of our good friend’s brothers was killed in the bombing, so I run to remember him. I love being a part of all that the Memorial Marathon represents—our community coming together to honor their memory, and the opening 168 seconds of silence at each race are designed to do that.”
On the other hand, Jenny has always been naturally inclined towards running. From running to her grandparents’ house a block away to watch TV at night during her childhood to participating in races with her classmates during grade school recess, Jenny’s love for running has been ingrained in her since a young age.
She even ran in the AAU Junior Olympics one summer. However, it wasn’t until 2013 that Jenny felt inspired to participate in the Memorial Marathon after reading the book “Run for God,” which explores the parallels between enduring a sport like running and having faith, based on the Bible verse Hebrews 12:1.
Jenny’s training for the 5K race demanded commitment, practice, perseverance, and suitable equipment, while also providing an enjoyable, satisfying, and rewarding experience. Upon completing the book, Jenny felt prepared for her first 5K as part of Memorial Marathon weekend, an event encompassing all the elements she had embraced. Jenny’s passion for running was ignited, and she has since participated in the event every year.
For Mary and Jenny, running in the 5K yearly goes beyond staying active and maintaining good health. It serves as a way to honor and remember those affected by the tragic Oklahoma City bombing. Their unwavering commitment to the event and dedication to running inspire others, demonstrating that with perseverance and the right mindset, anyone can achieve their goals and positively impact their community.
Readers who notice their custom tee shirts with their names and ages as 70 Plus in the accompanying photo will soon see a new race day version. Next year they will both be in their 80s, so their new tee shirts will list their ages as 80 Plus.
Kevin Lynes was among the inaugural Senior Marathon participants, a 66-year-old runner who discovered his love for running at age 48, once his children had grown up. Over eighteen years, Lynes has completed an impressive 24 full marathons and 10 ultra-marathons of 50 kilometers or more.
Hailing from Oklahoma City, he has participated in the Memorial Marathon full marathon 10 times and the half marathon six times. Additionally, he has completed approximately 75 half-marathons throughout his extensive running career.
Lynes learned about the Senior Marathon a few weeks before the event, prompting him to embark on a focused training schedule. “I quickly ran the required distance and kept track of earning the privilege to run in it right up to race day,” Lynes said. “I decided to sign up for the event because generating that mileage quickly would be a fun challenge.”
While Lynes ran the final leg of the Senior Marathon alone that Saturday, many of his training runs over the years have been with Oklahoma City Running Club athletes.
This year he began supporting Ainsley’s Angels of America. This national organization promotes inclusion and accessibility for individuals with disabilities in endurance events. Lynes said he had the honor of pushing a young girl Jordyn’s wheelchair while running this year’s half marathon on Sunday, switching off in rotation with her mother and Sarah Mehan. The experience profoundly impacted him, inspiring Lynes to want to help push Jordyn in the full marathon next year.
Lynes’ running journey inspires anyone who may feel there is still time to start a new hobby or physically challenge themselves. His story highlights that, with the right mindset and dedication, there is always time to begin running or walking and make a positive change in one’s life, as he can attest.
The Senior Marathon was designed to be an untimed event, allowing the participants to savor the experience without any pressure or competition. In addition to the race, the Senior Marathoners had the opportunity to partake in the Health and Fitness Expo, held at the Oklahoma City Convention Center that day. The Expo, presented by the OKC Convention and Visitors Bureau and OU Health, was located adjacent to the finish line. It offered a platform for Senior Marathoners to interact, show their support, and gain insights into health and fitness.
The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is the largest fundraiser for the privately owned and operated National Park Service-affiliated Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. Over two days, the event welcomed more than 20,000 runners and walkers from across the United States and several foreign countries. In addition to the Senior Marathon, the event featured a marathon, half marathon, marathon relay (comprising five-member teams), 5K, Kid’s marathon, and a wheelchair division.
The Senior Marathon inaugural event was presented by Mercy, a nonprofit Catholic health system serving Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
This new event is an outstanding testament to the indomitable spirit of the senior citizen community. By lacing up their running shoes and embarking on their walks or runs, they honored the memory of the Oklahoma City bombing by showing their dedication to supporting their community while seeking a healthy and active lifestyle.

OU Medicine and its academic partner, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, recently received $100,000 from CompSource Mutual Insurance Company to assist healthcare providers on the front line of treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To avoid potentially exposing their families to the virus, many healthcare providers are not going home at the end of a long workday, but are staying away from home for everyone’s safety. The donation from CompSource Mutual will be used to provide meals and a place to stay for those physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers.
“We’re grateful to CompSource Mutual for their generous support of our healthcare team to combat this pandemic,” said Dr. Dale Bratzler, Enterprise Chief Quality Officer of OU Medicine. “This donation will fund temporary housing and food for OU Medicine and OU Health Sciences Center team members living away from home to protect their families from potential exposure to COVID-19.”
CompSource Mutual Insurance Company, an Oklahoma-based business that provides workers’ compensation coverage, donated a total of $250,000 in Oklahoma to assist medical personnel and families coping with lost wages and other hardships because of the pandemic. Other recipients include the Tulsa Area COVID-19 Response Fund formed by the Tulsa Area United Way and the Tulsa Community Foundation, as well as the United Way of Central Oklahoma’s COVID-19 Response Fund.
“Our policyholders include many Oklahoma businesses that are currently experiencing the emotional, physical and financial tolls of this pandemic,” said CompSource Mutual President and CEO Jason Clark. “We are committed to being a reliable partner in our communities’ responses, which we first demonstrated earlier this month by implementing measures to help CompSource policyholders who are struggling financially to pay their premiums. This donation is the next step and supports our guiding principle to improve the communities in which we live and work. I am grateful to our leadership team for approving this vitally important assistance for three organizations who are working directly in support of first responders, medical professionals and affected families in our state.”

About one in five licensed drivers in the United States is over the age of 65. Driving is one of the last points of independence some seniors have to give up. This makes it difficult when a family has to have the conversation with an elderly loved one about whether or not it is safe for them to continue driving.
“It is a major life change,” said Faye Beam, coordinator for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Central Oklahoma’s Provide A Ride (PAR) program.
Provide-A-Ride is a free medical transportation program for seniors who are no longer able to drive to doctor’s appointments. Volunteers pick up seniors, take them to their appointments, wait with them, and return them home. Currently, volunteers take PAR clients to more than 300 physicians in the Oklahoma City metro area.
“I receive calls often from children concerned about their elderly parents driving,” Beam said. “All families face similar scenarios. Children become caregivers for their parents, and they worry about their well-being and safety.”
Some of the red flags Beam hears from family members about their elderly parents and driving include: parents getting lost, vision problems at night, easily distracted while driving, developing fear related to driving, or unable to keep up with the expenses of owning a vehicle.
Beam wants families to know that PAR can be a reliable, safe alternative form of transportation for their loved one and encourages family members to have their loved one call and talk with her about the program.
“I always try to make clients feel at ease and comfortable and in charge of scheduling their transportation to medical appointments,” she said.
As with new things, the PAR clients get used to their new form of transportation and most make friends with the volunteer drivers, Beam said.
“They have interesting conversations, and many look forward to the time spent with their Provide-A-Ride drivers,” Beam said.
Beam suggests taking gentle baby steps with elderly parents about the subject of driving.
“Give mom and dad time to think about giving up their vehicle,” she said.
Currently, the PAR program has 683 active clients and 55 volunteer drivers. Volunteer drivers choose their schedules and receive free supplemental liability insurance coverage and mileage reimbursement. If you would like more information for a loved one who can no longer drive or if you would like to sign up to be a volunteer driver, contact Faye Beam at 405.605.3110 or email her at faye.beam@rsvpokc.org.

Paul McCann

(Right) 101 years old. WWII Veteran. He was in college but allowed to graduate before reporting to NYC for midshipman training & to Washington DC for ordinance training. He was then stationed in the Pacific at the Naval Ammunition Depot on the Island of Oahu where he was officer in charge of ordinance loading ships out of Pearl Harbor.

Ruby Taylor

(Left) 100 years old. Broken Arrow – She graduated in 1942, with the last graduating class from Mazie High School, where she & her twin sister Ruth played basketball. She worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 25 years. Playing cards at the senior center, reading on her I-Pad, playing solitaire & word search are her hobbies.

Robert Williamson

(Right) 100 years old. WWII Veteran. After graduating from Broken Arrow HS he served in the US Army during WWII. He was 1st Sergeant over 300 men for 3 years in North Africa. Upon being honorably discharged he worked for American Airlines for 22 years.

Oklahoma (Choate) Smoyer

(Right) 107 years old. Born in Gore, OK on June 29, 1917, one of 9 children in the Cherokee Native American farm family of William Choate & Mary (Benge) Choate. Brothers Charles lived to 101 years old & Sequoyah David lived to 102. Married to Daniel F. Smoyer, she had 3 sons, 2 daughters, 12 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren & 4 great-great grandchildren to complete this 5-generation family.

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

Anytime you hear the word Santa Fe, it has to conjure up images. And if you have visited there it must illicit emotions and memories as well. During Summer time it’s easy to slip into the mode of recalling pleasant memories, and plan for a fall visit including the Indian Market or the Santa Fe Opera. My first visit to Santa Fe was in the late 1970s, when I was breaking in a new car and exploring the great American West.
Of course, I traveled a long day’s drive on I-40 West out of Oklahoma City, then took the highway 284 cut off at Clines Corners and entered Santa Fe on the Old Pecos Trail. That road soon turned into the Old Santa Fe Trail, where I drove along the narrow road with the old San Miguel Mission adobe church on my right and the famed Pink Adobe Restaurant on my left. The Old Santa Fe Trail offered a perfect first impression, as it was lined with atmospheric time worn structures, and not the modern franchise eateries and gas stations that hug the more traditional entry up north from Albuquerque, on Cerrillos Road.
I soon came into the parking lot of the at that time, relatively new, Inn at Loretto, replete in iconic Santa Fe adobe architecture. I was treated the next morning with a light dusting of snow and a hint of pinion in the air, as I pulled away from a town I’d hardly seen but ~ silently, subconsciously ~ vowed to see again. I have returned to Santa Fe many times since then and each time explored new venues with a salute to favorite places, which have become a traditional pilgrimage when visiting.
I can’t recall why I chose a one night stay at this particular hotel ~ must have been its appealing architecture and perhaps at that time availability. This time I found myself walking past the Spa and the aroma of relaxation made me regret my time on this visit was too short. My stay at the Inn at Loretto in the l970s, and in subsequent years has always been a pleasant tradition. This time was no exception.
Old traditional haunts include: the La Cantina Bar at La Sena Casa where waiters turn into opera and musical theatre singers about every ten minutes; the Pink Adobe Restaurant with its fine and sometimes spicy gourmet productions; Jackalope on Cerrillos road with its affordable southwestern flared garden and household offerings ~ along with the best and freshest string of red chili ristras in season; and the old haunts along the Plaza with its Indian jewelry market and a variety of upscale fashion shops.
New traditional offerings include the Balconies at the Plaza restaurant, which until a few years ago was the traditional Ore House Restaurant with the best and meatiest tasting salsa anywhere ~ and an always must see at the top of Canyon Road the specialty galleries.
Upon this recent trip I discovered the Santa Fe pickup, a free bus that circles the old town area, and is certainly a boon and must for those wanting to wander down Canyon Road as it will drop you off at the top. While my most recent autumn visit was blessed with perfect weather, I have climbed the road in scorching heat and can testify that the art is much more appealing starting at the top and meandering down.
Other must visits is the New Mexico Museum of Art and the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors – both on the Plaza; and up on Museum Hill the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art . Of course a road trip out to Tesuque with its sculpture garden and the near by glass blowing gallery can be broken up with a respite at Bishops Lodge for libations and food with a dose of historic luxury. A Santa Fe visit is not complete without a stop at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and a tasting at is elegant restaurant if it reopens.
I’m not sure if it’s the upscale art and fashion shopping, the authentic New Mexican cuisine, the fresh atmosphere and the nearly unspoiled vistas, or the essence of its history that permeates the soul, which beckons a perpetual return. Probably it’s all, and yet some indescribable something else that all visitors try to describe when remembering, Santa Fe.
For more information contact: The Inn at Loretto –at www.innatloretto.com. And, click the Calendar here for up to date events www,santafe.org.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
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