Legend Senior Living®, a Top 50 senior living company, is pleased to announce it has earned the certification as a Great Place to Work®. This is the fifth time that Legend has earned the certification, based on a yearly third-party, anonymous survey of employees. Legend Senior Living, a family-owned senior living provider, owns and operates nearly 50 Legend and Windsor residences in six states.
The Great Place to Work® Certification is awarded to organizations that deliver excellent employee experiences and demonstrate best-in-class people practices based on a rigorous assessment process. The assessment is based on the Great Place to Work® model, which evaluates a workplace based on its Trust Index® and Culture Audit® attributes. Based on the Great Place to Work® Institute assessment, Legend scored exceedingly well on creating a positive culture and workplace.
“Being named a Great Place to Work is always a cause for celebration at Legend,” said Legend’s Executive Vice President Matt Buchanan. “We are humbled to receive the certification for the fifth time because it affirms our commitment to enabling associates to thrive professionally and personally.”
Certification is based on an objective survey of employees’ opinions. Because employee feedback and independent analysis determine the scores, Great Place to Work Certification is considered a reliable, objective measurement of employer performance and employee satisfaction. An audit is also taken to evaluate Legend’s culture, measuring trust, values, leadership effectiveness, innovation, development, and diversity.
According to Great Place To Work survey results, 82% of employees at Legend Senior Living say it is a great place to work compared to 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company. Nine Legend locations specifically achieved a 90% or higher Trust Index. To learn more about Legend’s Great Place to Work certification results go to
https://www.greatplacetowork.com/certified-company/7010287.
“The senior living industry is one that offers job satisfaction unlike any other,” said Buchanan. “The opportunities for longevity and growth for associates all while serving people is unmatched. This certification re-affirms those strengths for an industry that will see unprecedented growth in the coming years.”
For more information about joining Legend Senior Living in Oklahoma, visit https://jobs.lslcareers.com/jobs
Legend Senior Living® is a privately held senior housing and services company based in Wichita, Kansas. Legend grows the number of properties it owns and operates every year, now approaching 50 – independent living, assisted living, memory care, and personal care – in Florida, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

The Sod House Museum is selling raffle tickets ahead of the drawing for a handmade sampler quilt. The drawing will be held on Saturday, July 8. Tickets for the raffle are $2 each, or three for $5, or six for $10. You can purchase tickets at the museum, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The drawing will be held during the quilting workshop with instructor Martha Ray from 9-11 a.m. The workshop costs $5 per person. Ray teaches participants how to create applique designs, traditional block patterns, original designs and more. Members of any skill level are encouraged to attend.
Operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society, the museum is located southeast of Aline on State Highway 8. For more information, contact Director Renee Trindle at 580-463-2441 or email sodhouse@okhistory.org.
The Sod House Museum is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit https://www.okhistory.org/.

Retirement is often viewed as the time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. It is also the perfect time to make some changes – like moving to a new house. While there may be some challenges associated with moving, starting anew in a new place can be an exciting experience. However, settling into a new house can be overwhelming. Here are some tips from Senior News & Living OK on how to quickly settle in and make your new house feel like home.
Getting Excited About Your New Home
Moving, especially when settling down after retirement, can be a rollercoaster of emotions. Leaving behind familiar people and places can be tough, but remember the bright side. Your new home is full of potential for new beginnings, fresh opportunities, and unexplored territory. Embrace the adventure that awaits.
Protecting Your Investment the Smart Way
Investing in a home warranty is a smart move for any new homeowner. With unexpected expenses, such as appliance or plumbing repairs, it can be difficult to budget for these things when they arise. A home warranty plan can provide peace of mind and protect you from these unforeseen circumstances. Consider home warranty plans that cover the repair or replacement of appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing, and more. By investing in a home warranty, you will have the security of knowing that your home is protected against expensive repair costs.
Creating a Welcoming Entryway
Your home’s entryway is the first impression that visitors get, so it should be inviting. A welcoming mat, potted plants, a wall-mounted coat rack, and a console table with fresh flowers are all easy ways to create a warm and inviting space. A charming entryway sets the stage for the rest of your lovely home.
Personalizing Your Mailbox
Your mailbox is one of the first things you see when you arrive home, so why not add a personal touch? You could add your name or house number to it or add a small sign with a welcoming message. A unique mailbox will not only make your home stand out from others in the neighborhood but also adds a personal touch.
Upgrading Your Kitchen for a Fresh and Cleaner Look
Upgrade your kitchen for a cleaner, healthier home with an under-cabinet range hood. Then, transform your space with new appliances, updated countertops, a fresh coat of paint, or a new backsplash. Your kitchen will feel like home again.
Creating a Cozy Home With Throws and Cushions
Adding comfortable elements like throw blankets and cushions can add warmth and coziness to your home. You could add some throw pillows to your sofa or armchair or drape a soft blanket over the back of your chair. These little touches can transform your space into a comfortable and inviting home.
Making Your Bedroom a Tranquil Retreat
Transforming your bedroom doesn’t have to be an expensive ordeal. Sometimes all it takes is a simple update to your bedding. Adding new bedding can make a huge difference, not just in terms of aesthetics but also for a good night’s sleep. With interchangeable duvet covers, you can easily switch up the look of your bedroom according to your mood or the season. It’s an affordable way to give life to your bedroom and create a cozy, inviting space that you’ll love coming home to.
Adding Character to Your Home With Artwork
Hanging artwork on your walls can elevate the style of your home and make it feel more personal. You can create a gallery wall with family photos or hang a statement piece that reflects your style. Artwork can add color, texture, and personality to your space and can be an easy way to express yourself.

Retiring and moving to a new house can feel overwhelming, but don’t worry! Follow these simple tips to turn your new place into a cozy home. Embrace the change, get a home warranty, spruce up your entryway, personalize your mailbox, update the kitchen and bedroom, add comfortable touches, and hang some artwork. With these easy changes, you’ll have a warm and inviting space to enjoy your retirement.

Across
1 Reminders of past surgeries
6 Starting squad
11 Lousy
14 Three-time WNBA All-Star Quigley
15 Scrapbook adhesive
16 Deeply regret
17 *Important figure in sports betting
19 Ideological suffix
20 Loafer adornment
21 Isn’t honest with
23 Cherry bomb’s “stem”
24 *Party pooper
27 Twistable cookies
29 Sailor’s realm
30 “Chicago” actor Richard
31 Consequence
33 Adapter letters
36 Journalist Koppel
37 *Record submitted to payroll
40 Yoga surface
43 White part of a citrus rind
44 Marshy ground
48 Guinness who was the first to play Obi-Wan Kenobi
50 “Chicago P.D.” extra
52 Region of ancient Mesopotamia
53 *Paper for doodling
57 Pixar film featuring a guitar-playing boy
58 Force into action
59 Chair for a new parent
61 Sushi-grade tuna
62 Does a daily chore using the elements at the ends of the answers to the starred clues
66 Turn bad
67 Show to be true
68 Mighty mad
69 Sudsy quaff
70 Softens
71 Donkeys

Down
1 Sticky tree stuff
2 Debate-ending procedure in the Senate
3 False names
4 Wash lightly
5 Adjusts, as a clock
6 Fruit for cider
7 Sticky roofing stuff
8 Language suffix
9 In any way
10 “On the __”: NPR show about trends in journalism
11 Cut of meat used for corned beef
12 Stark
13 Reduced in rank
18 Use needle and thread
22 U.K. language
23 Word on a gift tag
25 Spot for steeped beverages
26 Composer J.S. __
28 Lingerie item
32 “OMG! Stop talking!”
34 FDR or JFK, partywise
35 Corporate VIPs
38 Engrave
39 Folks who are in it for the long haul?
40 Lash lengthener
41 Hand sanitizer ingredient
42 Wood-eating insect
45 Single-celled creatures
46 Stash away
47 “No seats” sign
49 Lens cover
51 Analyzes grammatically
54 Phoenix suburb
55 American Red Cross founder Barton
56 Small speck
60 Seed in some healthy smoothies
63 Bout enders, briefly
64 Night before
65 __ Moines, Iowa

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

If you’ve lived in and around the Oklahoma City metro for any amount of time over the last century you’ll probably recognize the Veazey name.
And for more than a century that name has been synonymous with quality and customer service and Stephanie Veazey wouldn’t have it any other way.
The president of Bill Veazey’s Rehab and Home Care Equipment and Supplies says her family still preserves the legacy her grandfather started.
“I think the name is very important,” Veazey said. “We still have people who come and remember the old drug stores. I had a man come in the other day and said he had a dear friend who played on the Veazey Drug Store baseball team, which I didn’t even know they had.
“People associate that name with good service and quality equipment. Our motto has always been we can help and every one of us put out that extra effort.”
The Veazey’s Drug Stores were founded in 1906 by Steve Veazey with the same attitude towards the customer and the community still alive today.
Steve Veazey’s policy of “the customer is always right” and “Veazey’s will make every effort to serve them sincerely and friendly” are still the foundation at Bill Veazey’s Medical.
Bill Veazey’s Medical established in 1964 after the sale of the drug company by Bill Sr is still family-owned and operated today.
For over 90 years the Veazey Family has been serving Central Oklahoma with one of the area’s largest selections of reimbursement and cash retail products and services.
Bill Veazey’s Medical offers you experience, superior customer service, and top-quality, state-of-the-art home medical equipment, and supplies.
Stephanie Veazey says employees take extra care in making sure that they fulfill the needs of each and every customer.
Downtown OKC was the site of the first Veazey drugstore. By the 1930s, the store had grown to more than a dozen locations. By the 1950s that number had ballooned to 22 locations, giving Veazeys the distinction as the largest drugstore chain in the state.
The elder Veazey – who is also Stephanie’s namesake – passed shortly after birth in 1955. The drug company was sold in the early 1960s.
That’s when the idea for a medical equipment and party supply store was hatched by Stephanie’s father, Bill Sr.
Senior purchased a local Abbey Rents and started another Oklahoma institution.
“They had a few wheelchairs and about one hundred folding party chairs,” Stephanie said. “That’s what they started with.”
One of five children, Stephanie said the family has always been bound by work.
“We’ve all grown up and worked in this business,” said Stephanie, who grew up racing her brother, Bill Jr., in the company’s wheelchairs.
The party line and medical equipment line separated and eventually the party store moved to Wilshire Blvd and the medical supply store rooted itself on Classen Blvd.
“More people know the party store because it’s a party story and more people want to do that,” Stephanie laughed. “But once their parents or they themselves age when they need our services they remember (the name).”
The party store has come and gone with only the medical equipment store still bearing the Veazey legacy.
Stephanie’s brother works for her as does her daughter and son.
“There is a little pressure and things can go sideways sometimes but we all love each other and are out for the same thing,” Veazey said. “We’re used to it. We grew up in the old Warehouse on 8th and Walker. My daughter and son grew up doing the same thing over on Classen.
“It’s something we’re born and is kind of bred into us.”
Every now and then nurses will come in and share with Stephanie that they remember when her father would come cold calling to their hospitals.
In an age of contracts with out-of-state suppliers and large healthcare conglomerates, Veazey says it’s nice to know there’s still a local store alive that caters to the individual.
Seeing the ripple effect that her family has had throughout the last century is rewarding for Stephanie Veazey.
But so is seeing how impactful her family name can still be today.

For more information or to shop at Bill Veasey’s visit https://billveazeymedical.com/

Braum’s donated half a million dollars to fund a new space to safely store and prepare breast milk for hospitalized infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City.
Moms will be able to deliver milk for their babies directly to the Braum’s Milk Room, staffed by certified milk technicians who will prepare the milk for Mercy’s NICU patients. The room will be a central place for storage and preparation of both human milk and formula. It will also be a designated location for parents to check-in milk to be labeled and stored for their newborn.
“Providing breast milk for their baby is one of the few tangible thing moms can do when they have a preemie in the NICU,” said Brandy Chaney, manager of Mercy’s NICU in Oklahoma City. “We just didn’t have the space before, so our nursing team prepared milk feedings at the bedside or in a dedicated workroom. The milk room will be such an asset to everyone involved in caring for our tiny babies.”
The Braum’s Milk Room is part of the larger Love Family Women’s Center project that will provide more space, resources and care for women of all ages. More than 40%, or $45 million, of the total cost of the new women’s center was funded through philanthropy, with a $10 million lead donation from the Tom and Judy Love family.
When a donor was needed to fund the milk room, Braum’s, an Oklahoma company, seemed like a perfect fit.
“Braum’s has been providing milk for Oklahoma families for more than 50 years, and when we approached them about funding a project to create a milk room for our most vulnerable patients, we were so delighted when it was a quick ‘yes,’” said Lori Cummins, vice president of Mercy Health Foundation Communities. “The support from the Braum family and so many others will impact generations to come as we prepare to welcome more Oklahomans into the world at the Love Family Women’s Center.”
The project will create a more streamlined process allowing nurses to focus on patient care while a dedicated team prepares feedings. This type of facility is considered best practice for caring for the nutritional needs of infants needing a higher level of care.
“When the team at Mercy approached Braum’s about helping fund the milk room, I knew it was a fantastic addition to the monumental Love Family Women’s Center project,” said Drew Braum, president and chief executive officer of Braum’s. “For many, Braum’s is synonymous with milk. While we produce high-quality, nutritious A2 dairy milk on our farm, Mercy will use the Braum’s Milk Room to develop the correct formulation of human milk and formula to meet the nutritional needs of all infants, especially those admitted into the NICU. We are honored to partner with Mercy and the Love Family Women’s Center to bring this critical element of care to Oklahoma City.”

Phillip Quinten Read

(Right) This 100-year-old WWII has lived his entire life in Cole,OK. He was born in the house where he lives, mows the lawn & does upkeep himself. His family ran the grocery store & he has a long history of community service, purchased the first fire truck, was a fire fighter, Fire Chief, first Mayor & Postmaster. He is not shy about sharing history & very proud of his service. His words of wisdom: “Hard work and clean living. Cherish your family!”

Edgar Eugene “Gene” Bond

(Right) Edgar Eugene “Gene” Bond celebrated his ?? birthday with Irene, his wife of 80 years, & friends in the Tulsa retirement community where they have lived for 15 years. Drumright was home to the Bond family for years & is a place filled with fond memories. He recalls the days when it was an oil boom town.

Lucille Newhouse

(Right) One is our “Golden Okies,” Lucille Newhouse, celebrating her 101st birthday in Pryor. She’s been making the world a better place since 1922. Happy Birthday

Mary Bates

(Left) Born a Texan but is now a Golden Okie! Mary had a career as a buyer for Streets Ready to Wear for 30 years. This led to her hobby of buying everything. Happy 100th birthday on May 22, 2023.

Ralph Alva Derrington was born in Columbus, Ohio Aug. 6, 1899 and served as a Chief Machinist’s Mate on board the USS Oklahoma (BB 37).
Derrington died during the Dec. 7th attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
As a Chief Machinist’s Mate, Derrington’s duties were to operate, maintain, and repair main and auxiliary engines, steering engines, anchor machinery, turbines, pumps, and related equipment; adjust, repair, and overhaul engines, drainage systems, distilling plants, evaporators and pumps; supervise and stand watch in engine rooms.
Derrington’s awards and decorations include Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal (4), American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet Clasp), Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with Bronze Star), World War II Victory Medal and the American Campaign Medal.
Chief Machinist’s Mate Ralph Derrington was buried with full military honors in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 20.