The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is proud to host its annual quilt show during the entire month of October. The exhibit is open during normal hours of operation and there is no charge to see the special exhibit. The beautiful works of art on display include both heirloom quilts and modern quilts. The Cimarron Valley Quilt Guild and Pawnee Bill Quilt Guild members are instrumental in putting together this yearly event.
The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is located at 1141 Pawnee Bill Road in Pawnee. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday and Monday 1 to 4 p.m. For more information about the quilt show or other programs, please call 918-762-2513 or email pawneebill@okhistory.org.
The Pawnee Bill Ranch and 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 www.okhistory.org.

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by James Coburn – staff writer

Home Care Assistance helps to maintain a clean, safe and healthy environment for its clients, says Melissa Hill and Greg Bridges, owners of the family-owned company based in Edmond.
“We just hit our seven-year anniversary milestone,” Hill said.
The award-winning company provides non-medical care. As a registered nurse, Bridges writes a care plan based on an assessment he makes for individuals.
A home health care company might overlap in the company’s involvement.
“It’s almost synergistic, the whole thing that 1 and 1 makes 3. We partner up with home health. It’s just great because they know our mission, and they know our care methodology. We’re consistent — we’re conscientious — we’re careful.”
Home health might have a physical therapist coming into the home once a week for treatment. (story continues below)

“Our caregivers serve as cheerleaders and guide them and encourage them to have them go through their exercises which really expedites recovery,” he said.
The caregivers do not diagnose but simply assess and report back to Bridges. Home Care Assistance handles bathing, grooming, sometimes feeding, dressing, safety, transfers, medication reminders and housekeeping. Caregivers report unusual health problems that might pop up or have been overlooked.
Home Care Assistance is on-call 24/7. There is a lot of in-house training to maximize their potential to serve their clients’ needs. Caregivers also provide social interaction which is a much-needed resource to keep individuals from being isolated in their own communities. Balanced care provides emotional, physical and spiritual support. Pathways are secured for safe mobility.
“As a young start-up business seven years ago, we’ve evolved a lot,” Hill said. “Over time, I think, we’ve really established Home Care Assistance as the highest quality care provider in this market. So, our business has grown, and the demand for in-home services is growing. During COVID I think people really came to terms that they are safer at home.”
A caregiver’s assignment is without rotation. A personalized individual caregiver limits the exposure that a resident would otherwise have to people. Home Care Assistance has evolved its employee care program as well with training and development.
“We have some super people with us and some very tenured employees. So, we really invest a lot with our employees in helping them be highly satisfied,” she added.
As they follow the CDC guidelines, caregivers have a high immunization rate and follow the protocol of wearing a protective mask to help reduce the risk of an exposure. Infection control means asking employees to live a lifestyle that considers the everyday health of their clients. Employees are asked daily if they feel sick, and they sign a form, that in-turn is another safety approach.
Balanced care involves an involved assessment by a registered nurse in the client’s home. The RN will evaluate the home including any danger points that could impair a client’s security. There has never been a fall with injury during the seven years that Home Care Assistance has been protecting its clients.
“We turn those into tasks that are followed in the care plan,” Bridges said. “It guides our caregivers on safety and best practices. It’s documented electronically and we follow the real-time feedback on that.”
Bridges notes the occurrence of a tar-like stool, indicating internal bleeding. And recently he assessed someone whose blood pressure changed from low to high when changing from sitting to standing. These indications are reported to the client’s physician.
Bridges is a seasoned nurse having worked in acute care, hospice, and home health. He said that Home Care Assistance operates closest to home health, but without doing the medical component of care. Services are private pay without being contracted with Medicare.
“You really get to know them and the family intimately,” Bridges said.
Caregivers are emotionally invested in their their clients’ successes and empathizing with their challenges. Some of the clients are living with memory loss. It can be heartbreaking to see a client going through stages of dementia.
“You learn to ride some of the tough times out with them,” he said.
A consistent assignment by one caregiver in the home will oftentimes help the individual to relax due their familiarity with a caregiver. It’s very touching for the caregiver to see their client feel safe at home.
Families are their clients as well, as Home Care Assistance is constantly working with the family by getting feedback, Hill said.
“A lot of our clients are fortunate to be very local and can be involved in the care team and work very closely with us,” Hill said. “But we also support people who have nobody. Their kids are in other states and are raising families. So, they really rely on us as the eyes and ears locally to be with mom or dad.”
For more information visit: www.homecareassistanceoklahoma.com.

Story by Darl DeVault contributing editor

Renowned Oklahoma Osage sculptor Shan Gray died in September at age 65, but his legacy as the most prolific artist of the Oklahoma Centennial Commemoration will live on in the state with his iconic bronze masterpieces of public art.
Gray was hitting his stride as a prolific figurative portrait sculptor when Oklahoma planned its Centennial Commemoration for 2007— a statewide, multiyear celebration of the state’s 100th birthday. Commemoration organizers Lee Allan Smith and Blake Wade drafted Gray into sculpting multiple, larger-than-life public art projects, which became a legacy to his talent.
“Gray’s sculpture of the Shannon Miller statue in Edmond is truly the Oklahoma standard for excellence,” said Joel Randell, Gray’s sculpting protege. Gray’s Warren Spahn statues and award put his contribution to Oklahoma art at the level of Paul Moore’s Centennial Land Run Monument masterpiece and Harold Holden’s legacy, Randell added, and his Billy Vessels and James Garner bronze sculptures in Norman illustrate some of the state’s best of the human form in motion. (story continues below)

Completing eight bronze sculpting projects for the 2007 celebration, Gray was the most prolific of the individually commissioned Oklahoma Centennial artists. He collaborated with John Free Jr. in the casting of his heroic statues at Free’s Bronze Horse Foundry in Pawhuska.
The largest of Gray’s public art creations is the Cleveland County Veterans Memorial near the southwest corner of Reaves Park in Norman. A striking and complex memorial, the work accentuates the clean lines of an obelisk topped by an oversized eagle landing with an American flag.
The statue of the University of Oklahoma’s first Heisman Trophy winner, Billy Vessels, is displayed in Heisman Park just east of Jenkins Avenue and the football stadium. Also in Norman, his bronze likeness of famous Norman son and movie star James Garner enhances the downtown area on East Main Street at the railroad tracks.
“For all of these works,” Gray said at the dedication of the Garner statue, “I was striving to accurately capture the detail and dynamics of the spirit or movement in the human figures in the unmoving bronze to carry off the illusion of bringing the monument to life. I have always said my sculpting style is rooted in the classical tradition.”
A cluster of Gray’s efforts is outside the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in downtown Oklahoma City, including the nine-foot-tall bronze depiction of Warren Spahn in his famous high-kicking windup. Spending his final decades in Tulsa, Spahn is the winningest lefty pitcher in major league history. Gray’s busts of other Oklahomans—New York Yankee pitcher Allie “Super Chief” Reynolds and St. Louis Cardinal Pepper Martin—are near the third-base gate at the ballpark.
Gray’s works include a tribute to the three former Miss Americas who attended Oklahoma City University. At the southeastern entrance to the OCU campus, Jane Jayroe, Susan Powell and Shawntel Smith beam in their pageant evening gowns.
The Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute on the campus of Baptist Integris Hospital displays a bust of its namesake medical inventor and heart surgeon. The sculpture is on the ground floor of the main hospital building.
In Edmond’s Shannon Miller Park, Gray’s bronze sculpture honors the seven-time Olympic medalist from Edmond. The 19-foot bronze was the largest statue of a woman athlete in America at its completion.
In Edmond’s J.L. Mitch Park, Gray erected a bronze Girl Scout statue titled ‘95 Years and Planting.’ It depicts a small girl planting a tree in the park.

Visit the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion this October for the History and Haunts after-hours tour! These evening tours of the historic home will take place October 2, October 9 and October 15. All tours will begin at 7 p.m. with a brief introduction in the carriage house followed by a tour of the mansion in its nighttime splendor. Guests will learn the history of the home and its former occupants, and discover why some say they are still roaming the halls! The tour will allow time for guests to explore the historic home on their own. Tickets are $20 per person and are now available for purchase on the Preservation Oklahoma website, www.preservationok.org/shop. The History and Haunts tours will be limited to 25 guests per night, masks are required and tickets are nonrefundable.
Preservation Oklahoma, Incorporated, is the state’s only private, nonprofit membership organization that is dedicated to promoting, supporting and coordinating historic preservation activities throughout the state. Preservation Oklahoma’s mission is to promote preservation statewide. Founded in 1992, Preservation Oklahoma is a statewide partner with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and works on joint projects with the Oklahoma Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. More information can be found at www.preservationok.org. The Overholser Mansion is an affiliate 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 www.okhistory.org.

By Nick Thomas

If you were a child growing up during the 1960s and a fan of sci-fi television of the day, the nostalgic value of shows like “Lost in Space” can’t be overstated. Cast members Bill Mumy and Angela Cartwright recognize the connection many seniors may have to the series and have updated and expanded their 2015 “Lost (and Found) in Space” book into a new volume, released September 14 (see www.NCPBooks.com).
“The new book is now 350 pages and contains over 900 photographs,” said Bill Mumy, who played plucky junior astronaut Will Robinson in the series, from his home in Los Angeles. “The original was largely a scrapbook with a few captions, but this one contains a lot more stories about the show as well as the intertwining lives of Angela and me who have remained friends for over 50 years. Much of the credit for the expanded book goes to (the late producer, director, and screenwriter) Kevin Burns.”
Angela Cartwright (the show’s genial and imaginative space-teen Penny Robinson) says Burns called her after acquiring the CBS photo archives of the show.
“We were planning to update the book with maybe 50 additional pages, but it ended up so much more with all these never-before-seen photos,” she explained from her Los Angeles art studio. “Bill and I got on the phone and began writing down all the personal memories the photos brought back.”
“I was 10 when the show began,” recalled Bill. “Angela and I were at school together for 4 years, we went through puberty together, we became each other’s first loves, traveled the world together, and went on to have our own families. So it’s both a book on ‘Lost in Space’ and our long friendship.”
Why the show, and science fiction in general, remains so popular with audiences is no mystery to Mumy. “Sci-fi is just a canvass for the imagination. And because our show had children, kids watching could relate to those characters and go along on the space adventures with us each week.”
After the 3-season show ended in 1968, Mumy and Cartwright continued to act including cameos in the new Netflix “Lost in Space” series. But both have enjoyed successful careers beyond the screen in other artistic areas. Mumy is a respected musician and singer/songwriter (see www.billmumy.com) while Cartwright is a noted photographer and painter (see www.angelacartwrightstudio.com). However, the pair never distanced themselves from the iconic sci-fi series.
“The props, the cast, the stories – I loved every minute working on the show,” recalled Bill. “We’ve been living through a hard time on this planet lately, so a little nostalgia can take you back to a happy time. ‘Lost in Space’ even inspired people to go into the space program.”
“When we visited NASA to watch the Discovery liftoff, an experience I’ll never forget, that’s what technicians told us,” added Angela. “We just made this little show but it really captured the imagination of the youth of the day. Now, people in their 50s and 60s have introduced it to their children and grandchildren. In 30 or 40 years when we’re all no longer around, there will probably be new generations still watching it with fond memories. So we’re grateful for the fans and hope the book brings back a snippet of their childhood.”
And as the stars have aged, so have their fans. “That’s a special connection we have with them,” noted Angela. “They’ve even been very forgiving about my white hair!”
“We’ve told our story and told it honestly,” said Bill. “‘Lost in Space’ just makes people happy.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. See www.getnickt.org.

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

While we are still feeling travel is an uncertainty, I have found my arm chair reminiscences of past travels a comfort and a possibility for the future. A trip to relive and see Nashville through the eyes of Disney Travel is a pleasant escape.
Many seniors find that a packaged tour offers the best in time and treasure management. A package tour is pre designed to offer the ease of small group travel and the expert knowledge of the highlights of a particular itinerary. Package tours take the worry out of exploration, as the operators know the area offered and the fastest way to experience the survey of an area. For first time visitors, it gives an over view of the best of the area, and if the traveler finds that time at an attraction is not enough, it is a good reference point for a follow up visit. As you can tell, I find an expert package tour is a convenient holiday experience.
Adventures By Disney is a group tour offering. Disney does it right, whether it’s movies, theme parks or group tours. I experienced Nashville the Disney way, with many insider and backstage visits not available to other tours and certainly not by solo travelers. Several years ago I visited Nashville, but with my tour with Adventures By Disney, I have a complete Nashville experience with many Disney extras that are memorable, educational and fun. Every day our energized and informative tour guides, Kelley and Paola, offered extras and surprises that got us spoiled as we visited from venue to venue. Just when you thought the venue or day was complete we’d hear our guides say, “And then there’s more!”
The Hermitage, located near Nashville, was the home of President Andrew Jackson. Adventures By Disney arranged for Andrew and his wife to greet our bus, and welcome us at the traditional entry to the homestead, which is not offered for other visitors. We had an after-hours visit, complete with a guided grounds and house tour, and then there was more. We had a period dance instruction with Andrew and his wife joining in, as others in the group enjoyed wine and vintage Andrew Jackson bourbon. And then there was more. We had a hands on instruction in simple biscuit making by expert, Maryann Byrd, and then enjoyed our creations baked just for us at a catered sit down dinner in an a joining air conditioned venue. Walking back in the dark to the bus we were all more than satisfied as our departure was enhanced with a spectacle of fireflies.
Nashville has added notoriety with the popular ABC television drama of the same name. Disney enhanced our Nashville adventure with a bus tour of filming locations, and a very special private concert luncheon at the famed Blue Bird Cafe. The essence of Nashville’s established and rising performers was exhibited by the intimate hour long plus performances by Leslie Satcher and Walker Hayes. We were all moved by the stories they told that inspired the creation of the songs they sang for us. This example of sincerity and the universal experiences of life, is the real Nashville sound. The clear and rhythmic songs were true examples of craft being raised to the level of performance art. Beyond the flash and country glamour of Nashville, the Blue Bird Cafe experience reaffirms the essence of America’s indigenous music.
A visit to Music City would not be complete without a tour of the historical Ryman auditorium and of course Disney gave us a special private tour and a chance to stand on that stage which was inhabited by the founders of country music. We entered through the stage door entrance in an alley adjacent to a bar/lounge famous as a haunt of music pioneers. And while the Ryman is a must, the new Grand Ole Opry venue is as impressive when you are able to visit the famous back stage dressing rooms, and wall of fame. But there was more!
We had a pre-show dinner in the broadcast studio where many Nashville shows were filmed which included the sound stage where the popular Hee Haw show was once produced. A catered sit down meal with wine was only briefly interrupted when instruction in line dancing was included. And to top off all of this VIP experience, we had VIP seating at that nights Grand Ole Opry show, with a special treat for me, hearing a couple of songs by Vince Gill, a fellow Oklahoman.
The more continued with hands on poster making at Hatch Show Print, a mock station ID recording at the legendary WSM 650 AM radio station, admission to the expansive Country Music Hall of Fame, and a private visit to Music Row’s RCA Studio B recording studio where Elvis along with other legendary artists, recorded their songs beginning in 1957. We were entertained with insider stories, and with many rehearsals under our belts, we recorded our own group singing a well-known Elvis favorite, and was later presented with our own special CD of our performance.
All along our days of adventures all admission charges were taken care of by our hosts as were most meal times. We ate at Merchants’ Restaurant where we customized our own BBQ sauce, and had breakfast at popular Puckett’s Grocery. There was even a little free time for us to explore downtown Nashville sights on our own. I took this opportunity to reserve my spot for lunch at the Southern Steak and Oyster restaurant, and then took a stroll up to the historic Hermitage Hotel and the Capitol Grille, where I took in a beverage and tales of this famous watering hole.
If you couldn’t tell I was impressed with the services and thoughtfulness of the Adventures By Disney experience. Some tours are for adults only while most welcome the whole family. Documents and itineraries are sent to you well in advance of your departure and should you have added questions they are easily answered by phone from your personal travel concierge. Besides state-side destinations, the company offers tours overseas and cruises as well. Tempt your travel lust by exploring: https://www.adventuresbydisney.com.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=terry+zinn
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=zinn
http://new.okveterannews.com/?s=TERRY+ZINN
www.martinitravels.com

story and photo by Vicki Jenkins, Staff Writer

Jenna Waddell is a flight nurse, flying out of Air Evac Lifeteam in Ada, Oklahoma. She has been a nurse for almost six years now and has been flying for a year and seven months. “I always wanted to work in the medical field, ever since I was a child. I truly believe it is a calling for me to serve others. Growing up, my dad, now a 100% disabled combat veteran Navy SEAL, would sometimes come home from deployment with an injury. I would help him in any way that I could. After a traumatic parachuting accident that almost amputated his right leg, I knew for sure that I was supposed to go into trauma and emergency medicine. I grew up taking care of others, so it is only natural for me to be a nurse. It’s in my bones. No pun intended,” Jenna said with a smile.
“Being a flight nurse is the best job in the whole world,” Jenna said. “I don’t just have one favorite thing about my job but the ones that stand out are: 1. The amount of autonomy that I have in the air. I do not have to ask a physician for orders. It is me and my partner making critical life or death decisions. 2. We are held to a higher standard as clinicians with an enhanced scope of practice. The requirements, certifications and education needed are next level and we are expected to know our stuff. 3. I take care of patients in a helicopter.”
Jenna got her first degree at Baylor University in Health and Human Science. “I initially was going to be a physical therapist. During my senior year at Baylor, I was completing my clinical nurse in an inpatient setting for physical therapy school admission. During that rotation, I was working alongside other nurses. I watched as they worked tirelessly to provide the best care for their patients. I knew right then that was going to become a nurse. I applied last minute into UCO’s Nursing program after graduation from Baylor. I went through the fast track nursing program at Oklahoma City University Kramer School of Nursing. I did not realize that nursing had so many specialties and opportunities. After doing more research about the profession, I never looked back,” Jenna said.
To qualify for a flight nurse, more training is needed. “You must have 3-5 years of critical care experience, have BLS, ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, PHNRP, an advanced certification such as TNCC and an advanced nursing certification to include either CFRN, CCRN, or CEN. After being accepted into the new role as a flight nurse, there is a six month orientation/training process,” Jenna explained. “During those six months, you have to attend and pass three regional intensives which test you on your knowledge and skill set during any quizzes and stimulations. There are four flight nurses, four flight paramedics, and four pilots at each base,” Jenna added.
Jenna’s flight flies out of Ada, Oklahoma, working 24 hours on, 24 hours off each week. She works in the trauma bay at the hospital during her week off. “I truly experience the best of the nursing world-in air and on the ground.”
“Our service area is 75 nautical miles from the base in Ada, Oklahoma. However, we have found ourselves in many states across the Midwest and southeastern regions to include Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.”
At the base, Air Evac Lifeteam 26 in Ada, there were seventy-four flights this past month, the most in the state of Oklahoma.
What are some of the qualities of a good flight nurse? “Compassion, hard-working, detail-oriented, empathetic, being a strong, patient advocate, an effective communicator, a leader but also a team player,” Jenna said.
Asking Jenna if she had received any awards or recognitions, she replied, “I received honors for grades all through undergrad and nursing school including Cum Laude, the honor society for nurses, President’s List, Dean’s List, a Base Recognition Award, etc. I volunteered at Habitat for Humanity and the Humane Society.”
When Jenna is not working she enjoys spending her time, running, cycling, Body Pump and CrossFit, etc. Jenna likes to travel and spend time outdoors, whether it be hiking, boating, camping, kayaking and scuba surfing. She enjoys walking Bentley, her Australian Shepherd mix. Jenna also likes to read and play the violin.
Summing up Jenna’s life in three words, she replied, “Faith, adventure and ambition.”
For more information visit: www.lifeteam.net.

Dear Savvy Senior, Who qualifies for Social Security survivor benefits? My ex-husband died last year, so I would like to find out if me or my 17-year-old daughter are eligible for anything? Divorced Survivor

Dear Divorced,
If your ex-husband worked and paid Social Security taxes and you and/or your daughter meet the eligibility requirements, you may very well be eligible for survivor benefits, but you should act quickly because benefits are generally retroactive only up to six months. Here’s what you should know.
Under Social Security law, when a person who has worked and paid Social Security taxes dies, certain members of that person’s family may be eligible for survivor benefits including spouses, former spouses and dependents. Here’s a breakdown of who qualifies.
Widow(er)’s and divorced widow(er)’s: Surviving spouses that were married at least nine months are eligible to collect a monthly survivor benefit as early as age 60 (50 if disabled). Divorced surviving spouses are also eligible at this same age, if you were married at least 10 years and did not remarry before age 60 (50 if disabled), unless the marriage ends.
How much you’ll receive will depend on how much money (earnings that were subject to Social Security taxes) your spouse or ex-spouse made over their lifetime, and the age in which you apply for survivor benefits.
If you wait until your full retirement age (which is 66 for people born in 1945-1954 and will gradually increase to age 67 for people born in 1960 or later), you’ll receive 100 of your deceased spouses or ex-spouses benefit amount. But if you apply between age 60 and your full retirement age, your benefit will be somewhere between 71.5 – 99 percent of their benefit.
There is, however, one exception. Surviving spouses and ex-spouses that are caring for a child (or children) of the deceased worker, and they are under age 16 or disabled, are eligible to receive 75 percent of the worker’s benefit amount at any age.
Unmarried children: Surviving unmarried children under age 18, or up to age 19 if they’re still attending high school, are eligible for survivor benefits too. Benefits can also be paid to children at any age if they were disabled before age 22 and remain disabled. Both biological and adoptive children are eligible, as well as kids born out of wedlock. Dependent stepchildren and grandchildren may also qualify. Children’s benefits are 75 percent of the workers benefit.
You should also know that in addition to survivor benefits, a surviving spouse or child may also be eligible to receive a special lump-sum death payment of $255.
Dependent parents: Benefits can also be paid to dependent parents who are age 62 and older. For parents to qualify as dependents, the deceased worker would have had to provide at least one-half of the parent’s financial support.
But be aware that Social Security has limits on how much a family can receive in monthly survivors’ benefits – usually 150 to 180 percent of the workers benefit.
Switching Strategies
Social Security also provides surviving spouses and ex-spouses some nice strategies that can help boost your benefits. For example, if you’ve worked you could take a reduced survivor benefit at age 60 and switch to your own retirement benefit based on your earnings history – between 62 and 70 – if it offers a higher payment.
Or, if you’re already receiving retirement benefits on your work record, you could switch to survivors benefits if it offers a higher payment. You cannot, however, receive both benefits.
You also need to know that if you collect a survivor benefit while working, and are under full retirement age, your benefits may be reduced depending on your earnings – see SSA.gov/pubs/EN-05-10069.pdf.
For more information on survivor benefits, visit SSA.gov/benefits/survivors.
For more information on the program visit SSA.gov/payee.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial, Inc., the non-profit 501c-3 organization that oversees the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial, started a project two years ago to have wreaths placed during the Christmas holiday season on all graves of Oklahoma’s fallen law enforcement officers. During the research to locate the graves of Oklahoma’s fallen officers it was found that the final resting place of just over one hundred of the over eight hundred fallen officers was unknown.
Most of the unknown burial sites are those of Deputy U.S. Marshals, their posses or guards, or tribal law enforcement officers who died before Oklahoma statehood. Over forty percent of all the Deputy U.S. Marshals who have died in the line of duty in the United States died in what is now the state of Oklahoma and are honored on the state’s law enforcement memorial.
The memorial organization ordered a new granite stone, and it was recently placed just south of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial plaza. This beautiful new granite stone is in honor of all the fallen officers whose final resting place is unknown.
A wreath will be placed at the new stone in mid-December during the annual Wreaths for the Fallen ceremony.
The Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial is the oldest state memorial honoring its fallen officers in the United States and was dedicated May 15, 1969. The non-profit memorial organization is totally funded by donations.
The memorial is located on the west grounds of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Headquarters, 3600 M. L. King Avenue in Oklahoma City.
For more information on these officers or the other over eight hundred officers who have died in the line of duty in Oklahoma go to the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial website at www.oklemem.com.

COVID-19 Oklahoma Test Results

*Includes 22 hospitalizations in pediatric beds.
**Focus, Rehabilitation and Tribal Facilities numbers are not assigned to a specific region as their patient populations reside across the state. Information provided through survey of Oklahoma hospitals as reported to HHS as of the time of this report. Response rate affects data. Facilities may update previously reported information as necessary.
Data Source: Acute Disease Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health. *As of 2021-09-28 at 7:00 a.m.