Each year, the members, board and sponsors of VillagesOKC meet to celebrate the past year with an Anniversary Party. This year, the celebration was held on a perfect Oklahoma evening at OKC’s Chicken N Pickle.
From Guthrie to South Oklahoma City, members who live in their own homes love connecting over great food. This evening, they enjoyed shuffleboard, corn hole and – of course pickleball – watching, learning and playing. VillagesOKC members who are avid pickleball enthusiasts, Carma Branscum and Gayle Veasy, helped teach others who had never played before.
Pickleball is just one opportunity for mature adults to stay active and enjoy new friends. Sharing a meal, being there and sometimes helping each other with hard conversations, are all part of the new mindset for those who are embracing their age here in Oklahoma City and across the nation.
“This incredible organization’s goal is to empower adults to age with vitality and purpose,” said Alicia Jackson, Chicken N Pickle’s Community Impact Coordinator. “We LOVE their purpose which reminds all ages that pickleball is for everyone.” VillagesOKC members lead the way with a can-do spirit.

Goldie Nelson

(Right) 101 years old. Meet Goldie Nelson 101 and moved to Harrah, OK. Her brother, Harold, also lives there. Goldie and Olen Nelson were married for 66 years and raised two children, both of whom were at the celebration. Goldie’s words of wisdom for us are: When You Get Married, Don’t Go to Bed Angry, Communication is Important!

Faye Flowers

(Left) 101 years old. Faye (McCoy) Flowers, 101, has lived a full life in Jones, staying healthy without medications. She credits daily hot chocolate and regular bike rides for her longevity. She buys clothes from resale stores to donate to those in need. She was honored with the Pay It Forward award and featured in local media. Her advice: “Forgive easily, love everyone, and thank God daily.”

John Knorr

(Right) 100 years old. WWII Veteran John Andrew Knorr, born October 26, 1924, in Kittanning, PA, graduating Notre Dame’s Electrical Engineering program. He served 7 years in the Navy on the USS Langley. After a career with TG&Y Corporation, he retired in 1989. Now in Tulsa, he stays active and always has a smile. His advice: “Obey your parents. Listen!”

Margaret Burnett

(Right) 102 years old. Meet Margaret Burnett, a lively 102-year-old born in Kay County. She lived in several towns before settling in Ponca City, where she worked as a nurse’s aide until 1994. She has a five-generation family, including three daughters, six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren. For her 100th birthday, she collected food donations for the Northern Oklahoma Humane Society instead of gifts, a tradition she continued the following year.

On Friday, November 15, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Choctaw Freedmen Citizen Footprints (CFCF) is partnering with the Oklahoma Historical Society to share and discuss Black experiences on Route 66 in the Chesapeake Event Center and Gallery at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City.
The CFCF will unveil the “Oklahoma Freedmen Families and Descendants” pop-up exhibit at the event. This exhibit explores the journeys of Freedmen families traveling across Route 66 and other Oklahoma roads, highways, and byways for work and family gatherings – creating a new path for their descendants to follow. These journeys played a pivotal role in shaping Oklahoma’s history and narratives.
Brenda Droke, Doris Burris Williamson, and Wanda Warren will be the guest speakers, among others, rendering a special tribute to selected honorees from the Burris, Coleman, Butler, Cole and Liggins families.
A light lunch will be served. The event is free, but registration is required. The registration deadline is Friday, November 1.
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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Office Hours: Monday – Friday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Story and Photo by Van Mitchell, Staff Writer

The American Legion Lebron Post 58 in Guthrie has a long history of doing community outreach helping veterans, active-duty members, and families of those who have served.
The American Legion Post is expanding its community outreach through a series of initiatives to help veterans receive the benefits and help they need, said Post Commander Kim Vincent.
Vincent, a U.S. Navy veteran, has served as the post commander since August.
She and her husband, also a Navy veteran, moved to Oklahoma from San Diego.
“For 20 years we’d come to Oklahoma. My childhood best friend from Indiana moved to Edmond about 27 years ago,” Vincent said. “We would just stay at her ranch, and we fell in love with it.”
Vincent said she wanted to get involved with the Guthrie community.
“I quickly got involved with the American Legion when we moved here,” she said. “I have a wonderful team of officers working with me. Together we have been so successful in starting new programs and getting them established.”
One of those programs was the creation of the Bunker 58 Esports program, which is designed to reduce veteran suicide by providing an environment of connection, teamwork, and camaraderie for local veterans.
“Bunker 58 started as an idea between three Legionnaires a couple of years ago,” said Army veteran and Lebron Post 58 Chaplain George Shafer. “We were sitting around drinking coffee, and one of our members read an article in the National American Legion Magazine about a partnership with a gaming organization. And in that article, it explained to us that eSports provides a level of camaraderie, accountability, and competition that veterans crave. We began the process of looking into what it would look like to get that program at our Post here in Guthrie. And we began looking at the cost and looking into the internet and considering where we could potentially run the program.”
Shafer said the grand opening this summer was a success.
“It exceeded our expectations dramatically,” he said. “We were hoping on a Wednesday afternoon to hopefully get 10 or 20 people to come out and look at what we were doing. We ended up having over 100 people show up. We were able to speak with veterans and attendees who had never stepped foot into an American Legion before. We’ve also been able to attract new members from a younger demographic. And the response that we got from our immediate community was overwhelmingly special.”
Steve Sibley, a U.S. Army veteran, serves as the Lebron Post 58’s Community Engagement Officer.
He also serves as an Account Executive with Senior News and Living Magazine.
Sibley said one of his goals is helping launch the Oklahoma Veteran News-Magazine in January 2025.
Oklahoma is home to approximately 285,000 veterans, active-duty members, Guard and reservists. That number reaches well over half-a-million when you include their spouses and caregivers.
For veterans in Oklahoma, their greatest challenge is how and where do they find and access all the resources available to them? Likewise, for providers with services, information, and resources for veterans and their caregivers, their challenge is connecting with veterans and their family members.
“The purpose of our new magazine is to not only fill that gap, but also bring to light the stories of Oklahoma’s active service members, guard, reserve members, veterans, and veteran owned businesses,” Sibley said. “My goal has been for over two years now to come up with some type of veteran-focused news magazine for Oklahoma, while helping veterans access the benefits that they have. There’s so much information out there and so many benefits that they can access. A lot of them just don’t know. I want to get that information out.”
Sibley said he and Vincent have worked together to put together veteran resource fairs at the American Legion.
“Kim and I started talking about an opportunity to do a resource fair for veterans last November,” he said. “We started with that, and things have just gone from there. They’re doing all these awesome things in the community already. I want to take what we’re doing here at the Legion and engage with the community. We’re working hand in hand with the Guthrie Chamber and we’re going to their weekly events when we can, and we’re trying to schedule our officers, so we have someone there all the time.”
Sibley said the American Legion Post is hosting its next Veteran and Senior Wellness and Resource Fair Nov. 21 at the Post located at 123 N. 1st Street from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Additionally, he said the Post also hosts Thursday morning coffees for veterans from 9 a.m.-noon.
“We have Thursday morning coffee, and we want to do things like invite our first responders and recognize their work in the community,” he said.
Vincent said the community outreach also focuses on the next generation of future military members.
She said the Post has worked with Colonel Kyle Brede, (US Army RET) the JROTC commander at Guthrie High School to help spread the word about the American Legion and its purpose.
“It’s important for us to be out in the community and engaging with the community and its young people to get them excited to hopefully one day join our military especially since recruiting numbers have recently been declining,” Vincent said.
Vincent said the Lebron Post’s biggest fundraiser event each year is its role in organizing Guthrie’s annual 89er Day celebration each April. The 2025 celebration will mark the 96th annual event.
Vincent said one of the Post’s long-term goals is providing temporary/transitional housing for veterans.
“We have a vision of having some transitioning homes,” she said. “We want to be able to provide some kind of housing for them temporarily, and that’s going to take some time. We need property to do that.”
Vincent said the Post is considering looking for a location that is in a quieter spot.
“I feel like we need a space outside of town, with fewer horns honking, or the ambulance going to the hospital,” she said.
Vincent said telling a veteran’s story is important.
The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service.
“We’re partnering with Senator (James) Lankford’s office, with the Veteran History Project, where they’re coming up here Dec. 5, where volunteers from the senator’s office and the Red Cross will come and sit down with veterans and record their stories,” she said.
For more information about the programs at Lebron Post 58 call (405)282-2589 or visit
https://lebronpost58.org

With a new grant from the National Institutes of Health, an Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist will look at Alzheimer’s disease from a different angle.
Heather Rice, Ph.D., will look for links between the deadly, memory-robbing disease and a protein that historically has been linked to cancer.
Rice will collaborate on the two-year study with scientist Xin Zhang, Ph.D., from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Zhang studies a protein called CD151, which has been associated with tumor metastasis and other aspects of cancer.
Zhang has found that the protein may be interacting with another protein, amyloid precursor protein or APP, which has been heavily implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s. Rice’s own lab at OMRF focuses on better understanding APP, with the hope of developing strategies to prevent it from breaking down and accumulating in the brain.
The pair hope to uncover new information about the interplay between the two proteins. “Ultimately, we believe their interaction may prevent overproduction of the protein fragments that lead to Alzheimer’s,” Rice said.
In the longer term, such studies could pave the way for new treatments for Alzheimer’s, which accounts for 60% to 80% of all types of dementia. The disease is caused by damage to the brain’s nerve cells.
This damage is believed to begin at least 20 years before the onset of symptoms such as difficulty with memory and other thinking skills. According to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, the condition affects more than 10% of people 65 and older and is the fifth-leading cause of death in that age group.
“Despite a lot of effort, we do not yet have an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s,” said Benjamin Miller, Ph.D., who chairs OMRF’s Aging & Metabolism Research Program. “Dr. Rice’s proposed research takes advantage of a funding mechanism for high-risk, high-reward ideas, which illustrates her outside-the-box thinking toward potential treatments.”
Rice’s grant, No. 1R21AG085486-01, was awarded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the NIH. A team science grant from the Presbyterian Health Foundation funded early studies that made the NIH grant possible.

By Marise Boehs

November is a month dedicated to helping older pets find loving forever homes. If you’ve been thinking about adding a four-legged-friend to your family, consider opening your home and your heart to an older dog or cat in need. While small kittens and puppies may be cute, older pets are just as loving and loyal!
Since senior pets are fully grown, you will have access to important information like personality type and grooming requirements, making it easier to choose the perfect pet for your family.
Senior pets are typically calmer and less energetic than puppies and kittens, so it’s easier to teach them new tricks. Many senior pets are already pros at performing basic commands.
Many people find themselves unprepared for the energy and needs of a young pet. But a sweet senior moves at a much more manageable pace. They’re less demanding and usually fit in well in many kinds of households, including apartments.
Some are unprepared for the hard work it can be to housetrain a new puppy or kitten. You can spend a lot of time training a new puppy to do their business outdoors or teach a kitten to remember where the litter box is. But older pets are usually already housetrained, saving you that stress.
Understanding the personality of an animal is key to finding the perfect match for your family and for that homeless pet. While young puppies and kittens are still developing their personalities, you’ll know right away whether a senior dog is a snuggle-bug or a senior cat is more of an independent spirit.
Many people looking to adopt, complete overlooking the perfectly adoptable older dogs and cats in kennels and cage. In many cases, the absolute most difficult group of homeless pets to place are older dogs and cats. It is a sad fact that senior pets are often the last to be adopted from shelters, putting them at an increased risk for euthanasia.
When you adopt a senior pet, you’re not only welcoming a lifetime of love into your home, you’re also saving a precious life. You’ll get lots of love from an amazing companion.
That said, bringing an older pet home from the shelter or rescue can have its own unique challenges. Sometimes, because the pet is at an advanced age, there can be some extra health issues to consider. They’ll need regular vet care, preventative care, and dental care to stay in good health. But that, by no means, should deter someone from adopting a senior pet.
Depending on breed, lifestyle, and existing health issues, a senior dog or cat can still have plenty of healthy and happy years to give as your loving companion.
Healthcare for Senior Pets
Dogs and cats are considered seniors by the age of 7 years old. They age faster than humans and how much faster is determined by their size and breed.
Bi-annual exams are very important to senior pets to help them maintain a happy, long life.
Our pets are increasingly vulnerable to many illnesses as they reach their later years of life. Their health problems related to advancing years are like our own, including heart disease, dental problems, liver disease, digestive disorder, kidney disease, and cancer.
Early detection and treatment of diseases can enable veterinarians to extend your pet’s life and improve the quality of it as well.
Senior exam & lab work benefits include:
Physical Exam Many diseases such as tumors, dental disease, and heart disease can be detected and treated early with a physical exam.
     Blood Chemistry (CBC/Chem.) To identify various underlying problems with the internal organs early on before they become serious. Many of these problems may not be detected on a physical exam.
Urinalysis Assesses the health and function of the kidneys and bladder. Many diseases will cause urine to be abnormal before any other test or exam will show an abnormality. This is good for early detection of kidney disease.
Thyroid Screening (T4) Many breeds develop thyroid problems as they age. Screening allows early detection before they become ill.
Electrocardiogram (ECG) Helps to detect heart problems that may not show on physical exam so further diagnosis or  treatment can be started.
Glaucoma Screening To check the pressure in the eyes. If the pressure is too high, it can be painful and cause blindness.
Blood Pressure Overweight and geriatric animals are prone to high blood pressure. As in people, it can be a silent killer. Older cats are at risk and sometimes the first symptom is blindness or kidney disease that could be prevented if started on medications early.
     Radiographs: For detection of abnormalities such as enlarged heart, tumors, and organ enlargements.
Dentistry: Keeping the pet’s teeth clean prevents painful teeth, odor from the mouth, and bacteria from the mouth that could damage the kidneys, heart, or other organs.
Source: Rose Rock Veterinary Hospital and Pet Resort

Author’s Note
Some of the best times of my life where spent with my beloved senior girls. They have gone on to their reward now but not a day goes by that we don’t miss them and talk about  the good times.
While the puppy is a joy, and thankfully through the chew-everything-in-sight-stage, she has a high bar to meet. We have to remind ourselves that she is who she is and not compare her to the seniors. “She’s only 3 years old,” is a constant refrain at our house.

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good pill boxes and medication reminding devices? I’ve recently started taking several new prescription medications along with some vitamins I normally take and need to get a pill box that helps me organize them. What can you tell me? Almost 70

Dear Almost,
Pill boxes (a.k.a. pill organizers) play an important role in keeping people healthy because they help you stay on top of your medication regimen. While there are many options, here are a few tips to help you choose, along with some top-rated pill boxes as recommended by expert reviewers.
Identify Your Needs?
When choosing an appropriate pill box for you, you first need to ask yourself a few questions, such as:
1. How many pills do you take and how big are they? If you take only a few medications, a smaller pill box may be sufficient. But if you’re taking multiple medications and large vitamin supplements, you’ll want to get a large compartment pill box that can hold your daily dosage.
2. Do you take your pills once a day or multiple times a day? If you take medications only once a day, a simple pill box with one compartment will do. But if you need to take medications multiple times a day, you’ll want to get a pill box with either two, three or four compartments for each day of the week.
3. Do you have problems remembering to take your medications? If so, there are organizers that have built-in alarms and reminding features, or you can download a free medication reminding app on your smartphone.
4. Do you have a difficult time opening your medication containers? If so, there are easy-open pill boxes or automated medication dispensers that are ideal for those with dexterity problems.
5. Do you need a portable pill box for when you’re away from home? There are smaller portable pill boxes made for traveling, some of which have sealed-shut cases that prevent moisture and dust from entering.
Best Pill Boxes
With help from The New York Times (Wirecutter) and USA Today (Reviewed), some of the best pill boxes in 2024 are offered by Auvon and Sukuos which make a variety of single and multiple compartment pill organizers that are big, colorful and easy to open.
Their top-rated options include the “Auvon Weekly Pill Organizer” for once-a-day medication users; “Sukuos AM/PM Weekly 7 Day Pill Organizer” for twice a day use; “Auvon iMedassist Moisture-Proof Weekly Pill Organizer” for four times a day; and the “Auvon Moistureproof Monthly Pill Organizer” for those who want to organize their medications monthly.
Or, if you’re interested in a travel pill box, the “MUchengbao Travel Pill Organizer” is considered an excellent choice.
All of these pill boxes cost around $10 and are available on Amazon.com or Walmart.com.
High-Tech Pill Organizers
If you need more help keeping up with your medication regimen, there are smart pill boxes that will organize your pills, remind you to take them, track your progress and even text or email caregivers if pills are missed. A popular option to consider here is EllieGrid (elliegrid.com, $149), which connects the pill box to the EllieGrid app (via Bluetooth) that you would install on your smartphone.
Or if you need even more help, there are automated medication dispensers like the Hero (herohealth.com, $45 per month), which is a comprehensive, Wi-Fi connected, app-based system that will remind you when to take your pills and dispenses them to you.
Medication Reminding Apps
If you’re interested in a medication reminding app, some top-rated choices include MyTherapy (mytherapyapp.com) or Medisafe (medisafeapp.com). These are free apps that you can download in the Apple or Google Play app stores that will send you timely notifications to take your pills, and reminders to refill your prescriptions.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit https://savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Capulin Volcano
National Monument, New Mexico

By Marise Boehs

The longest, hardest 1.5 miles I’ve ever walked!
But one of the most rewarding.
We stopped at this National Park in northern New Mexico on our way home during a family road trip to Colorado.

My travelling partner kept saying, “Oh, it’s a quick, easy little hike. We’ll stop for an hour or so and you can see.”

And it was gorgeous! Not that easy though. Halfway up the 300’ climb I was huffing like I’d been on the StairMaster for too long already.
But there was so much natural beauty along the way it was so worth it.

The view from the top is incredible. You can see for miles and easily imagine cattle on the Sante Fe Trail driving through to Raton Pass and far off to the left you could even see Black Mesa in Oklahoma.

The knarly juniper trees have a special attraction to me and the lichens along the rocks, mixed in among vegetation, are impressive.

ABOUT THE TRAIL
The Rim Trail of Capulin Volcano offers stunning views in all directions. The mile-long trail gains 305 feet of elevation above the parking lot, with a 12% grade and provides views of the crater and the surrounding volcanic landscape.

The vent trail is .2 mile down to the bottom of the crater with an elevation change of 105 feet.
IF YOU GO
Capulin is located between Raton and Des Moines on Hwys 64 and 87 in northern New Mexico. The monument is a few miles north. Check the website for hours of operations and other information
www.nps.gov/cavo/index.htm

November 9th, Saturday
All Stars granny basketball team will be playing the Bridge Creek Fire Department at the Bridge Creek Middle School gym on Saturday, November 9th at 2 pm. We are fundraising for a children’s Christmas toy drive.
Donations welcome. There will be a silent auction for baked goods and baskets.
For more information, contact Lori Rupert – Captain, All Stars-OKC granny basketball team 405-328-8090