Wanda Ovella (Venable) Moore

102-year-old Wanda Ovella (Venable) Moore of Stillwater was born & raised in Cushing where her father built many homes. She never really considered how long she would live, has not thought much about the fact that she has surpassed 100, loves to share stories about her life with family & friends, has been very fortunate to have lived the life she has had & is truly blessed.

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If you know of a Centenarian you would like to honor, please visit
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Fannie Jones

Fannie Jones of Oklahoma City turned 109 years old this past August. We honored her today as the second oldest living Centenarian in Oklahoma. Fannie’s favorite song is Amazing Grace. What an honor to meet this sweet lady and induct her into our Hall of Fame!

KNOW A CENTENARIAN?
If you know of a Centenarian you would like to honor, please visit
http://centenariansok.com/ and download, complete and submit our form. One of our team members will contact you directly with the next steps.

Society of Urban Poets Inc. Holds Annual Poetry Recital The annual recital will be held on Sunday, December 18 at 6 pm at the Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 West Reno. This is a free event and the public is invited to attend. Guests may also participate by reading 2 selections of your original poetry. Please register by calling 405-339-4844 or by email to soupokc@yahoo.com or afwash2@cox.net. Registration deadline is December 11. The evening will include music by Garcia Tarver and a brief reception.
Will’s Country Christmas December 2, 5 p.m.–9 p.m. Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch, 9501 East 380 Road Oologah, OK 74053. isit Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch in Oologah for Will’s Country Christmas on Friday, December 2, and Saturday, December 3, from 5 to 9 p.m. The ranch house will be decorated for an Indian Territory Christmas. The evening will include storytelling, Wild West shootouts, children’s crafts, 19th-century games, carriage rides, a shooting gallery, music, vendors, and food trucks.

Barney P. Enright, Photographer exhibit closes December 3. Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School, 2617 West Fir Street Perry, OK 73077. The Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School’s exhibit about the life and work of Perry photographer Barney P. Enright will remain open through Saturday, December 3.
Guthrie’s Distinctive Homes Tour and Wassail at the Carnegie Library December 3, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library, 406 East Oklahoma Avenue Guthrie, OK 73044. The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library will be part of Guthrie’s Distinctive Homes Tour on Saturday, December 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. which gives an exclusive look inside some of Guthrie’s most distinctive homes and historic buildings, decorated for the holiday season. The Carnegie Library—a stop on the tour—is the place for tour participants to hear tales of the early days of Oklahoma’s first capital while having a warming cup of wassail.

“Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act” webinar On Monday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (Central Time), the State Historic Preservation Office will provide an introduction to, (or a refresher on), relevant and useful aspects of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and explain the review process. In this free online training, SHPO staff will convey the importance of the Section 106 process and assist anyone and everyone who might be involved in that process in Oklahoma.
Holiday Market at the Museum Museum of the Western Prairie, 1100 Memorial Drive Altus, OK 73521. The Museum of the Western Prairie will host its eighth annual Holiday Market at the Museum on Tuesday, December 6, at 6 p.m. This event showcases the talents of 12 area artists and provides a terrific holiday shopping opportunity for the general public.
Oklahoma Tall Tales Uncovered presentation and book signing with author Joe M. Cummings Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, 507 South 4th Street Enid, OK 73701. On Friday, December 9th at 3 p.m., author Joe M. Cummings will be signing copies of his new book, Oklahoma Tall Tales Uncovered, (2022, Arcadia Publishing) at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center (CSRHC). Cummings will give a short program where he talks about his book and the research that went into writing it.
Steamboat Heroine film screening and discussion December 10. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73105. On Saturday, December 10, the Oklahoma History Center will feature a film screening that follows the excavation of the steamboat Heroine from the Red River and how it was transported to the Oklahoma History Center. In 1990, the sunken steamboat, Heroine, was discovered in Oklahoma’s Red River. It provided evidence of the role steamboats played in Oklahoma and how they transformed the region.
Quilting workshop with Martha Ray December 10, 9 a.m.–11 a.m.|Recurring Event Sod House Museum, 4628 State Highway 8 near Aline, OK 73716. Visit the Sod House Museum southeast of Aline for a quilting workshop on Saturday. The workshop will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. with instructor Martha Ray, and the cost is $5 per person. For more information, please contact Director Renee Trindle at 580-463-2441 or sodhouse@history.ok.gov.
Breakfast with Santa December 10, 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion, 405 NW 15th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73103. Preservation Oklahoma is excited to present Breakfast with Santa at the Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion on Saturday, December 10 from 9 to 11 a.m. Attendees will enjoy a delicious breakfast, a craft, and of course—meeting Santa! All families are invited to join in the holiday fun. Admission to the event is $25 per person. Please note that tickets are available by breakfast time, however, attendees are welcome to participate in the other activities at any time. Tickets are nonrefundable.
Christmas Open House December 10, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Sod House Museum, 4628 State Highway 8 near Aline, OK 73716. The Sod House Museum’s Christmas Open House will be held on Saturday, December 10, from 1–3 p.m. Enjoy the holidays in Oklahoma’s only remaining sod house that will be decorated for the season in the style of a traditional 1890s Pioneer Christmas.
Photos with Santa at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum December 10, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.|Recurring Event. Will Rogers Memorial Museum, 1720 West Will Rogers Boulevard Claremore, OK 74017. The Heritage Gallery at Will Rogers Memorial Museum will be the perfect backdrop for Photos with Santa on Saturday, December 3, and Saturday, December 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your family and your camera to take beautiful family pictures with Santa. Admission is free to take photos. For more information, please visit willrogers.com or call 918-341-0719.
Christmas Open House Hunter’s Home, 19479 East Murrell Home Road Park Hill, OK 74451. On Sunday, December 11, from 1 to 4 p.m., Hunter’s Home will host its annual Christmas Open House. Visitors will see the home and general store decorated for the holiday season and will enjoy cider and snacks while sitting around a roaring fire. For more information, please call 918-456-2751.
Holiday Candlelight Tours December 15, 4 p.m.–8 p.m.|Recurring Event . Hunter’s Home, 19479 East Murrell Home Road Park Hill, OK 74451. Oklahoma’s only remaining pre-Civil War plantation home will host five nights of candlelight tours in December. The tours of Hunter’s Home will take place from Tuesday, December 13, through Saturday, December 17, from 4–8 p.m. each day. The 177-year-old home will be decorated in a Victorian holiday style. Period Christmas decorations and candlelight will adorn the home’s lavish parlor, sitting room, and dining room. Costumed reenactors will share the history of the home. For more information please call 918-456-2751.
December Bake Day and Gingerbread Decorations Fort Gibson Historic Site, 907 North Garrison Avenue Fort Gibson, OK 74434. Visit Fort Gibson Historic Site for a special holiday-themed bake day on Saturday, December 17, at 10 a.m. Fresh bread and batches of giant gingerbread men will be baked in the historic Fort Gibson ovens just in time for the holidays! Fresh batches of each will be ready at noon and again at 3 p.m. Gingerbread men will be ready for decorations throughout the day starting at 11 a.m.
History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip December 17, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.|Recurring Event. Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, 507 South 4th Street Enid, OK 73701. Step back in time and experience life in the Cherokee Outlet during History Alive! on the Cherokee Strip at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center in Enid. On the first and third Saturday of each month, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the historic buildings in the Humphrey Heritage Village come alive with reenactors who are tending their shops, working their trades, or socializing at the Village Church.
“Shut the Door! Barns in Oklahoma: The Significance of Barns in the Oklahoma Cultural Landscape” webinar December 27, 6 p.m. The State Historic Preservation Office is hosting a webinar series entitled “Shut the Door! Barns in Oklahoma,” featuring presenters who specialize in barn history, construction, and restoration. On Tuesday, December 27, the topic will be “The Significance of Barns in the Oklahoma Cultural Landscape.” This December webinar will be the last of the 2022 series. These presentations will be held on the last Tuesday of every other month, beginning at 6 p.m.
Movie Night featuring Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) December 30, 6 p.m.–9 p.m. Will Rogers Memorial Museum, 1720 West Will Rogers Boulevard Claremore, OK 74017. Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore will host a Movie Night featuring the film Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) in its theater on Friday, December 30, at 7 p.m. “Horsing Around with Will” will take place from 6 to 7 p.m., during which families can enjoy activities and crafts relating to the movie’s theme. Guests can enjoy free admission, popcorn, and drinks while watching the film. Seating is limited, so early arrival is suggested.
Observing with NASA Smithsonian exhibit kiosk closes December 31. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive Oklahoma City, OK 73105. Observing With NASA, an authentic data experience with astronomical imaging will be on display at the Oklahoma History Center (OHC) until December 31, 2022. This exhibit kiosk from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory engages visitors in the art and science of NASA imagery. Observing With NASA offers an introduction to the tools, data, and skills that NASA space scientists and data visualization experts use to create the images of deep space objects that we all know and love.

Two scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation have been awarded grants for research aimed at extending the period of good health as we age.
The American Federation for Aging Research and the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research awarded grants to OMRF’s Ann Chiao, Ph.D., and Matt Bubak, Ph.D. The organizations work together to support junior researchers focused on the basic biology of aging.
Chiao received a two-year, $125,000 grant from AFAR to better understand a molecule inside each cell that is crucial for generating energy. As we age, levels of that molecule, NAD+, slowly diminish within the heart. Chiao will study how this occurs, and the role it plays in fatigue, shortness of breath and other symptoms of decreased heart function in older people.
“There is a lot of research looking at NAD+ in aging-related diseases,” said Chiao, who joined OMRF in 2019 from the University of Washington. “What’s different about this study is that we are looking at it only within the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell.”
Chiao’s lab will focus on how and why the molecule dwindles in mitochondria and, in future research, whether medication could prevent it from happening.
Bubak is among nine scientists nationally to receive a one-year, $60,000 postdoctoral fellowship from the Glenn Foundation. He will explore the decline of skeletal muscle mass and function that begins around middle age.
His research will test whether muscles in older mice become more youthful following a plasma transfer from younger mice, and whether that benefit is enhanced if the donor mice exercise.
“The idea is that we can create a more youthful environment in old mice so that the muscles can respond to stress, such as exercise, like young mice,” said Bubak, who is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Benjamin Miller, Ph.D. “If we’re correct, then potentially the application for humans would be both simple and cost effective.”
Future studies will explore how long the youthful effects last following a plasma infusion, he said.
OMRF Aging and Metabolism Research Program Chair Holly Van Remmen, Ph.D., said the two grants ultimately could help reverse two key aspects of aging.
“These two scientists are trying to figure out how to make an older person’s heart and skeletal muscles work like those of a younger person,” Van Remmen said. “We know an active lifestyle prolongs the healthiest period of our lives, but for those who can’t or won’t exercise, this work could someday make a big difference.”

by Greg Schwem

I saw him approaching the day after Thanksgiving, the Friday that sends even the most passive “athletes” scurrying to the gym, convinced that one 30-minute session on the Stairmaster will melt away the sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie they gorged upon the previous afternoon.
During my holiday meal, I gave thanks for good health. The next morning I was thankful for clothes, because I was wearing some. Not so for him.
He had just exited the shower and was all pink and naked. Seeing that I had just stepped off a scale (I also gave thanks for only gaining 2 pounds) he pointed at the number and then at me. My eyes stayed transfixed on his because I had no interest in looking elsewhere.
“You sure you want to do that the day after the holiday?” he asked, before emitting a wry chuckle.
“Yeah, probably not the best timing,” I replied.
And with that, he retreated to his locker and began to dress. But he’d made his presence known.
Every male locker room — even those in clubs that cost thousands to join, reek of body butter and hire attendants to pick up fluffy, terry cloth towels haphazardly tossed about by members — has one. He is that friendly guy who will start locker room conversations with fellow inhabitants, be they no-necked muscle heads, triathletes in training, Pickleball beginners or massage enthusiasts.
He will also do it without wearing any clothes.
He is usually in his late 60s or older. No need to describe any other characteristics. Maybe he’s a lonely divorcee or widower. Maybe he spent a career as a traveling salesman and has a flair for conversation and entertaining icebreaker statements. None of that is relevant; I only care that he clothes himself. Quickly.
I have never been in a female locker room, so I have no idea if women are comfortable chatting with their compatriots while bare breasted or in other stages of nakedness. My wife insists every woman is always wearing, at the “bare” minimum, a towel. Fantasies aside, I applaud their modesty.
Younger men, I have noticed, well not noticed, observed, glanced at, uh…forget it. Younger men seem to be more inclined to cover their private areas in locker rooms. Sexagenerians and above need to get that memo soon. And, because I recently turned 60, I need to read it as well.
You see, I briefly became a friendly old naked guy.
It didn’t happen by choice, but it still…happened. Shower completed, I was headed to my locker when I noticed a health club regular, a disabled man confined to a wheelchair but still ripped to the core, attempting to pick up a training glove he had dropped. I ran over to help and suddenly found myself quizzing him. I asked about his disability; he revealed he lost the use of one leg in a factory explosion. I complimented him on his tenacity in the weight room. I asked his age. He was also 60, which explains why he was only too happy to converse.
I wished him well, retreated to my locker and only then realized the cardinal rule I had just broken. I’m sure younger men in the locker room were silently mouthing, “Dude, cover that up.”
I have always been an extrovert and pride myself on being able to easily talk to people of all sexes, age groups and races. It’s a trait I was robbed of during the pandemic, and one I was only too happy to jumpstart after lockdown eased. People, and their stories, fuel my writing and my standup comedy routines. Don’t worry; a bit about talking to a disabled gym rat while naked will not be included in my Netflix special, should I ever be offered one. But I left my club feeling more inspired than if I had just dressed in silence.
Now I must remind myself that inspiration can come while fully clothed. In fact, I’m headed to the gym shortly. My bag contains the essentials: combination lock, Airpods and toiletries.
Also, for the first time ever, a full length robe.
I had better leave some space on my arm for a crudite tattoo.
(Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of two books: “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad” and the recently released “The Road To Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS From a Corporate Comedian,” available at Amazon.com. Visit Greg on the web at www.gregschwem.com.
You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s monthly humor columns in Senior Living News. But did you know Greg is also a nationally touring stand-up comedian? And he loves to make audiences laugh about the joys, and frustrations, of growing older. Watch the clip and, if you’d like Greg to perform at your senior center or senior event, contact him through his website at www.gregschwem.com)

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined.
Barbara Stroud (62) of Midwest City, was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013. “Most people don’t know it, but each lung is divided into lobes. Two on the left and three on the right. Luckily, my cancer was in a lobe in my right lung that I could live without – so it was removed.”
Stroud was cancer free for several years, until it returned with a vengeance. This time it was stage four, extending from her brain to her groin. She underwent two rounds of radiation before Bilal Ahmad, M.D., a board-certified hematologist/oncologist with the INTEGRIS Health Cancer Institute at Southwest Medical Center, mentioned Keytruda. “I discussed a personalized tailor-made treatment plan for Barbara. I requested molecular testing on her cancer tissue,” says Ahmad. “I started her on Keytruda which is targeted immunotherapy and helps the immune system to fight cancer in a strong and precise manner.”
“That was in 2019,” remembers Stroud. “I thought it would give me a few extra months. Here it is almost four years later and I’m still kicking.” She credits the Lord, Dr. Ahmad and Keytruda for giving her more time with her three grown children and her five grand-daughters. “I’m thankful every day, not just on Thanksgiving or Christmas. If I wake up, it’s a great day!” Ahmad says Barbara refuses to give up. “She is a person of will power who is consistent with all treatment sessions and thankfully we are seeing great results.”
Although smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, lung cancer risk also is increased by exposure to secondhand smoke; environmental exposures, such as radon, workplace toxins (e.g., asbestos, arsenic), and air pollution. The risk of lung cancer can be reduced by quitting smoking and by eliminating or reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and environmental and workplace risk factors. Stroud hopes by sharing her story, she can help raise awareness of lung cancer and empower those impacted by the disease.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

Four presidential reenactors celebrated Oklahoma Statehood Day before a mostly senior capacity crowd of 300, where President Theodore Roosevelt gave an enthusiastic historical perspective 117 years to the day after he signed the Oklahoma Statehood Proclamation.
The senior historical reenactors portraying presidents who appear on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota gave speeches and answered questions in the free matinee on November 16 at the Oklahoma History Center. The audience listened intently to experienced actor-interpreters playing the “Rushmore Four.” A 7 p.m. ticketed performance saw a more mixed-age crowd attend. The events continue a long-standing initiative by the OHC to share world-class interpreters and their stories with the public.
Professional reenactors portrayed Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Roosevelt dressed in top hats and tails in period attire. The actors have worked together in many previous appearances around the country.
Each president stood as they offered remarks of historical perspective from their eras in the order of their time as president. They invited and answered wide-ranging questions. The men only spoke of modern politics a few times when it applied directly to a significant point in their speeches. The actors stayed in character throughout their session and while posing for photos after the event.
Dan Shippey portrayed President George Washington in a full Revolutionary War uniform and three-cornered hat. The actor founded and directs The Breed’s Hill Institute, an educational nonprofit teaching the history of American liberty. Shippey works as a writer, director and actor in commercial film and theater.
Washington expressed his admiration for the 260-270 brave Maryland soldiers who stood fast during the Battle of Long Island, allowing his main force to withdraw to fight another day. He mentioned several of the dozen survivors of that largest battle of the Revolutionary War by name, calling the men his Marylanders.
The general and commander in chief of the Continental Army spoke the most about how courageous men from all the colonies fought for others’ rights to be free throughout the Revolutionary War. He said he took great pride in how those men grasped the need for unity in fighting for our new democracy.
After answering several questions, the historical interpreter was asked if Washington liked to speak before crowds. He paused for effect, empathically answered “No,” and sat down as the audience reacted with laughter.
President Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, stressed in his speech the importance of the first words of the preamble to the Constitution, “We the people.” The actor explained that this marked the first time those words were expressed worldwide in a formal government document.
Portraying Jefferson since 1983, professional actor and theater director Bill Barker depicts Jefferson on television, in film and many historical locations. His main reenactment venue as Jefferson is the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello.
Asked about his devotion to science as president, Jefferson spoke at length about founding a university and the patent office in support of citizens receiving credit for their scientific inventions. Before election to the presidency, he was the first examiner of American patents. An inventor, he said a president’s primary role is to celebrate others’ achievements.
President Abraham Lincoln provided the audience with an overview of America in the years before running for the presidency. Fritz Klein, 74, bears a strikingly uncanny physical resemblance to Lincoln. He spoke at length about the Missouri Compromise of 1820’s failure to stop the spread of slavery.
Klein portrays Lincoln as an actor and speaker since being recruited to do so for a small, local celebration during the bicentennial year. One of the nation’s best-known Lincoln reenactors, he has appeared in 43 states and a variety of films since 1981. He is a member of the National Speakers Association as a full-time actor traveling internationally to portray Lincoln on stage, in feature films, documentaries and speaking engagements.
Klein convinced the actor playing President Theodore Roosevelt to become a professional interpreter in 2003 after watching him perform and noting his physical resemblance to a circa 1915 version of the president.
Roosevelt, retired Huntington, Indiana businessman Gib Young, was the most energetic speaker of the four presidents. He wove many mentions of his associations with Oklahomans and his visit to Comanche peacetime leader Quanah Parker at his Star House in Cache into his speech. He delighted the audience with his “bully” rendition of Roosevelt’s personality, intellect, and zest for life. He said it was proper to speak at length because Roosevelt visited Oklahoma before and after signing the proclamation making Oklahoma a state.
Roosevelt gave a reverent accounting of Oklahomans who had volunteered to charge up San Juan Hill with him in the Spanish-American War.
Not noted in the actors’ speeches is the distinction that Roosevelt is the only president ever awarded the Medal of Honor. In 2001 he was posthumously honored for courage under fire described as “…acts of bravery on 1 July 1898, near Santiago de Cuba, Republic of Cuba, while leading a daring charge up San Juan Hill.”
Roosevelt cited the important dates leading up to Oklahoma’s Statehood Day and engaged members of the audience by asking them questions about American history during his question session.
His zest for the president’s job rose to a zeal of patriotism as he discussed Roosevelt’s role in setting aside large parts of America for its citizens as national parks. In citing his authority as president to protect wildlife and public lands by creating the United States Forest Service, he reeled off a litany of accomplishments for the audience. Starting in 1901, Roosevelt established 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, 4 national game preserves, 5 national parks, and 18 national monuments. Roosevelt’s enabling of the 1906 American Antiquities Act protected approximately 230 million acres of public land.
Although the National Park Service was established 106 years ago with just 35 sites, the actor listed those five parks he had helped include long before the more formal act of Congress created the service. He finished his speech by pointing out how proud Roosevelt would be that America now has more than 400 parks and monuments under what he termed the amazing National Park Service.
The Inasmuch Foundation sponsored the program, coinciding with the OHC’s 17th anniversary and Oklahoma’s 117th Statehood Day in 1907.
The OHC is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society, seeking public engagement through its affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution and National Archives. It is an accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums. The OHS’s mission is to collect, preserve and share the State’s history and culture of its people. The Territorial Press Association founded the OHS in 1893 to maintain museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. It chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs, and publications. For more information, visit okhistory.org.

Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

At 74, Richard W. Amend, M.Ed., has always shown a passion for working with senior adults by dedicating his life to the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and its elders for the past 40 years.
He was the Director of Senior Adult Ministry at Christ the King Catholic Church for 25 years. Then Archbishop Eusebius Beltran appointed him the mission and community relations director at Saint Ann Assisted and Independent Living Community 15 years ago.
“I truly felt called to this type of ministry after pursuing my master’s degree in Gerontology,” Amend said. “We just celebrated our 20th anniversary in this building in June. We have been blessed to help many seniors during those 20 years and are proud of our role in our community. They also bless us each day with their presence.”
While serving at Christ the King as a member of the Knights of Columbus, Amend helped host an annual “Breakfast with Santa Claus.” The unique feature of the breakfast was Santa Claus sitting in a real sleigh. The sleigh was donated by a generous parishioner who collected antique toys. All the children loved climbing up in the sleigh to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas.
When Amend started working at Saint Ann, he transported the sleigh there after Breakfast with Santa. That began a new tradition. Every year residents marvel at the sleigh’s vintage charm. It is in a special location where everyone can see and enjoy it.
As Christmas approaches, anticipation builds for the day Santa Claus will arrive. Residents have their picture taken with Santa while telling him about their Christmas wish list. For many, that photo becomes the resident’s Christmas card.
Age never matters. Sometimes a centenarian will climb up in the sleigh or pose for their photo. They are just as excited as the children who come to whisper in Santa’s ear.
Amend was so fascinated with 100-year-old seniors that he started the first Centenarian Club of Oklahoma in 1991 with the help of volunteers from Christ the King. Hundreds of centenarians have since been inducted into the club. The excitement of Christmas can continue at any age. Several centenarians have sat beside him in the sleigh, still exuding excitement about Christmas and never losing their child-like anticipation of talking with Santa in his sleigh. I always call them “Wisdom Walkers” because they exude wisdom daily.
All of Saint Ann’s assisted and independent living residents are invited to participate in the annual Santa visit. There are 120 independent and 50 assisted living apartments in the lively community. They are joined by the attached convent for the Carmelite Sisters of Villa Teresa. Its nine nuns are an active part of the campus and enjoy Santa in his sleigh as much as everyone.
Many people have fond memories of seeing Santa Claus as a child and may even have photographs of themselves sitting on Santa’s lap. During the interview with Amend, it was obvious he exudes the positivity and joy Santa Claus brings to others during the holiday season.
Amend says it is a privilege to don the Santa suit again this year. “Our residents are full of life,” Amend said. “They invigorate me with their enthusiasm for the season. People say their time with Santa is special, but it is even more so for me. You are playing the role of one of the most oversized icons in our culture that conveys kindness and gifting of special things at Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Amend is not the only staff member who helps make the Christmas season cheerful. “Our life enrichment team, concierge, assisted living director, marketing, maintenance, dining service, housekeeping, and everyone helps in numerous ways. We also have those who dress up as Santa’s helpers, elves, a reindeer, and a snowman to make Saint Ann’s winter wonderland more festive,” Amend said.
“Playing Santa Claus allows me to spread cheer with others and find personal enjoyment and satisfaction in my role,” Amend said. “Making everyone happy that they are interacting with Santa can be an exciting treat. “This sense of magic and wonder during the holidays can spread joy and make everyone smile during our interactions.”
Saint Ann is located at 7501 W. Britton Road in northwest Oklahoma City. The community is open to all faiths and has a beautiful St. Joachim Chapel and a Grand Theater. Guests are invited to call (405) 721-0747 #322 to schedule a picture in the sleigh. Kris Kringle might even be there to greet you.

The Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) presented Excellence in Quality awards to five hospitals during its recent annual convention. This award recognizes exceptional efforts to improve outcomes in clinical quality performance practices, capabilities, and results and represents the highest level of professional acknowledgement from the OHA Council on Quality & Patient Safety.
Submissions were scored based on their story of identification of a project specific to identified needs within the hospital, creating innovative interventions that incorporate evidence-based best practices, demonstrating measurable and quantifiable results, sustaining/spreading the success within the hospital, and stimulating learning for others.
Five award categories were recognized, four based on number of beds, and one for innovation.
2022 awardees for Excellence in Quality are:
Critical Access Hospital and Under 25 beds: Fairview Regional Medical Center, Project Title: Patient Fall Reduction for Med/Surg Unit Submitted by: Sarah-Marie Gerard, RN, BSN
26-100 beds: Jackson County Memorial Hospital, Altus Project Title: Clostridioides Difficile: Appropriate Testing, Treatment, and Teaching Submitted by: Shelley Simmons, chief nursing officer
101-300 beds:
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital at OU Health, Oklahoma City Project Title: Pressure Injury Awareness: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Tracking, Treatment, and Reduction Submitted by: Kristi Booker, director of quality
More than 300 beds:
OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Oklahoma City Project Title: VTE Reduction in an Academic Level 1 Trauma Center Submitted by: Todd Roberts, vice president of quality & patient safety
Innovation in Demonstrating Clinical Quality and Patient Outcomes:
Norman Regional Health System Project Title: Reducing Delirium Complications in the Hip Fracture Population Utilizing ED Pain Blocks Submitted by: Cathy Snapp, orthopedic program administrator

Annie Laurie (Ivey) Whited

Annie Laurie (Ivey) Whited of Noble was manager of the gift & book shop at the OU Continuing Ed Center before retiring in 1984. She attended Crosspointe Church in Norman and was a member of the Army Officers’ Wives Club. Annie’s words of wisdom: “Love the Lord, exercise, eat well and love others!”

KNOW A CENTENARIAN?
If you know of a Centenarian you would like to honor, please visit
http://centenariansok.com/ and download, complete and submit our form. One of our team members will contact you directly with the next steps.