ENID, Okla. — This Thanksgiving, Sheila Gilbert, of Enid, will be making a drive few would want to make. She'll be driving almost three hours to the Claremore Veterans Center, where her husband, David, is one of 5.7 million Americans living with dementia — a number expected to double over the next two decades. The … Continue reading ‘Good to know your enemy’ — Alzheimer’s caregiver urges others to seek education, support
Journalism
The extraordinary beauty of our ordinary stories
One of the most satisfying aspects of my work is retelling people’s extraordinary stories. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to hear and share a little bit of Ernest Leierer’s story. He participated in the D-Day invasion, which just happened to be his birthday, and had a wealth of stories from the war. He came to … Continue reading The extraordinary beauty of our ordinary stories
Martyred nuns continue to leave a legacy of faith, courage
Before Sister Kathleen McGuire left for Liberia in 1992, she had a professional portrait made of herself, to make sure her loved ones would have a good photo of her in case she didn’t return home alive. That portrait is now one of the few mementos Fred McGuire has of his older sister. She was one … Continue reading Martyred nuns continue to leave a legacy of faith, courage
Know your breast density
New law, new technology aim to improve breast cancer detection Enid, Okla. -- One in eight American women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, according to American Cancer Society (ACS). Almost 42,000 American women are expected to die of breast cancer this year, according to ACS, making it the second-leading cause of cancer deaths … Continue reading Know your breast density
White privilege curriculum goes international
Regional faith leaders in Oklahoma and Kansas have been working for more than three years to foster community conversations around white privilege, and how it plays into issues of racial justice in America. Now, that work is crossing international borders, with a United Church of Christ minister taking the training program to Germany. The Rev. … Continue reading White privilege curriculum goes international
Faith leaders gather to tackle issue of white privilege
Oklahoma City -- Faith leaders from across the state joined a cadre of trainers from the United Church of Christ and Oklahoma Conference of Churches Saturday at First Christian Church of Oklahoma City, to tackle the issue of white privilege and racial justice. The 45 clergy and lay leaders of a diverse group of denominations … Continue reading Faith leaders gather to tackle issue of white privilege
Churches tackling white privilege
The Oklahoma Conference of Churches is inviting churches across the state to join them in tackling the issue of white privilege, but there has been some resistance to the idea of opening that conversation. “Every time we start to publicize this event, we get a lot of pushback,” said the Rev. Shannon Fleck, executive director … Continue reading Churches tackling white privilege
From Okinawa to Vietnam and back: Retired sailor recalls career that spanned three wars
Writer's note: I enjoyed meeting this fellow Sailor and hearing his incredible story of service in three wars. But, what made the greatest impression on me was his befriending Japanese soldiers not long after the Battle of Okinawa and the end of the war. "They had a job to do, just like we did," McCray said. … Continue reading From Okinawa to Vietnam and back: Retired sailor recalls career that spanned three wars
‘It’s our baptism that calls us’
An interview with the Sisters of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ WICHITA, Kan. — In the not-too-distant past, a trip to the hospital in Enid, Okla., could be as much a spiritual journey as a physical one, with nurses equally ready to tend to matters of medicine and faith. St. Mary's Regional Medical … Continue reading ‘It’s our baptism that calls us’
“No good comes of war” Birthday memories of D-Day
ENID, Okla. — Ernest Leierer's 22nd birthday started out like any other day at his Army Air Corps Base in England. By the end of that day, Leierer was in France, in Eisenhower's "Great Crusade" to liberate Europe. Leierer, now 97, of Enid, Okla., found himself in the war the same way as many other … Continue reading “No good comes of war” Birthday memories of D-Day
