See You on the Lake

By Woody Cooper

The family reunion has come and gone once again. Even though about the same number of folks attend each year the faces continue to change. Much happiness is evident each year as kinfolks are hugged and petted but there is also room for sadness when another member has dropped by the wayside during the year. We always dedicate the event to those who did not make it back for one more trip.

In the beginning the reunion was a makeshift get together because most of the family members lived fairly close together and it was more like a visit than a reunion for most of us. We usually saw each other between reunions back yonder. My oldest brother Duke was the R.E.A. co-op manager at Stillwater, Oklahoma. He had a big ranch home and a big yard. It was the ideal place for a family reunion. Two of my sisters, Lou and Jerry lived in Ponca City which was only an hour's run from Stillwater. My sister, Dorcus lived in Pawnee and that was less than an hour away. My younger brother, Pete also lived in Ponca City.

My brother, Choc was the only one who had any distance to travel with his family to get there. He was the director of the Y.M.C.A.'s in Houston, Texas. I was coaching high school football and wrestling in Oklahoma and had no problem traveling there. Everything was timed to when Choc could get there. There was between twenty five and thirty Husbands, wives and children who made the one day family reunion. It started early and ended late.

Later on some of our cousins and their children came and because it was getting larger and more importantly distance to travel entered into it. We had begun to spread out over the state and outside Oklahoma. It was over a ten hour drive for me now because I had moved to Lufkin. It was a twelve hour run for brother Choc. Two of our cousins lived in Colorado and some in Kansas.

We started moving it to a lake resort and stayed three days. We would gather on Friday and visit Friday night, all day Saturday and break for home following a group family breakfast on Sunday morning. That's the plan we now use. We moved from last year's location at the state lodge on Texoma to Fort Gibson state lodge in Oklahoma.

My family consisted of my wife, Patsy and son and daughter in law, Steve and Becky Cooper.

My sister Lou and son Zandell were there from Ponca City, Okla. Her daughter Sharon and her husband Ken were there from Bartlesville, Okla. Pam, Lou's daughter came in from Talaquah. Andrew and David Harlan were there. Chase and Cohn Vann along with Lilly and Mathew Iron were there for two days. My sister Dorcus' son, Charles and his wife Peggy Hart ran down from Broken Arrow. Charles and son Steve along with Ken Armstrong always cut out for the golf course early. Nancy and son Adam came over from Stillwater. Adam had the most beautiful voice for singing when he was a youngster but now he is a Senior in college and he no longer sings for us at the reunion-said he lost it when he turned thirteen. Shame.

Kevin Graham, son of sister Dorcus arrived late from Edmond, Okla. Jennifer Nider and Jacalynn Nider came but I did not get the town they live in. Carol Heck the daughter of Brother Duke and her daughter Jennifer Heck ran up from Dallas, TX. Sara Davis was a new person to me and I did not get her hometown. Sara and Donavon Bogoslawsk were there from Talaquah. Sister Lou's granddaughters Julie, Tom Taylor, Maddie, and Avery Thomas were all there singing and playing. My son Jerry and Paula Cooper came up from Muscogee, Okla. We had a ball for almost three days.

Even though it is a happy event there are also a few tears shed for those not there with us anymore. My sister Jerry and her husband Ralph are gone. My big brother Duke passed away at age seventy eight. Sister Dorcus Hart left us at age eighty two. Her husband Les is also gone. Duke's wife Doris passed on a few years ago. Brother Choc died at age eighty two. My younger brother Pete left at age 78. Sister Lou's husband Mark Penoi is gone. My youngest son Duke Cooper of Lufkin died a few wears ago. Vivian Kinkaid my cousin died last year.

Even though we miss them dearly it always pleases me that instead of being over come with grief we manage to think of something funny or remarkable about those who are no longer with us and there were many funny things that were remembered. We have already set the date and site for next year and I am boning up on a few new jokes to spread amongst my kinfolks. I'm also going to have to practice on a few high notes for the big sing song we have. My cousin Sharon's husband has a beautiful voice and he kept peering at me over his glasses when I hit a high note that wasn't always high enough-I gotta get better someway.

Patsy and me have been married fifty-six years and we still look the same as we did when we were married. That is why we are always dumbfounded when we look at everyone at the family reunion. Each person always looks a year older, except us. The gray is showing in our lady kinfolks hair and the pink is now showing on the men's pate where hair used to grow. The only gray in Patsy's hair comes from the drug store because she likes the color silver. I am bald by choice too because it is in vogue. I shave my head twice a week because it is in fashion. No siree we look the same as we did fifty six years ago. Wish my kinfolks did too.

Buckle Up, Drive With Care, Put On A Life Jacket And I'll See You On The Lake.