Sharon VanOrsdol

00:00:00Regan Siler: This is Regan Siler with the Bristow Historical Society in Bristow, Oklahoma. This interview is part of the Historical Society's ongoing oral history project. The date is October 30, 2025 and I'm here with Sharon VanOrsdol at the Bristow Library Annex. She's going to tell us a little bit about her life and what it's like living and working in the Bristow area. Can you please state your full name?

00:00:24Sharon VanOrsdol: Sharon Kay Brown VanOrsdol.

00:00:27Regan Siler: Okay, and do I have permission to do this interview?

00:00:30Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, you do.

00:00:30Regan Siler: Okay. Please tell me when and where you were born.

00:00:34Sharon VanOrsdol: I was born July 9, 1949 in Gypsy, Oklahoma.

00:00:41Regan Siler: Okay, and were you, so I'm guessing you were born in a home?

00:00:44Sharon VanOrsdol: At home.

00:00:44Regan Siler: Okay, well, let's start by talking about your family. Can you tell me what your parents full names are?

00:00:53Sharon VanOrsdol: My dad's name is Jesse Henry, and my mom's name was Winnie McGuire. She had no middle name.

00:01:01Regan Siler: No middle name, okay? And I have your dad's birthday as 3/24/1909 with date of death, 11/2/1977.

00:01:14Sharon VanOrsdol: That's correct.

00:01:14Regan Siler: And then I have, and I remember little Winnie. I have her date of birth as 7/19/1914 and her date of passing 4/1/2008.

00:01:26Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, ma'am, she was.

00:01:27Regan Siler: Okay. I remember she would make, what is it called CherryYum Yum?

00:01:29Sharon VanOrsdol: One of Rachel's favorites.

00:01:37Regan Siler: Yes, yeah, because Rachel would bring me some sometimes. Okay. Do you have any siblings?

00:01:43Sharon VanOrsdol: I do. I have seven siblings. Betty Louise [Brown] was born and only lived a couple of months. And then my brother, Henry, Henry Oscar Brown, Wilma Irene Brown Duke, Margaret Mae Ailey or Brown Ailey, Fredia Christine Brown Fowler, Shirley Faye Brown, she never married, myself-Sharon Kay Brown VanOrsdol and my youngest sister, Earlene Marie Brown Bostick.

00:02:26Regan Siler: I don't guess I realized you had that many siblings. Man, you had a big family.

00:02:31Sharon VanOrsdol: I did. There's only three of us left now.

00:02:34Regan Siler: Three left. Okay, so where did you live growing up, and did you have family living nearby you growing up?

00:02:43Sharon VanOrsdol: Actually, I've lived in the Gypsy area all my life. We lived eight miles south of Bristow, in the Gypsy area. I was born there, raised there. My dad drove a bus there for a while, and then he worked for the county for several years. My mom was always a housewife. And of course, with that many kids, you stay busy.

00:03:12Regan Siler: Yeah, absolutely.

00:03:13Sharon VanOrsdol: She was always quilting, making quilts, canning. I tell you, she would make quilts. And if anybody in the family needed something, or, you know, burnout or something going on, she would hand quilt those quilts, and then she would give them away.

00:03:31Regan Siler: Oh, well, she was such, a she was such a neat little lady. I just loved her.

00:03:36Sharon VanOrsdol: She was very giving.

00:03:37Regan Siler: Yes, I would agree with that. So your dad, so then your family has always lived in the Gypsy area?

00:03:46Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes.

00:03:47Regan Siler: So back before then, where did their parents live? Did they?

00:03:55Sharon VanOrsdol: Mom grew up in Missouri, I believe, or she was, I'm not sure she was born there, but anyway, she came from Missouri. Dad was raised around Kellyville. Yes, a lot of his family lived around Kellyville.

00:04:09Regan Siler: You know, I have learned while doing these interviews that a lot of people came from Missouri to this area, that that was a typical trek here. And I don't know if it was for the farming, maybe, or?

00:04:23Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, I'm not sure, but I know that we have family still in Missouri.

00:04:26Regan Siler: In Missouri? Okay, okay. Well, can you tell me about your school life? Where did you first attend school?

00:04:35Sharon VanOrsdol: I attended Gypsy School. At that time, it was K through eighth. My sisters and brother, actually, or part of them, graduated from Gypsy School when it was first through twelfth. Actually, it wasn't K. They didn't have Kindergarten at the time, so it was first through eighth. So, I went the first eight years there at Gypsy and then I transferred to Depew. At that time, we had an option of going to Depew or going to Bristow, and I chose to go to Depew. I graduated from Depew High School.

00:05:10Regan Siler: Okay. And you said you graduated in 1967?

00:05:13Sharon VanOrsdol: That's correct.

00:05:14Regan Siler: Okay. Do you remember having any influential teachers as you grew up? Do you have much memory of like your school life and what that was like?

00:05:24Sharon VanOrsdol: Actually, I remember my first grade teacher was Mrs. Burton, and she lived there by the school. She lived real close, and so she would take us kids up to her house to get a treat if we needed it. And if you ever had a belly ache, you just climbed up on her lap and she rubbed your belly, and it was instantly better. But I do remember her. All my teachers were really good, though. All through high school, I had some great teachers and through grade school.

00:05:56Regan Siler: Did you enjoy school?

00:05:57Sharon VanOrsdol: I did. I loved school.

00:05:59Regan Siler: You loved school? Did you have a favorite subject? Say, more like in high school?

00:06:04Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, I don't know that I really had a favorite. You know, you just went to school and did your work. And I don't know that I really had anything that I liked better than the other.

00:06:17Regan Siler: Right, okay. Well, tell me about what meal times were like in your family. Did everyone like get together every evening for dinner and sit down at the table and eat?

00:06:29Sharon VanOrsdol: We did. Everybody pretty much had their meals. They had their breakfast together. And of course, everybody was going about their daily routines at lunchtime. And then we were all home for supper, that's correct. And we didn't go out and eat. It was you ate what you got, you ate what was on the table, and you enjoyed it.

00:06:52Regan Siler: Right. Well, I can't imagine having a family that big trying to take them out to eat anyway. That would be something. Well, so did your mom teach you how to cook? Were you part of the meal making?

00:07:06Sharon VanOrsdol: We all knew how to cook and clean. There wasn't anybody that just went outside or went and sat down while the rest of them did it. We all joined together. Mom would teach us how to cook, or, you know, we would just watch as the meal came up, which, you know, the meals weren't elaborate. They were, you know, beans and cornbread and gravy and biscuits and, you know, just the simple things of life. But, but yes, we pretty much knew how to cook when we got out of school.

00:07:36Regan Siler: So, I have to ask, did you have a favorite meal or dessert that your mom fixed for you growing up?

00:07:43Sharon VanOrsdol: Chocolate gravy was the favorite breakfast. Yes, we loved chocolate gravy in either pancakes or biscuits. And you know, at supper time, I don't remember a favorite. I just remember they were all good.

00:07:58Regan Siler: They were all good. Well, I knew she was a good cook.

00:08:01Sharon VanOrsdol: She was a wonderful cook.

00:08:03Regan Siler: Well, thinking back to town life and growing up, what were some of your favorite community activities as a young person? I know a lot of people have talked about like Western Heritage Days, day camp, county fair, stuff like that. Do you have any particular memories growing up that you enjoyed doing in Bristow?

00:08:25Sharon VanOrsdol: Do you want growing up or after I after I got in town and started working? Actually, we didn't really get to participate in things growing up. We lived eight miles south of town, and, you know, we just did what we did around home. We didn't get to go into town for a lot of activities or get involved.

00:08:46Regan Siler: So whenever you did your shopping, still thinking back when you were young, did you come to Bristow to do your shopping and stuff?

00:08:55Sharon VanOrsdol: We did. And,actually, that was kind of a highlight on Saturdays, to come to town. Now I do remember growing up, mom and dad would park the car or the truck down at the depot, under the old water tower, and we would play under the water tower while they went and did whatever they were doing.

00:09:19Regan Siler: That's so cool, because I was actually going to ask if you had any memories of the depot as a young person.

00:09:25Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, we would play there under the water tower. You know, we didn't walk down Main Street with mom or dad. Usually, all they did was maybe they had something to sell or would just go look to see what they needed to buy. And, you know, they didn't want 15 kids trailing behind.

00:09:44Regan Siler: Right, right.

00:09:46Sharon VanOrsdol: So we would stay there and play under the old depot [water tower].

00:09:50Regan Siler: Yeah, that's cool. That's cool. So that was, like an every Saturday thing you would come to town or most Saturdays?

00:09:57Sharon VanOrsdol: Most Saturdays, yeah.

00:09:58Regan Siler: Saturdays, okay.

00:09:59Sharon VanOrsdol: We would come to town.

00:10:00Regan Siler: Yeah, okay. Do you remember what some of the biggest or most popular businesses were growing up around town, or something that maybe stuck out in your memory as a youngster?

00:10:11Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, Henderson's Furniture Store, I remember that. M & P Grocery Store, I think, and let's see Shamas [Shamas Dry Goods], Strong's.

00:10:31Regan Siler: A lot of those, I've heard people talk about.

00:10:34Sharon VanOrsdol: I was trying to think of the dress shops that were there. There actually was a dress shop, I can't remember what the name of that was.

00:10:43Regan Siler: So did you get to shop for clothes? Or did your mom make most of your clothes?

00:10:51Sharon VanOrsdol: She made our clothes.

00:10:52Regan Siler: Okay.

00:10:52Sharon VanOrsdol: I do remember going into Strong's and shopping for shoes.

00:10:56Regan Siler: Shoes.

00:10:56Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, yeah, they would have shoes. And they'd measure your feet and, you know, find the size shoe that you needed. So, that was always kind of fun.

00:11:05Regan Siler: That was probably a big deal.

00:11:08Sharon VanOrsdol: Got to get new shoes.

00:11:10Regan Siler: So was that like, maybe before the school year started?

00:11:12Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah probably, I don't really remember if it was a certain time of year, but yeah that was always fun.

00:11:20Regan Siler: So then thinking to later on, like when you were a teenager, did you have a favorite place to hang out, or anything that you did as a teenager?

00:11:31Sharon VanOrsdol: No, not a lot. And again, we went to Depew. So, you know, we would hang out in Depew a little bit, but we didn't really have a car or anything. So if we did, or if we were with somebody, we'd drag Main, you know. We would go to T&J maybe, and get a hamburger or Frosty Freeze somewhere like that.

00:11:55Regan Siler: Right, right.

00:11:57Sharon VanOrsdol: But as far as actually having a spot in Bristow, no.

00:12:01Regan Siler: Didn't nescessarily. Well, do you remember your first car?

00:12:08Sharon VanOrsdol: I remember it was, I think it was a Chevy. I got it right after I graduated. It was an older Chevy. I don't remember.

00:12:20Regan Siler: So was it just your car? Or did you have to share?

00:12:23Sharon VanOrsdol: No, that one was just mine. And like I said, I got it after I graduated, because I was starting a job. And I needed a way to get to work. And, honestly, I don't really remember my sisters' cars as they were going up, or my brother. I know my sisters attended a business college. And in Tulsa, Fredia and Margaret did Draughon's School of Business. That's where they went. But I honestly can't tell you a whole lot about their vehicles. I was just busy growing up.

00:12:58Regan Siler: Or just happy to be able to get around. Well, tell me about the house that you grew up in. What was it like?

00:13:07Sharon VanOrsdol: It was a little, two-story house. It set there eight miles south and a quarter of a mile back, west, north I guess. Actually, there's a house sitting there now that actually burned right after I got married. It burned, so my mom and dad built another little house in the same location. But you can imagine we were two in a bed, and you know all there and happy as a lark.

00:13:41Regan Siler: Right. So did you as far as entertainment at home, I'm guessing you guys spent most of your time outdoors?

00:13:48Sharon VanOrsdol: We did. They did get a TV later on. I don't remember how old, but we didn't have one when we were really young. We had one a little later. But we went outside, we made mud pies, we made forts in the woods, and we rode bikes. And you know, we entertained ourselves.

00:14:13Regan Siler: Right.

00:14:14Sharon VanOrsdol: Or with, you know, the ones of us that were still there.

00:14:16Regan Siler: Right.

00:14:17Sharon VanOrsdol: We just enjoyed each other.

00:14:19Regan Siler: So, do you remember, you mentioned the TV. Do you remember any particular shows that you enjoyed getting to watch? Because I'm sure it probably wasn't something you just got to do all of the time.

00:14:30Sharon VanOrsdol: Oh, no.

00:14:31Regan Siler: It was probably a special occasion.

00:14:33Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, honestly, I don't really remember those. Except I do remember my dad liked to watch wrestling.

00:14:39Regan Siler: Are you serious?

00:14:40Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, he loved to watch wrestling.

00:14:41Regan Siler: Oh, that's funny.

00:14:42Sharon VanOrsdol: So, we would watch wrestling shows. I remember that, but honestly, that's the only thing I can really remember.

00:14:48Regan Siler: I honestly didn't even realize they had wrestling like that back then.

00:14:51Sharon VanOrsdol: It was amateur stuff, you know?

00:14:56Regan Siler: Oh, that's hilarious.

00:14:59Regan Siler: Oh, that's funny. Did you listen to any, I'm sure you had radios? Did you listen to any particular kinds of music growing up or not really?

00:15:09Sharon VanOrsdol: No, not really. I don't remember, just the radio that we had.

00:15:15Regan Siler: Okay. Well, as a child do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up?

00:15:24Sharon VanOrsdol: You know, as a child, we never really thought about that. Or I never really thought about that, you know.

00:15:32Regan Siler: You were just busy being a kid.

00:15:33Sharon VanOrsdol: I was busy being a kid. We would go outside and play. And we'd play church, or we'd play school. But I don't have any early memories of really wanting to be anything in particular, besides being a housewife.

00:15:52Regan Siler: Right.

00:15:53Sharon VanOrsdol: That's all I knew.

00:15:53Regan Siler: Right, right. So being there where you grew up, did your dad farm or anything? Did you have farm chores and stuff to do?

00:16:03Sharon VanOrsdol: We didn't really have a farm. We had a few cows, and they always raised a big garden, and we had a horse. We'd ride the horse occasionally, and we didn't do that a whole lot. But I do remember almost every Sunday, we would get together with my aunt and uncle, who is my mom's brother, and my dad's sister. Because mom and dad married brothers and sisters, so they were actually our double cousins. And either we would go there on Sunday, or they would come to our house, the whole family. And I remember, Uncle Walter and Aunt Tressie (sp), they had horses. And we would get out there and ride horses or donkeys, play croquet, badminton, things like that. But we just always were a family like that, we had people over. Mom would always have the preacher over, or somebody for lunch. And I actually had a cousin that moved in with us, Albert Blythe. He moved in with us when he was a teenager. Because his parents, which was my dad's folks, my dad's brother was moving to California. And Albert didn't want to go, so he came and lived with us. And he actually met his wife down the hill, Ruby Blythe, Ruby Morris, while he was living there with us. So you know, we were just family. We just had fun.

00:17:40Regan Siler: So I feel like the difference, or a big difference maybe between now and then, is it just feels like everything was very much more family oriented, there was less distractions.

00:17:54Sharon VanOrsdol: Absolutely.

00:17:56Regan Siler: So your entertainment was your family. Your family was your friends.

00:17:59Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, that's right. We didn't socialize a lot, you know church people.

00:18:05Regan Siler: And church was big in your life?

00:18:08Sharon VanOrsdol: It was very big, very present in our life. Yes, we were raised in church. We were raised in the Gypsy Holiness Church.

00:18:16Regan Siler: Now was it at the same location that it is now?

00:18:19Sharon VanOrsdol: Across the road.

00:18:20Regan Siler: Across the road? Okay.

00:18:21Sharon VanOrsdol: We call it the old church. But yes, Brother Pete Duke was our pastor growing up, and then later there were other pastors. But yes, mom and dad would take us to church. I mean, we went to church on Wednesday night, Saturday night, Sunday, Sunday night. And that was, you know, that's just what we did.

00:18:45Regan Siler: Okay.

00:18:46Regan Siler: Now as far as after you graduated, you did not go to college, right?

00:18:51Sharon VanOrsdol: I did not. I went straight to work.

00:18:53Sharon VanOrsdol: straight to work. Probably the next couple of weeks after graduating.

00:18:59Regan Siler: You literally went straight to work. Okay, well, so tell me about the the jobs that you've held. I know you said you started out at the B&B Rexall for about six months after graduating.

00:19:04Sharon VanOrsdol: I did. I worked for Berta Asher at B&B Rexall Drug, and I worked as a soda jerk. They had the soda fountain, and so I just worked there as a soda jerk. And after a few months, Harry McMillan or Bob Blackstock, I can't remember which one. One of them came in and asked me if I would like to go to work for them, which their office was right there on the corner. So I said, sure, I've never done that, but I did have shorthand and things and school. So that's what they were wanting me to do, is take dictation and do some typing and stuff. So I went and worked for Blackstock & McMillan.

00:19:56Regan Siler: So kind of like a receptionist?

00:19:59Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, receptionist. They had another girl in their office, Linda, and I worked there with her. So I was just kind of her backup. And I worked there for, I don't know, a year, maybe a little longer, I don't remember. And then they decided that they were going to downsize to one person, so I was the low man on the totem pole.

00:20:26Regan Siler: Right, right.

00:20:27Sharon VanOrsdol: So I actually went straight from there. I don't even think I was off a week, and I went to the Bristow Memorial Hospital, and I worked as a switchboard operator. So we had a switchboard at that time. So I'd work in the office, do paperwork and answer the phone and do a switchboard operating.

00:20:52Regan Siler: So you did that for about a year?

00:20:54Sharon VanOrsdol: I did that. Yes, I don't remember how long, probably a year, maybe two. And then I and I don't know why I decided to change, if I decided or what the deal was, but anyway, I went from there to the American National Bank.

00:21:13Regan Siler: Which I find funny, because growing up, you always worked at Community, and my mom always worked at at the time American National. I did not know you had ever worked at American National.

00:21:24Sharon VanOrsdol: I did. I did. It was on Seventh Street.

00:21:26Regan Siler: Yeah, right.

00:21:27Sharon VanOrsdol: When the bank was on Seventh Street, I worked there. In fact, I can tell you my very first day to work. I went into work and they had had a robbery.

00:21:41Regan Siler: Are you serious? What a first day!

00:21:46Sharon VanOrsdol: They had someone come through the top, through the roof, went into their drive through and had robbed it. But little did they know that of course, their money is locked up in the vault, except for their coins. So they had dumped all the coins into a trash basket, if I can remember right, but couldn't get them out because it was all too heavy. Couldn't get it back through the roof.

00:22:18Regan Siler: So probably not a very smart robber.

00:22:20Sharon VanOrsdol: Wasn't a very smart robber, and it was an interesting first day at work.

00:22:25Regan Siler: So did that make you question your choice to leave the hospital?

00:22:29Sharon VanOrsdol: I wondered if I should be working there. But actually, that's not the only robbery they had while I worked there.

00:22:34Regan Siler: Oh my goodness!

00:22:35Sharon VanOrsdol: They had another robbery.

00:22:37Regan Siler: So would that have been like in the 70s? Like maybe mid 70s?

00:22:44Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, probably. I'm sure that Kell [Kell Kelly] or somebody could probably tell you, I don't know. But anyway, I do remember that I was working in the back, and someone ran back from the front and said we're being robbed. And so, of course, I was in the back and I didn't know anything about it. But come to find out the robber, the guy that came to hold up the bank, took the taxi to rob the bank.

00:23:20Regan Siler: Oh, my Gosh!

00:23:21Sharon VanOrsdol: And, so, when Gerald figured out what was going on, he drove off without the robber, and the robber was left on foot.

00:23:32Regan Siler: These aren't very smart robbers, are they?

00:23:34Sharon VanOrsdol: They weren't very smart. They did catch him. But anyway, that's a couple of interesting things.

00:23:40Regan Siler: Well, that's definitely interesting!

00:23:42Sharon VanOrsdol: Then one other time, while I was working there, they had a bomb threat. So, you know, it was kind of active.

00:23:48Regan Siler: Yeah. Man, it sounds like it was very active!

00:23:52Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, but it was a false alarm. We did have to evacuate the bank though.

00:23:56Regan Siler: Well, thank goodness it was a false alarm.

00:23:59Sharon VanOrsdol: Absolutely!

00:23:59Regan Siler: So then from there, you landed at your home, at Community Bank for the next 42 and a half years?

00:24:08Sharon VanOrsdol: That's right.

00:24:08Regan Siler: That is incredible! So tell us a little bit about your time at Community Bank, like what you did there and the different positions you held.

00:24:16Sharon VanOrsdol: Well, let me tell you first that the reason I left the bank was to have my family. I actually left because I was pregnant with Pat and I just wanted to have some time off.

00:24:32Regan Siler: Right.

00:24:32Sharon VanOrsdol: And then I decided after Rachel that I wanted to go back to work. A part time position wasn't available at American. So I went to Community and actually applied, and they hired me. I thought it was going to be part time, but from the day I was hired, I worked every day. It wasn't part time.

00:24:59Regan Siler: It wasn't part time!

00:25:01Sharon VanOrsdol: Lewis Foster hired me. Arthur Foster was the president at that time. So from that time, I worked every day pretty much for the next 42 and a half years.

00:25:16Regan Siler: So did you take any time off whenever you had Jennifer?

00:25:19Sharon VanOrsdol: I did. I was going to take more time off. She was three weeks early. I worked until six o'clock the night before she was born. But I didn't know that. I didn't know I was going to be doing that.

00:25:37Regan Siler: Oh my goodness!

00:25:38Sharon VanOrsdol: But, yes. And then I just was off probably a couple of months or whatever.

00:25:43Regan Siler: Right.

00:25:43Sharon VanOrsdol: And then I went back to work.

00:25:45Regan Siler: Okay. So, during the time that you were there, I know you told me, you started out kind of like a receptionist, and then you had several different positions while you were there. Tell us about some of the positions you held there.

00:25:56Sharon VanOrsdol: Actually, I started out as a receptionist, like I said. I thought I was going to be starting part time, but pretty much worked, well I did work every day. I went from there and did some teller work. I worked in the teller line. I loved, loved working in the teller line. Even after I moved positions, I would still work on Saturdays in the teller line. I worked in new accounts, I would open accounts, worked in CDs and IRAs. Through that time, I advanced from teller, assistant to assistant vice president, and then went on to be a vice president. At the time I retired, I was working in IRA, CDs, new accounts, just whatever. I would jump around to whoever needed help or whatever they needed.

00:26:57Regan Siler: Right. And I know you said you didn't go to college, but during that time, you took a lot of business classes?

00:27:02Sharon VanOrsdol: I did. I took Principles of Banking and different college classes.

00:27:09Regan Siler: That applied to your job?

00:27:12Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, that applied to banking. Yes, the bank sent me to different schools and classes that we took.

00:27:20Regan Siler: Okay. So I would say you must have been pretty happy at Community to have been there for that long.

00:27:26Sharon VanOrsdol: I was very happy. They were great people to work with. And I loved what I was doing. I loved my job. I loved the people that I worked with and for. And, yeah, I stayed there 42 and a half years.

00:27:41Regan Siler: Well, we love Community Bank with my own personal family. There's just a very hometown feel, and it's always stayed that way, which we appreciate it.

00:27:52Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, it has.

00:27:53Regan Siler: Yes. Okay, well, let's move on from there and talk about Gene. So tell me what your spouse's full name is?

00:28:04Sharon VanOrsdol: Okay. Franklin Gene VanOrsdol.

00:28:08Regan Siler: And I have he was born September 19, 1944 and he passed March 15, 2021?

00:28:15Sharon VanOrsdol: That is correct.

00:28:15Regan Siler: And you know, I did not know his first name was Franklin.

00:28:18Sharon VanOrsdol: Franklin Gene, yeah.

00:28:19Regan Siler: I've only ever known him as Gene.

00:28:21Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, that's what he went by. He just went by Gene.

00:28:26Regan Siler: So, can you tell me what your first impression of him was when you met him, or when you first saw him?

00:28:33Sharon VanOrsdol: Actually, the first time I saw him, his mother and he had come to the Gypsy Church. And you know, when a new boy comes to church everybody's looking. So, anyway, I noticed him then, and thought he was cute. But you know, where they had their family, we had ours. They went to the Advent Christian Church. But Gene's brother's wife, I don't know, I guess they were married at that time. Anyway, Phyllis, at that time, we were having a camp meeting, out north of Bristow. The churches had a campground out there, and so she asked me if he came to church that night, if I would sit by him. That's kind of how we got together.

00:29:31Regan Siler: So, that's how the romance began?

00:29:32Sharon VanOrsdol: He was bashful, and I was bashful. We just kind of sat there. We didn't really talk, didn't really do anything. But he did ask me to go out again, and that's actually where it started.

00:29:44Regan Siler: So, how long was your courtship?

00:29:50Sharon VanOrsdol: A year.

00:29:50Regan Siler: A year?

00:29:51Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, we got married in 1968.

00:29:54Regan Siler: So I have August 15, 1968, at the Gypsy Holiness Church?

00:29:59Sharon VanOrsdol: That's correct.

00:30:00Regan Siler: So did you guys just decide you wanted to get married? Or did he ask you? Or how did that work?

00:30:05Sharon VanOrsdol: Well, he kind of asked me. Well, he was kind of bashful, but yeah, in a roundabout way. I don't know if he actually just came out and said will, you marry me. But you know, I got the gist of it.

00:30:21Regan Siler: Yeah, you got the hint. Well, tell me what your first years of marriage were like. Were they tough? Were they wonderful? What was that like?

00:30:32Sharon VanOrsdol: I think everybody's first year of marriage is going to be tough. You know, you just learn to live with somebody new. After mom and dad and all the things you were used to. Actually, he had a house built for me before we ever got married. He had started a house after we had decided to get married. And the house was ready, we moved into our own house.

00:30:59Regan Siler: So, where was that located?

00:31:01Sharon VanOrsdol: That was five miles South and three quarters of a mile East of Bristow, where I live right now.

00:31:07Regan Siler: Oh, so right there?

00:31:08Sharon VanOrsdol: Right there. He had that house built by the time we got married, and he had bought the land from his grandma, I think. He and Orlan Colley [12/6/1908-10/1/1968], and I'm sure they had others, but they built the house there. And we've had to add on to it since.

00:31:30Regan Siler: Right.

00:31:31Sharon VanOrsdol: But anyway, the house was there when we got married. So, we moved from my house, eight miles south to the house I live in now.

00:31:38Regan Siler: I don't think I knew that. That's neat! Okay, all right.

00:31:42Sharon VanOrsdol: And I don't know what question you just asked me.

00:31:46Regan Siler: Well, I mean, knowing now that that's the house. I didn't realize that that's where you have always lived.

00:31:52Sharon VanOrsdol: I've always lived.

00:31:53Regan Siler: Well, that's so neat. So, how many acres did you have when you first got married?

00:31:58Sharon VanOrsdol: We had 37 acres there. No, I take that back. He may have had 15, and we bought some later. Either 15 or 30. He had bought it from his grandmother.

00:32:14Regan Siler: And then you just kept adding it throughout your life together?

00:32:19Sharon VanOrsdol: Actually, we bought another 80 acres that adjoined us. But we didn't get to buy that until just a few years before he passed away. It was owned by the Hollis family, who was a doctor here. And we tried to buy it several times through the years, and he wouldn't sell it. Then he passed on, and his kids had it, his kids got it, and they didn't want to sell it. And, so, a few years back, we saw a for sale on it and immediately contacted the realtor. And that's when we bought the 80 acres next to us.

00:32:59Regan Siler: So,now you have around 124 acre farm?

00:33:02Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes. About that 130, 100.

00:33:04Regan Siler: You have a lot, we'll just say a lot.

00:33:11Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah. We have other property that doesn't join the property. But that was inherited, a lot of it by his dad, from his mom and dad.

00:33:22Regan Siler: So, you guys have pretty much always had cattle and farmed there, right?

00:33:28Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, we've farmed. He had cattle when we got married, maybe half a dozen or so. We've just added to that and raised cattle and calves and whatever.

00:33:40Regan Siler: Over the years? Okay.

00:33:40Sharon VanOrsdol: Since we've been married, yes,

00:33:43Regan Siler: Okay. And then tell me how many children you have.

00:33:47Sharon VanOrsdol: I have three. Pat, Patrick Todd, Rachel Michelle and Jennifer Lynn.

00:33:57Regan Siler: Okay. And I have Pat's birthday, July 14, 1972 and he passed, July 4, 2016? Then I have Rachel as September 24, 1974, and then Jennifer's birthday, August 11, 1979? Does that sound, right?

00:34:16Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes.

00:34:17Regan Siler: Well tell me, especially since you were a working mother, about any particular challenges you had as a mom with littles trying to work. Back at that time, what were some challenges you faced?

00:34:31Sharon VanOrsdol: Well, you had a challenge every day of getting up and getting around.

00:34:35Regan Siler: Getting out the door?

00:34:38Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, yes. But you know, I never really counted that as a challenge. It was just an everyday thing that you did. You know with the first one, of course with Pat and Rachel, I was home more. I didn't have to get everybody up and out. But after I started back to work, they were a little bit older. They weren't old, but they were a little bit older. So, you just get in a routine. You want to get there on time, you get there early.

00:35:11Regan Siler: Right, right. Well, you had really good kids, too.

00:35:16Sharon VanOrsdol: I did. My kids were fabulous. They were good kids. They weren't rebellious, at least not when they were little.

00:35:25Regan Siler: We're not going to get into that, Sharon.

00:35:27Sharon VanOrsdol: Okay.

00:35:29Regan Siler: Okay, then tell me how many, you have a lot of grandchildren?

00:35:34Sharon VanOrsdol: I do. I can't wait to be a great grandma someday. But I don't know if that's ever gonna happen.

00:35:34Sharon VanOrsdol: I have eight.

00:35:34Regan Siler: You have eight grandchildren, okay. Because Rachel has three. Jennifer has four. And then Pat has one. Okay, okay. And I know you love being a grandma.

00:35:55Regan Siler: Well. Have you enjoyed being retired?

00:36:00Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes and no. I never minded working. You know, it never bothered me to work. I always enjoyed it. I didn't mind getting up, going to work.

00:36:13Regan Siler: I feel like you're definitely a doer, like you're not a sit around kind of gal.

00:36:17Sharon VanOrsdol: No. That's true. I don't like to stay in the house and sit around. And I'm sure everybody that knows me, knows that.

00:36:24Regan Siler: Right, right.

00:36:25Sharon VanOrsdol: Because I am still out and doing. I'm probably in town two or three times a day. But it never bothered me to work.

00:36:34Regan Siler: So it was probably a big adjustment, maybe?

00:36:38Sharon VanOrsdol: It was an adjustment of course. The reason, one of the reasons that I retired when I did was Gene's health was bad. He had been retired several years. He retired when he was 65, so he had been retired several years. And I felt like he needed me at home. So honestly, I retired to be there, to be there with him. And I like the part of being able to do what you want, when you want to do it.

00:37:11Regan Siler: Whatever, whenever.

00:37:12Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, not having to be at a certain place at a certain time most of the time. But I didn't enjoy the free time. I'm not a big hobby person. I didn't really.

00:37:24Regan Siler: That's funny, because that was going to be my next question. Do you have any hobbies? Aside from all of your community service work.

00:37:32Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah.

00:37:33Regan Siler: But I think you're just so...

00:37:34Sharon VanOrsdol: I'm not really a hobby person. I enjoyed taking pictures, you know just for the fun of it. If we had a reunion, I was always snapping pictures.

00:37:42Regan Siler: You were the camera lady?

00:37:44Sharon VanOrsdol: I'm the camera person. I'm probably not even going to have any pictures of me when I die. I'm not in anything.

00:37:49Regan Siler: Well as a photographer, that's how it is at my house, too. Like I'm hardly in any pictures.

00:37:54Sharon VanOrsdol: I know.

00:37:55Regan Siler: You're always the picture taker.

00:37:57Sharon VanOrsdol: Girls, you better start looking early.

00:37:59Regan Siler: Yes, right.

00:38:00Sharon VanOrsdol: I'm not in any of my pictures.

00:38:01Regan Siler: Well, so since you don't have any hobbies. I think one of the things that you're known for in Bristow is your heart for service. You have given your heart and soul to this community. So, I'd like to talk some. I know we we talked a little bit about church early on. But I know your church life is very important to you.

00:38:25Sharon VanOrsdol: It is.

00:38:25Regan Siler: So, tell me what you're involved in there.

00:38:27Sharon VanOrsdol: Okay. Well I go to the Bristow Holiness Church now. And we just finished a new sanctuary.

00:38:34Regan Siler: A beautiful building!

00:38:35Sharon VanOrsdol: We just got into it a week ago Sunday. It is beautiful! So we had some fundraisers along the way for that. But right now, I've taught the beginners, the little kids in Sunday school. They start about 18 months to up to age four. I've taught that age group for several years, a lot of years. I don't even know how many years, but I love them. I love teaching that group. I conduct booster bands for them, the little ones that come up on Sunday morning and sing little booster band songs. And they're so cute. They're so cute when they're up there.

00:39:18Regan Siler: Yes.

00:39:18Sharon VanOrsdol: And I love doing that. And you know, our church has always been very giving. We are working right now on helping raise stuff for Social Services. We're bringing in stuffing mixes for Social Services, for Christmas baskets. So we've got a great youth group, and we've got a great church altogether. Our pastor, Brother Douglas and Sister Cecily are wonderful people. They're great leaders, and they're wonderful people. So I love my church!

00:39:55Regan Siler: Yeah. I knew that was very important.

00:39:58Sharon VanOrsdol: It is very important to me. Yes ma'am.

00:39:59Regan Siler: So, then let's also talk about all the other things that you do. And I have a whole list here. You just tell me what all you're involved in, because it's a lot.

00:40:13Sharon VanOrsdol: Okay, well, right now I'm not involved in that much. But I will tell you that growing up and being in Bristow, while I worked in Bristow, I always enjoyed getting involved in the community. But you have to understand, by getting involved in the community and working, you had to be working at a place that allowed you to do that. And so working at Community, they were so good to let me go out. I mentored, would do reading programs with kids at the elementary sometimes. But again, they had to let me off for that 45 minutes or whatever to go do that. I delivered Meals-on-Wheels, I don't know how many years.

00:40:58Regan Siler: I think you told me, like 40 years?

00:41:00Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, probably. Honestly, I never kept track with the years, because time goes so fast. But I started when, well I don't know if I started then, but one of my first memories is when they served the meals out of the Mason's Lodge. They would actually go to the Mason's Lodge and get the meals to deliver. Then they went on, for awhile I think they did it at the Housing Authority. And now they're doing doing it at the Ninth Street village.

00:41:44Regan Siler: Right.

00:41:45Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, I don't remember the name of that. But anyway...

00:41:47Regan Siler: The retirement community there?

00:41:48Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, the retirement community. We get the meals. And they have several drivers that go out and deliver the meals to the people, home-bound or people that can't get out.

00:41:58Regan Siler: Right.

00:41:58Sharon VanOrsdol: And they're always looking for volunteers. So, if you want to volunteer, there you go.

00:42:04Regan Siler: Another volunteer opportunity.

00:42:05Sharon VanOrsdol: Another volunteer. I remember Western Heritage Days. We used to, all of the stores would dress up for Western Heritage Days. We would put our old costumes on and have the contest for best dressed and the best business. I remember we'd have gun fights on the street.

00:42:26Regan Siler: So, do you remember back then? Western Heritage Days has always been a very common theme or a prominent memory for people. Who at that time, when it was such a big deal, who organized it at that time?

00:42:42Sharon VanOrsdol: You know, I don't really remember who organized it.

00:42:45Regan Siler: To have all the businesses involved.

00:42:48Sharon VanOrsdol: I think it was just organized by the chamber.

00:42:51Regan Siler: Okay.

00:42:51Sharon VanOrsdol: I'm not sure.

00:42:52Regan Siler: I was just curious.

00:42:53Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah. I remember Lafayette Johnson. He was a fellow that used to shine shoes in Red Bird Shoe Shop. And he was a very big advocate. He would go up and down the street, either selling tickets, if they need them sold, or promoting it. I remember they used to have bed races. They would have bed races in the street, stick horse races, all kinds of things.

00:43:19Regan Siler: Fun stuff.

00:43:19Sharon VanOrsdol: So, it was a really big thing back then.

00:43:21Regan Siler: Yeah.

00:43:22Sharon VanOrsdol: So I really enjoyed getting involved with that.

00:43:24Regan Siler: With that being said, that along with your Easter egg hunt, that was all like you mentioned earlier, because you worked somewhere that allowed you to be part of that.

00:43:37Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, Easter egg hunt. I love the Easter egg hunt, and it's still going now. It actually started with the 4h Club. I think before I got involved, several years before that, they had one somewhere. I don't remember, it seems like it might have been out by the Krumme building or something. But anyway, by the time I got involved Jennifer was in 4H. Danny Collins had kids in 4H and so we said, why don't we start that as a 4H project. Well, through the years, you have different 4H leaders that do different things. But the 4H leader right now, she's doing a great job helping us. So we're getting that done. But yes, I love the Easter egg hunt, and it's still going now. I mean and it started when Jennifer was in 4H.

00:44:29Regan Siler: Right!

00:44:30Regan Siler: So, yeah. And then you also, I know you've mentioned the toy run, the Day of Caring with United Way...

00:44:41Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, we just got through with that. And social services is a big part of that. It has evolved. It's actually, as you know, it's hard to get volunteers for things. But it's just as hard to get people to ask for help, you know. So when we started it, we actually had projects that people would give us ideas to do. We would mow lawns, we would clean yards, you know. But as time went on and the liability got greater, as far as if you did anything wrong.

00:45:18Regan Siler: Right.

00:45:19Sharon VanOrsdol: You know you had to kind of scale back. But anyway, we just got through with the Day of Caring in August. The toy run is actually going to be tomorrow.

00:45:28Regan Siler: Oh!

00:45:28Sharon VanOrsdol: It's not, no it's Saturday, November 1. Yeah, and the businesses have been very generous in giving to that. You know, we'll talk to the businesses and see if they want to donate some money or donate a toy. If they donate money, then we go buy the toys.

00:45:49Regan Siler: And is that donated to social services?

00:45:50Sharon VanOrsdol: It's donated to social services and some to the Head Start.

00:45:54Regan Siler: Okay!

00:45:54Sharon VanOrsdol: They get some of those also, if they have kids that need toys. So, yeah, that's going to be Saturday. Anybody that wants to get involved in that, come on down.

00:46:05Regan Siler: And then, in talking to Rachel, she also mentioned that you were Citizen of the Year in 2019?

00:46:12Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, ma'am.

00:46:13Sharon VanOrsdol: And that's through the chamber.

00:46:15Regan Siler: Through the chamber, okay. And then you had a business award, tell me about that too.

00:46:18Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, actually, it was through the Business and Professional Women. They nominated me for an award, and I had to go to Tulsa to interview for that. It was a big deal.

00:46:38Regan Siler: Yeah!

00:46:39Sharon VanOrsdol: I, of course, was nervous going up there, but they had a list of questions that they would ask. And anyway, I got that.

00:46:48Regan Siler: So,it was a big honor.

00:46:50Sharon VanOrsdol: It was quite an honor. Yes, it was. It was a great deal. Also, there was another one at the chamber. What did you mention?

00:46:59Regan Siler: The Citizen of the Year?

00:47:01Sharon VanOrsdol: Yeah, it was the achievement, I think.

00:47:03Regan Siler: Okay.

00:47:05Sharon VanOrsdol: I have gotten two awards through the chamber.

00:47:08Regan Siler: That doesn't surprise me even a little bit.

00:47:11Sharon VanOrsdol: That was quite an honor to do that.

00:47:13Regan Siler: Well, can you think of, there's such a long list. Can you think of any other things that we have forgotten, that you've been involved in, or that you've enjoyed doing around Bristow?

00:47:23Sharon VanOrsdol: Well, right now, I enjoy helping the social services.

00:47:29Regan Siler: In whatever capacity.

00:47:30Sharon VanOrsdol: In whatever. Yes, I do go to the office and volunteer one day a week. But, I'm on the Social Services Board of Directors. So another thing that I remember, Dr Cooper had started a clinic called the Bristow Free Clinic. It was for people that needed care, that couldn't afford care. That was one day a month, I think.

00:48:00Regan Siler: Okay.

00:48:01Sharon VanOrsdol: So I was on that board for awhile.

00:48:04Regan Siler: So were you also on the hospital board?

00:48:06Sharon VanOrsdol: I was on the hospital board. Yes, I was on the hospital board.

00:48:10Regan Siler: You need a whole entire big resume to remember everything that you've done. Anything else that you can think of that we might be forgetting?

00:48:20Sharon VanOrsdol: Well, no, not really. Again, I have to emphasize the fact that none of this would have been possible if I hadn't worked in a place that was allowing me.

00:48:29Sharon VanOrsdol: When you work and you are on these boards, you have to have some time off.

00:48:29Regan Siler: Wonderful business!

00:48:31Regan Siler: Right.

00:48:33Sharon VanOrsdol: To do that.

00:48:37Regan Siler: Right, Okay.

00:48:38Sharon VanOrsdol: Let me see, I was secretary for the bank for a while.

00:48:45Regan Siler: Oh, okay. We'll probably turn this interview off and go, oh yeah, there was like three or four other things I forgot about.

00:48:54Sharon VanOrsdol: That's plenty.

00:48:55Regan Siler: Okay. Well, I want to ask you and this is just kind of a I'm curious about. How do you feel the world is different now than when you were a child?

00:49:07Sharon VanOrsdol: Oh, my goodness, technology. Technology has changed so much. As a kid, we grew up being a kid. We can be a kid. You can't be a kid anymore. You're going to be sitting in front of a screen or a phone or something, you know. I don't feel like kids can be kids anymore. I feel like kids have too much technology. They have to keep up with somebody.

00:49:34Regan Siler: Almost like the youth has been robbed?

00:49:37Sharon VanOrsdol: Yes, yes.

00:49:38Sharon VanOrsdol: I feel like they feel pressured to do more.

00:49:42Regan Siler: Right!

00:49:43Sharon VanOrsdol: Know more. So, I mean, I think technology has been a good, big part of that.

00:49:49Regan Siler: Well, I do think in some ways, you know, obviously technology is a positive.

00:49:53Sharon VanOrsdol: Technology is great!

00:49:56Regan Siler: But in so many ways, especially for youth, I agree with you. I think it's a big negative.

00:50:01Sharon VanOrsdol: I think it's great for kids, not for kids, but for adults. I think we need it. We have to have it.

00:50:07Regan Siler: Yeah.

00:50:08Sharon VanOrsdol: But I think kids need to be kids.

00:50:10Regan Siler: Yes.

00:50:10Sharon VanOrsdol: I think they need to be taught to enjoy their life, enjoy being a kid.

00:50:17Regan Siler: Enjoy and learn how to talk, actually talk to people.

00:50:20Sharon VanOrsdol: Actually talk to people, yeah.

00:50:22Regan Siler: Okay. What do you feel is our nation's biggest problem, and how do you think it can be solved?

00:50:32Sharon VanOrsdol: Well, the nation's biggest problem is turning away from God. You know, they took prayer out of school. They took God out of everything. You know what I'm saying. So, our coins say In God We Trust. I don't even know if that still says that. I don't even know if they still print that on on the coins anymore. But they don't, the world doesn't trust in God anymore. They trust in technology.

00:51:03Regan Siler: And man?

00:51:04Sharon VanOrsdol: Man, yes absolutely!

00:51:06Regan Siler: Okay. How have historic events for example, like the Oklahoma City Bombing, 9/11, maybe a natural disaster or even a World War. Have any of any of those types of events affected your life, and even covid? I mean, you could count covid in that.

00:51:34Sharon VanOrsdol: I think it affected everybody. Covid affected everybody's life. The Oklahoma City bombing affected so many people's lives. I don't know, just in daily life, it's affected so much. Because you used to be able to say what you wanted, do what you wanted, go where you wanted. Now, the government's got an eye everywhere. You know, you can be thinking something and it'll pop up.

00:52:07Regan Siler: It comes up on your phone.

00:52:10Sharon VanOrsdol: I'm like, how could that be possible? So, I don't know. I just think that especially Covid has had such an effect. People are afraid to do anything anymore.

00:52:22Regan Siler: Yeah.

00:52:22Sharon VanOrsdol: They're afraid to go out in public without covering their mouth, something like that.

00:52:27Regan Siler: Okay, okay. Well, my final question for you, first of all, is there anything else you would like to tell us? And I would like for you to leave some wisdom for future generations. Give us some Sharon VanOrsdol wisdom to leave for future generations.

00:52:46Sharon VanOrsdol: Okay. If you're working, if you get there on time, you're late. So be there early, do more than expected, and always stay busy. And as far as wisdom, the thing that has helped me, and I can't remember, it's in Psalms. But I can't remember the verse. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. And there's been many times that I've needed that strength.

00:53:25Regan Siler: Yes, I agree. Well Sharon, I know you were nervous to do this interview, but honestly, it's been one of my favorite ones. You've done such a great job, and it's been such a joy talking to you. Your interview will become an important part of the Oral History Archives for our museum. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, and we really appreciate it.

00:53:48Sharon VanOrsdol: Well, you are welcome!