BOOK OF DOUGLAS

Tulsa Homes

2012-01-31T13:53:00.000-08:00

Tulsa, Oklahoma was home for 18 years. We started out living in rented houses and finally purchased our first home about 1965-66. 11422 East 4th Place shown in the upper right hand corner of these pages. Life happened here -- the next door neighbor boys were mean to our dog, Ringo, other neighbor boys were fascinated with the race car building in the garage. I found a fabulous white Christmas tree with all white and gold decorations that would be put up every year for the next 13 years. I had gone to "beauty school" and was now working in a salon styling hair, Douglas went to work keeping airplanes in good working order and Tammy went to grade school, graduated high school, got married and moved to Wichita while we lived here. I got "the bug" for a larger home in the early 80's - 5711 South Indianapolis -- perfect street address !! Douglas was no longer racing but always talked of going to the Indy 500 -- one of the things on his "bucket list" that never came to pass, regretfully. This house was perfect when families came to visit -- the back yard and patio made for a great outdoor room. We wouldn't live here long, but, good times were enjoyed here in those few years !!

Still In A Uniform

2011-11-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

After Douglas mustered out of the U.S. Navy, we settled "back home" in Iowa for about a year. I didn't find my photo of where we lived until after doing these pages, so that will appear later in these pages along with the story of that year. He wasn't satisfied with not being able to work on airplanes, so, furniture was stored and we were off to Tulsa, Oklahoma for him to further his education in that field by attending Spartan School of Aeronautics. We rented a mobile home in the first few months while he went to classes and worked part time for a motorcycle escort service. That was right up his alley as he had a small motorcycle as a teenager and always loved riding. Riding the Harley, escorting motorcades for funerals and dignitaries excited him. After finishing his courses, he was hired on at a company called North American -- back to doing what he did best -- being a hydraulics mechanic -- keeping those airplanes in good condition !! I had gone to work as a waitress to help supplement our income. I had no idea I would be in the work force in some way for many years to come -- up to this point, I had only been a wife and mother. Finances were better, so the family brought our furniture from Iowa to our newly rented home. Tammy was going to be starting kindergarten and the school was within walking distance -- I look back on those days and think about how much we trusted neighbors and the neighborhood -- Now, I would never think of letting a five year old walk alone or even with buddies those few blocks to and from school and then, when she was older, allowing her to walk a couple of blocks up the street to a strip mall !!! What could we have been thinking ?? Anyway, life was being good to us, careers were in the making !!

Places Called Home

2011-09-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

I have stopped to count the MANY places that we called home throughout our life together, but, I never remember the number !! We had a lot of different roofs over our heads, a lot were furnished rentals, some we owned (or mortgaged !! ) Douglas was in the Navy during our first years together, so moving around became a natural thing for us. The top photo on the left was a large home in Norman, Oklahoma that had been converted into furnished apartments. We had the second story, front, one bedroom unit. Douglas was going to aeronautical school, learning the trade that he would use for the rest of his life. Two weeks after our wedding, he went to Norman, found the apartment, and I followed shortly thereafter. We were there just a few short weeks and then off to Millington, Tennesse for an advanced training school. There, after a very tedious and long hunt, I found a converted attic apartment in Memphis, 16 miles from the base -- I will never forget one ad for a furnished apartment -- I went to look at it -- oh my !! It was a rundown shack, broken windows, a bed with an old straw mattress -- wow ! the ad was certainly misleading !! Tammy was born at the Millington, Tennesse Naval Base hospital one hot August day. About two weeks later, his Mom, Dad and brother came to meet their new grand-daughter/niece. I have always loved the photo of Douglas, holding his new daughter, saying his good-byes when they left to return to Iowa. October came and we were off again, this time to Quonset Point, Rhode Island. Douglas had "leave" time, so we spent several days in Iowa for a visit with our families before moving on. We purchased the 8' x 24' mobile home, hooked it up to that '46 Ford coupe and away we went to the East coast !! The car was a lot worse for the wear and tear it took towing that "home", but, we made it !! The mobile home was our roof over our head for the next three years, there in Rhode Island, in Canton, Ohio, then Virginia Beach, Virginia. I was pregnant, we were going to need more room, we had an opportunity to sell the mobile home, so, we were off on a hunt for a furnished apartment. I found this little two bedroom cottage just three blocks from the beach -- it certainly wasn't anything fancy, but, we thought being within walking distance of the ocean was the best thing, ever!! Tammy and I loved going to the beach that summer of '61. The landlord, Andy and his wife, lived in a large house at the front of the lot. Andy and Douglas had many a conversation over that little white picket fence. Look at Tammy trying to be "just like her Dad" !!

The Family of Fishermen (and women)

2011-09-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

Why anyone likes to go fishing is something I could never quite understand, but it seems Douglas came from a family of fishermen. His parents and friends went to Minnesota and Canada off and on for years. At one time, I think his parents had a cabin on a lake in one or both of those places. Photos on the left show his parents catches of the day in Minnesota years ago. The bottom left photo, Douglas is showing off his big catch to his daughter, circa 1961. The other picture is his grand-daughter, Hilery, showing off her catch, around '84. Photos on the right were taken while we were living in New Hampshire. The duplex we rented there was on an acreage, with a large wooded area. Back in those woods was a fairly large pond where bullheads were easy to catch. Douglas spent many an hour there and there was always a good fish fry that evening !!

The Prankster

2011-01-08T10:55:00.000-08:00

The professional photo of Douglas was taken in 1983 when we were on a trip to Iowa to celebrate his parents 50th wedding anniversary. The snapshot with our Irish setter, Ginger, was back in the late 70's. Douglas mail ordered for the certificate to be a reverend of a church as it was a job that he always thought he would be good at. He did like to preach to me, sometimes !!! He had crazy business cards made up as a fun thing to give to people he met -- always looking to be the jokester !! Also on this page are odds for football bets and horse races, which were fun things he liked to do at the sports books at the casinos. The Avon Man hat was a spur of the moment gift I gave to him. I sold Avon products for years and he would always take the brochures to girls that worked at Pepper's, his favorite hangout. They would give him orders for me and he would deliver them, so he became known as the "Avon Man" !!

Skydiving Fun

2010-08-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Skydiving was on Douglas' "bucket list" for as long as I can remember. He liked all those "risky" to your health and well being adventures !! I came home from work that February 15, 1981 to find him sitting in the recliner with a cast on his ankle AND a big grin on his face. He had made his first solo skydiving jump, only to break an ankle in the adventure of the day. He had been going for lessons for several weeks without telling me or anyone else, as far as I know. He received his certificate for "first jump" and of course, it had to be framed and hung. He never went back to do another dive -- Skydivers in these pictures are from a sport magazine. The photos of him were taken in the mid '80's when we were living in Okinawa.

Noble of the Mystic Shrine

2010-05-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

Douglas became a member of the Masonic Lodge in 1972 and later the Akdar Shrine while we lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While we were in Okinawa, he became a member of the Aloha Shrine. Shriners do a multitude of good deeds, but, are known to love their parties. We dressed in our formal best for a wonderful dinner and dance one night there in Okinawa. These guys in their fez's gathered in a circle and sang "their" song, "Tiny Bubbles". To see Douglas laugh and have so much fun was an amazing sight to behold !!

A Surprise Gift

2010-04-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Douglas was full of surprises through the years !! I think nothing pleased him more than doing something that was totally unexpected by me !! I came home from a trip in the spring of 1980 and here was a brand new Cougar sitting in the garage !! He had put this beautiful Mother's Day card underneath the windshield wiper blade. A new car for Mother's Day ?? Well, the envelope told the tale -- I would be reminded of this gift for several holidays thereafter when there was no gift in sight !!

Cars For Us

2009-11-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

Douglas' love of automobiles followed him all of his life. These two pages show photos of more of the cars we owned throughout the years. My favorite of all time, of course, was the Corvette. I did like that black Cougar that he found for his daughter when she got her driver's license, too. I think he had the most fun, though, with that rusty old Ford Falcon pick-up that he called "The One-Owner". He could well afford to drive what ever kind of car he wanted to have, but also liked being a bit eccentric and giving people something to talk about !!

Man of Many Cars

2009-08-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Douglas loved cars - not just the racing cars. The '54 Ford he bought from his Dad when he turned 16 was sold when he joined the Navy. So, here he was, home from boot camp, and we were getting married. We needed a car. His sister and brother-in-law had a '46 Ford coupe they were willing to sell to us. It was a good automobile, but after towing an 8' x 27' mobile home from Iowa to Rhode Island later that year, the block was cracked and it was more or less "done in". He found the old truck, I think it was a '36 Ford amd it was our transportation for a short while. When orders came for him to be stationed at Oceana, Virginia and go "out to sea" for a few months, my uncle moved our mobile home to Ohio to my grandparent's mobile home park where Tammy and I stayed for those months. When he was back on land, he purchased a '55 Chevy from a friend of my uncle's. Well, the story of buying, selling and trading autos through his lifetime was just off to a good start !! The '65 Plymouth pictured was the first of only three BRAND NEW cars we ever owned. In his young years, Douglas loved having something different to drive down the road !!! He also liked for me to have something sporty to drive, too !!

Days in the Life of Speed

2009-06-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

Douglas always wore his black felt hat to the race tracks. An ardent female fan with Indian heritage, crafted and presented the beaded band to him. I am not sure where the pheasant feather came from . Some of the pins were "gifts". Some were added when he was no longer racing, but still wore the hat on occasion. These pages include a photo of him as a child in feather headdress and his grand-daughter, Hilery, in full Indian attire. As a young girl, Hilery came to Las Vegas to visit her grandparents. We always found fun things to do such as a western theme casino had a store where you dressed in costumes and had your photo taken !! Douglas' first track racing experience came with owning and driving a go-kart in the early '60's while stationed at Oceana, Virginia. His daughter liked to "help" work on the kart and grew up liking speed as much as her father. His parents, back in Iowa, maintained a go-kart track for local kids to race on. Other photos on these pages include his racing uniform, an awards jacket, and ceramic car and driver, made and presented to him by another fan. Cars and racing were a huge part of what made Douglas who he was !

Stock Car Racing Days

2009-03-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Throughout the '60's and '70's, Douglas drove a few different stock cars at many different race tracks in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas. Racing was in his blood -- he loved driving, he loved working on the cars. He placed in the top ten winners in Tulsa in 1970. Many of the drivers had more sponsors, had more money and won more races, but, few had more fun and enjoyed it any more than he did !! Every driver had their specific fans that cheered for them and crowded around them after a race. There was always a beautiful girl to give a trophy to the winner of a "Trophy Dash". Our daughter, Tamera, was that girl one August Saturday night in Tulsa when Douglas won that race. Tulsa Speedway proved to be the most difficult for Douglas. Most of the many trophies he won came from other tracks he raced.

Fast Cars

2009-02-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

I am inclined to believe that Douglas' love of cars and speed was inherited from a grandfather he never knew until he was an adult. C.J. Rose was one of a team of two drivers that took this Hupmobile across the state of Iowa in record time in the year 1915. A newspaper ad and trophy were found amongst Minnie Rose's belongings after she passed away. The ad was decoupaged to create a plaque that hangs in a collage in my entry hall and the trophy sits atop a curio cabinet. These pages show photos of Douglas at an early age with his tricycles, and pretending to drive a tractor and school bus. He was happy when he was behind a wheel of a vehicle, especially when there was no limit to the speed he could run.

From East To West

2009-01-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

We spent a little over a year in the state of New Hampshire. Douglas' company had a contract with a private company in Manchester. It was a great year !! We had rented a furnished duplex on an acreage out in the woods. Douglas cleared a path into the woods that led to a pond where he loved to sit and fish. He didn't care if he caught anything -- he just liked being out there. I doubt there is any place more beautiful in the fall of the year than this part of the United States. His parents visited us that autumn - a travel gift for their 50th wedding anniversary from the 3 children. A cousin and family also spent a few days with us. We had Maine lobster cookout parties often. Then, August of 1985, Douglas got transfer orders and we were off to Las Vegas, Nevada. We went from lush green countryside to the desert !!

Around the World We Went

2009-01-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

Douglas had sand in his shoes -- always looking for a different job, a different place to be in his life !! He liked changes and it was a good thing I didn't mind, either. The job he retired from was with Beech Aerospace Services, a company that did government contract work. He trained in the Navy and at Spartan School of Aeronautics to be an aircraft mechanic which led him to a few different companies in his lifetime, two of those being McDonnell Douglas and American Airlines there in Tulsa. These pictures show him at work in Okinawa with Beechcraft. While he was attending Spartan School in Tulsa, he had a part time job riding for a motorcycle escort service. This was right up his alley, too, because he got to ride a Harley without buying one !! Always the adventurer !!

Along Came a Grand-daughter

2009-01-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

Hilery was born in October of 1979 in Germany- another star in our lives !! I was able to make the trip to meet her, but, her Grandpa didn't meet her until Christmas of that year. She was like her Mom -- loved to play in the grown-ups shoes and clothes ! Douglas always watched Saturday morning cartoons with his daughter and continued the ritual with his grand-daughter anytime he had the chance !! Wiley Coyote was always their favorite. One picture shows Hilery playing a slot machine in her paternal grand-parents home. Little did she know she would grow up to live in Las Vegas and we never gave a thought to the fact that we would live and work in that fun city. We had our one daughter who blessed us with one grand-daughter. "Grandparents -- so easy to operate, a child can do it". We were loving every minute of it !!

Book of Life Secrets

2008-12-22T11:28:00.000-08:00

Our baby grew up and provided us with many surprises ! She held first chair flute in her high school band and belonged to a group called The Young Tulsans which took her on trips to Romania and Mexico. Marriage, a baby, living overseas with her husband's job, and going to college later in her life because she didn't want to be a secretary forever - she gave us plenty to talk about and be proud of. Her graduation from Wichita State and KU medical school were goals she set and met. Pride and Joy - Douglas "burst buttons" when telling anyone about his daughter. Regrettably, he was ill at the time of her graduation from medical school and unable to attend the ceremonies, but, he lived to know dreams were being fulfilled.

Our Baby

2008-12-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

Our baby Tamera, was born at the Naval Hospital on base at Millington, Tennessee, just outside of Memphis. She came into our lives and was the "apple of her Father's eyes". We were just "kids", barely old enough to know what life was all about and here we were, having a "kid" of our own !! She loved playing in the adult clothes and shoes, and there she is in her Dad's favorite jacket, the black leather from his high school days. One of my most favorite pictures of her as a child is the one playing in the sand at Virginia Beach, Virginia. Douglas was stationed at Oceana in 1960-'61, where we rented a little furnished cottage a block from the beach. The beach was our favorite haunt that summer !!

Bells are Ringing for Me and My Guy

2008-12-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Douglas is home from boot camp, my high school graduation, wedding plans !! A flurry of activity !! We were "very" young, in love, knew it all and weren't wasting any time ! Unfortunately, there were no formal wedding pictures that day. These snapshots were taken at the home I was leaving shortly after the wedding ceremony at our quiet little reception. It was an immediate family only affair. Announcements were sent out to aunts, uncles and grandparents and a few close friends. We were off and running to our new life together !

It's in the Mail

2008-11-23T11:56:00.000-08:00

We kept the post office busy in those four years ! Anytime we were not together, a letter was written most every day. For this one page, I clipped post marks and stamps from real letters from Douglas while he was in boot camp and other spots. On the back of one envelope, he had printed the caption "Postmaster make like Elvis go man go". We were a young married couple during Elvis' early popularity. I have never run across the letters I wrote to him, but still have the ones I received from him. The other page shows photos of his dog tags and honorable discharge medal and certificate. "The Anchor" was an album similar to high school annuals with pictures and stories of Company 154 - the group of young men at San Diego Naval Training that spring of 1958. The "Nightcappers" emblem was the logo for Douglas group of Naval Airmen. His Mother and Dad had a decal on a window pane in their front door and Douglas mounted the felt patch on a plaque which hangs in a collage of mementos in my entry hall.

U.S. Navy Man

2008-11-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

When Douglas came home from Navy boot camp that spring of 1958, his beautiful black hair in that duck tail style, was just barely growing out from the military cut all those young men get ! I was a little in shock, but, I would imagine it didn't make him real happy as his hair was always his crowning glory. It even shows in the picture of him as a child ! AND, look at that little guy in his Navy costume. He grew up to proudly wear the real thing for 4 years.

1957 High School Prom

2008-11-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

A memory was jogged today when reading a forwarded email from Aunt Joan. That great "after-prom" dance that my then future in-laws chaperoned, also, had other future relatives in attendance. G'pa P.M.'s adopted sister, Evelyn, was married to a musician, Karl, who was a Des Moines high school music instructor and also had his own band. They performed different functions, and they were our dance band that night. Karl's sister, Wanda, was the singer and there you have it - a swinging band for a bunch of swinging teenagers !

It Was 1954 And --

2008-11-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

When Douglas turned 16, he bought the family's 1954 Ford from his parents as they went and bought a new car. It seemed to be a family tradition for Paul and Ruth's automobiles to stay in the family through the years. These pictures are not of the original car - there didn't seem to be one anywhere. The robin's egg blue with white top Ford was a beautiful car. Some of the other pictures on these pages were taken on a few of our dates, one at Ledges State Park on a picnic with another couple, and who caught us kissing in the car and at a high school Christmas Formal Dance ? The Junior-Senior Prom in 1957 was held at the Boone Country Club if I recall. Then, at midnight, we continued to dance and party at Ogden City Hall. My dates parents, chaperoned this after midnight festivity, so, I danced with two Johnson men that night !! That young one really had my heart !! And then, there is that "pin-up" photo of me ! My sis and I were always taking these kinds of shots of each other !!

School Days

2008-10-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

These two pages show pictures of Douglas throughout his high school years at good old Ogden High. As we know, he was somewhat of a rebel and it shows in the way he cocked his hat when he donned his marching band uniform ! AND, only he could have gotten away with that !! My eyes were only on him as that band went marching down the football field at half-time !! I heard only the drums that he played !! Ask me after the game what the score was -- all I knew was rat-a-tat-tat !! He was handsome, all the girls liked him and he knew it, BUT, he liked me best !! Douglas played basketball a couple of years and was a member of FFA, Future Farmers of America, an organization through the school system for young men that planned to farm after high school. AND, we know that didn't happen. A whole 'nother story for another page !

Happy Birthday

2008-10-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

Today would have been Douglas 68th birthday. Douglas was the "middle child" with a sister, Joan, 5 years older, and brother, Tim, 6 years younger. I did not meet Douglas until our first year of high school, so really don't have childhood stories to tell. These pictures would date in the mid to late '40's - in the family portrait, Douglas is wearing a western style shirt, which you would never have caught him in as an adult ! The family had a riding horse, so maybe he fancied being a cowboy when he grew up. In all of these pictures, he appears to be a "happy child" - he was somewhat of a prankster as an adult and always had a good laugh if he could pull something over on me. The color portraits were taken in August,1983, Paul and Ruth's 50th wedding anniversary. My favorite on these pages is Doug and Joan playing in a wash tub - the "kiddie pool" in the summers of the 40's.

Ancestors

2008-10-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

The first page of the book is decicated to Douglas' heritage -- Douglas at about 1 year of age, and Paul and Ruth , his parents wedding picture appear at the bottom of the page. Clarence and Minnie Rose, maternal grand-parents, Burt and Lottie Johnson, paternal grandparents at their 50th wedding anniversary party at the top. Center left, Minnie, with her grown children, Ruth, Earl, Ada and Paul. Center right, Burt and Lottie with their grown children, Paul and Evelyn. As I looked through this book today, I thought of many things I could have done differently throughout the pages, but, it is what it is, and it always conjures up more memories each time I leaf through it. Never a day goes by that I do not think of Douglas.

IN MEMORY

2008-10-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

This handmade pictorial journal, "Book of Douglas" was created by me to celebrate the life of my husband, the father of my daughter, the grandfather of my grand-daughter. It took over a year to complete the journey through many photos, letters and memorabilia, recalling forgotten memories of over 4o years together. I laughed, I cried, I remembered good and bad times (and the in-between times ) on this journey. It is his history, his story. It is about his life, about our life together. It is how I knew him.