— AS A MEMBER of a group that no one ever hopes to join, I would like to thank Darlene Morgan LaCrone, Pamela Stonebarger, Christene Leader, Tammy Slater and Lori Bumgarner for their hard work hosting the fifth National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims in Muskogee at the Indian Capital Technology Center on Sept. 25.

The organizers spent their money to deliver the event, as they have no funding, and generously volunteered numerous hours over many months to give we “survivors” a venue in which to memorialize our murdered loved ones. I attend this event because I lost my Daddy, Loyd Morgan on March 21, 1983, when someone shot him at his business on South 69 Highway in Muskogee. I also lost my cousin, Jack Guthrie, on June 21, 1999, when he was brutally gunned down on his property in Muskogee.

I would also like to thank the speakers who volunteered their time to encourage us with their words. Bishop Tony Hodgson of the Rivers Edge Church and Bishop Michael Webber of the Divine Love Church, spoke to us with true understanding of the grief of having lost someone by murder, as Bishop Webber has lost three siblings to murder. District Attorney Larry Moore spoke of his ongoing efforts to prosecute the murderers and obtain the only justice humankind can dispense.  Last, but not least, I thank Tim Crow, for his inspirational music.

Be thankful everyday if you’re fortunate not to have lost someone you love at the hands of a violent coward, because the pain is something you cannot imagine. Only someone that is an unwilling member of this group is able to understand the emotions and suffering we experience everyday of our lives.

This annual event is a time to shed tears, remember our loved ones and encourage one another to be strong and supportive as we continue our lives experiencing the devastation the murder of a loved one brings. It’s comforting to know you aren’t alone in this everyday struggle.

Thank you,

Diana Morgan

San Jose, CA



THE H.B. EGAN and Camel Tire Care Co. reunion committee would like to thank all the employees who came out on a rainy day for our reunion. Thanks to Dale Holloway for donating all the leis for our luau theme.

Thank you again, Ed Ousley, for always doing a great job on the meat. A big thank you to Bill and Bobbie Farmer for their donations.

Sue Beatty and

Linda Fletcher