Coming Home Part IV - The Final Act

I arrived here in Seminole in May, 1915. Unfortunately, I arrived without my little buddy, Marsha Ann Mills. I was supposed to pick her up in S Louisiana, enroute from Knoxville, TN to Seminole. She had had a major crash due to her COPD and she was in the Intensive Care Unit in Westlake, LA. I was absolutely scared to death. I had known that little girl since she was just a tyke. I was 8 years her senior. We were all in the same neighborhood. It was almost by accident that she was to come home with me. We communicated by various means when I was in Knoxville and she was in S Louisiana. She was not being treated well by those who were supposed to be caring for her. In finality, I told her I was going home and that I was going to retrieve her; no discussion, no debate. It was about 2 weeks before she was well enough to travel. I had gotten a house, suitable for her needs, a new truck and got it ready for her arrival.

When I got to her, she was very weak. I took care of her there for 3 days, feeding her, etc., getting her ready to travel. We finally pushed off and it was a very hard trip on her. I had planned to take a nurse with me for the trip up here but those plans fell through. We finally arrived here about 4 am in the morning and carted her medical supplies—O2, O2 machine, etc. and got her settled. We were both exhausted. I did everything for her, and I mean everything. Almost 2 years later, she told me it was time to make her an “honest woman”. Thus, on May 6, 2017, we were married. It was providential, especially for those of you who know us and know our story. I cannot describe just how much we meant to each other. EVERY DAY was just another fun day and a BLESSING! We were HOME! We both grew up here. This was it!

We did everything together but for the errands, etc. Her COPD had her largely confined. We did however run all over Seminole Indian Territory [IT] to put together the 10,000 year-old history of this very spot. We packed all of her stuff, medical and otherwise and drove and walked this county. That girl was the happiest she had ever been and that is no exaggeration. It was the best of my life too. THAT is no exaggeration. We put together our FB Website:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/SeminoleITGhostTownsandHistory/

Everything is documented there; our travels and travails. It was/ is a massive undertaking. It remains a Work in Progress and will take the rest of my life to finish it. I shall!

I lost my wife on September 24, 2017. That was the worst day of my life. The COPD and an emergency gall bladder surgery was just too much for her frail body. I am still lost. I lost my heart. She took it with her. You must visit our website. Here you will find this:

Marsha Mills Matthews and I created this group for those in Seminole, Oklahoma, past and present, who have interest in their history. This history is not complete without the complete history of the Seminole Nation Indian Territory [IT], following their removal on the "Trail of Tears"--this was the "End of Trail". This will cover Seminole Lighthorsemen, the Civil War, Famous Lawmen and Outlaws, Ghost Towns, etc. This is an ongoing and quite massive project and it will culminate in presentations in various venues. We hope you enjoy the product as much as we enjoy putting it all together. The earliest posts begin at the bottom of the page. I should say too that some of this goes beyond just Seminole IT and includes Oklahoma history generally. Marsha, the Love of my Life, passed into the Lord's Hands on September 24, 2017. She loved working with me on this as well as other sites we developed together. I miss her. I will always miss her. This site is dedicated to her memory and what a memory it is. The background photo above is the old Mekusukey Mission. This site remains a Work in Progress.

This is my final chapter[s]. Here I will remain. I grew up here in an idyllic time and place. I will be going nowhere. My name is at Maple Grove on her memorial. We will be there forever and a day. That is the one request she had that stood out – “I want to be with you forever and a day.” There it will be…we will be comingled.

This book that follows is her book, as well as mine. As stated, it is dedicated to her; her life, her smile, her loving heart; her very being is more than I can convey. She is my life, my love, my heart…

The book follows, dedicated to that most wonderful of human beings. I was honored that she asked me to make her an “honest woman.”

Vaya con Dios