My dad Paul P'tree ran a laundry, later a furniture store in Wynnewood and earlier had worked in the oil fields after farming, but his favorite job was one he took after moving to Norman, so Mom could help my aunts with their mother Granny Ada Franks Skaggs. Dad wanted a part time job, finding one in the OU Sooner's Field House Locker Room. He would have paid to work there! It soon turned into a full time job for him for many years. He loved meeting the coaches, Barry Switzer, of course, the assistant coaches and all the players. To have always loved football, at first Wynnewood High School, back when he drove his four daughters to games so we could be in the pep club with our red pleated skirts and white sweaters, later watching OU on television, to be able to actually work there and talk to all the coaches, players and everyone involved with OU Sports was a dream come true for Dad. I'm sure they got a kick out of this folksy old guy daring to discuss football with them, but he had a ball. He would take his guitar, fiddle & harmonica, playing when he had time, of course he told them all his hunting and fishing stories. He laughed at the professors because they always seemed to tell him, "Paul, you should write a book." He did know a lot about hunting and fishing. He knew how to read all the signs in nature like his dad and grandfather and the Farmer's Almanac taught back then. Dad was also the first person I knew who believed you should leave a place cleaner and neater than when you found it. I've made people wait many times because I could not leave a camping spot with trash all over, even if it had been left by other people! But even in Okinawa when the AF sent us there, if we camped on the beach, I could hear Dad's voice all the way from Oklahoma. "Let's all get busy and clean up before we leave." He would have to clean out lockers if someone forgot to pay etc and was supposed to toss it but he started using the washers/dryers at the field house and then selling the stuff over the locker room counter. What was funny, the guys who had lost the stuff would pay him for it. They'd say,( I'll leave out the cuss words he'd quote laughing) "Dang, Paul, you're selling me, my own dang stuff back." But they'd pay up and leave laughing. One time, he complained to a group that some young blond would wait for him by his car about the time he got off work every day!! they started watching and sure enough there was a stylish young blond waiting by his car every day. They didn't know it was my sister Beverly just getting a ride home! He was always kidding someone. But he knew everyone over there. There were several future astronauts going to school at OU one time. One forgot, taking the locker key back to Houston with him, he mailed it back to Dad pretending it was a key they were going to use to rob a bank. I wish I could see that letter now to see who he was. He was always taking someone home for one of Mom's home cooked dinners. Once, way back in Wynnewood when I was little, he worked for Kerr-McGee Refinery. Notre Dame football players worked there in the summer, thanks to Senator Kerr. Dad would bring these big football players home for some of Mom's cooking and they really enjoyed it. His young daughters also enjoyed those dinners!! On OU game days Dad wanted everyone to come over, Mom always cooked something special for lunch and snacks but Dad would get a kitchen chair and place it right in front of the TV, the rest of us would be behind him on sofas etc laughing and talking but you didn't get between Dad and the Sooners when they were playing. At that time Mom and Dad lived within walking distance of OU, all the fans parked up and down the street and in front of their house and walked on to the game etc. Dad loved joshing back and forth with everyone. But they better not park behind his car because right after the game, he headed to the coffee shop and either celebrated a win or moaned with his friends about a loss. You could hear the roars of the crowd, the band playing and you could see part of the top seating from their front yard on Brooks St.. It was great!!!! I think I've only met Coach Barry Switzer face to face twice in all these years in Norman. One time he held the church door open for me as we both dropped off kids at Vacation Bible School. Another time I was sitting in Beverly's car parked curbside in front of Homeland Grocery, Barry & Becky came out pushing their grocery cart, he stopped and came over to tell me, a stranger, that my coat was was stuck in the door, the next week he was announced as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys! Oh yeah, a long time after Barry was no longer coaching, my son John was driving me and his son Curt down Main St in Norman, I said "Hey, there's Barry." John honked and Barry turned and waved without missing a beat in his conversation. John and Curt were both big Barry fans, they high-fived and John was kidding "A Barry Sighting!" It's just all in fun. He is in several businesses in and around Norman. One is Switzer's Locker Rooms, a storage place. Several of those around. He and Toby Keith are in some business' together along with another guy who was on my bowling league in the late 70's. The wife of one of Barry's best friends was a volunteer for me at the library before I retired, my coworker and I got to hear a few fun stories. When the kids came in for programs in the summer, no matter who their fathers were at OU, they had to behave, one young guy asked Dad if he knew who his father was!! and Dad told him "H*ll yes, I know who your father is and if you don't behave, we'll march up to his office with me holding your ear all the way." He said the kid behaved after that. Sounds just like Dad. Years later, when Dad passed away, Mom got so many cards and notes from people who had known him at OU. He touched a lot of people. Since I write a family history story each month, I guess I have just written January's, still needs a little tweaking but it's almost there. Thanks for listening!!! Nova **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1215855013x1201028747/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072%26hmpgID=62%26bcd=De cemailfooterNO62)

Thanks Nova. That's another one in my Nova stories file too. Donnie ----- Original Message ----- From: <Srod46@aol.com> To: <palmertree@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 7:35 PM Subject: [PTREE] My Dad's All-time Favorite Job. At OU!! > > My dad Paul P'tree ran a laundry, later a furniture store in Wynnewood > and > earlier had worked in the oil fields after farming, but his favorite job > was > one he took after moving to Norman, so Mom could help my aunts with their > mother Granny Ada Franks Skaggs. > > Dad wanted a part time job, finding one in the OU Sooner's Field House > Locker Room. He would have paid to work there! It soon turned into a full > time > job for him for many years. He loved meeting the coaches, Barry Switzer, > of > course, the assistant coaches and all the players. > > To have always loved football, at first Wynnewood High School, back when > he > drove his four daughters to games so we could be in the pep club with our > red > pleated skirts and white sweaters, later watching OU on television, to be > able to actually work there and talk to all the coaches, players and > everyone > involved with OU Sports was a dream come true for Dad. > > I'm sure they got a kick out of this folksy old guy daring to discuss > football with them, but he had a ball. He would take his guitar, fiddle > & > harmonica, playing when he had time, of course he told them all his > hunting and > fishing stories. > > He laughed at the professors because they always seemed to tell him, > "Paul, > you should write a book." He did know a lot about hunting and fishing. > He > knew how to read all the signs in nature like his dad and grandfather and > the > Farmer's Almanac taught back then. > > Dad was also the first person I knew who believed you should leave a > place > cleaner and neater than when you found it. I've made people wait many > times > because I could not leave a camping spot with trash all over, even if it > had > been left by other people! But even in Okinawa when the AF sent us there, > if we > camped on the beach, I could hear Dad's voice all the way from Oklahoma. > "Let's all get busy and clean up before we leave." > > He would have to clean out lockers if someone forgot to pay etc and was > supposed to toss it but he started using the washers/dryers at the field > house > and then selling the stuff over the locker room counter. What was funny, > the > guys who had lost the stuff would pay him for it. > They'd say,( I'll leave out the cuss words he'd quote laughing) "Dang, > Paul, > you're selling me, my own dang stuff back." But they'd pay up and leave > laughing. > > One time, he complained to a group that some young blond would wait for > him > by his car about the time he got off work every day!! they started > watching > and sure enough there was a stylish young blond waiting by his car every > day. > They didn't know it was my sister Beverly just getting a ride home! He > was > always kidding someone. > > But he knew everyone over there. There were several future astronauts > going > to school at OU one time. One forgot, taking the locker key back to > Houston > with him, he mailed it back to Dad pretending it was a key they were > going to > use to rob a bank. I wish I could see that letter now to see who he was. > > He was always taking someone home for one of Mom's home cooked dinners. > Once, way back in Wynnewood when I was little, he worked for Kerr-McGee > Refinery. > Notre Dame football players worked there in the summer, thanks to Senator > Kerr. Dad would bring these big football players home for some of Mom's > cooking > and they really enjoyed it. His young daughters also enjoyed those > dinners!! > > On OU game days Dad wanted everyone to come over, Mom always cooked > something special for lunch and snacks but Dad would get a kitchen chair > and place > it right in front of the TV, the rest of us would be behind him on sofas > etc > laughing and talking but you didn't get between Dad and the Sooners when > they > were playing. > > At that time Mom and Dad lived within walking distance of OU, all the > fans > parked up and down the street and in front of their house and walked on > to the > game etc. Dad loved joshing back and forth with everyone. But they better > not park behind his car because right after the game, he headed to the > coffee > shop and either celebrated a win or moaned with his friends about a loss. > You could hear the roars of the crowd, the band playing and you could see > part of the top seating from their front yard on Brooks St.. It was > great!!!! > > I think I've only met Coach Barry Switzer face to face twice in all these > years in Norman. One time he held the church door open for me as we both > dropped off kids at Vacation Bible School. > > Another time I was sitting in Beverly's car parked curbside in front of > Homeland Grocery, Barry & Becky came out pushing their grocery cart, he > stopped > and came over to tell me, a stranger, that my coat was was stuck in the > door, > the next week he was announced as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys! > > Oh yeah, a long time after Barry was no longer coaching, my son John was > driving me and his son Curt down Main St in Norman, I said "Hey, there's > Barry." > John honked and Barry turned and waved without missing a beat in his > conversation. John and Curt were both big Barry fans, they high-fived and > John was > kidding "A Barry Sighting!" It's just all in fun. > > He is in several businesses in and around Norman. One is Switzer's Locker > Rooms, a storage place. Several of those around. He and Toby Keith are > in some > business' together along with another guy who was on my bowling league in > the late 70's. > > The wife of one of Barry's best friends was a volunteer for me at the > library before I retired, my coworker and I got to hear a few fun > stories. > > When the kids came in for programs in the summer, no matter who their > fathers were at OU, they had to behave, one young guy asked Dad if he > knew who his > father was!! and Dad told him "H*ll yes, I know who your father is and > if > you don't behave, we'll march up to his office with me holding your ear > all the > way." He said the kid behaved after that. Sounds just like Dad. > > Years later, when Dad passed away, Mom got so many cards and notes from > people who had known him at OU. He touched a lot of people. > > Since I write a family history story each month, I guess I have just > written > January's, still needs a little tweaking but it's almost there. Thanks > for > listening!!! Nova > > > **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 > easy > steps! > (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1215855013x1201028747/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072%26hmpgID=62%26bcd=De > cemailfooterNO62) > ------------------------------- > Visit the Palmertree Family History website at > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~palmrtre/index.htm > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > PALMERTREE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Loved your story! Jeannine Jeannine Kirkpatrick Smith