Long ago in the community of Etta in northeastern Oklahoma, the Latty family liked to go camping, but not in springtime. Springtime was a time of busyness on the farm. Crops were growing and needed to be cared for, baby animals were being born. My mother and her family went camping on the Illinois River […]

The Reason for the Day
My brothers, Thurman, Tracy, and Richard served in the Navy; my husband in the Army; my nephew Clint joined the Marines. They all came back home, all except Clint. We lost him to an awful place called Viet Nam. I think of Clint often and especially on Memorial Day. My country is made up of […]

Decoration Day
One by one, we abandon traditions, leaving the past behind. It’s sad, because, although we shouldn’t live in the past, we need a sense of continuity. There is something comforting about following patterns, about observing practices that have been carried down through generations. It gives me a connection to my ancestors. Decoration Day, always the […]
As Go the Dinosaurs
They sit on my bookshelf, alone, neglected, and lonely. Once, they were prized, valuable. Within them was the knowledge of centuries. Today, they still contain that knowledge, but they are no longer sought after. That is the sad fate of my set of World Book. Alas! They have gone the way of the dinosaurs. Who […]

Wild Onions
The following is by my mother, Susie Latty Day. She tells about hunting for wild onions when she was a girl at Etta, many years ago. “On a farm, each season brings its celebration of particular events. When my sisters and I were young girls, we particularly looked forward to the coming of […]


