OKC Events April 14, 2003

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Apr 14, 2003 by Joan Gilmore

A group of women got together the other day at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum to talk about fashion. High fashion. Western fashion. Fabulous fashion.

Laurel Anderson, director of development for the museum, called the meeting to order to share with them information about an upcoming exhibition. Titled How the West Was Worn, the focus of the event will be western-style clothing and its impact on national and international perceptions of the American West.

In other words, this exhibit will feature more than 150 antique and contemporary garments inspired by 19th and 20th century cowboys and cowgirls and highlighting the influential designers who have provided a western fashion legacy.

The exhibit will open Oct. 17 with a gala reception and western wear fashion showing as guests preview the exhibition. The next day, seminars and a luncheon will feature authorities on historical and contemporary fashion, as well as on the lifestyles of earlier eras in the West.

How the West Was Worn also will include a catalog - really it's a neat book of photographs and information about early western fashions - that will be available for sale in the Museum Gift Shop. Working with the National Cowboy & Western Museum is the Autry (as in Gene) Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, which has put together much of the western wear.

Laurel explained to her luncheon guests that one of the purposes of this special exhibition is to enhance the visible presence of women philanthropists at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and to provide a forum for professional volunteer women to assume leadership roles at the museum. Naturally, she also was offering the group the opportunity to make donations to support the cost of this "first-ever" fashion exhibit.

"Be a star; see your name in the main corridor of the museum" was her invitation to the luncheon guests.

The steering committee for How the West Was Worn includes Linda Davis, Cimarron, N.M., a member of the Museum's board of directors; Skipper Jones, McLean, Va.; Olga Pellow, Mozelle Richardson, Jane Jayroe, Merrilee Bost, Katie Livingston and D'Ann Crain.

Among those at this preliminary gathering was Laurel's mother Betty Catching. Laurel - nee Alexander - recently married Mike Anderson, president of the Presbyterian Health Foundation).

As each guest was introduced, she was asked to "make a statement." They said:

"I love Hollis Price (OU basketball player)" - Olga Pellow.

"I have nine dogs" - Teresa Brekke.

"I wrote a book about early Oklahoma" - Linda Rosser.

"I came to Oklahoma as a bride" - Dorothy Edwards.

"I love the Western Heritage Museum" - Nancy Ellis.

"I'm a 20-year docent at the museum" - Millicent Sukman.

"I make chandeliers for babies" - Sharon Seminoff.

"George (Seminoff) designed our house" - Jeannette Sias.

"I'm training for the New York Marathon" - Jenny Kallenberger.

"My great-grandfather was a rancher in the Panhandle" - Beth Kroll.

"I spent Saturday afternoons at western movies as a child" - Joanna Champlin.

"I'm a former roommate of Lolly's (Laurel)" - Linda Duncan.

Others present included Diane Gustafson, Vicki Clark Gourley, Elaine Levy, Sandy Shapard, Sherry Sullivan, Donna Nigh and M.J. Van Deventer, director of publications for the museum.

Training sessions

Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN), a nonprofit organization that provides non-medical support and services to people living with HIV/AIDS in Oklahoma, has scheduled two evening training sessions for caring volunteers. These volunteers will provide services such as rides to doctor appointments, help with home upkeep and emotional support needed by those who are burdened with the disease.

The OKC RAIN office will have training sessions from 6 until 9:30 p.m. April 21 and April 28 at Bethany's First Church of the Nazarene. For additional information, contact Morgan Lindsey or Marcy Gardenhire at 947-3434.

Nuptial commitment

When Bill Talley and Lynn Coulter McTeer exchanged wedding vows April 5 they shared a solemn commitment that was printed in the nuptial program - "Bill and Lynn have entered into these vows of matrimony; in Bill's case, building on his 37 years with the late Sandra Smith Talley, and in Lynn's case, building on her 34 years with the late Max Wayne McTeer. Their future together rests on these 71 years of marriage."

The couple exchanged vows in the Norman home of his brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Pam Talley, and the only attendant was Bill's 2-year-old granddaughter, Lauren Bowman, as flower girl. Lauren's parents are Bill's daughter and son-in-law, Brittany and Paul Bowman, Plano, Texas. A bagpiper piped in the guests and a harpist provided indoor music.

The informal ceremony (is that an oxymoron?) drew a few giggles when Bill couldn't get the ring on Lynn's finger - and then she had trouble putting his ring on him. After the ceremony, guests wandered through the house where samples of Bob's hunting skills were on view - including full-size Polar and Grizzly bears, Russian boar and even an alligator.