The Okeene Municipal Hospital announced as the Okeene Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Month as they celebrate 60 Years!
The Okeene Hospital staff would like for you to join us in celebrating 60 years of service at a come-and-go cookout at the Okeene Community Building from 11-1 on Friday, July 1st, 2011. Hot dogs, lemonade and cookies will be served. Don’t forget to stop in and register for a door prize!
Where we came from to where we are today, a short history of the Okeene Municipal Hospital:
Medical services have been available in Okeene since 1915 when the first brick hospital was built. Since then the hospital has not only changed owners but locations multiple times with the current facility opening its doors on July 22, 1951. It consisted of 21 beds at a cost of $220,000.00 and was built by the town, community and federal funds. The board at the time was Ottis Goforth, Joe Naylor, Edgar Ellis, Ed Luetkemeyer, Harry Geis and E.F. Oblander.
The North wing of the hospital contained offices and rooms for three doctors and one dentist. The doctors at that time were; R.C. Tavlvin, C.H.Williams, K. Godfrey and dentist J. Murdock. The east wing had 2 isolation rooms with the remaining being private and semi-private rooms. The West wing contained the Lab, X-ray, Emergency room, Surgery and Central supply. The South wing was the O.B. rooms, nursery and kitchen. The basement contained storage and the laundry.
June 16, 1955 a preceptor program started and continues to this day with great success. Dr. B. Dotter joined the staff in 1961 and Dr. Lagan came on staff in 1965, the same year the hospital added a portable heart monitor and a new X-ray machine.
On January 26, 1969 a new wing was added with a four bed ICU equipped with monitors and an oscilloscope at the nurses’ station. The new wing contained 24 beds and the X-ray, Lab, lobby and clinic were also enlarged. The town also purchased the Schallmo facility with 50 beds to be used as extended care and nursing home.
In 1974 a new addition was added to the clinic to accommodate four doctors and Dr. Fred Winters opened practice in dentistry and is still seeing patients today.
In 1991 the OB and delivery wing renovation was completed.
In 2007 a $7.5 million dollar renovation and expansion project was completed making the current hospital a 17 bed critical access facility that currently employs over 80 professionals and 5 M.D.’s and one Physician Assistant.
None of the building or renovation projects would have been possible had it not been for the overwhelming support and love of the Okeene community. The hospital mission statement reads: “We are committed to serving those who entrust their lives and the lives of those they love with all of the compassion and dedication that we would expect to receive ourselves. We believe our first responsibility is to provide the absolute best care to the men, women, and children who are in need of health services. We accept all people equally, regardless of financial, racial, or social standing.” It is a statement that all hospital employees can be proud of, knowing that for 60 years, they HAVE provided the Absolute Best Care to you, our friends, neighbors, family — our community!!
Congratulations, Okeene Municipal Hospital on 60 years of success, you continue to be one of the largest employers in Okeene, we are truly blessed to live in a community with such a facility!
June’s BOM Okeene Campus Corner
Owners: Richard and Donna McCall
Richard McCall has been involved in Restaurant and Medical Nutrition for over twenty years. He was educated and received certification in Stillwater. Richard has always enjoyed working with people in difficult circumstances, and helping them to make their lives better. Richard has been a resident of Okeene for 9 years and is the father of two children; Richard James, “RJ” and Kristin McCall. Running, free climbing as well as martial arts are what occupies Richard’s play time but his passion is to work with people and make a difference. Throughout the years Richard has worked with outstanding people in various facilities; for the last but has always dreamed of having his own business.
Donna McCall is the mother of four; she was a foster parent in Dallas county for over twenty years. Donna lived in Meno for about 10 years before relocating to Okeene when she went to work as a Dietary Aide about 3 years ago where she told the manager, Richard, “I don’t cook and I want 9-5 Monday through Friday”, needless to say that didn’t work out. They worked together and began dating seven months ago. Recently, it became apparent that they needed a change. They began talking and praying about their future together. That it is how O.C.C. came to be…they opened Okeene Campus Corner Opened on April 21st this year.
The McCall’s say they have never worked so hard or been so happy….in fact, they went out and made it official a couple weeks ago…they “sealed the deal” and got married. CONGRATs, Richard and Donna! OCC would like to thank the folks in Okeene who have been so supportive and patient and they look forward to many years in our great community.
Please join us as we celebrate OCC being our Business of the Month at the Open House Thursday, June 23 from 5-7pm where you will find great specials and T-Shirt give-aways.
Razor’s Edge Barber Shop named Okeene Chamber of Commerce’s May Business of the Month
It was September 1961 when Ron Karbs began school at the Barber College of Oklahoma on California Street in OKC. After graduating in 1962, he went straight to work at the Airline Shopping Center in Midwest City at a 5-chair barber shop , but soon found himself working in Fairview at Leon Robinson’s 2-chair barber shop in the Boehs Hotel. Ron met Sue Peck when she was 13 & he was 14, and married her in 1963…I was assured they were older than 13 & 14 by then!
Mr. & Mrs. Karbs move back to the OKC for about 3 years while he worked in the Village @ Cassidy Square until they made their way back to Okeene in 1970.
The old Kampus Korner was thriving and Ron /started the Razor’s Edge Barber Shop there & cut hair there until it burned down in 1986; it was then that he moved to his current establishment at 120 E Oklahoma.
Ron & Sue raised their 2 children, Randy and Ronda (Jinkens) in the Okeene schools.
After 50 years of cutting hair, 41 of it in Okeene, Ron is not ready to retire yet; he says he will cut hair as long as he’s able, especially since a few years ago he started having 3-day weekends, now Ron has plenty of time to fish and watch his OU Football games.
Razor’s Edge is open Monday-Thursday 7:30-5:30
Please join us for our Business of the Month Open House this Thursday, May 26 from 3:30-5:30
Dobrinski Chevrolet
Dobrinski chevrolet began in October 1983 when Jim Dobrinski, along with partners Buck and Jamie Nease, bought the Chevrolet business from former dealer Trigg Snyder. Jim was joined by brother Mike in May 1985 when he graduated from Oklahoma State University. The brothers expanded their business to Kngfisher in 1988 by purchasing the Chevrolet-Oldsmobile business from Joe Haller. They added Buick and Pontiac in the late 90′s and witnessed the birth and death of the GEO franchise as well as the demise of Oldsmobile in December 2000.
After the 9/11 attacks, the automotive industry led in the rebuilding of American confidence with teh “Keep America Rolling” campaign which made interest-free financing an everyday expectation fro the average new car buyer. With business volumes growing, the need for new efficient facilities was addressed in teh spring of 2005 with the froundbreaking of new locaions in both Okeene and Kingfisher.
The businesses and both communities suffered a tragic loss in October 2005 with the death of Jim Dobrinski. With overwhelming support of employees and customers, the new dealership homes were completed in Okeene in January 2006 and in Kingfisher the following May. Overcoming adversity was necessary once again with th market collapse in the fall of 2008 which eventually led to the bankruptcy of General Motors and the end of Pontiac alsong with Saturn, Hummer and Saab.
With a slowly improving economy led by agriculture and the petroleum industry, Dobrinski’s of Kingfisher and Okeene are back to full employement of 21 and 15, respectively, including Jim’s daughter, megan and husband Mitch Graham in Okeene and Ali’s husband Kirk milligan in Kingfisher. General Motors granted a GMC franchise to Mike in July 2010 to add to Cevrolet-Buick in Kingfisher.
Both Mike and Nancy are please to continue the family business in their hometown and look forward to serving Okeene and Northwest Oklahoma for many years to come.
State Guaranty Bank celebrating 111 years on 1-1-11!
State Guaranty Bank began in a frame building as the Bank of Okeene on January 1, 1900 in Okeene, Oklahoma Territory. The first officers were S.P. Richardson, President, Edward Cox, Vice President and F.E. Gilmore, Cashier. Deposits for the first day of business were $4,798.
In 1902, the bank was nationalized as the First National Bank of Okeene with H.C. Boardman as president and J.C. Fisher as cashier.
In September 1908 it was changed to its present name of State Guaranty Bank to take advantage of the new Oklahoma State Guaranty Law.
In 1909 State Guaranty Bank and Farmers & Merchants of Okeene (organized in 1903) merged. Later in 1914 O.E. Durham and associates purchased the Boardman interest in the bank.
The Citizens State Bank of Okeene was organized in 1901 where Otto Graalman was elected Assistant Cashier in 1905. In 1927 The Citizens State Bank was merged with State Guaranty Bank into the first 25 feet of its present bank building. O.E. Durham was President and Otto Graalman Vice President. The bank continued to grow and by 1985 had acquired another 75 feet north and the remaining block to the west.
After the death of O.E. Durham, James Durham became President of the bank in 1975 bringing many new innovations such as computerization to banking in Western Oklahoma. Mary Lou Durham was named Assistant Vice President in 1981, becoming Vice President and Secretary until her death in 2007.
Otto Graalman served as a Vice President, a director and Honorary Vice Chairman of the Board until his death in 1982. At that time, Robert Graalman, Jr. was elected as a director of State Guaranty Bank.
In March of 2004 James Sublett was named President and Kenneth Westfahl Executive Vice President. James Durham was named President and Director Emeritus of the bank.
Today, State Guaranty Bank remains locally owned and managed by the Durham and Graalman families who are committed to provide friendly, efficient and sound banking services to the Okeene and surrounding communities.
The SGB Open House will be held January 21
Mountain Country Foods Celebrates 10 years
Mountain Country Foods had its first production in late November 2000 with Matt Dixon and four employees taking nearly two weeks to produce six pallets of dog biscuits in the debut run.
Today, after 10 years in business, the Okeene dog biscuit manufacturer produces 10 pallets of treats every hour and has grown to employ 107 people. It ships over 300 different items all over the world under an assortment of brand names.
Mountain Country Foods ships an average of 5 truckloads of product out every day. The plant runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Dixon and partner Doug Ford of Utah decided to build the factory in Okeene because it is in the heart of the wheat belt of the United States. Wheat is the primary ingredient used in making dog biscuits.
Mountain Country Foods used 15 loads of wheat from the Okeene Mill just last week and will purchase more than 500 loads of wheat annually. MCF has grown to be one of the Mill’s biggest customers.
Another reason the plant was built in Okeene was that Dixon wanted to bring his family back to Oklahoma, and he knew Okeene would be a business-friendly community in which to build and operate a factory.
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Mountain Country Foods is taking its employees and their guests on a cruise in December.
MCF would like to thank all its business partners in Okeene, and, especially, the City of Okeene for all the help provided over the past 10 years.
Okeene Therapeutic Massage May Business of the Month
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- 20% off all gift certificates during the month of May
The Okeene Chamber of Commerce proudly announces Okeene Therapeutic Massage as the May Business of the Month.
Located at 221 N. Main, nestled between Smith Tax & Accounting and Westfahl Insurance, Stacy Hochstetler, a Certified Massage Therapist, opened the doors of Okeene Therapeutic Massage in June of 2008 and has been relieving locals of aches, pains and stress since then.
Therapeutic massage provides stress reduction and deep relaxation. Massage also decreases blood pressure as it increases circulation, boosts the immune system and offers relief from physical pain. Stacy specializes in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Geriatric and Pregnancy Massages.
Stacy received her certification from the Central State Massage Academy, OKC, in August of 2006. She worked at Serenity Springs in Enid prior to opening her own business in Okeene. Stacy and husband, Mark, have lived in Okeene since July 2006.
The Chamber will host an Open House Wednesday, May 7 from 8:30-11:00am when we will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Breakfast Burritos – ole! Join us for a little taste of Mexico to put the ZIP back in your step for the rest of the week, especially if you happen to be the lucky door prize winner who will receive a FREE 1 hr massage!
Okeene Therapeutic Massage will be offering a 20% off all gift certificates during the month of May in honor of Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Graduation, teacher thank you’s… and if you’re smart you’ll think ahead to June and take care of Father’s Day too! Make your list and see Stacy for all of your gift giving needs, after all, when it comes to massages, one size fits all!
Buchanan Building named Chamber’s Business of the Month
The Buchanan Office Building, located at 316 E. Oklahoma, is owned by Mike & Janel Buchanan. The building we currently know as the Buchanan Building was built in 1983 after the original building burned in 1982. The new building houses 16 office suites currently being used by 9 different businesses.
Mike Buchanan operates the Tag Office, with the help of Brook Nusz and Buchanan Insurance Agency which represents Farmers Insurance Company, Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance, RPS, Inc., Grinnell Reinsurance Company, Foremost and Bristol West Insurance Companies. Mike is also a licensed real estate broker.
Janel Buchanan owns and operates Janel’s Tans which she started in December of 1994.
Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company is represented in the Buchanan Building by Mike Haffey. Mike is a claims adjuster/inspector and is one of the original tenants of the Buchanan Building.
Another original tenant is Felder Surveying. Anthony Felder started offering land surveying throughout Oklahoma and has handed his trade down to Tony and his wife, Alice who currently operate the company and employ Reuben Leal.
Bierig Tax Service began offering tax preparation, bookkeeping and accounting in November 1986. Sherrie Bierig is the owner of Bierig Tax Service and currently employs her husband, Paul, Tonya Haffner and Teresa Wilson.
North Blaine Water Corporation moved in and began operations in the Buchanan Building in 1992. North Blaine Water currently employs Kerri Westfahl as Office Manager and Curtis Smith as System Operator.
SESACO Sesame Seed Growers employs Danny Peeper and Wayne Janzen, they work with local farmers coordinating sesame seed production.
Youth One, a youth and family counseling service began servicing our community from the Buchanan Building in 2009.
Through the years several other businesses have called the Buchanan Building home, including T & T Cable, Rock Solid Prison Ministry, Westfahl Insurance, WESKEM Chemical, Brickman Oilfield Services, All About You, Bonnie’s Tanning & Toning, Short Grass Publications, Buchanan Nursing Home Offices, Mary Biggs Tanning, Blanca Lorenz Translating, Rick Shafer, URC, Inc and Marvin Haffey Insurance.
The Buchanan Building, as you can see, has been promoting commerce in Okeene for many years. Please help us celebrate the Buchanan Building’s success by attending the Open House on Tuesday April 22th from 4-6.
Fred G Winters, DDS, March Business of the Month
Fred G. Winter, DDS name the Okeene Chamber’s Business of the Month
Fred Winters attended grade school in Hitchcock, high school in Okeene, was an undergraduate at SWOSU and achieved his DDS at the University of Missouri @ Kansas City.
It was the day after Thanksgiving in 1968 when Fred Winter’s opened his office right where it’s located today! 41 years later Fred is still offering general dentistry to the Okeene area. Brenda Fox has been with Fred 29 years, Blanca Lorenz 12 years, Mindy Anthony 1 year ant Taylor Wilcox 6 months. Their hours are Monday through Friday 8-5 except when Fred has to take off on some fun-filled trip; I mean DENTAL CONVENTIONs, wink-wink!
I was surprised to learn that in 1977 & 78 Fred taught 1 day a week at OU Dental School.
Over the years Fred has served our community as President of the Chamber of Commerce, has sat on the City Council, been on the School Board and President of Kiwanis Club where he is known as the “Music Man”.
In keeping Okeene up with the times, Fred’s office recently upgraded to Digital X-Ray and Cad/Cam generated compressed porcelain restoration for Crowns.
Fred’s hope for the future is to follow the example of the MD’s of Okeene: Dr. Williams, Dotter, Lagan and Atendido to continue practice well into his 70’s.
Please join the Chamber at 207 East F St., Friday, March 12th from 11am-1pm , to celebrate Fred Winters, DDS being chosen as our Business of the Month.
First National Bank February Business of the Month
First National Bank was chosen by the chamber of Commerce as their February Business of the Month. The Chamber hosted an Open House Friday, Feb. 19 from 10-12 featuring hot spiced cider and “money” sugar cookies. There were many well wishers during the Open House. Judy Laubach was the lucky sinner of First National’s great back pack full of goodies, congratulations, Judy and congratulations, First National Bank!
