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 12^th from 11am-1pm , to celebrate Fred Winters, DDS being chosen as our  Business of the Month.

The building that is now Wilkinson Mortuary was 1 of Okeene’s 2 hospitals prior to the 1930’s, at that time Keller/Landes converted the hospital to a funeral home, Eddie Sisson purchased  it.  In 1980 Glenda Wilkinson purchased the Mortuary operating it until Robert and Kimbri High purchased Wilkinson Mortuary from Kimbri’s Aunt Glenda Wilkinson, in 1998.  Kimbri Cupp High was born and raised in Watonga.  Her great grandparents, Chris and Mary Weber Schiffner, were from the Omega/Watonga area along with her grandparents, Malcolm and Bernice Lewis.  Kimbri currently resides in Watonga with their two children; Cooper, age 9, and Maggie, age 4.  Robert and wife, Ronda, are currently residents of Okeene.

1.)  Return to the Chamber office located at 116 West E. Street

2.)  Mail it to the Chamber at P.O. Box 704

3.)  Download forms in .pdf format (we will still need your signed copy before the Dec. 1 elections if you chose to  file online).

Please do not hesitate to contact the Chamber office should you have any questions.

I encourage each of you to consider jumping in with both feet to make a difference in your community this next year.

Your Chamber of Commerce is run by its members. A Board of Directors is elected that determines policies and sets goals. The Chamber accomplishes the goals by having dedicated leaders, executive management and chamber staff to provide administrative responsibilities.

They keep these broad objectives in mind:

To help businesses prosper and grow;

To increase job opportunities;

To encourage an orderly expansion and development of all segments of the community;

To contribute to overall economic stability of the community;

To encourage and promote the nation’s private enterprise system of competitive marketing.

  We would like for you to fill out and return the attached survey.  Call the Okeene Chamber of Commerce (580-822-3005) for more information.

Okeene Chamber’s Business of the Month

80 Years of Dedicated Service to the Okeene Community!

            WOW!  Not too many businesses can brag about that and it’s for darn sure, you can’t get owner, Lonnie Boeckman to brag about anything!  Anyone who has known Lonnie for very long knows what a humble, easy going guy he is, so it took some work to even talk him into making a “ta-doo” over this great milestone for his families business!

            Lawrence Boeckman built Farmers Service Station in the fall of 1929.  The station had three driveways, hand-operated visible pumps, and was one of the only buildings on the north side of town at that time.  South of the station was a tennis court, and the area north was used for croquet, and occasionally by traveling carnivals.

The building was later extended, and the three driveways were remodeled into two wider ones.  Gasoline was originally delivered by railroad tank car, to storage tanks beside the tracks.  Farm deliveries were made with ten-gallon cans hauled in a pickup.

The biggest change occurred when Lawrence’s cousin, Henry Huhman, arrived from St. Elizabeth, Missouri, and began working at the station in 1933.

Still today the covered awning makes filling up in wet weather much better.

In the early 1940’s, a two-bay garage was built, with an apartment where Lawrence lived.  Lawrence also bought an electric gas pump, which was one of the first in the area.

Lawrence Boeckman(L) and Henry Huhman(R) posing with their new tank truck which still serves our community today!

The station was closed for three years during World War II, when Lawrence and Henry were both in the service.  Henry became a full partner in the business when they re-opened the station in 1946.  A new tank truck was purchased in 1949.

Lawrence and Henry became Mobil Oil Company dealers in the late 1940’s.  When Mobil left the state in the mid-1970’s, they became Kerr-McGee dealers.

Henry Huhman retired in 1986, at which time Lonnie Boeckman became a partner with his father.  Lawrence Boeckman worked at the station until he passed away in 1995.

Although Lawrence and Henry are no longer with us, their commitment to serving out community lives on through Lonnie, who still sells gasoline, diesel fuel, and performs most types of maintenance and repair work. and if you drive under the covered pump area you are quickly greeted, by either Lonnie or Alvin Rauh.  It’s for sure you would have to drive a long way before you can find another place where you can still say, “Fill ‘er up” and without getting out of your car, your tank is filled and you are ready to head on down the highway. 

Please join the the Okeene Chamber of Commerce in celebrating this great, 80th milestone with Farmer’s Service Station on Thursday, November 19th from 2-4. 

Chamber President, Mike Dobrinski, wrote:

OK-You thought you’d been spared this year from any major political battle or election turmoil.  However, the truth is that turmoil and the battle ahead is likely unprecedented.  We have to prepare now to protect ourselves from the ever growing federal bureaucracy that is strangling small business and threatens the livelihood of hard-working Oklahomans like us.

 Representative Sanders is working hard at our Capitol to preserve our rights and protect the freedoms and opportunities that generations before us have fought and died for. 

  We are seeing evidence every day that illustrates we can no longer just sit back and enjoy the ride.  The bus is overcrowded and the passengers loading now don’t think they should have to buy their ticket.  Let’s work together to do our part to control our destiny and preserve the future opportunities for our kids.