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Gerome Riley

Hall of Fame Athlete, Business man and local Black historian Biography Gerome Riley was born October 18, 1934in Chelsea, Oklahoma to Sylvester and Georgie Riley. Gerome was reared and educated in Chelsea at Paul Lawrence Dunbar School through the 8th grade, prior to transferring to…

Wilbur Corley

Long time pioneer Claremore family and upholsterer Biography Born May 12, 1934 in Claremore, Oklahoma to his parents Earl and Edna Corley, Wilber was reared and educated in Claremore Public Schools. His grandparents originally moved to Claremore from Cassville, Missouri and set up a blacksmith…

DEWEY “BUCK” JOHNSON

Former Claremore Chief of Police and Rogers County Sheriff Biography Dewey “Buck” Johnson was born on July 22, 1931 in Peachtree, North Carolina. The Johnson and Lamb families returned to their roots in Oklahoma when Buck was 5 years old. Buck was an outstanding athlete…

ANDY PAYNE – THE GREAT 6,023,248 YARD DASH!

Andrew Hartley Payne was born in Foyil, Oklahoma on November 17, 1907. Andy was a member of the Cherokee Nation and graduated from Foyil High School in 1927. Andy had no interest in becoming a farmer like his father, his primary interest was school. Every…

RADIUM TOWN THE SMELL OF SUCCESS

Coke Meyer

Great Niece of Will Rogers Doris "Coke" Meyer speaks about her great-uncle, Will Rogers, Oklahoma's favorite son. Oklahoma’s favorite son used to say “My ancestors didn’t come over on the Mayflower, but they met the boat.” Will Rogers who had a rich Cherokee heritage, was…

Keith Ballard

Grace, class, and dignity – those are three qualities this dedicated educator strove for each day as he battled through ALS at the end of his life. Dr. Keith Ballard’s education career started in Coweta, Oklahoma in 1972. Two years later Keith moved to Oologah,…

Carrie Dickerson

Black Fox Nuclear Plant Protester An unlikely activist, she educated herself about nuclear energy and risked everything to stop the Black Fox Plant. When Carrie Dickerson first saw a newspaper headline about the electric company’s plans to build a nuclear power plant near her…

Frank Robson

As a champion for Public Education, Frank C. Robson founded the Claremore Public Schools Foundation and has encouraged the formation and growth of school foundations statewide. A longtime supporter of Claremore Public Schools, Frank and his wife Ludmilla gave $8 million to help construct a…

WAUHILAU LAHAY – Newspapers’ Flying Girl

Wauhilau LaHay was born in Claremore, Oklahoma on July 14, 1896 to parents John Martin LaHay and Annie Russell. In 1907, the LaHays moved to Muskogee where Joseph set up his law practice closer to the federal court. Tragically he died of a heart attack…

RONALD JOHNSON – A TRUE PIONEER

Telling the History of Claremore…one story at a time As published in the Claremore Daily Progress on November 19, 2011 by Larry Larkin, Progress Correspondent A true pioneer was laid to rest this past week. Claremore’s own Ronnie L. Johnson, the first Oklahoma Highway Patrol black trooper…

MICKEY PERRY – REMEMBERING A MAYOR

Telling the History of Claremore…one story at a time MICKEY PERRY – REMEMBERING A MAYOR The son of Jackson Charles Perry and Lottie Marie (Roof) Bitsko was born July 9, 1947, in Collinsville. Mickey was the oldest child and had four sisters. He graduated from…