It was a busy weekend for the Friends of the Ferguson Home. On Saturday, June 13, the Friends held their annual Ferguson Tea. The theme this year was “Let’s Go to the Movies”. Following music by Vernon Brickman, Joe Bryan opened with prayer and a note of thanks to Connie Burcham and Mary Larson for serving as President and Treasurer, respectively, for over 3 years and Esther Arnold for serving as Vice President for 2 years. Michelle Mendenhall, current President, introduced recently appointed officers Roy Espy as Vice President and Crystal Perez as Treasurer and Kristen Lockart as the new Site Director/Docent. Roy Espy gave a brief history of the Ferguson related movies, Cimarron, from Edna Ferber’s novel “Cimarron”. The 1931 version won three academy awards, the first western to be honored.
There were various culinary delicacies aplenty along with tea and coffee.
Children excelled at the movie trivia contest and many paraded movierelated costumes. The main speaker was Romona Tallbear who spoke about Plains Collective native-American activities at the Ferguson and at the Cheese Festival. She shared a clip from “Little Big Man” movie that depicts Cheyenne-Arapaho culture. Chief Larry Roman Nose spoke about the blue and red blankets, remnants of cavalry uniforms. The Friends thank Michelle Mendenhall, Teresa Bryan, Connie Burcham and Espy for their planning and work. And thank you to all who purchased $12 tickets, and especially those who became members of the Friends.
On Sunday, June 14, the Friends held a ceremony at the Ferguson Home Museum in honor of National Flag Week culminating in National Flag Day.
On Friday and Saturday, Todd Lafferty and Joe Bryan deployed 16 American flags along Main Street and Noble Ave. At the Ferguson, members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho American Legion Post 401 from Concho, OK participated in the lowering of the year-old American and Oklahoma Flags and replaced them with new flags. Among those who spoke, Ramona Tallbear, Chief Larry Roman Nose, Jeanine Espy and Joe Bryan mentioned various aspects of the 250 th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4 and the 249 th anniversary of the Continental Congress’ adoption of the American Flag on June 14, 1777.
Everyone enjoyed refreshments.