About The NW Okie

This is for those of you who have just recently joined us here or want to know more about the NW Okie, editor & publisher of The OkieLegacy. Who is that lady collecting Okie Legacies? AND... Why?

It was 60 years ago, 11:35a.m., Alva General Hospital, a third (3rd) daughter was born to Vada Eileen (Paris) McGill (31 years) and Gene M. McGill (33 years). Linda Kay was a Winter baby weighing in at 6lbs-10oz. Her parents arrived just in the neck of time on that February, 1948 morning, at the Alva General hospital with 1-1/2 hrs to spare before Li'l Linda's arrival. My sister Dorthy gave me my name.

My Father... Gene McGill, was a flying farmer, bearded custom harvestor in the 1940's and a Democratic State Chairman in the 1960's.

Gene McGill was born December, 1914 and died June, 1986 on Father's Day. He was the oldest son of William Jacob McGill and Constance Estella (Warwick) McGill. Gene had a younger brother, Robert "Bob" McGill, that was born August, 1916 and died February 1954. My father got his pharmacist degree from OU in 1937.

My Mother... This photo taken of my mother, Vada Eileen Paris, was her high school graduation photo taken when she was 18 years of age.

Vada Paris was born November 11, 1916 and died July, 1992. She was the fourth child and oldest daughter of Ernest Claude Paris and Mary Barbara Hurt from around Chester (Tailholt), Oklahoma, Major County. Vada had six brothers and two sisters. I think only Uncle Sammy is alive, living in Sand Point, Idaho today. Vada was a homemaker who went back to school in the early fifties to get her teaching degree in Home Economics from Northwestern State Teachers College.

My Sisters & Me... This is a 1955 photo of two of my sisters and Me, in the backyard of 703 7th Street, Alva, OK. The photo shows Linda, Dorthy, and Amber perched on a picnic table in the backyard, of 703 7th Street, Alva, Oklahoma. The oldest sister (Connie Jean) is NOT pictured -- and not quite sure why?

Sweet Li'l Linda Kay was raised one of two middle daughters of the four McGill Sisters in the Gene & Vada Paris McGill family.

My life began sixty years ago, as one of the Baby Boomers and raised as a Democrat, in a Small, Rural Community located in Woods County in the NW Corner of Oklahoma.

My Schooling began at Horace Mann Elementary in Kindergarten and progressed thru Washington Elementary, Alva Jr. High, Alva High. I hated the little snobby, elite, cliques that formed during the Jr. High and High School years. I chose not to belong to any of them. I finished my college education at Northwestern State College in 1971 with a BA Degree in Art & Sociology.

A 1969 Mid-Summer, July Wedding united David M. Wagner & Linda Kay McGill after a year courtship during our time at Northwestern State College (NSC). In the Early-Fall of 1970 our oldest Son, Michael, started our family while we were living, working, and finishing College at NSC in Alva, Oklahoma. (It was back in the mid 1960's during the days of the Viet Nam War, Peace, Love, and Hippies.. [Although, I never was a Hippie.]

In the Early-Summer (June) of 1973 David, Linda and son (Michael) were blessed with their second son, Robert. David was working for Kerr-MaGee Research & Engineering in OKC -- we were living in Edmond, OK, USA. In (or about 1975) David got a job with Exxon Engineering, Baytown, TX and the four of us became Texas-Okies for five or six years before we moved back to Alva, OK about 1980.

I love to listen to music of the "'40's" and "Rock-n-Roll Oldies" of the 50's, 60's, 70's! I also like a little of the "Classical, Jazz, Blues, Soul and Country!" One of my favorite Radio stations back in my earlier childhood was KOMA. You could find this transistor sister walking around Alva with her transistor radio tuned to KOMA radio station.
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