Payne County's Oldest Newspaper- Since 1890
Ralph's
By David Sasser had a killing floor capacity of smoke meat."
Journal Publisher 50 cattle or 100 hogs per day. The Cranes, along with son
PERKINS - Ralph's Pack- Services included custom Gary,worked hard and put in
ing Company is celebrating slaughtering, wholesale for long hours to build up their
60 years of business in Per- deep freezers, and regular new business. Ralph worked
kins this week. wholesale trade, in the meat processing
On November 1, 1959, Ralph and Sue started the department, business office,
Ralph and Sue Crane pur- small meat company with the or wherever needed. Sue
chased the struggling Beall idea of producing a product was in the business office,
Packing Company in Perkins, of the highest quality. His handling bookkeeping and
and the business then became dream was to produce quality accounting chores, but also
known as Ralph's Packing products at a price everyone puttingin time in the process-
Company. could afford. Ralph perfected ing department when needed.
Today,Gary andTess Crane a curing and smoking process Gary worked after school and
continue the family business which was second to none, during summers and had the
along with their daughter and has been proven by many title of 'bacon slicer."
Erica Hering; son-in-law awards and honors over the By 1962, they had built an
Jason Hering, and their twin years, addition to the plant doubling
sons Joshua and Logan "Dad's first smokehouse the working space and freezer
Art and Anna Beall had was an old milk cooler that storage as well a adding a
opened Beall Packing Com- had a wood stove on the side new and larger loading dock.
pany in October 1956. Con- of it and a gas bumer at the They had grown from a work
struction of the new packing bottom of that milk cooler," force of two employees to 15
plant at 500 W. Freeman was Gary recalled. "He'd build employees including Lonnie
started in May 1956, and a fire in that wood stove, and Savage, Chester Crane, Olin
the facility consisted of ten he'd hand hams and bacon Williams, and Tom Tubbs,
rooms, five of which were in there. He had a hair dryer butchers; Joe Randall,Robert
refrigerated. The plant fea- on the wood stove to keep Tubbs,Eddie B.Tubbs, Sara
tured the latest equipment and the fire going, so he could Campbell, Mamie Tubbs,
By Van Mitchell
Journal Staff Writer
PERKINS - Kelly McCau-
ley, general manager with
LifeNet in Stillwater, said he
expects LifeNet to have an
ambulance presence in town
by early December.
He said LifeNet will be
housed at 715 West ll6th
Street, west of Perkins on
SH33.
- "We have a fully executed
contract effective Oct 94 k feNet will be housed at 715 West 116th Street, west of
McCauley.said.-'-qZhe land Perk ns on SH33, J0umal photQby David Sasser .
lords, Al Hanel and Mickey each service area providing put an ambulance to test us
Hanel, are going to do some community education and out," he said."We have been
remodeling and they hope outreach to strengthen the trying to get down there for
we can move in as early as chain of survival, years. It all hinged On the
Dec. 1.". McCauley said LifeNet has ideal property. This is the
LifeNet is a not-for-profit been looking to have a pres- ideal property we think, and
ground and air ambulance ence in Perkins, but couldn't gets us into Perkins."
service provider. In addi- do so until the right location LifeNet has a five-year
tion to providing medical was found, lease ontheproperty,with an
transportation throughout "Since May 2011 when oppoaunity for an extension.
Northeast Texas, Southwest LifeNet started business in McCauleysaidLifeNetwill
Arkansas, and Central Okla- this area, the City of Perkins add one ambulance to service
homa, they also are active in gave us two opportunities to UFENET, Page A 7
Three generations are hard at work continuing the legacy. Pictured (I to r): Tess Crane,
Gary Crane, Erica Crane Hering, Logan Hedng, Jason Hering, and Josh Hering. Photo provided
and Larry Savage, meat pro- wholesale. The plant's ter- were butchered. Products
cessors; Fred Kirkpalrick and
DeWayne Moser, salesmen;
Wesley Campbell, truck
driver; and Phyllis Camp-
bell, secretary. John Cruse
was the cattle buyer and Mrs.
Burnham was inspector.
Although offering custom
butchering, 90 percent of
the plant's output was sold
ritory included Shawnee, marketed under Ralph's Cir-
Prague, Stroud, Cushing, cle-R brand included bacon,
Yale, Ponca City, Enid, Alva, pork cutlets, Chuck Wagon
and Woodward. Drive-in steaks, Western Steaks,
restaurants were a big cus- pepper steaks, and meat loaf,
tomer, and the plant was pro- a frozen product ready for the
ducing and selling an average housewife to stickin the oven
of 6,000 hamburger patties for a quick meal.
per week. Each week 90 to By 1975, Ralph's Packing.
110 head of cattle and hogs RALPH'S, Page'A7
Cattle Producer's Meeting Held
By Aaron Box
Journal Correspondent
STILLWATER- On
Thursday, October 24,
the Payne County Cattle
Producer's Association
held its annual banquet at
the Payne County Expo
Center. More than 150
local cattlemen attended
the event which included
a stock show, judging con-
test, trade show, business
meeting, awards presen-
tation and benefit auction.
Cattle producers heard a
legislative update from
the Oklahoma Cattlemen's
Association as well.
The Cattle Producers
inducted into their hall of
fame Retired OSU Pro-
fessor Dr. Robert Wet-
teman and his wife Grace
for their more than four
decade commitment to
Payne County and Okla-
homa cattlemen. Dr. Wet-
teman's work on repro-
ductive efficiency due to
body condition improved
calving rates for producers
nationwide and has had a
significant impact on sus-
tainable cattle production.
The Payne County Cattle Producer's Association awarded
its annual scholarship to Riley Collum (.center). Presenting
the award are Brent DeMuth (left) and Gregg Pickens (right)
Photo provided
Dr. and Mrs. Wetteman
own a cow-calf operation
in Payne County.
The Association also
awarded its annual schol-
arship to Riley Collum, a
Perkins-Tryon senior who
this year earned the distinc-
tion of being a champion in
cattle handling, the show
ring and as an acclaimed
NCA cheerleader.
Producers had the oppor-
tunity to network with
businesses that support the
cattle industry. Local and
regional banks, feed mills
retail, ag equipment and
animal healthcare com-
panies participated in the
trade show and offered
door prizes to attendees:
The Oklahoma Coopera-
tive Extension Service and
the Payne County Exten-
sion office were on hand
to answer questions and
CATTLE, Page A7
Perkins-Tryon High School Midnight Regiment
Band wraps up marching season
PERKii,!S - The Per- overall. In addition, Drum THE band of day!
kins-Tryon High School Majors Sydney Flynn and ".The students have worked
Midnight Regiment cele- Layne Johnson were pre- incredibly hard this season"
brated the 50th Anniversary sented with the Outstanding said band director KG Rob-
of the 1969 Lunar Land- Drum Major.award. inson. "Mr. Nichols and I
ing in their 2019 Marching Just two weeks later,could not be more proud of
Show "Man on the Moon." on Oct. 12, the Midnight them." "
Their program featured a Regiment competed in in Overall, the band and
voice over from President the 2019 Oklahoma Band- staff put in over 170 hours
John F. Kennedy's 1963 masters' State Marching designing, writing, and
"Moon Speech" and must- Championship where they rehearsing the show.
cal selections including became the reigning Bronze "We owe a great deal of
John Williams' "Fanfare Medal State Champions in thanks to everyone that sup-
from E.T " "Moondance" their class and achieved 6th ported the band including
by Van Morrison, Claude place overall, our Sweepstakes Society
Debussy's "Clair de Lune," Then, on Oct. 16, the band sponsors" Robinson added.
and"Rocket Man" by Elton took their program to the "Our band parents, our
John. OSSAARegional marching color guard and drumline
On Sept. 28, the Midnight contest where they were techs, Kristi Voelker, Darci
Regiment traveled to the awarded straight Superior Robinson, Lexi Matthews,
Okmulgee Bulldog Invi- ratings from all threejudges, and Sara Nichols, and our
tational marching contest One judge even declared the incredibly supportive school
where they came in second Midnight Regiment to be and community."
Shear Grace Ribbon Cutting Held
The Perkins Community Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday,
October 17, at Shear Grace Studio located at 130 S. Main Street in Perkins. Shear Grace
Studio is a full-service salon offering haircuts, highlights and color, manicures, pedicures,
and tanning. For appointments call (405) 880-2117. Pictured (I to r): Harland Wells, Chris
Petermann, Joyce Fox, Casey Martin, Baze Fox, owner Victoria Fox, Kandi Garrison, Lux
Sullivan, Lisa Allen, Karli Allen, Magee Garrison. Arthur Fox, Cassie Wilson, Virginia Sasser,
Dustin Bledsoe, Sharyl Pickens, Eric Lovelace. Journal photo by David Sasser
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