Well, I’m proud to be… ‘true’ or ‘transplanted,’ Okies celebrate life in Muskogee.
Tate Publishing author says there is no better place for her than here. There is no place in the world Donna Pendley would rather live than Muskogee.
Pendley’s family moved from Oklahoma City to Muskogee County when she was a child. Pendley said she slid right into the country life and never looked back.
Growing up on a ranch near Warner, Pendley engaged in activities commonly enjoyed by a country girl.
“ My sister and I both showed livestock,” said Pendley, who showed steers, hogs and lambs. “That’s a big thing when you grow up in the country.”
After graduating from high school, she began taking college classes and later accepted employment at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Muskogee.
“ I got married, and we moved closer to Muskogee,” Pendley said. “The people here are friendly and willing to help out those that need it. I have not moved from Muskogee because this is my home — It is where my church is, my family lives and my friends are.”
For Donna Pendley, going to school has become somewhat of a hobby.
After she graduated from Warner High School, Pendley enrolled in classes at Connors State College. She earned an associate’s degree eight years later.
“ That is the family joke — that I took eight years to graduate from a two-year school,” Pendley said. “But at the time, I was attending class at night, I was working full time and raising a young family.”
Pendley recalls those eight years at Connors as “a course study in patience and determination.” But she didn’t let that slow her down. Pendley later enrolled in classes at Northeastern State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology in two years’ time.
In order to put her education to work after earning her second undergraduate degree, Pendley taught five years at Okmulgee County Special Ed Co-op. In 1990, Pendley returned to her job at the Veterans Affairs office in Muskogee.
But Pendley heard her name ringing through the halls of academia again. Now she is pursuing her master’s degree, studying English with the hope of teaching college-level night classes.
“ I don’t really have a hobby,” Pendley said. “I don’t quilt. I don’t bowl. I would like to teach some night courses — I just hope I am not too senile to teach when I finally get this degree.”
Working with vets makes her day
Pendley’s career path has meandered a bit, but for most of her professional life she has worked as a a decision review officer with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at its regional office in Muskogee.
“ I look at claims of disability and see if their service records show any previous treatment for that type of injury,” Pendley said of her job description. “Anytime you can grant service connection and get a veteran some help, you really feel like you’ve done something that day.”
Pendley said she has worked with thousands of veterans during her career, and has heard all kinds of stories. Their stories stir Pendley’s emotions. They also set Pendley to thinking.
“ I thought there may be a lot of people out there who just don’t understand what these soldiers go through,” Pendley said. “Even if they are not physically injured, some of them come back, and they don’t really act the same as they did when they left.”
With that thought, Pendley set a course for a new career path in writing. She recently had her first project — a children’s book about veterans — published.
Writing book about veterans a logical step.
Along with her ongoing educational endeavors and working at the Veterans Affairs Regional Office, Pendley decided to try her hand at writing.
Her compassion for veterans and their stories proved to be a spark that kindled the idea for her recently published children’s book. The topic, Pendley said, is about veterans.
“ A Visit With Victor the Vet” not only captures Pendley’s admiration and devotion to the veterans she has known while working for the Department of Veterans Affairs, it also tells the story of a man who proud of his service to America.
The story is told through the eyes of the classroom teacher’s husband, “an injured soldier who is very proud and privileged to defend the freedom of his country in battle.” Pendley’s book was published by Tate Publishing, an Oklahoma- and a Christian-based, family-owned organization with a mission to discover and market unknown authors.
“ I have been busy trying to promote it with book signings,” Pendley said about her book, which she will be promoting soon in Fayetteville, Ark., and in Fort Smith, Ark. “Getting a book published is way, way harder than writing it.”
Q&A
HOW DID YOU COME TO BE AN OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE?
My mom and dad were living in Oklahoma City and wanted out of the rat race of a big city. They bought a ranch in Warner and moved us to the country life. There is no better life for me than living in a country atmosphere, and northeast Oklahoma is a very nice place to live.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR FREE TIME?
When I am not at work, church, or school, I like to spend time with my family. There is nothing better than to be around those you love and those that care for you. Also, I have written a children’s book about veterans, and it has recently been published.
HOW DO YOU MAKE A LIVING IN MUSKOGEE?
I work at the Department of Veterans Affairs and have worked there for the last 18 years. Maybe I am partial, but it is hands down the best place in Muskogee to work. We get the privilege to serve those that served our country. That is a very special honor, indeed, in my opinion.
NAME AN OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE YOU ADMIRE AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU LOOK UP TO THEM.
The person I most admire in Muskogee would be my pastor, Brother Monty Baggett. He practices each day what he preaches and teaches. He patterns his life after Biblical teachings, and he is always doing something for others, whether they are part of his congregation at Southeast Baptist or just someone that needs a kind word or deed performed. He loves people, and it shows in his caring attitude. He makes church fun with his sharp wit and contagious smile. He is a man that loves God and wants everyone to know that God loves them. I am proud to call him my friend and pastor.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT COULD BE DONE TO MAKE MUSKOGEE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE?
Author says there is no better place for her than here.
I would like to see people in Muskogee do random acts of kindness — It is a great feeling to do something for someone, even if it is just letting someone with a few items get in front of you in the check out at the store. There are many senior adults that could use a helping hand, even if it is asking if you can take their shopping cart to the cart rack for them. It may even be as simple as picking up an item that a young mother who has her hands full has dropped and has no clue it is missing. You know, just doing everyday gestures that may go totally unthanked, but will make the person that did the unselfish deed feel great. After traveling in different regions of the country, Muskogee is truly a friendly place, and I would like to see its kindness and graciousness right up there with its Southern hospitality.
WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE THING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU SINCE YOU HAVE LIVED IN MUSKOGEE?
I have had a really good life here in Muskogee, but probably losing my parents is something I will remember the most. I never realized what it was like to not have your mom and dad in your daily life.
HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP MUSKOGEE IN 25 WORDS OR LESS?
It has the potential to become one of Oklahoma’s most progressive cities if we, as its citizens, will allow it to happen.
Meet Donna Pendley
AGE: 55.
HOMETOWN: I was born in Oklahoma City, and we moved to Warner when I was 8 years old. I have lived in and around Muskogee ever since.
CAREER: I began working at the Veterans Affairs Regional Office in 1973, quit in 1983 to go to school full time, and returned to VARO in 1990 after teaching a few years at Okmulgee County Special Ed Co-op.
FAMILY: Husband, Bill, and children Billy (Misty) Pendley, Jarrod (Traci) Pendley, Michael Jon (Tina) Scott, Codye Miller, Joel (Jenny) Scott, and Kyle Pendley
HOBBIES: Going to church and taking classes at Northeastern State University in Broken Arrow in pursuit of a master’s degree is my main focus currently.
Learn more about “A Visit with Victor the Vet“