Bill Tilghman Committee

Post Office Box 21 ~ Cromwell Oklahoma 73437

Phone 405-944-5317

 

 

Re:  Fund Raiser Breakfast and Celebrity Auction

 

Dear Friends of America’s Heroes and the Bill Tilghman Festival

 

Each fall for the last nine years, residents of Cromwell Oklahoma have hosted a festival to honor a true American Hero, the legendary lawman, United States Marshal William Matthew Tilghman.  The Bill Tilghman Committee (BTC) organizes this event, with several objectives in mind:

 

·         To make our children aware of the service and sacrifice of “Marshal Bill” and other law enforcement personnel, law makers, and businessmen and women.

·         To show honor to positive role models for our children in hopes they will emulate their actions and become good citizens to our great Nation.

·         To raise funds for scholarships to assist worthy students in the Cromwell area in pursuit of higher education.

·         To show Oklahoma families and businesses that rural life can be rewarding, and to encourage consideration of the Cromwell area when thinking of relocating their home or expanding their  business.

·         To have plain old EXTRA-ordinary country fun!!!!

 

The BTC organizes many activities throughout the year in combination with the festival.  This year we gladly announce a Pageant to crown our 2001 Queen and her Royal Court; young winners of this pageant will represent Cromwell and the BTC at several community and media events statewide.  They will become our Ambassadors of Goodwill to Oklahoma and the world. 

 

In coordination with the pageant, we are organizing our first Fund Raiser Breakfast and Celebrity Auction.  The breakfast/auction is sponsored by the Pageant Advisory board of the BTC.  Proceeds from this event will provide a scholarship for the Queen, and cash prizes for winners in all categories to assist in costs for costume and travel expenses.  Additional information regarding the Pageant is available through the BTC.

 

Seating for the celebrity breakfast and auction is limited, so order your tickets right away.  Requests will be honored on a first come first serve basis.  We look forward to meeting you in person, and hope you can attend several of the activities listed in the information packet enclosed. 

 

Sincerely,

Penny Veitenheimer

President, BTC

 

Attachments

Bill Tilghman Festival 2001

Law and Order - Past, Present, Future

General Information

 

Our festival has grown each year, and this year will be our best ever!  We have many surprises planned for the entire festival and especially the day of the breakfast/auction.  Many kind folks have agreed to be honored guests of the BTC for breakfast and we have received several wonderful donations for auction.  We won’t spoil the surprise by listing everything, but we are proud that Senator Kelly Haney plans to attend; we are in the process of securing one of his amazing prints to auction.  Also, Captain G. Wayne Tilman, noted historian and author, will be on hand to sign his new book about the Old West titled “Zack Bodeway, Texas Ranger”.  Many vignettes in his book reflect Marshal Bill’s life experiences.  Wayne has donated a number of these books, and will sign them after the auction as well as the day of the festival.  The Old Rock Store in Cromwell has donated a copy of “You Know My Name” starring Sam Elliott and it will be at auction also.  We have one copy of Marshal Tilghman’s movie (yes, he was a movie producer/actor) “The Passing of the Oklahoma Outlaws” which can be purchased that day.  What a unique addition to any collection of Western memorobilia this would make!  We are seeking and receiving donations every day, so if you have any mementos of the Old West, or the New West, we would appreciate hearing from you.  This is only a partial list of item for auction on October 6.

 

Our community is not a wealthy one...many of the children in our school have only one parent at home, some have no parent in the home.  They cannot afford even a soft drink at school functions; a senior trip is out of the question altogether.  Our school board and teachers are amazing and work tirelessly to make these children feel special while they are at school.  The festival provides many activities at no charge for kids to enjoy, and we work all year to make this day one they will remember always.  Our theme this year is “Law and Order, Past, Present, Future” and we have invited guests from every law enforcement agency we can find.  We pray that by providing positive role models our young people will pursue a life of service to God, family, and our Great Nation.

 

Funds we raise help provide scholarships to students who might not otherwise have an opportunity to seek higher education.  We also assist worthy students who have exhibited excellence in scholastics, athletics, and community service.  One young man from a single parent family last year was invited to visit Washington DC, and meet the President.  He probably would have found a way to go on his own, he is that kind of kid -  but we believe by rewarding his efforts with a bit of assistance, we have reinforced his ambition to excel in every endeavor and believe his accomplishment is a positive example for his peers.  With your help, we can offer more aid in these situations and reward exemplary performance.

 

When Marshal Tilman was summoned to Cromwell, honest folks were afraid to even drive through town.  Many of their young sons who secured work in the oil field to help their family subsequently disappeared without a trace.  Gambling, alcohol, and drug sales were rampant, and perpetrators of illegal activity were free to run their operations without interference.  In the six months Marshal Tilghman lived here he made tremendous progress in identifying and arresting the criminals,  His persistence in cleaning up town, and his murder spurred the residents of Cromwell to continue the crusade  for law and order.  One interesting note:  every illegal establishment was burned to the ground soon after Marshal Tilghman’s murder, and not one home was damaged.  Residents kept the pressure on and eventually when criminal pursuits became less profitable, the rift-raft moved on to some other unsuspecting town.

 

The following page indicates some guests who have been contacted and plan to attend breakfast and/or the festival.  We will have a wonderful western theme breakfast, at the beautiful St. Crispin’s Episcopal Retreat facility near Cromwell.  Brian Abrams, general manager of St. Crispins is overseeing the menu and preparation (I can report first hand the cooks are brilliant, and the food is quality all the way); donated items will be on display as you arrive and the auction will begin immediately following breakfast.  You are invited and encouraged to visit Butner School while you are here.  A very special show is being prepared for presentation to all Butner students at 1:00 p.m., and will include a slide show of Cromwell past and present by Wayne Tilman, special surprises from the U. S. Marshal’s office, and a demonstration by the Civil War Re-Enactors.  Please plan to attend, and enjoy as many of the activities as possible.  We look forward to meeting you!

 

Bill Tilghman Festival 2001

Law and Order - Past, Present, Future

Partial Guest List

 

Descendants of Marshal Bill

·         Lynn Lightman, Great-great granddaughter

·         Robert Tilghman, Great-grandson

·         Captain G. Wayne Tilman, Historian, Author

 

Other celebrities include:

·         Kelly Haney, United States Senator and renowned Artist

·         Jim Hughes, U. S. Marshal, Oklahoma Northern District

·         DeWade Langley, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation

·         Pat Wilkerson, U. S. Marshal, Oklahoma Western District

·         Captain Grimes, Head of Highway Patrol, Oklahoma City

·         Jeanette Haley, Curator, Lincoln County Museum of Pioneer History, Chandler Oklahoma

·         Dee Cordry, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, President Oklahombres

 

Dates to Remember:

·         October 2, 2001; Final date for ticket requests

·         October 6, 2001; Pageant winners selected

·         October 12, 2001; Fund Raiser Breakfast, with Celebrity Auction immediately following

·         October 12, 2001; Senator Kelly Haney, U. S. Marshal, Captain Tilman and the Civil War Re-Enactors present special show for students of Butner Schools

 

A word of caution to the wise; be careful when walking the streets of Cromwell the Wicked.  Marshal Bill made many enemies during his career and there are rumors of a gunfight, maybe even a hanging in the town park.  You never know who might show up, maybe one of the Doolin gang, they’ve been mad ever since Marshal Bill brought in Doolin, and may still be seeking revenge!