Mr. Frank Joseph Magana, Jr., 78, founder and retiree of Bluestem Foundry, past resident of Dewey, Oklahoma and at the time of his death was a resident of Norman, Oklahoma, passed away at 6:10 a.m. on Friday, June 19, 2009, after a sudden and extended illness.
Funeral services for Mr. Magana will be held Tuesday, June 23, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary of the First Christian Church, 520 S. Osage, Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Rev. Rick Brinkley will be the officiant. Committal prayers and interment will be directed in the Memorial Park Cemetery by The Arnold Moore Funeral Service.
Mr. Magana will lie in state in the Drawing Rooms of The Arnold Moore Funeral Residence in Bartlesville where family and friends may call for visitation until he is removed to the church on Tuesday morning.
Frank Joseph Magana, Jr. was born on June 22, 1930, in Dewey, Oklahoma. He was the eldest son of the late Mary and Frank Joseph Magana, Sr. He was raised and received his education in Dewey and graduated high school in 1949. During his high school years, he played football and during his junior year, helped to take the team to an All State School Championship. After graduation, he received an All State Scholarship to the University of Oklahoma to play football for Coach Bud Wilkerson. Shortly after entering college, he was drafted during the Korean War and later received an honorable discharge. Frank returned to Dewey and in 1951, married Barbara Gail Slanker of Bartlesville. Frank later went on to establish Bluestem Foundry with Carl Mason and his brother, Cecil Magana, which they operated from 1951 to 1985.
Frank loved architecture and built several homes in the Oklahoma/Arkansas area throughout his life. He was also involved in several Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Golf projects, including the Bartlesville Price Tower, where he designed and manufactured the original Price Tower furniture. The last Bartlesville community project Frank was involved in was the design and manufacturing of the iron gates and iron lettering on the Bartlesville Community Center. He recently contributed in the design and building of the new Best Western Hotel in Norman, Oklahoma and was working on a truck stop, golf course and shopping mall project when he became ill. His most satisfying project, however, was working alongside his son-in-law, Mark Crabtree, to build a family home in Norman. He traveled to Europe five times after the age of 60 and his hobbies were many - architecture, metal work, golfing , fishing, oil painting and gardening, but the most important thing in his life was his family.
Frank is survived by his wife of 58 years, Barbara Gail Slanker Magana, of the home; his daughter Pamela Varley-Crabtree and husband, Mark Crabtree, Germany; sons, Marc Magana and Chuck Smith, Norman; and daughter, Stacy Ritchie and husband, Robin Ritchie, Tulsa, Oklahoma; five grandchildren, Adam Varley, Monica Varley, Page Grummer, Taylor Grummer, Rachel Ritchie; great-grandson, Carter Gray Rahman; brothers, Raymond Magana and wife, Symelda, Carl Magana, and Cecil Magana and wife, Helga, all of Bartlesville.
WRITE-UP IN THE BARTLESVILLE EXAMINER
Former Dewey greats carved out glorious destiny
By Mike Tupa E-E Sports Editor
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 2:08 PM CDT
Two former Dewey teammates whose paths of destiny often merged together throughout long and productive lives ended just four days apart.
The legacy Bernard "Andy" Davis and Frank Magana helped bequeath Bulldogger football — as the only state championship gridder team in school history — will live on as a footnote of glory.
But Magana and Davis — the men themselves — weren't just dusty relics of an unforgettable season long passed by in the ongoing parade of time.
Their achievement opened the window on the character and grit of a special collection of young men who wore the Dogger uniform during that halcyon season of 1947.
The players on that team were scholars, school leaders, role models and destined to make their mark throughout what remained of the 20th Century — and beyond.
For Davis — both a running back and the best passer on the ‘47 team — his trials and triumphs ended on June 15, when he slipped away quietly at his family residence in Dewey.
Magana — a determined wide receiver with quick legs — died June 19 in Norman.
Both were born in Dewey, just 135 days apart. Both found their final resting place in Washington County, less than 10 miles apart.
Davis was 79; Magana was buried just one day after he would have turned 79.
Both leave behind a handful of surviving Dogger ‘mates from that incredible ‘47 odyssey.
—
In the fall of 1947, choosy mothers in the Bartlesville-Dewey area could bring home a pound of hamburger for just 39 cents.
Or, if they wanted to splurge, roast cost 55 cents a pound.
Adventurous boys and trusting parents could purchase that fall a Whizzerbike — a motorcycle-type conveyance for adolescents — for just $97.55 at Lehman's Bicycle Supply.
"The Yearling," was showing on one of the many local theater screens in the county, and the Rhythmaires would soon be the featured act at the Victory Club, with admission costing just 75 cents (which included tax).
But, the biggest production in Dewey was the Bulldogger football team, particularly on home game nights. The boys in red were compiling a one-of-a-kind season, beating opponents over the head with a fiery offense and ferocious defense.
At the heart of the offensive assault were Davis and Magana. They were not, by any means, the only stars of the show. The Webber brothers, Orville and Jim, earned their share of the spotlight and even mammoth 253-pound lineman William Bullen scored a rushing touchdown.
Davis, a senior, and Magana, an 11th grader, were key parts of the overall machine which had been primed by fourth-year head coach L.D. Bash, a stoic, dark-haired sideline general with a calm but strong demeanor.
In Davis, Bash found a valiant senior leader, a little guy who could.
Weighing only 135 pounds, Davis endured the pounding every week without whimpering or quit.
His future wife Barbara Rae Haugh, a glowing-faced, dark-haired beauty who later in the year would be named the Basketball Queen while Davis was honored as basketball team captain, recalled the determination he nursed while playing football.
She recalled him going to his house after a game and laying flat on the floor in silent agony.
"Once I made the mistake of asking him if it was worth it to play this stupid game," she recalled, during a recent interview. "He raised up on his elbows and said ‘This is not stupid game. It's a like a school of hard knocks.'"
He extolled to her the character-building virtues of football, including learning how to work as a team.
"He said, ‘No matter how good you are, you cannot win a football game on your own,'" Barbara continued. "He said, ‘I'll have these friends the rest of my life.'"
And, he did.
Beginning in 1987, the surviving Dogger teammates began holding regular reunions.
"We said we'd have them every five years," said Phil Sprague, one of the approximately 10 teammates remaining from ‘47. "We continued to have them and we agreed the last one alive would turn out the lights."
Sprague became a contact point for fellow classmates when Davis passed away.
During his phone calls, he learned Magana was in intensive care.
Magana had been Davis' favorite target in ‘47. Lining up at end, Magana had a knack for getting open and for making the tough grabs, younger brother Cecil recalled.
"They were playing in the state playoffs and they threw him a pass and he went up to get the pass with his leg across the defender's chest," Cecil said.
Frank also had the chance in high school to play against Cleveland's Billy Vessels, before both would become freshman teammates together at the University of Oklahoma.
During their high school encounter, in a game played in Dewey, Vessels ran back a kickoff for a touchdown.
"They called a penalty and they had to kick again," Cecil said. "Vessels got the ball and again ran it back for a touchdown."
A skull fracture ended Frank's college football career — but not his association with Sooner football.
"When he moved to Norman, he'd usher people up the VIP elevator," said Cecil. "At lot of times Frank would see Vessels and some of the old players."
"Frank was a good person ... who was likable," Cecil continued. "He was always trying to help people. He could do anything. I never saw anything he couldn't do. He could draw, he could make things, build things, and do blueprints. He just amazed me.
"I sure miss him. He was a good guy and a good athlete."
Cecil recalled Davis as being "skinny as a beanpole but he could throw and run well ... He could wiggle his hips pretty well."
—
One thing Davis didn't wiggle out of was his decision to give up college sports at Central States to join the military, at the behest of Frank Magana.
Because they were almost certain to be drafted, Magana suggested to Davis they enlist as part of the "buddy" program, which means they would stay together in training and throughout their tour, Barbara Magana said.
But, when they went to join, Magana's entrance was deferred because he was working helping to build war parts, Barbara said.
Davis ended up enlisting and going to Korea, she added.
Magana also would serve and both would receive honorable discharges.
Their bond of friendship never wavered throughout the many decades, Barbara noted.
—
It's been too many years since too young men, and their friends, blossomed together in a more idyllic time when the world outside the front yard, or even Main Street, was still an adventure to be conquered. When neighbors gathered together in the evening around the fence post or the porch, and when kids found a vacant lot or empty field on Saturdays to play football or baseball, raising dust and memories until the sun had mostly buried itself beyond the western horizon.
Those days are gone except in history books and recollections of those who, like Barbara, lived in them.
She recalled how her husband got the name "Andy," which would stick to him the rest of his life.
Whenever his father would give him a nickel, Davis would got to the local candy shop in Dewey and buy a large amount of sweets.
"He lived by the Claiborne boys when they knew he was coming, they'd yell ‘Here comes Andy with the candy.'"
—
Those were the years also when Davis and Magana began their lifelong friendship — a friendship cemented by their time as teammates and experiences beyond.
And, their shining achievement more than 60 years earlier, in winning the state championship, never lost its luster in their hearts.
"He was always proud of it," Barbara said about her husband. "He was always proud of it. He always tried to get the boys together ... He kept hoping Dewey would win another state title. He'd come home from games and talk about good players he saw."
Magana also felt a deep pride in what he had helped achieve, said Cecil, adding he and Davis "are probably throwing footballs to each other up in heaven."
Funeral services for Mr. Magana will be held Tuesday, June 23, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary of the First Christian Church, 520 S. Osage, Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Rev. Rick Brinkley will be the officiant. Committal prayers and interment will be directed in the Memorial Park Cemetery by The Arnold Moore Funeral Service.
Mr. Magana will lie in state in the Drawing Rooms of The Arnold Moore Funeral Residence in Bartlesville where family and friends may call for visitation until he is removed to the church on Tuesday morning.
Frank Joseph Magana, Jr. was born on June 22, 1930, in Dewey, Oklahoma. He was the eldest son of the late Mary and Frank Joseph Magana, Sr. He was raised and received his education in Dewey and graduated high school in 1949. During his high school years, he played football and during his junior year, helped to take the team to an All State School Championship. After graduation, he received an All State Scholarship to the University of Oklahoma to play football for Coach Bud Wilkerson. Shortly after entering college, he was drafted during the Korean War and later received an honorable discharge. Frank returned to Dewey and in 1951, married Barbara Gail Slanker of Bartlesville. Frank later went on to establish Bluestem Foundry with Carl Mason and his brother, Cecil Magana, which they operated from 1951 to 1985.
Frank loved architecture and built several homes in the Oklahoma/Arkansas area throughout his life. He was also involved in several Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Golf projects, including the Bartlesville Price Tower, where he designed and manufactured the original Price Tower furniture. The last Bartlesville community project Frank was involved in was the design and manufacturing of the iron gates and iron lettering on the Bartlesville Community Center. He recently contributed in the design and building of the new Best Western Hotel in Norman, Oklahoma and was working on a truck stop, golf course and shopping mall project when he became ill. His most satisfying project, however, was working alongside his son-in-law, Mark Crabtree, to build a family home in Norman. He traveled to Europe five times after the age of 60 and his hobbies were many - architecture, metal work, golfing , fishing, oil painting and gardening, but the most important thing in his life was his family.
Frank is survived by his wife of 58 years, Barbara Gail Slanker Magana, of the home; his daughter Pamela Varley-Crabtree and husband, Mark Crabtree, Germany; sons, Marc Magana and Chuck Smith, Norman; and daughter, Stacy Ritchie and husband, Robin Ritchie, Tulsa, Oklahoma; five grandchildren, Adam Varley, Monica Varley, Page Grummer, Taylor Grummer, Rachel Ritchie; great-grandson, Carter Gray Rahman; brothers, Raymond Magana and wife, Symelda, Carl Magana, and Cecil Magana and wife, Helga, all of Bartlesville.
WRITE-UP IN THE BARTLESVILLE EXAMINER
Former Dewey greats carved out glorious destiny
By Mike Tupa E-E Sports Editor
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 2:08 PM CDT
Two former Dewey teammates whose paths of destiny often merged together throughout long and productive lives ended just four days apart.
The legacy Bernard "Andy" Davis and Frank Magana helped bequeath Bulldogger football — as the only state championship gridder team in school history — will live on as a footnote of glory.
But Magana and Davis — the men themselves — weren't just dusty relics of an unforgettable season long passed by in the ongoing parade of time.
Their achievement opened the window on the character and grit of a special collection of young men who wore the Dogger uniform during that halcyon season of 1947.
The players on that team were scholars, school leaders, role models and destined to make their mark throughout what remained of the 20th Century — and beyond.
For Davis — both a running back and the best passer on the ‘47 team — his trials and triumphs ended on June 15, when he slipped away quietly at his family residence in Dewey.
Magana — a determined wide receiver with quick legs — died June 19 in Norman.
Both were born in Dewey, just 135 days apart. Both found their final resting place in Washington County, less than 10 miles apart.
Davis was 79; Magana was buried just one day after he would have turned 79.
Both leave behind a handful of surviving Dogger ‘mates from that incredible ‘47 odyssey.
—
In the fall of 1947, choosy mothers in the Bartlesville-Dewey area could bring home a pound of hamburger for just 39 cents.
Or, if they wanted to splurge, roast cost 55 cents a pound.
Adventurous boys and trusting parents could purchase that fall a Whizzerbike — a motorcycle-type conveyance for adolescents — for just $97.55 at Lehman's Bicycle Supply.
"The Yearling," was showing on one of the many local theater screens in the county, and the Rhythmaires would soon be the featured act at the Victory Club, with admission costing just 75 cents (which included tax).
But, the biggest production in Dewey was the Bulldogger football team, particularly on home game nights. The boys in red were compiling a one-of-a-kind season, beating opponents over the head with a fiery offense and ferocious defense.
At the heart of the offensive assault were Davis and Magana. They were not, by any means, the only stars of the show. The Webber brothers, Orville and Jim, earned their share of the spotlight and even mammoth 253-pound lineman William Bullen scored a rushing touchdown.
Davis, a senior, and Magana, an 11th grader, were key parts of the overall machine which had been primed by fourth-year head coach L.D. Bash, a stoic, dark-haired sideline general with a calm but strong demeanor.
In Davis, Bash found a valiant senior leader, a little guy who could.
Weighing only 135 pounds, Davis endured the pounding every week without whimpering or quit.
His future wife Barbara Rae Haugh, a glowing-faced, dark-haired beauty who later in the year would be named the Basketball Queen while Davis was honored as basketball team captain, recalled the determination he nursed while playing football.
She recalled him going to his house after a game and laying flat on the floor in silent agony.
"Once I made the mistake of asking him if it was worth it to play this stupid game," she recalled, during a recent interview. "He raised up on his elbows and said ‘This is not stupid game. It's a like a school of hard knocks.'"
He extolled to her the character-building virtues of football, including learning how to work as a team.
"He said, ‘No matter how good you are, you cannot win a football game on your own,'" Barbara continued. "He said, ‘I'll have these friends the rest of my life.'"
And, he did.
Beginning in 1987, the surviving Dogger teammates began holding regular reunions.
"We said we'd have them every five years," said Phil Sprague, one of the approximately 10 teammates remaining from ‘47. "We continued to have them and we agreed the last one alive would turn out the lights."
Sprague became a contact point for fellow classmates when Davis passed away.
During his phone calls, he learned Magana was in intensive care.
Magana had been Davis' favorite target in ‘47. Lining up at end, Magana had a knack for getting open and for making the tough grabs, younger brother Cecil recalled.
"They were playing in the state playoffs and they threw him a pass and he went up to get the pass with his leg across the defender's chest," Cecil said.
Frank also had the chance in high school to play against Cleveland's Billy Vessels, before both would become freshman teammates together at the University of Oklahoma.
During their high school encounter, in a game played in Dewey, Vessels ran back a kickoff for a touchdown.
"They called a penalty and they had to kick again," Cecil said. "Vessels got the ball and again ran it back for a touchdown."
A skull fracture ended Frank's college football career — but not his association with Sooner football.
"When he moved to Norman, he'd usher people up the VIP elevator," said Cecil. "At lot of times Frank would see Vessels and some of the old players."
"Frank was a good person ... who was likable," Cecil continued. "He was always trying to help people. He could do anything. I never saw anything he couldn't do. He could draw, he could make things, build things, and do blueprints. He just amazed me.
"I sure miss him. He was a good guy and a good athlete."
Cecil recalled Davis as being "skinny as a beanpole but he could throw and run well ... He could wiggle his hips pretty well."
—
One thing Davis didn't wiggle out of was his decision to give up college sports at Central States to join the military, at the behest of Frank Magana.
Because they were almost certain to be drafted, Magana suggested to Davis they enlist as part of the "buddy" program, which means they would stay together in training and throughout their tour, Barbara Magana said.
But, when they went to join, Magana's entrance was deferred because he was working helping to build war parts, Barbara said.
Davis ended up enlisting and going to Korea, she added.
Magana also would serve and both would receive honorable discharges.
Their bond of friendship never wavered throughout the many decades, Barbara noted.
—
It's been too many years since too young men, and their friends, blossomed together in a more idyllic time when the world outside the front yard, or even Main Street, was still an adventure to be conquered. When neighbors gathered together in the evening around the fence post or the porch, and when kids found a vacant lot or empty field on Saturdays to play football or baseball, raising dust and memories until the sun had mostly buried itself beyond the western horizon.
Those days are gone except in history books and recollections of those who, like Barbara, lived in them.
She recalled how her husband got the name "Andy," which would stick to him the rest of his life.
Whenever his father would give him a nickel, Davis would got to the local candy shop in Dewey and buy a large amount of sweets.
"He lived by the Claiborne boys when they knew he was coming, they'd yell ‘Here comes Andy with the candy.'"
—
Those were the years also when Davis and Magana began their lifelong friendship — a friendship cemented by their time as teammates and experiences beyond.
And, their shining achievement more than 60 years earlier, in winning the state championship, never lost its luster in their hearts.
"He was always proud of it," Barbara said about her husband. "He was always proud of it. He always tried to get the boys together ... He kept hoping Dewey would win another state title. He'd come home from games and talk about good players he saw."
Magana also felt a deep pride in what he had helped achieve, said Cecil, adding he and Davis "are probably throwing footballs to each other up in heaven."
Mr. Frank Joseph Magana, Jr., 78, founder and retiree of Bluestem Foundry, past resident of Dewey, Oklahoma and at the time of his death was a resident of Norman, Oklahoma, passed away at 6:10 a.m. on Friday, June 19, 2009, after a sudden and extended illness.
Funeral services for Mr. Magana will be held Tuesday, June 23, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary of the First Christian Church, 520 S. Osage, Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Rev. Rick Brinkley will be the officiant. Committal prayers and interment will be directed in the Memorial Park Cemetery by The Arnold Moore Funeral Service.
Mr. Magana will lie in state in the Drawing Rooms of The Arnold Moore Funeral Residence in Bartlesville where family and friends may call for visitation until he is removed to the church on Tuesday morning.
Frank Joseph Magana, Jr. was born on June 22, 1930, in Dewey, Oklahoma. He was the eldest son of the late Mary and Frank Joseph Magana, Sr. He was raised and received his education in Dewey and graduated high school in 1949. During his high school years, he played football and during his junior year, helped to take the team to an All State School Championship. After graduation, he received an All State Scholarship to the University of Oklahoma to play football for Coach Bud Wilkerson. Shortly after entering college, he was drafted during the Korean War and later received an honorable discharge. Frank returned to Dewey and in 1951, married Barbara Gail Slanker of Bartlesville. Frank later went on to establish Bluestem Foundry with Carl Mason and his brother, Cecil Magana, which they operated from 1951 to 1985.
Frank loved architecture and built several homes in the Oklahoma/Arkansas area throughout his life. He was also involved in several Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Golf projects, including the Bartlesville Price Tower, where he designed and manufactured the original Price Tower furniture. The last Bartlesville community project Frank was involved in was the design and manufacturing of the iron gates and iron lettering on the Bartlesville Community Center. He recently contributed in the design and building of the new Best Western Hotel in Norman, Oklahoma and was working on a truck stop, golf course and shopping mall project when he became ill. His most satisfying project, however, was working alongside his son-in-law, Mark Crabtree, to build a family home in Norman. He traveled to Europe five times after the age of 60 and his hobbies were many - architecture, metal work, golfing , fishing, oil painting and gardening, but the most important thing in his life was his family.
Frank is survived by his wife of 58 years, Barbara Gail Slanker Magana, of the home; his daughter Pamela Varley-Crabtree and husband, Mark Crabtree, Germany; sons, Marc Magana and Chuck Smith, Norman; and daughter, Stacy Ritchie and husband, Robin Ritchie, Tulsa, Oklahoma; five grandchildren, Adam Varley, Monica Varley, Page Grummer, Taylor Grummer, Rachel Ritchie; great-grandson, Carter Gray Rahman; brothers, Raymond Magana and wife, Symelda, Carl Magana, and Cecil Magana and wife, Helga, all of Bartlesville.
WRITE-UP IN THE BARTLESVILLE EXAMINER
Former Dewey greats carved out glorious destiny
By Mike Tupa E-E Sports Editor
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 2:08 PM CDT
Two former Dewey teammates whose paths of destiny often merged together throughout long and productive lives ended just four days apart.
The legacy Bernard "Andy" Davis and Frank Magana helped bequeath Bulldogger football — as the only state championship gridder team in school history — will live on as a footnote of glory.
But Magana and Davis — the men themselves — weren't just dusty relics of an unforgettable season long passed by in the ongoing parade of time.
Their achievement opened the window on the character and grit of a special collection of young men who wore the Dogger uniform during that halcyon season of 1947.
The players on that team were scholars, school leaders, role models and destined to make their mark throughout what remained of the 20th Century — and beyond.
For Davis — both a running back and the best passer on the ‘47 team — his trials and triumphs ended on June 15, when he slipped away quietly at his family residence in Dewey.
Magana — a determined wide receiver with quick legs — died June 19 in Norman.
Both were born in Dewey, just 135 days apart. Both found their final resting place in Washington County, less than 10 miles apart.
Davis was 79; Magana was buried just one day after he would have turned 79.
Both leave behind a handful of surviving Dogger ‘mates from that incredible ‘47 odyssey.
—
In the fall of 1947, choosy mothers in the Bartlesville-Dewey area could bring home a pound of hamburger for just 39 cents.
Or, if they wanted to splurge, roast cost 55 cents a pound.
Adventurous boys and trusting parents could purchase that fall a Whizzerbike — a motorcycle-type conveyance for adolescents — for just $97.55 at Lehman's Bicycle Supply.
"The Yearling," was showing on one of the many local theater screens in the county, and the Rhythmaires would soon be the featured act at the Victory Club, with admission costing just 75 cents (which included tax).
But, the biggest production in Dewey was the Bulldogger football team, particularly on home game nights. The boys in red were compiling a one-of-a-kind season, beating opponents over the head with a fiery offense and ferocious defense.
At the heart of the offensive assault were Davis and Magana. They were not, by any means, the only stars of the show. The Webber brothers, Orville and Jim, earned their share of the spotlight and even mammoth 253-pound lineman William Bullen scored a rushing touchdown.
Davis, a senior, and Magana, an 11th grader, were key parts of the overall machine which had been primed by fourth-year head coach L.D. Bash, a stoic, dark-haired sideline general with a calm but strong demeanor.
In Davis, Bash found a valiant senior leader, a little guy who could.
Weighing only 135 pounds, Davis endured the pounding every week without whimpering or quit.
His future wife Barbara Rae Haugh, a glowing-faced, dark-haired beauty who later in the year would be named the Basketball Queen while Davis was honored as basketball team captain, recalled the determination he nursed while playing football.
She recalled him going to his house after a game and laying flat on the floor in silent agony.
"Once I made the mistake of asking him if it was worth it to play this stupid game," she recalled, during a recent interview. "He raised up on his elbows and said ‘This is not stupid game. It's a like a school of hard knocks.'"
He extolled to her the character-building virtues of football, including learning how to work as a team.
"He said, ‘No matter how good you are, you cannot win a football game on your own,'" Barbara continued. "He said, ‘I'll have these friends the rest of my life.'"
And, he did.
Beginning in 1987, the surviving Dogger teammates began holding regular reunions.
"We said we'd have them every five years," said Phil Sprague, one of the approximately 10 teammates remaining from ‘47. "We continued to have them and we agreed the last one alive would turn out the lights."
Sprague became a contact point for fellow classmates when Davis passed away.
During his phone calls, he learned Magana was in intensive care.
Magana had been Davis' favorite target in ‘47. Lining up at end, Magana had a knack for getting open and for making the tough grabs, younger brother Cecil recalled.
"They were playing in the state playoffs and they threw him a pass and he went up to get the pass with his leg across the defender's chest," Cecil said.
Frank also had the chance in high school to play against Cleveland's Billy Vessels, before both would become freshman teammates together at the University of Oklahoma.
During their high school encounter, in a game played in Dewey, Vessels ran back a kickoff for a touchdown.
"They called a penalty and they had to kick again," Cecil said. "Vessels got the ball and again ran it back for a touchdown."
A skull fracture ended Frank's college football career — but not his association with Sooner football.
"When he moved to Norman, he'd usher people up the VIP elevator," said Cecil. "At lot of times Frank would see Vessels and some of the old players."
"Frank was a good person ... who was likable," Cecil continued. "He was always trying to help people. He could do anything. I never saw anything he couldn't do. He could draw, he could make things, build things, and do blueprints. He just amazed me.
"I sure miss him. He was a good guy and a good athlete."
Cecil recalled Davis as being "skinny as a beanpole but he could throw and run well ... He could wiggle his hips pretty well."
—
One thing Davis didn't wiggle out of was his decision to give up college sports at Central States to join the military, at the behest of Frank Magana.
Because they were almost certain to be drafted, Magana suggested to Davis they enlist as part of the "buddy" program, which means they would stay together in training and throughout their tour, Barbara Magana said.
But, when they went to join, Magana's entrance was deferred because he was working helping to build war parts, Barbara said.
Davis ended up enlisting and going to Korea, she added.
Magana also would serve and both would receive honorable discharges.
Their bond of friendship never wavered throughout the many decades, Barbara noted.
—
It's been too many years since too young men, and their friends, blossomed together in a more idyllic time when the world outside the front yard, or even Main Street, was still an adventure to be conquered. When neighbors gathered together in the evening around the fence post or the porch, and when kids found a vacant lot or empty field on Saturdays to play football or baseball, raising dust and memories until the sun had mostly buried itself beyond the western horizon.
Those days are gone except in history books and recollections of those who, like Barbara, lived in them.
She recalled how her husband got the name "Andy," which would stick to him the rest of his life.
Whenever his father would give him a nickel, Davis would got to the local candy shop in Dewey and buy a large amount of sweets.
"He lived by the Claiborne boys when they knew he was coming, they'd yell ‘Here comes Andy with the candy.'"
—
Those were the years also when Davis and Magana began their lifelong friendship — a friendship cemented by their time as teammates and experiences beyond.
And, their shining achievement more than 60 years earlier, in winning the state championship, never lost its luster in their hearts.
"He was always proud of it," Barbara said about her husband. "He was always proud of it. He always tried to get the boys together ... He kept hoping Dewey would win another state title. He'd come home from games and talk about good players he saw."
Magana also felt a deep pride in what he had helped achieve, said Cecil, adding he and Davis "are probably throwing footballs to each other up in heaven."
Funeral services for Mr. Magana will be held Tuesday, June 23, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary of the First Christian Church, 520 S. Osage, Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Rev. Rick Brinkley will be the officiant. Committal prayers and interment will be directed in the Memorial Park Cemetery by The Arnold Moore Funeral Service.
Mr. Magana will lie in state in the Drawing Rooms of The Arnold Moore Funeral Residence in Bartlesville where family and friends may call for visitation until he is removed to the church on Tuesday morning.
Frank Joseph Magana, Jr. was born on June 22, 1930, in Dewey, Oklahoma. He was the eldest son of the late Mary and Frank Joseph Magana, Sr. He was raised and received his education in Dewey and graduated high school in 1949. During his high school years, he played football and during his junior year, helped to take the team to an All State School Championship. After graduation, he received an All State Scholarship to the University of Oklahoma to play football for Coach Bud Wilkerson. Shortly after entering college, he was drafted during the Korean War and later received an honorable discharge. Frank returned to Dewey and in 1951, married Barbara Gail Slanker of Bartlesville. Frank later went on to establish Bluestem Foundry with Carl Mason and his brother, Cecil Magana, which they operated from 1951 to 1985.
Frank loved architecture and built several homes in the Oklahoma/Arkansas area throughout his life. He was also involved in several Frank Lloyd Wright and Bruce Golf projects, including the Bartlesville Price Tower, where he designed and manufactured the original Price Tower furniture. The last Bartlesville community project Frank was involved in was the design and manufacturing of the iron gates and iron lettering on the Bartlesville Community Center. He recently contributed in the design and building of the new Best Western Hotel in Norman, Oklahoma and was working on a truck stop, golf course and shopping mall project when he became ill. His most satisfying project, however, was working alongside his son-in-law, Mark Crabtree, to build a family home in Norman. He traveled to Europe five times after the age of 60 and his hobbies were many - architecture, metal work, golfing , fishing, oil painting and gardening, but the most important thing in his life was his family.
Frank is survived by his wife of 58 years, Barbara Gail Slanker Magana, of the home; his daughter Pamela Varley-Crabtree and husband, Mark Crabtree, Germany; sons, Marc Magana and Chuck Smith, Norman; and daughter, Stacy Ritchie and husband, Robin Ritchie, Tulsa, Oklahoma; five grandchildren, Adam Varley, Monica Varley, Page Grummer, Taylor Grummer, Rachel Ritchie; great-grandson, Carter Gray Rahman; brothers, Raymond Magana and wife, Symelda, Carl Magana, and Cecil Magana and wife, Helga, all of Bartlesville.
WRITE-UP IN THE BARTLESVILLE EXAMINER
Former Dewey greats carved out glorious destiny
By Mike Tupa E-E Sports Editor
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 2:08 PM CDT
Two former Dewey teammates whose paths of destiny often merged together throughout long and productive lives ended just four days apart.
The legacy Bernard "Andy" Davis and Frank Magana helped bequeath Bulldogger football — as the only state championship gridder team in school history — will live on as a footnote of glory.
But Magana and Davis — the men themselves — weren't just dusty relics of an unforgettable season long passed by in the ongoing parade of time.
Their achievement opened the window on the character and grit of a special collection of young men who wore the Dogger uniform during that halcyon season of 1947.
The players on that team were scholars, school leaders, role models and destined to make their mark throughout what remained of the 20th Century — and beyond.
For Davis — both a running back and the best passer on the ‘47 team — his trials and triumphs ended on June 15, when he slipped away quietly at his family residence in Dewey.
Magana — a determined wide receiver with quick legs — died June 19 in Norman.
Both were born in Dewey, just 135 days apart. Both found their final resting place in Washington County, less than 10 miles apart.
Davis was 79; Magana was buried just one day after he would have turned 79.
Both leave behind a handful of surviving Dogger ‘mates from that incredible ‘47 odyssey.
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In the fall of 1947, choosy mothers in the Bartlesville-Dewey area could bring home a pound of hamburger for just 39 cents.
Or, if they wanted to splurge, roast cost 55 cents a pound.
Adventurous boys and trusting parents could purchase that fall a Whizzerbike — a motorcycle-type conveyance for adolescents — for just $97.55 at Lehman's Bicycle Supply.
"The Yearling," was showing on one of the many local theater screens in the county, and the Rhythmaires would soon be the featured act at the Victory Club, with admission costing just 75 cents (which included tax).
But, the biggest production in Dewey was the Bulldogger football team, particularly on home game nights. The boys in red were compiling a one-of-a-kind season, beating opponents over the head with a fiery offense and ferocious defense.
At the heart of the offensive assault were Davis and Magana. They were not, by any means, the only stars of the show. The Webber brothers, Orville and Jim, earned their share of the spotlight and even mammoth 253-pound lineman William Bullen scored a rushing touchdown.
Davis, a senior, and Magana, an 11th grader, were key parts of the overall machine which had been primed by fourth-year head coach L.D. Bash, a stoic, dark-haired sideline general with a calm but strong demeanor.
In Davis, Bash found a valiant senior leader, a little guy who could.
Weighing only 135 pounds, Davis endured the pounding every week without whimpering or quit.
His future wife Barbara Rae Haugh, a glowing-faced, dark-haired beauty who later in the year would be named the Basketball Queen while Davis was honored as basketball team captain, recalled the determination he nursed while playing football.
She recalled him going to his house after a game and laying flat on the floor in silent agony.
"Once I made the mistake of asking him if it was worth it to play this stupid game," she recalled, during a recent interview. "He raised up on his elbows and said ‘This is not stupid game. It's a like a school of hard knocks.'"
He extolled to her the character-building virtues of football, including learning how to work as a team.
"He said, ‘No matter how good you are, you cannot win a football game on your own,'" Barbara continued. "He said, ‘I'll have these friends the rest of my life.'"
And, he did.
Beginning in 1987, the surviving Dogger teammates began holding regular reunions.
"We said we'd have them every five years," said Phil Sprague, one of the approximately 10 teammates remaining from ‘47. "We continued to have them and we agreed the last one alive would turn out the lights."
Sprague became a contact point for fellow classmates when Davis passed away.
During his phone calls, he learned Magana was in intensive care.
Magana had been Davis' favorite target in ‘47. Lining up at end, Magana had a knack for getting open and for making the tough grabs, younger brother Cecil recalled.
"They were playing in the state playoffs and they threw him a pass and he went up to get the pass with his leg across the defender's chest," Cecil said.
Frank also had the chance in high school to play against Cleveland's Billy Vessels, before both would become freshman teammates together at the University of Oklahoma.
During their high school encounter, in a game played in Dewey, Vessels ran back a kickoff for a touchdown.
"They called a penalty and they had to kick again," Cecil said. "Vessels got the ball and again ran it back for a touchdown."
A skull fracture ended Frank's college football career — but not his association with Sooner football.
"When he moved to Norman, he'd usher people up the VIP elevator," said Cecil. "At lot of times Frank would see Vessels and some of the old players."
"Frank was a good person ... who was likable," Cecil continued. "He was always trying to help people. He could do anything. I never saw anything he couldn't do. He could draw, he could make things, build things, and do blueprints. He just amazed me.
"I sure miss him. He was a good guy and a good athlete."
Cecil recalled Davis as being "skinny as a beanpole but he could throw and run well ... He could wiggle his hips pretty well."
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One thing Davis didn't wiggle out of was his decision to give up college sports at Central States to join the military, at the behest of Frank Magana.
Because they were almost certain to be drafted, Magana suggested to Davis they enlist as part of the "buddy" program, which means they would stay together in training and throughout their tour, Barbara Magana said.
But, when they went to join, Magana's entrance was deferred because he was working helping to build war parts, Barbara said.
Davis ended up enlisting and going to Korea, she added.
Magana also would serve and both would receive honorable discharges.
Their bond of friendship never wavered throughout the many decades, Barbara noted.
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It's been too many years since too young men, and their friends, blossomed together in a more idyllic time when the world outside the front yard, or even Main Street, was still an adventure to be conquered. When neighbors gathered together in the evening around the fence post or the porch, and when kids found a vacant lot or empty field on Saturdays to play football or baseball, raising dust and memories until the sun had mostly buried itself beyond the western horizon.
Those days are gone except in history books and recollections of those who, like Barbara, lived in them.
She recalled how her husband got the name "Andy," which would stick to him the rest of his life.
Whenever his father would give him a nickel, Davis would got to the local candy shop in Dewey and buy a large amount of sweets.
"He lived by the Claiborne boys when they knew he was coming, they'd yell ‘Here comes Andy with the candy.'"
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Those were the years also when Davis and Magana began their lifelong friendship — a friendship cemented by their time as teammates and experiences beyond.
And, their shining achievement more than 60 years earlier, in winning the state championship, never lost its luster in their hearts.
"He was always proud of it," Barbara said about her husband. "He was always proud of it. He always tried to get the boys together ... He kept hoping Dewey would win another state title. He'd come home from games and talk about good players he saw."
Magana also felt a deep pride in what he had helped achieve, said Cecil, adding he and Davis "are probably throwing footballs to each other up in heaven."
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