Jim Bohnsack Room Dedication Ceremony 8-1-2025

His family, he loved his friends, he loved his customers. I don't know if you love the bank every day, but he loved the associates at the bank every day and just sitting in long committee and Jim just makes me laugh. Loved as sooners, which there are not many of those around here in the morning.

Well thank you, thank you.

Jim and I always had their backs. But anyways, it was it's just it's just fitting. I remember the story and it was told to me that the Roddy Forum was at the Downtown branch, and Donnie's story had told Jim either it gets people going to it or gets.

Gone do it or kill it.

That's exactly so here we are. Jim did it, left it in great hands for Earl. But this is a very special group of very special things. I can tell you other Margins within our best have attempted to do this and they have all failed. That's how that's how special Jim. So he means a lot to me. I know he needs a lot of the people are covered and speak and all of you that are here because of the love that you have for Jim.

So right now I want to dedicate the flack to uh Denise, Brian and Ferry. Come on, come on up, and then I'll let you sit down and have you say some words at the dirty game if you real mind.

Oh that's beautiful.

What this says that the Jim Bonzac group will be when you leave. Jim Bonzac was a trusted voice in Barsville and at the Harvest Frodday's Financial Forum, where he fostered financial insight, community involvement, and friendship. His steady presence, deep faith and love for his family continues to inspire countless others. August first, twenty twenty five. So what you guys.

See, I can tell him what.

To do every that you hear from you guys who you know?

Uh now, when I put this all together, ranted by the nies that she said I like to blow of this and so on.

But I could have asked you, cause I just scanned this room. I could ask several.

But I spose you take three people that rot him true well captured jump in Jim's life, those a little bit about it, childhood friend and uh hollered it. Not a colleague rooms someone that flop the world where we'll I'll make those colleagues.

I introduce him. But again, so well, don't be offended. I wish he would ask me because we all have a story.

In fact, I wanted I had to add to this that you made the comment that Lad, I kind of tell you I could. It's not several stories. I could tell you a hundreds of stories that the idea him together.

But one thing I wanna talk about.

Is not not a story, just how we would get to laughing, the two of us to a just literally both of us tear up.

We'd laughed a hard in regards to just laughing. He j he just he was contagious.

You can tell him the story and getting to laughed and he did that was just oh thatsh grade. So at this time, my first speaker, I want us to talk about the memory Jim Bonzack. He's a mere dear friend of mine his and and offered many of you in this room, who's our state representant?

Uh John b came, represent came and you just come out.

Thank you early. It really is a honor.

Like like Earl said, many of us here, all of us were close to Jim Bonzac.

That's just who he was.

I happened to meet Jim Bonzack in seventh grade science class.

Well, we both ended up at uh Is.

He liked to call it the Central Junior Highe and Slasher, and I'm sure I mean he he had I laughed and we cried. He would tell Central Junior hide jokes and they were all based in truth, because it was until Earl came and rescued m from where it was.

It was.

It was a rough place to go to school and this and Jim was Jim, you know, when he was twelve years old, just as he was later in life that he he was so quick with and you know, I was filling.

I was getting fights every day because I didn't know what to do.

Jim just disarmed everybody with humor, everybody with.

His w and he never had to get in a fight. So I thought he was a lot. He was a lot of sport than I was about that. But he he's he just never changed.

And his love for Bartlesville was just beyond and he and his love was acting.

He turned it into action. You know a lot of us, a lot of us love Bartlesville.

A lot of us don't do as many things, you know, tangible things for the good of the tak you know, I remember when he wanted it to put makes he wanted to get internet, free internet and all and downtown the internet was first coming up, and I got he went to work on it, made it happen. He he just always had those kind of ideas.

That he followed through. You know, I and you know Denise. I remember when you all left township briefly?

Was that in the nineties, when'd you leave late nineties.

Late nineties? Yeah, and there was a hole.

Yeah, there was a hole when the Bonsacks didn't leave her.

Yeah. I felt it, and I think many others felt it. But I know one person that felt it, and that was Donny Story. And Donny's story wasn't gonna let that stand. And he reached out and took all of our benefit. He got the Bonsack family back to Barbinsville and all the things that we all know and love about Jim.

We got the experience every day.

And you know, when I I was telling Brian and Barry and Denise, when they're in town, it feels.

Like a holiday thing.

And I know because of Jim, they have the same feelings of Martinsville that Jim had.

Because of Jim and Denis, but to have.

Them here, Ikay always have a home, always at place here in Barbinsville, O Bahoma.

And I'm just grateful for my friendship. Has all this are with Jim Bobzack. Thank you, John, Thank you very.

Alright.

John Bay's probably gonna be bad at me, but I don't care. I love him.

He Jim Bonzac is the only one still adult doesn't call him Johnny, and his mother, his mother, Missus King calls him Johnny.

And his wife calls him Johnny or wasn't well.

But Jim Bossacks the only adult still that I knew that was still call him Johnny.

I just love to make that did see Johnny yet?

Enough set on that alright, my next speaker to represent this great individuals and uh just a killer bark he Uh Bill Buckles, would you please give up? Please give Bill Buckles pots.

I'm looking around and see if I see it's some OU shirts. There was no bigger fan of OU than Jim Monzac cast for sure. You know we used to go over there. He'd show me as a election of oh you memorabilia phenomenally. Jim and I got to be friends way back in the Chamber deal when he was President of the Chamber. We did back. We did some programs right in this room where he had a you know, a lunch lunch a deal for the merchants in town, and we would talk to them about marketing, et cetera.

For sure.

We had Oh, we had one more time. But I just want to tell you there's people in here in this room that have this. This is a project that Jim and I worked on, and it all started because I would send him stuff. He would call me, Hey, I want to try something out on you. He knew I was kind of in a creative business most of my professional life, and it was fun. We would we exchange ideas. Never did I change hardly anything that he did because it was great. He did some super stuff.

Finis, thank you, thanks sir.

I always give a little comment in between these just talking about Barbersville.

No, but he just loved our community would step.

Up for you.

Just there's just not a project that he really just didn't have his foot front him either.

Just you know, he helped a little bit or he had a major impact on I can tell you that Ed Gordon called uh Gemini to his office.

And ask us to both be the chairman's of a of one of the last huge UH bomb proposles that we had in our community.

And Jim's part was to extend he was gonna extend the course and sales tax and my part was to go out and to sell. He was the taxpayer would go to the polls and volte for to increase and bonding and and these proposals to buy the purchase these bonds and taxes, and from that we got the the what we all now call.

The Dinks Expressway, which is right there at Lows.

I mean he named that that was in that bad proposal and extending Shawnee all the way out to twentieth Street.

A lot of work was done on twentieth.

Anyway, there was other projects in regardless of completely refurbished and uh and redid the city complex.

So's I'll stop there.

We both I mean, we just we I mean we went to frog jumping contest to get that presentation.

It was it was almost like a roof of a comedy routine.

And we give that just making that point, not about us, but to make the point. He just was always there for Barfield. He just just in any endeavor than want.

So my next speaker that I'd asked to capture, uh, Jim bondsay you also need to know him.

He was very very active in the political world.

He was very very u on top of people that wanted to represent us and who that person should be if if.

You got behind that person, actively campaigned for that person. And so at this time and again.

Not only were they already good friends, Senator fod you start had nothing this way.

Senator Ford will tell you all this.

But I'll I well, I'll wait till he's finished the tenspression asking a word please give s former Senator uh stay, Senator John.

Earl, thank you.

And it was interesting when Earl asked me to come up and be one of the three that made a few comments about Jim. I mean, we we all know what he has done and so many things he's done, and I was thinking, how do I say something that's not just going to be a repetition of what everybody else has talked about, because we know what he was to all of those.

So I started to try and to think.

How best to summarize how I think of Jim bonseat And it really came down to three main things, and I put them under the headings of family, of friends, and of community. And those were the areas that meant so much to him and that he was so involved in for all of us. Oh there's one other thing, bad jokes that we won't talk about those.

But when you talk about.

Family and Denise, you were not only his wife, but I think in life you were more of a partner because every activity that Jim did, you were involved, and you were involved because you loved it. You loved him and you guys were great as a team, and Brian and Barry, I know what he thought of you, and not only robotic said oh you football and everything else, but the family was absolutely number one in his life. And then the second group is friends. And I would

Jim knew individuals, He kept in touch with them, He constantly reached.

Out and he was good for them and they were good for him. It was a type of friendship that I know, I wish I had more like Jim.

I never will that.

That was something that was important to him. He worked at and it was very meaningful. And then the third community. You know, we've talked about Earl John b. Everybody's talked about some of the activities that Jim has been involved in. From the president of the Chamber, he was a founding member and president of Our Day Great Rotary. But everything that came about Jim was parted and he did it because he had a passion. It's not because he did it to be better at work or to get recognized

I like to talk from the heart, but also I wanted to make sure that.

I said some specific things.

So of the hours that I've spent in this room, and I think all of us, we have watched people gather to learn, to plan, to serve, and to celebrate.

And that's just how Jim spent.

His life, in what he was doing in his life, and only fitting that it carries his name as a lasting reminder of how one person's love for their family, their friends, and their community can shape the.

Lives of so many of us in this room. May this room inspire others to lead with the same heart, the same dedication and good humor that Jim did.

Thank you, John, you.

Did a great job put the capstone on that and those comments there. But no worry.

You brought up the jokes and got things were good, were bad. There were just no infeen and I can still remember this crowd right here. You tell about room the dog over uh anyway, thank you the three that I asked to speak. He did a great job in capturing this individual in regards to what do you who? He was family and what he go to Barsville. So at this time, Denise and your two sons, would you please come up. We're gonna allow you to make some

Was this room.

We called it the east Side Room, meeting Room Upper Truman. It's just we've we've.

Named it everything.

I am absolutely honored me Now the Jim Bonsack Coffee of SPH Community group on the east Side that uh.

Our Fasts had named after him.

So I've burder pleased and decided that we have that and we'll talk more about that as all.

The biden to look At as we go out, so please give the Bonsat family.

I'm nice.

Well, I'm gonna see Jim Breidenstein, who was the former head of NASA, was gonna be here too.

He called me last night. He said, Denis, I'm in Washington, DC. I'm so sorry. There's storms here.

They've canceled this flight that put me on one Friday that it lands right about the time the boar him is so he he couldn't make it, but he sends his regards.

Jim love the Bank and love Bartlesville. He also loves space.

And both of you may know both my boys are working on the program to to send the astronauts back to the Moon.

And they could tell you more about that.

And one of the happiest days for Jim because, as U John put it, Jim felt it was really important that we have people representing Oklahoma in all the right places, and he would push whatever he could do to get the right places, whether it be Earl, whether it be John Ford, whether it be Johnny Kane. And also the day that Jim Britenstein was picked to be the NASA administrator, Oklahoma had never had one, probably was.

Never gonna have one, and he goes we got one.

Oklahoma finally got one and so Oklahoma, I won't go into that, but has a big role in space and Jim thought that was important too, and he would be proud of his boys that they are.

Working on that now.

But you know, back to the to the to the other things, Johnny b which is what Jim always called you. Thank you for representing the wildcats. I know you had many wildcat y'all had great friends like David Oakley sitting here and it was always a Wildcats. He would never call it the Barnosil girls and so and John was so nice to invite me to their latest reunion. And everyone here makes me feel so loved as well as.

That class did.

Uh.

David Nichol, thank you so much for naming this room, working on that to make that happen. Bill Buckles, thank you for putting that book to go. What a great thing legacy for us to have. It's so nice that it's in the bartlesill my grave. If it wasn't for you, Jerry poppin house.

That would not you know, have happened.

And h so they thank you to all of you, earl. You know when they gave Jim a year to live. Jim said, well, we gotta wait till I said, we gotta go to Florida.

Came over. We gotta go to Florida being near the boys, and Jim was like, well, we gotta wait.

Until Earl can take it over because he's still representing Oklahoma down there. And I said, know or not, I'm gonna go talk to Earl, talk to the bank. He said, Earl's the only one who could keep this meeting going, so we've got to keep the meeting going.

And I said, I went and.

Talked to Earl and Earl goes, you mean he's waiting on me to do this? And I go yeah, and he said okay.

And anyhow they worked it out so Earl could go ahead and take over the meeting.

Jim loved everyone here, and you know, such such great friends, honors, you know. Anyway, I also quickly want to say, this is my mom, who just turned ninety two.

She still mows her.

Yard, so y'all not got any too.

Jim loved my mom.

He was her mom.

This is my sister Susan, she came she's here from California. His sister Jane, who is also my sister, and Chris, her husband, and and Grace. We always Grace Farmer and we consider her part of the family. She helped all of us and so many.

Times as Lee and you know, oh you buddies here.

Like John.

There one other thing. I will tell a quick story, because this is how much the bank meant to Jim. And it was more his customers in the bank. I used to call him a financial missionary. He knew there were people out there that were there to take advantage of people in their finances, and he did not want that to happen to his people. He wanted to make sure people would take advantage of hand them and he

I'm so sorry.

It would be on the spot, he would, and he would just hassle your moms like with jokesman.

She could give it too much, and he loved that.

But I want to tell a quick story because this I think this is this sums it up how much show the bank meant to Jim.

And we did go to Florida for a while.

The boys were you know, the boys ended up working in the Space program of Jim Love Space and he managed the bank in Orlando. And one day he got a call from Donnie's story.

He said, Jim Bartles will need you.

It's time for you to come home. And he said, well, we'll talk about it. So they brought the whole family, including cheerrem me here. They all came to the beach, they talked about it. He brought us back home and I'm thankful for that. And John b those words you made me cry. Man, that's so so special that Yeah, it's it's like a holiday when we're here too. This is I tell people in Florida, Well, because most people have vacation homes in Florida, I say, my vacation home is.

In Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

That's where my vacation homeents.

Of course, I still have a home here.

My mom's here.

I've planned to stay here as long as I can, coming back and forth. Because you've got friends for life and God's.

Given those to you.

You don't take that for granted if you've been blessed with that. But the last story I want to tell about Jim is that they gave them a year.

We went to Florida.

God's blessing gave him three years and he was still in touch with did a lot of y'all, you know, call it every day, making sure y'all okay.

One of the people that was a.

Friday for a member, even when it was downtown was c Q. Cherry, who was an executive at the bank. Some of you may remember him, and c Q was a regular. They were friends, he and his wife. As they got older. After they retired, they needed to move to Dallas. They moved it to an assisted living center to be near the kids, and c Q said, Jim, I'll keep my money and everything at the bank as long ends you call me four times a year and

One time, we're going down there, and.

Jim said, I hope that he doesn't want to go to downtown Dallas. The traffic is so bad, and we'll take Hi where he wants to go. So we pulled up, CEQ got in the car and Seq goes Jim drive to downtown Dallas. We're going to the Petroleum Club.

We're driving. Got to the Petroleum Club. It was it was a very nice place.

And then when he was about to pass, he said, you have to keep coming seeing James, and Jim said I will. So we continued that on and then uh when Jim left the bank because of his health, he told Jane, Jane, I'm handing you over to some very reliable people who are going to help you.

And she was turning in one hundred.

He said, I'm not going to be able to do it anymore because of my health. But about a month before Jim died and he's not doing well. But we get a call from Jane Cherry Jim, I don't understand something in my bank account.

I need you to fix it. And I think you know the stuns have gotten involved.

And anyhow, Jim said, Jane, I mentioned to you earlier my health is bad. I'm no longer at the bank.

And Jane said, what does that have to do with anything.

You're my banker.

You're my banker.

Fix it.

And Jim said, indeed, I am.

I am your banker, Jane.

And I'm gonna get it fixed. So he got on the phone called the bank people.

Why he's on the phone, she calls me because we are in Peo together, Denise.

Has Jim got hold of someone yet?

I say, Jane, he's on the phone doing it right now, but they're not going to be able to call you because you're on the phone with me.

And she said, okay, I'm getting off anyway.

I thank God for that moment, because.

Jane gave jimmy get right before he passed, and that was he was still their banker.

That was his identity. He loved his family, he loved his community, he loved his God. That he was Martlesville's banker. And Jane reminded him of that right before he passed. And that's how much he loved the people that he served in that capacity. I know all of you were his friends, and he tried to serve you that way, and I appreciate that.

I appreciate the friendship you gave him and our family, and I appreciate Earl and the David.

Nickel for a name of this run after him.

It means the world and everything, your quiet and when they were anything views on an here.

I love him being here.

It always was like home coming back.

And my dad always made the joke that you know, he considered a red light in Florida for about as long as it takes you to get from home to work or anywhere else.

That every time I come.

Back, thank you all for that's come here.

I enjoyed the special day. Yeah, same thing.

So we spent many hours in this room, one at a time, and it's just a huge honor. So it's always fun to come back and see families and friends, the Potters of Daniels, Oakley's and just everyone else.

Thanks for being here.

As mentioned, we both work in the space industry, so thank Tony plants it for being here at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum.

A quick story about her.

She sent a care package to my house and it had memorabilia of Tom Stafford. And if you all know remember Tom Stafford just passed away recently. He's Apollo astronaut Paulo Soyuz And she sent memorabilia that had Time magazines and linthographs and newspaper articles, and she asked me to go to his house because he lived just fifteen minutes south of the Kendy Space Center, and she set up an appointment for me that go have him hands signed.

Every one of those is.

Like two hours worse. So I knocked up and came out and Tom Stafford while he just signed and signs, he was telling me stories and this one is just the coolest memories I've ever had. And then that happened to be just before my dad passed away, and I actually delivered it back to her at my dad's celebration of life here.

So if you have any of that stuff for me, there's a ton of Tom.

Stafford signed memberabillion in the Tulsa Aaron Space Museum. Go check it out right by the Tulsa Airport. And yeah, we were just honored to be here. There's actually a launch today at the Candy Space Center right about eleven something o'clock, and we work on the Artist program that's that's going to the National Space Station.

We work on the Artimist program.

We're launching between February and April coming up.

So when you watch astronauts going back around the Moon, just remember that we worked on Inrego set the picture, Bryan, where are you in this? This is the picture of every employee NASA Lockey Martin that worked on That is the Artemis two spacecraft. The astronts have just suited up and got in it for the first time. Yesterday's new a human in the loop testing making sure that the krew cabin looks like their simulators look like. I'm over here,

So yes, it's important. They're living their debts legacy.

He actually dreaded his dad drug a huge two TV to Central Middle School so that the students there could see witness the moon landing.

So it goes back to his dad his love of space.

George Halkaitis, you're so great to help him get the robotics program started here.

Thank you, Thank you for that, and again, thank you so much.

Arl.

We appreciate this, and thank you everyone for from from being Jim's friend and supporting.

Him really quick.

One of the hardiest missions we're playing on building to the restaurant on the moon, thinking about restaurants on the Moon. They have great food, but no atmosphere.

There will also be a hotel. We're gonna name it the Orion's Belt.

The Orion's Belt.

Will be the hotel on the Moon.

It'll be a three star