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The submission by friend and neighbor Kenneth Glazier about Loyal’s early history in Wednesday’s edition reminded me of one of my “sins of omission.”

A preacher we knew years ago warned us that sins of omission were the most common kind and sometimes the worst.

Bob York, who originally recorded the history during an interview with a group of earlier-day Loyal residents, also wrote the poem accompanying the item.

Our omission was that we didn’t use a number of York’s offerings in this newspaper while he was alive.

Bob was a long-time teacher and school administrator who grew up in the Loyal area near the banks of the Cimarron River.

He also was a farmer and rancher, civic leader, prolific essayist and poet.

He often gave us tapes of his works that he recorded.

We tried to keep them together but many have escaped us. The problem is made worse by technology. We don’t have a tape player any more to play those we can put our hands on. Today, recordings are most commonly on Compact Discs (CDs).

Bob York was born June 4, 1905, and died Jan. 17, 2006 – 100-plus years.

We became acquainted with him after he had already retired from school duties.

He knew I liked and had Tennessee Walking Horses and he reminisced about his boyhood days when he would ride his gaited pony from his home north of Loyal to school.

The image his family provided in his obituary provides an accurate picture of the man we knew:

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“Voltaire once wrote, ‘Every man is the creature of the age in which he lives; very few are able to raise themselves above the ideas of the time.’ Robert Lee (Bob) York was the latter type of man. Born in Oklahoma Territory two years before Oklahoma became a state, Bob York always had a powerful presence. An impressive man, tall and strongly built with broad shoulders, he reflected self-confidence with every move and word and embodied the spirit and creativeness of progress as or even before it was happening. He carried his years well and at the last of his life was still lean and handsome, with a head of silver hair and a voice that rang solid with conviction. Who was this man? Not famous for sure. No road or building is named for him. But who he was and what he stood for will continue to impact the world for generations to come. His belief in God sustained him throughout the ups and downs of life. Laughter became him even after the hardships of 100+ years. His family cherished him as their mentor and greatest supporter. Those who knew him well valued him as a trusted friend. Acquaintances viewed him with admiration. Children loved him. And all of you whose hearts he touched do this day bear witness that the world is a better place because of him. An author, poet, essayist, farmer, rancher, educator and fisherman, Bob invested himself in the communities of Loyal, Lacey, Okeene, Waukomis, Hennessey, Kingfisher and the Putnam City Schools. He loved children and spent many years teaching and as a superintendent and elementary principal. He was involved in community activities wherever he lived and a member of civic clubs for over 70 years. Recipient of many honors and recommendations, his final recognition was being named ‘Citizen of the Year’ by the Kingfisher Chamber of Commerce in 2002. Those of us lucky enough to have known him will miss his insight, his counsel and his strength. You see, he taught us all that quality lasts and that what we leave behind matters. Bob lived what he believed - that each of us has God-given gifts and has a responsibility to develop and share those gifts with others. ‘That’, he said, ‘is the only way you can say thank you to those who’ve come before you, express your love for your present, and give a gift to the future.’ Bob is now in Heaven with his parents, Hallie and Effie Davies York, and his beloved wife, Emma.”

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We’ve made many mistakes in our time, and failing to pass along more of the wisdom and insight of Bob York when we had the chance was one of our biggest. Our poor excuse – we were busy trying to get a paper out. In doing so we missed doing somethng valuable.

Thanks to Kenneth Glazier, also a retired educator and now farmer-cattleman, for sending the history of Loyal as inscribed by Bob York.

If you missed it, it is on page 5 of the Wednesday edition. It would be well worth your time to read it, providing insight into this historic region of the state in its younger days.

Kingfisher County has lost many wonderful people in the 40 years we have been at the Times and Free Press and we often think of them and what they stood for.

Bob York was one of them.

Their contributions continue to influence the culture of the county today.

If more people with their strong principles and wisdom were in Congress, the nation wouldn’t be facing the problems it is.