Backbone of the family, shoulder to lean on

By Berry Tramel | Published: May 11, 2008 Comment on this article

NewsOK Related Articles

No Headline
05/26/2012
Fingerpointing continues in U.S. House on bailout failure
09/30/2008 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Members of Congress traded more recriminations Tuesday over the stunning House vote that killed a $700 billion financial system,...
A new Oklahoman for a new Oklahoma
Many of you have been with us for years, and you've seen our transformation through the decades. We've added colors and sections. We've even dropped the word ‘Daily' from our name. But this
09/29/2008 We've heard your requests and made changes based on your suggestions. We want the new Oklahoman to meet the needs of our readers. You'll find concise...
Okies in the NFL notebook
09/15/2008 Johnson, Colts O-line struggle against Vikes Charlie Johnson wasn't supposed to have to deal with Minnesota's Jared Allen . But after the Colts' starting...
Sheriff's deputies in Louisiana helping with Hurricane Ike preparations
09/12/2008 Nearly 20 Oklahoma County sheriff's deputies are helping with evacuations in Franklin, La., after a levee was breached. The deputies originally responded to...
Obama campaign doesn't fear loss of Clinton voters
09/04/2008 INDIANAPOLIS - Organizers for Barack Obama's campaign in Indiana predicted Wednesday that voters who gave Hillary Rodham Clinton a victory in the state's...
Analysis: Conservatives hyped over Palin
09/04/2008 ST. PAUL, Minn. - Sarah Palin has done in five days what John McCain has never been able to do — fire up the Republican Party's conservative base. The...
From Konawa to Beijing: Olympic Chad Vaughn proud of blue-collar roots
08/13/2008 KONAWA — To see where Chad Vaughn became an Olympic weightlifter, you have to move the riding lawnmower and the ATVs. The shed in his parents' back yard is...
Book briefs | Sunday August 3, 2008
08/03/2008 Thrillers •"Devil May Care” by Sebastian Faulks, writing as Ian Fleming (Doubleday, $24.95). The name is Bond, James Bond, and he's back in this...
Campaign Briefs
07/22/2008 Candidate fixes inaccuracy A legislative candidate from Norman says listing the wrong medal he received while serving in the Oklahoma Air National Guard was...
Hamilton, 3 other Rangers make team
07/07/2008 BALTIMORE — Michael Young is headed to the All-Star game again, and this time the smooth-fielding shortstop will be joined in New York by three of his...
Extreme option
06/17/2008 Extreme option This is a good example of some of the more drastic proposed changes to the court. Here are a few of the distinguishing features: Logo:...
No Headline
05/26/2012
19-year-old OU student elected mayor of Muskogee
05/14/2008 MUSKOGEE — A 19-year-old student at the University of Oklahoma was elected mayor of Muskogee in Tuesday's elections....
Are you considering alternative ways to travel?
05/14/2008 0
Blown from his daddy's arms
05/13/2008 PICHER — The 4-year-old son of a woman killed in Saturday's tornado is recuperating in a Tulsa hospital after being ripped from his father's arms and...
2007: A Hall of Fame mom
05/10/2008 Charlynn never yelled at umpires or coaches. She figured her job was loving mother and taxi driver and cheerleader. So she shuttled her...
2006: Mother helps family's American dream
05/10/2008 Julie grew up the daughter of a seamstress and a contractor. Grew up around family in the little hamlet; 15 brothers and sisters, counting the eight from...
2005: Poor, pregnant Linda produced a champion
05/10/2008 She was born poor. Born poor and raised in the housing projects of Dallas. Born poor and raised in the projects and her alcoholic father split. Born poor...
2004: Rowdy boys don't stop Pam
05/10/2008 Pam grew up in a quiet home in Henryetta, with only a sister for a sibling and nary a sports fan around. So she wasn't ready when her...
2003: Finding her special Joey
05/10/2008 Joey's mom always made sure he had two birthdays. Oct. 8, the day Joey arrived on Earth, and Feb. 14, the day he arrived in June's family,...
2002: Mom was always in the stands
05/10/2008 EDMOND — The boys, strapping and athletic and swinging the world by the tail, can't even play a little football until they look up at the 50-yard line...
2001: Beryl was one proud mom
05/10/2008 Ninety-one years young, Beryl still talks proudly of the little guy with asthma who used to shoot baskets in the goal above the garage....
2000: This mom raised 10 kids
05/10/2008 Madalene sat at the top of the stairs and cried. "My little chickees were leaving the nest," Madalene said. Her oldest...
1995: Jessie raised brothers up right
05/10/2008 "If it took a scoldin'," Jessie was saying the other day about the way she raised her children, "they got a scoldin'. If it took a spankin', they got a...
A vision of hope
04/28/2008 Dressed in a salmon-pink sun hat and translucent rain jacket, Janet Leonard leaned into the wind, over the railing and gave the golden cowbell tied around...
After sleeping on OSU's offer, Self stays at KU
04/11/2008 In the end, Bill Self decided to stay home rather than return home. The Oklahoma State graduate will remain as men's basketball coach at Kansas, but not...
State squads face important Big 12 games this weekend
04/04/2008 Oklahoma and Oklahoma State each enter big weekend series looking up at the .500 mark in conference play. Yet, both believe things are looking up overall....
Prices are soaring
Motorists say if gas reaches $4 a gallon, they will start making significant changes
04/03/2008 How will you respond to gasoline prices of $4 a gallon when they happen? Motorists filling vehicles with gasoline in Oklahoma City said they'd eliminate...
Bush, Iraqi leader thank a dwindling coalition
09/25/2008 UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The coalition of the willing that went to war in Iraq is becoming the coalition of the disappearing. President Bush and...

When an opposing coach exchanged words with her other son after a tournament title game, Jerry found the coach's hotel, called his room and in no uncertain terms left a message that told the coach to watch his mouth around her boy.

"She's the best,” said the oldest son. "She has been the backbone of our family since we were born.”

Jerry's dad was a coach, so she knew what she was in for when she married a coach. A juggling act between her husband's and boys' schedules, and deciding whether to hold her tongue when the knuckleheads in the crowd critiqued the coaching, and often raising two really active boys alone when her husband was on the road.

"She's always been the one that's been there all the time with us,” said Jerry's oldest son.

A common sight a few years ago: Jerry sitting in the stands of her younger son's high school game, flipping back and forth between radio stations broadcasting her husband's and other son's games.

Along the way, Jerry became the shoulder to lean on or cry on. The boys knew their dad would deliver cold, hard truth.

"Mom is the one we call when we can't get sympathy from Dad,” said the oldest boy. "There's nothing like a mother's voice. Hear her soothing voice or go home and be around her.”

The oldest boy figures he's a lot like Jerry. He's reserved like his dad but sensitive like his mom. "My dad and my brother are really not sensitive to anything,” he said.

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next