Obit of Eldon “Dusty” McBride, Jr. - McIntosh County, Oklahoma ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm Submitted to: http://www.rootsweb.com/~okmcinto/index.htm Submitted to: http://www.rootsweb.com/usgenweb/ok/mcintosh/mcintosh.html Compiled, Transcribed & Submitted: Shelley Lynch ========================================================================== Published in Muskogee Phoenix on December 03, 2006 Eldon “Dusty” McBride, Jr. 1982-2006 Eldon “Dusty” McBride, Jr. lifelong Checotah resident, entered eternal life on Friday, December 1, 2006 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Dusty entered this life on Tuesday, March 2, 1982 in Muskogee, Oklahoma to Eldon, Sr. & Jagea West McBride. He grew up in Checotah, Oklahoma where he received his education. At the age of 18 he became a Volunteer Fire Fighter for Shady Grove and Pierce Fire Departments. After school he entered the United States Army where he received an honorable discharge. Dusty went to work for Advance Warnings. He later followed in the footsteps of his uncle Jared West and joined Law Enforcement. He served as an officer in Atchille, Ok, before becoming the Chief of Police in Boynton, Ok. Dusty also served as a reserve officer for the Warner Police Department, and helped work cases for the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Department. He met Heather Bumgarner in Muskogee on July 23, 2005 and they planned to be married. At the time of his death he was working as a Traffic Control Safety Technician for N.E.S. Dusty died doing what he loved to do and that was helping people. He was preceded in death by beloved Grandfathers, Gene West, Louis McBride; Great-grandparents, Paul & Pearl Frisbie, Alan Storm, Jerry Carran; Great-grandparents, Isom Slaughter Neal & Lourina Neal. Dusty is survived by Fiance’ Heather Bumgarner and their son Preston of Checotah, Ok. His parents, Eldon McBride, Sr. and his wife Amanda, Idabel, Ok. Jagea Nimitz and her husband Billy, Checotah, Ok. Sisters, Ginger Brown and her husband Scott, and their children Harlee & Aubrielle of Muskogee, Ok., Ashley and Markyla Choney, Step-sister, Tiffany Nimitz, all of Checotah, Ok. Brothers, Eagle & Marc Choney of Checotah, Ok. Maternal Grandmother, Nellie West, Checotah, Ok. Paternal Grand-parents, Betty Carran, Checotah, Ok, Elwood & Marcella McBride, Idabel, Ok. Maternal Great-Grandparent, Leah Storm, Ralston, Ok. Paternal Great-grandparent, Mariam McBride, Idabel, Ok. Numerous Aunt’s, Uncle’s and cousins. Dusty’s family will greet friends on Monday, December 4, 2006 from 6-8 PM at Garrett~Smith Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be held 10 AM, Tuesday, December 5, 2006 First Baptist Church, Checotah, Oklahoma with Reverend Ron Hurst & Dr. Rob Duncan, Chaplain of the Muskogee Sheriff Department, officiating Committal Prayers and Interment will follow in Greenlawn Cemetery with Tom West, Jared West, Eagle Choney, Kenneth McBride, Josh West & Tylor West serving as Casket Bearers. Joe Johnson, Jerry Watson, David Lawson, Daniel Lawson, Kelly West, Tommy West, Jason West, Paul Aldridge, Steve Kirby, Justin Durrett, Billy, Leslie, Sam Osborn, Scott McBride, Rusty Lane, Chris Lane, Scott Bowen, and members of Muskogee County Sheriff’s Department, Warner Police Department will serve as Honorary Casket Bearers. The family of Dusty McBride entrusted services to John & Kim Garrett, Garrett~Smith Funeral Home & Cremation Service 311 S.W. Second, Checotah, Ok. 74426 (918) 473-2244 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Published on December 03, 2006 in Muskogee Phoenix Accident claims life of former law enforcer By D. E. Smoot Phoenix Staff Writer The Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office is accepting donations for the family of a man killed Friday night while trying to render assistance at the site of a collision on the Arkansas River bridge on U.S. 69. Eldon “Dusty” McBride, 24, of Muskogee died at the scene. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the cause of his death remains under investigation. Muskogee County Sheriff Charles Pearson said McBride was police chief for the Boynton Police Department before it was dismantled earlier this year. According to Pearson, McBride recently applied for work at the sheriff’s office and was working with Warner Police Department as a reserve officer. “Eldon was just like any young man trying to get into law enforcement,” Pearson said. “His dream was wanting to be a lifelong law enforcer, and he was working hard to make that dream come true.” Pearson said McBride — during his tenure with the Boynton Police Department — was always ready to assist the sheriff’s office with its investigations and law enforcement activities. “This young man was cut down in the prime of his life,” Pearson said. McBride is survived by a fiancé and a 2-week-old child. According to the OHP report, McBride and another man, Clifford L. Haney, 29, of Wagoner, were standing on the bridge, apparently assessing the damage of a previous collision when a tractor-trailer rig — after the driver took evasive action — slid into the men’s vehicles, a 2002 Ford F350 being driven by McBride and a 1994 Ford Mustang being driven by Haney. Therance White Jr., 25, of Kansas City, Mo., who was driving the 2004 Peterbilt tractor-trailer rig, was uninjured. A passenger, Cassie Glover, 41, of Kansas City, Mo., also was uninjured. The OHP report states White’s rig collided with a traffic control trailer being pulled behind the pickup being driven by McBride, causing it to slam into Haney’s Mustang. According to reports, Haney either jumped or was knocked over the guard rail and into the Arkansas River, about 70 feet below the bridge. McBride, the OHP report states, sustained injuries during the collision and died at the scene. Haney, who was able to swim to a sand bar about 75 feet from the south bank of the Arkansas River was rescued by Muskogee fire and rescue workers and an employee at Arkhola Sand & Gravel. According to the OHP, Haney was transported by helicopter to Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, treated for external trunk injuries and released. Emergency medical workers said several other people at the scene sustained minor injuries, were treated and were either released or refused transport. Pearson said donations to McBride’s survivors are being accepted Sunday and Monday at the Muskogee County/City Detention Facility. He said a benefit fund will be set up Monday at Territorial National Bank in Muskogee. “His family don’t have anything,” Pearson said. “We’re going to have to help them out.” XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Published on December 05, 2006 in Muskogee Phoenix Benefit football game aids ex-officer’s family By D. E. Smoot Phoenix Staff Writer Muskogee-area law enforcers will square off Friday against area firefighters and emergency medical workers in the third annual Battle of the Badges. Promoters said the rivalry is designed to raise money for area charities. Part of the proceeds from this year’s game and raffle will be donated to a memorial fund to benefit the survivors of Eldon “Dusty” McBride, the former Boynton police chief who was killed Friday. McBride was survived by a fiancee and a 2-week-old son, both of Muskogee. The event will feature a full-contact, tackle football game. According to Muskogee County Sheriff Charles Pearson, both teams will feature players who used to play college football. “This is heads-up, hard-hitting football,” Pearson said. “You certainly get your money’s worth when you come out to see this game.” In addition to the game, spectators will have an opportunity this year to win a new Pontiac G6. According to Pearson, participants can buy raffle tickets at the game. Winners of the drawing will compete for the car by throwing a football through a tire. The car is being donated by Terry Miller Pontiac, which, along with Love Bottling Co., is sponsoring this year’s event. Pearson said team members practice throughout the year preparing for the contest. “Every year, it (attendance) keeps getting bigger,” Pearson said. “It’s a lot of fun, and people need to come out and enjoy the game — it’s for a good cause.” Tickets for the event, which cost $5 each, can be purchased at area retailers displaying the Battle of the Badges poster. Kickoff is scheduled at 7 p.m. Friday at Indian Bowl. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Published in Muskogee Phoenix on December 05, 2006 Faith, family help woman cope with tragedy By D. E. Smoot Phoenix Staff Writer A woman’s dreams were shattered Friday night when her fiancé was struck by a tractor-trailer rig that slid into two other vehicles on an icy Arkansas River bridge north of Muskogee. But the mother of the couple’s 2-week-old son, Preston Cole McBride, said she is “holding up the best she can. “I have my faith and my family,” said Heather Bumgarner, who was to marry Eldon “Dusty” McBride in March. McBride, who worked for NES, was towing a traffic control trailer to Nebraska when he was killed Friday night. Before McBride began working for NES as a traffic control safety technician, the Checotah native served as police chief at Boynton, which was forced to dismantle its police department in August due to a lack of funding. Bumgarner said her fiancé’s dream was to be a law enforcement officer. Before McBride began working for the Boynton Police Department, he worked as an officer in the southeastern town of Achille. McBride also served as a reserve officer for the Warner Police Department and helped work cases for the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office. Bumgarner said McBride’s proudest moment, however, may have been when she gave birth to their son. “He was a pretty proud father,” Bumgarner said. “He was really good about helping me out with the baby and wanted to take him everywhere.” McBride’s funeral services are scheduled at 10 a.m. today at First Baptist Church in Checotah. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Published in Muskogee Phoenix on December 07, 2006 Battle to help officer’s family Muskogee city and county residents should get out tonight and support the charity efforts of law enforcement and emergency workers. The annual Battle of the Badges, a full-contact football game pitting law officers against firefighters and emergency medical workers, will be at the Indian Bowl. Part of the proceeds from this year’s game and raffle will go to help the family of Eldon “Dusty” McBride, who was killed a week ago today in an accident on the U.S. 69 Arkansas River bridge. McBride, 24, a Warner reserve officer, stopped to assist victims of a crash, and died when a second crash involving a tractor-trailer occurred on the bridge. McBride is survived by his fiancee and a 2-week-old son. McBride’s death is one of those very difficult tragedies to deal with because of his age, his new son and the fact that he died while trying to help others. If you go WHAT: Battle of the Badges charity football game. WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday. WHERE: Indian Bowl. COST: $5 admission, donations accepted XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Wagoner family’s Christmas may have been lost in river By Liz McMahan Phoenix Staff Writer Published in Muskogee Phoenix on Dec 7, 2006 WAGONER — This was going to be a wonderful Christmas for Clifford and Jennifer Haney and their three children. He got his Christmas bonus along with his paycheck last week. He went to the bank Friday and cashed both, putting the rent money in an envelope in his pocket and the bonus money — their Christmas shopping cash, in his wallet. He went to Wal-Mart and got some ideas for what he wanted to buy for the kids the next day. But the money literally floated away Friday evening after Haney jumped or fell from the Arkansas River bridge on U.S. 69 to avoid being hit by a tractor-trailer rig skidding toward him on the ice-packed bridge. Another motorist, Eldon “Dusty” McBride, 24, of Checotah, died after being struck by the truck. Haney, 29, was on his way home when he stopped to help McBride, who had lost control of the vehicle he was driving when it hit the icy bridge. McBride had gotten out of the pickup truck, Haney said. “He stumbled out of the truck and started walking into the traffic,” Haney said. “I was going to try to get him off the bridge and into my car.” McBride had retrieved a cell phone from the wrecked truck and had just told his boss that he had been in a wreck and was injured. About that time, Haney heard a tractor-trailer and looked up to see the vehicle skidding toward them on the ice. Haney doesn’t remember if he jumped from or was knocked off the bridge. “The next thing I knew, I was falling,” he said. The 70-foot drop to the icy water below was as if it were in slow motion, he said. “It took forever,” he said. “All I could think of was, ‘This is going to hurt.’” It wasn’t quite dark, so he knew there was a sandbar on either side of the water. Haney was dressed for working in the winter weather. He is an apprentice electrician for Cook Electric of Muskogee. He was wearing steel-toed boots, pants, sweat pants, a shirt, sweat shirt and heavy jacket. He thinks it was all that weight that took him to the bottom of the river channel. He wasn’t certain when he hit which way was up. “I’m a pretty good swimmer, but I think that was the longest I’ve ever held my breath in my life,” he said. Once he made it to the surface, he got to one of the sandbars. An employee of the nearby Arkhola Sand and Gravel plant heard the commotion in the water and made it to Haney. He stayed by Haney’s side until he was loaded into a helicopter for transport to Tulsa. Haney was treated at a Tulsa hospital about 12 hours after the collision. The money and his wallet had been lost in the river, and his car was beyond driving. An insurance company for one of the drivers involved in the wreck has provided him with a rental car for a week. Haney went to his personal physician Wednesday and was told that his painful heel isn’t broken but just bruised and that he probably has a whiplash injury. The doctor told him to come back in two weeks. “But if I feel better next week, I’m going to try to go back to work,” he said. “I’ve got to feed my family.” He’s left a message for his landlord that he’s going to be late with the rent. With the loss of their shopping money “our Christmas isn’t going to be great,” said his wife, Jennifer. “But he’s here, and he’s alive. We will deal with it.” xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Published December 09, 2006 12:16 am - How to help Clifford and Jennifer Haney’s mailing address is 115 N. Moss Ave., Wagoner, OK 74467. Wagoner family will have a merry Christmas Donors pitch in to help man who lost bonus after falling into river By Liz McMahan Phoenix Staff Writer It’s likely going to be a good Christmas after all for Clifford and Jennifer Haney and their children. Things looked pretty bleak for the holidays after Clifford Haney, 29, of Wagoner, was knocked or fell into the Arkansas River as he avoided being run over by a tractor-trailer rig on an ice-covered bridge. Haney was out of his car trying to help a motorist whose vehicle had wrecked on the bridge Dec. 1. Haney swam to a sandbar and was rescued by a nearby sand plant worker before being airlifted to a Tulsa hospital for treatment. The motorist he stopped to help, Eldon “Dusty” McBride, 24, of Checotah, was struck by a tractor-trailer rig and killed. Haney had just cashed his paycheck and a Christmas bonus check and lost the family’s Christmas shopping money and rent payment in the river. Jennifer Haney said earlier this week that she was just glad that her husband was alive and they would have him for Christmas. The couple did not know how they were going to pay the rent or buy Christmas presents. “I honestly felt like I was just alone,” Jennifer Haney said Friday. But Thursday’s mail brought a few checks and a few calls, and things are looking up for the family. A Wagoner women’s group made the couple’s rent payment Thursday. A club spokeswoman said the group wished to remain anonymous. The Haneys received enough money in Thursday’s mail to take care of the utility bill. A Muskogee company — ORS Nasco — has “adopted” the family and will be buying Christmas gifts for the children. “I’m mainly worried about the kids, because I want them to still believe in Santa Claus and have some fun,” Jennifer Haney said. She said she was surprised at the kindness shown the family from people who don’t know them. “I don’t know what to say,” she said. “There’s a lot of sweet people out there.” XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Published in Muskogee Daily Phoenix on December 09, 2006 Firefighters get revenge, douse cops for charity By Dylan Goforth Phoenix Correspondent A measure of revenge was earned on Friday night at the Indian Bowl, as a team comprised of firemen from Muskogee and Fort Gibson, along with Muskogee County EMS and Fort Gibson football coaches, defeated the Police Department team 27-0 in the third annual Battle of the Badges. The Fire Department team, led by quarterback Clay Waggle proved to be too much for the Police Department’s defense, moving the ball down the field with regularity in the second half. They took a 7-0 lead into halftime, and scored three more times in the second half. “The Police whipped us last year, “ said Muskogee assistant fire chief Buddy Capps. “We (wanted) some revenge this year.” The game is a charity event made to benefit people in and around Muskogee County. This year’s proceeds will be doled out to the Quarterback Clubs of both Muskogee and Fort Gibson High, as well as to the family of Eldon “Dusty” McBride, a former Boynton County Police Chief who was killed recently. The game may be for charity, but that doesn’t mean that the play on the field was anything other than intense. “This is always a rivalry,” said Chad Farmer of the Muskogee Police Department. “It’s kind of like two brothers fighting all the time.” And there’s varied approaches to getting ready for the fight. “Some of us stay in shape all year, but we have guys out here from their early 20s to their 50s. Some stay in shape and some don’t,” said Farmer. After losing last year, and playing to a draw in 2004, the firefighters wanted to notch their first win, not just to hold the trophy for the first time, but to end the trash talk from the police. “We wanted to get a little payback. They let us know every time they could that they won last year. Now it’s our turn,” said Jody Moore of the Muskogee Fire Department. “Now we have the trophy and they have to listen to us for 365 days.” xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Published im Muskogee Phoenix on December 13, 2006 Fiancee files wrongful death lawsuit against driver, truck company By D. E. Smoot Phoenix Staff Writer The fiancee of a man killed Dec. 1 after he was hit by a tractor-trailer rig on the U.S. 69 Arkansas River Bridge filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the truck driver and his employer. The lawsuit, which asks for more than $10,000 on behalf of Eldon “Dusty” McBride’s infant son, alleges Therance M. White Jr., 25, of Kansas City, Mo., “failed to devote full time and attention to driving resulting in a collision which fatally injured” McBride. The petition, filed Tuesday, claims McBride’s son, Preston Cole McBride, “suffered and continues to suffer pecuniary losses resulting from the wrongful death of his father.” The child’s mother, Heather Bumgarner, is seeking on behalf of her son compensation for medical and burial e xpenses, grief and loss of companionship, pecuniary losses and McBride’s pain and suffering before his death. Grand Island Express, the Nebraska-based interstate carrier for which White drives, declined to comment about the lawsuit. Calls were referred to a number that has been disconnected. According to records compiled by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Grand Island Express drivers have been involved in two fatality and four injury collisions during the past two years. Drivers were involved in 15 additional collisions that required only towing. According to FMCSA documents, each crash listed is only recorded once and at its highest level of severity. For example, one collision may have killed one person and injured two others; that collision would be listed as one fatality crash. Grand Islands Express’s carrier received the top safety rating, according to FMCSA. The satisfactory rating means a compliance review found “no evidence of substantial non-compliance with safety requirements.” A compliance review, agency documents state, is a statistical sampling or audit of required records to determine a motor carrier's compliance with the safety regulations. FMCSA is a division of the U.S. Transportation Department. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx ========================================================================== Return to McIntosh County Archives: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ok/mcintosh/mcintosh.html