Source: This information sent to author from Dorothy ‏(Jones)‏ Tritschler, 8 Nov 2002.

I was born on June 2, 1913 in the west bedroom of the two-story house that my Granddad George acquired from the homesteaders settled by the name of Steel west of Enid, OK. My Dad, George W. Tritschler was born in 1855 and died Feb. 1944 and my Mother, Lila Sams was born 8 Sept., 1891; married 1912 and died Jan. 1916 of goiter complications. After Mother's death, Dad returned to the farm West of Enid while I resided with my Grandpa and Grandma Sams in Anamosa, Iowa for about 3 years. Dad remarried Florence Wagner and sent for me. I grew up on the farm helping Dad and my step-mother do chores and started school in a one-room school house. It was called Free Home School. I rode my pony those 8 years to school before going to Emerson Jr. High School in Enid. Then I graduated from Enid High School. We farmed and the summers were spent plowing and working ground with a team of horses. I learned to play my harmonica while resting the team and really became good at it and enjoyed entertaining the family. Life was good on the farm. Then the war came in 1941. I enlisted in the Army Air Corps Basic Training at Lake Ponchotrain, LA. Dad and Mom came to see me when training was over and we had a good time in New Orleans. Then I shipped out. We were the first U.S. Troop to arrive in England. We were at Chitchester and from there to the invasion of N. Africa, Siscely, Corsica, Sardinia, and Naples, Italy. There I received word that my Dad had passed away suddenly. I was sent back home on a hardship and mustered out at Ft. Chaffee, Ark. I had a lot of things to do with Dad being gone but good things did happen. I fell in love with Dorothy Blanche ‏(Jones)‏ Carley who had lost her husband in the Battle of the Bulge. They were married June 30, 1946. She loved it on the farm and we grew together. George was born April 20, 1947, Lou Anne and Ivan soon followed but both passed away in infancy. What a loss but we still had our little George and the three of us walked through life together. I farmed until 1953 or 1954, then went to work in Enid at Oklahoma Floral and retired in the 1980's. The farm is rented out and Mommy and I spent time watching our grandchildren grow and participated in their events. In the fall, George would take me back to Anamosa, IA to visit my last Aunt Sarah and cousins. We made several trips. I always enjoyed going back to where my childhood started - sliding down the big hill at the Anamosa Courthouse with my cousin, Dean Sams. We had good times celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was blessed with a beautiful wife, son, daughter-in-law and 7 grandchildren. In early 2003, I came down with pneumonia and was in the hospital; recovered and went home but the pneumonia recurred. I went to recover in a nursing home. Son came to see me a lot. After about a week, I came to realize my life was coming to an end. On June 12th, George, Lanee' and Jeanne were with me. At about 9 p.m. they said the prayer that Dorothy had taught George - Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Everyone left and at 1:15 a.m. on June13th, I departed this earth. What a wonderful 90 years of life!

This was written by Harold's son, George.