Page 146 - September2021

LOOKING BACK
SPEEDHORSE WOMEN
By Lyn Jank • An Excerpt from August 1981 Issue of SPEEDHORSE
Jolene Norris grew up in the Texas panhandle on a farm south of the town of Canadian. A talented singer, a natural with the piano, organ and guitar, Jolene’s dream was to participate in world evangelism through
Gospel music. But there was a darkhaired boy on the northside
of Canadian, Dan Urschel. He and Jolene went through school together and attended the same church, the First Christian. They began dating in high school, and their love for each other continued to grow when they were attending Dallas Christian College in Texas. Jolene’s dream of world evangelism gave way to another
– a home and family with Dan. She was twenty-one when they married in 1960 and settled in Canadian.
Dan and I have worked, prayed, and even helicopter pilot’s license. We used a and home designing. We loved what we were
gone to church together all our lives. I
love baking, making a home beautiful
and comfortable, needlework and reading, especially reading. Since I had a much younger brother and sister, I not only helped my mother in the house, but also helped my dad outside, so I learned to drive trucks and tractors. I want above all to
be a Christian lady, but I don’t think you have to stay indoors to be one. Dan and I were in the first ground school held here in Canadian and got our pilot’s license. Dan went on to get his twin and jet rating and
helicopter to check the twenty windmills on the ranch and to gather cattle.
I believe the salvation of America lies in strong, close and loving family life and I am
so grateful for my beautiful set of parents, Calvert and Gracie Pearl Norris. After Dan and I had our children – Dana, Greg, and
Ken – we did everything together as a family, except for a time in the mid 1970’s. In addition to ranching, Dan purchased a fixed base operation that refueled private planes and airliners landing in Amarillo, and I started a furniture store that also involved commercial
doing, but it took too much time away from the family, so we phased out and went back to ranching and horses full time.
In 1978 we purchased Easy Dimple, by Easy Jet out of Chick’s Dimple Too, at the
All American Yearling Sale. All of us were so happy with her and so happy to be involved
in something as a whole family again. Then, only a couple of weeks after we got back from Ruidoso, our son Greg, was coming back to the house in a jeep from the feedlot that they were building. Dan and our other son Ken were on their way back to the feedlot. Two miles from