A few years ago my wife and I made a trip down to Lindsay Oklahoma to visit Charlie Heatly and his wife Sheneesta to talk about the story behind who first called State Fair Arena "The Big House". I was working on a publication called "50 Years at The Big House". Ellen and I spent, over 3 hours visiting and reminiscing and in addition to getting the true story behind the great football coach Joe Tunnell first tagging the Arena it's true name, we also got many other stories. Which is what I was hoping would happen!
Sheneesta talked about all of the scrap books with newspaper articles and momentoes that she had collected over the years and invited us to their upstairs where, in a closet, she had me get down so we could look at. It was an INCREDIBLE walk down so many memories for the both of them, and us along for the ride.
Charlie also took us into his office and showed us the pictures he had on his walls and certificates. One was a picture of the Charter Members of the Oklahoma High School Girls Basketball Coaches Association, which Charlie was one of along with Joe Poteet, Bertha Frank Teague, Charles Burnett, W.D. Hibler, J.D. Flowers, Sam Taylor , Walter Cooper, Kenneth Murphy and Lee Henderson.
Then there was another picture of a week of camp back in the early 1970's. He asked me if I recognized anyone in that picture. I picked Charlie out but that was about it. He pointed to the end and said, "Do you know who that is?". I said she looks familiar. It was Reba McEntire.
This afternoon Ellen and I attended Charlies funeral at Lindsay. Charlie has been sick and passed this past Wednesday. But for the past couple of weeks or so, he was able to help plan the celebration of his life we had today in Charles K. Heatly Arena. There were many friends, family, former coaches, former players (men and women) and even a few officials who had called many of his games, which, when they stood up to be recognized, Doyle Greteman told to "Get out", pointing to the door as jokingly requested by Charlie!
One story Doyle, who was a long time Superintendent at Lindsay, told was one that Charlie had told us a few years back during our visit about Reba. It goes something like this...
One year during his All-Star Camps at Lindsay he held every year, a camper had brought her guitar and had been playing it and singing during the evenings for the fun of it. Charlie noticed the young lady and he let her play. The next year, that young lady, Reba McEntire from Kiowa High School, came to Charlie and asked if she could play during the week to entertain the campers. Charlie said that shouldn't be a problem. Reba kind of paused and said she would like to get paid to do it. Charlie asked "How much?" Reba said "$50". Charlie said "Well, I probably need to talk to my partner of the camp about that." He approached that coach later and told him of the situation and the request and the coach replied "She pretty good but she's not THAT good!"
I remember after Charlie told us that story at his house, he reached into his wallet and pulled out an old piece of paper. He unfolded it and it was the voided check from 1972 that he had paid Reba that year. I asked him if he always kept that in his wallet and he assured me he most certainly did.
My youngest daughter, Melody, spent 3 years being the ball girl at The Big House during the State Tournament loves that story and gives Charlie credit for being probably the first person to ever pay Reba McEntire to perform and sing! I don't know how true that is but one thing I know to be true, Melody always describes Charlie, "He is SO nice, always has a smile on his face and always makes me laugh." Now that is true and I'm not sure there could be any kinder words ever said about another person than that.
