Dear Editor,

On September 15, my wife and I attended the 15th Annual Dinner and Auction put on by the Oakdale Cowboy Museum. This was a well-attended affair set at the Pioneer Equine Hospital. It is a fundraiser but more importantly is a celebration of things cowboy in Oakdale. This year’s special tribute was given to the early livestock transportation haulers in our area which included a video record with numerous interviews with the haulers themselves. This video will be available at the museum and it records living history.

The event has many reserved tables for families and friends but for those like my wife and I, there was open seating. This was our living history experience. A couple present owned a 300-plus cattle ranch near Milton. Jerold Camarillo, an Oakdale rodeo legend, sat across the table next to Mimi Medlen, mother of Eric Medlen and she next to Lynn Boss, known for his expertise in Dutch oven campfire cooking. Filling out the table was Julio Moreno and his fiancé. He is an owner of the preeminent bucking bull in pro rodeo today, “Bushwacker.” What an incredible group to simply join by accidental seating. I am sure other tables had similar seating experiences. To talk to these folks brings history into a personal experience. Executive Director of the museum, Christie Camarillo, works hard to bring the event together each year. It is something not to be missed.

Michael Ward