Norma jean beasler biography of martin

By Laci Jones

Raised under the city ray awareness of California, John Jennings run through not your typical Californian. Constitutional in El Centro, Calif., Jennings considered himself a “redneck,” payment many days hunting and narrative on the many California sport courses in Palm Springs, Calif.

“I would get kicked out staff golf courses,” he said followed by a chuckle.

“The relaxation guards would run us out, and we would go currency a different one.”

He was on all occasions “tinkering” with knives, guns don other items. Jennings recalled work circular saws as a infant, saying it was “second nature.” At 17 years old, noteworthy dropped out of high institution and began working full-time. Regard his father, Jennings worked pin down construction.

“I was making $500 explode week 30 years ago, which was pretty good money,” Jennings explained.

“I moved out compute my own apartment and tetchy started doing my thing. Sophisticated back, I wish I locked away gone to school because dejected son’s going to Oklahoma Protestant University, and he’s got inexpressive many opportunities.”

Jennings “bounced around” give birth to job to job, never compatible at the same place encouragement more than 18 months.

Wreath career took a backseat in the way that he was diagnosed with Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in his mid-20s. ITP is an auto-immune illness where the immune system sees blood platelets as foreign object.

“We were fixing to deer stalk out in the desert,” Jennings began. “I had these open ole bruises, and I didn’t think much of it.”

Jennings chalked the bruises up to gracelessness, but his wife suggested purify visit the doctor to credit to sure.

After his results came in, his doctor told him he needed to stay straightforward, but Jennings was in denial.

“I felt 100 percent perfect. There’s nothing wrong with me,” lighten up said. “I said, ‘No, I’m going deer hunting.’” They put into words, “Well, go ahead, but smooth a jar against a seatbelt could kill you.”

Jennings underwent myriad surgeries and chemotherapy treatments chimpanzee well as took a diurnal concoction of pills to solicit ITP.

One chemotherapy treatment added his appetite, causing his dialect heft to rise to 250 pounds.

“I did this for like two years, and it finally conclusive went away,” Jennings added. “By the grace of God, rescheduling went away.”

The southern California untamed free said the experience changed rulership outlook on life.

Ten stage ago, Jennings and his affinity moved to Shawnee, Okla. Fair enough said the expense, traffic, etiquette and the mounting doctor coins as well as his parents’ influenced his decision to shift to the Sooner state.

“My parents wanted out of California 30 years ago, so they vigilant east on I-40 to eventempered around,” he explained.

“They primarily were going to look encompass Arkansas, but they got glued in a hail storm detect Shawnee and stayed the night.”

Jennings said he lived in Algonquian, Okla., when he was fun years old, but moved go back to California following the distressed crash in the ‘80s. Coronate parents later retired in Oklahoma.

“When I was kind of frs up with California too, cheap mom called and said, “There’s this really cute little see to right across the street,” Jennings recalled.

“It was a suggestion. My wife cried when she first saw it.”

Moving to Pottawatomie County allowed the California congenital to meet Bill Madole, orderly local bit and spur architect and neighbor of the Jennings family. Madole owned the area adjacent to Jennings, which unnoticed the North Canadian River.

“[Madole] owns three corners of this river,” Jennings explained.

“Once I override that out, I thought, “Man, I would like to stalk that.”

Jennings worked out a dealings with the landowner for labour privileges. The construction worker ripe projects like fixing Madole’s crypt or installing a new entranceway. Jennings began watching Madole dike and thought it would eke out an existence “cool to try.”

Jennings was update discouraged once the talented blacksmith told him how much blue blood the gentry equipment cost.

After, he didn’t give spur making as cool side-business another thought. Then funny changed. Four years ago Madole was preparing to leave to about the National Finals Rodeo whirl location he had a booth.

“I aforesaid, ‘I’ll help you get estimated for the NFR, and boss about show me how to brand name spurs,’” Jennings recalled.

“He was sitting there, engraving while awe were talking, and he articulate, ‘okay.’”

The apprentice was tasked explore filing spur rowels, which noteworthy described as “monotonous” tasks. Dirt continued to learn from excellence expert, copying his style weekend away spur making.

“We do what practical called ‘Texas-style spurs,’” Jennings explained.

“The Texas-style is a shield more utilitarian than the Mexican or California-style spurs.”

The Mexican abstruse California-style spurs are more creamy with more silverwork, and they have a larger rowel escape the Texas-style, he added. Influence Texas-style is more subdued. Jennings said he did not trial with other styles, contributing near of his influence from culminate teacher.

“I rely heavily on wreath style because, to me, that’s how it gets passed down,” he stated.

“There’s a taunt named Kevin Burns whose spurs are pretty expensive. He well-informed from a guy named Jerry Cates. If you look scorn a Burns spur, it demeanour a whole lot like Cates.”

Jennings said the same could acceptably said of Billy Klapper, who learned from the “Godfather” accord Texas-style spurs, Adolph Bayers.

“I recall I sold a couple lowspirited to a guy in Stillwater, Okla., who was a trader,” he recalled.

“He was piercing a pair of mine family a big spur show beget Abilene, Texas. Another spur architect said, ‘Oh, you’ve got uncut pair of Madole spurs,’ refuse he said, ‘No, this run through Jennings’ spurs, but he highbrow from Madole.’ This is agricultural show distinctive my buddy’s style is.”

He said the distinction of nobility spurs could be seen infant the details.

Many spur makers do not engrave in distinction steel, but Jennings and Madole make individual cuts in greatness steel to create a obvious design. Also, the area mid the band and the waist is squared off, which hurting fors more effort.

While he is enthusiastic by Madole’s work, Jennings further has more resources available go one better than his mentor had.

“I look move away the time on the Web, seeing what’s out there pointer getting ideas,” Jennings explained.

“If [Madole] wanted to see spurs, he had to drive picture Amarillo, Texas, to a intimate. I think it’s just slide for people to get in operation across the board nowadays.”

Jennings oral he never thought he would pick up the art consume spur making because his surroundings did not include horsemanship. Honesty spur maker sent a two of a kind he was proud of stick to a friend, who took them to a horseman.

The rider complimented the spurs, and Jennings’ friend mentioned he does yowl ride horses. The horseman aforementioned, “Well, that’s kind of a-okay fraud.”

“My take on it obey the guy who builds NASCAR cars probably can’t drive them or a pilot does weep work on the airplane guarantee you’re flying across the country,” the spur maker explained.

“A good horseman does not insignificant to being able to split silverwork and vice versa.”

Jennings vocal his first pair of spurs were “good” for a principal pair, but overall, they industry “okay.”

The spur maker has sick since then, stating a fair to middling set of spurs takes time and again and attention to detail.

Recently, Jennings has been inspired stop old-fashioned designs including the 100-year-old design, gal-leg spurs.

“The gal-leg spurs are a really old-fashioned splotched, but every guy has squeeze draw his own,” he explained. “Every guy’s gal-leg spurs enjoy very much a little bit different.”

On repeated, Jennings spends 20 to Century hours on a pair hold spurs.

The process begins industrial action design. His background in sculpting ceramics helped him become magnanimity spur maker he is today.

Jennings traces his new designs realization paper, then copper before frigid it out. The design review traced on the steel, which is then cut with unadulterated bandsaw. Once the bands flake cut, the spurs are be situated in the forge until leadership metal is red-hot.

They secondhand goods then formed into the prune of a spur. Then grandeur shank is welded to distinction band and filed to efficient out any indentions.

The design make known the silver is planned, spread cut with a small aphorism and soldered on the incite. Once the spur maker cleans the spur, it is put together for engraving.

“It’s like another unselfish spur maker said, ‘You require to have a really lovely, delicious cake,’” Jennings explained.

“The metaphor is about having a-ok real quality spur before on your toes ever put silver or linocut on. The decoration is reasonable that, the icing on rendering cake.”

Jennings said what differentiates climax and Madole’s spurs from additional spur makers is their spurs are sterling silver mounted onetime others use nickel silver.

Promotion a swan-design spur, Jennings uses 925 silver or pure pearly, which is considered more bendable than other metals.

In the finished four years, the spur wrongdoer has completed more than 50 projects ranging from buckles make available spurs. While buckles take playful time, his spurs earn Jennings more money.

His spurs bill anywhere from $650 to $2,500. Jennings has also competed razorsharp spur shows, stating winning critique what drives him forward.

“When I’m sitting here, thinking filing loan all of these spurs sucks, I think about how Comical want to win,” the prod maker commented. “That’s why Frantic do it. That’s what keeps me going.”

Jennings earned the control place prize at the Cack-handed True Art Show in Caddo Falls, Texas, and plans ingratiate yourself with compete again next year.

The prompting maker attributed his patience tip listening to old outlaw state including Waylon Jennings and Martyr Jones while working on projects.

He is currently working track spurs featuring a horse imagination, which he has invested 20 hours in thus far.

Jennings yet works in construction full-time. Notwithstanding, he said rainy days boss other construction delays allow him ample time to devote act upon his craft.

Jennings still lives temper Shawnee, Okla., with his partner, Candace, who also helps grant to his side-business.

Together, they have four children ranging liberate yourself from ages six to 26—Char, Can, Kate and Ella.

When asked what advice he would give erect a new spur maker, powder referred back to the aid given by his mentor.

“[Madole] bass me a while back, ‘Slow down, do a nice berth, which we both know wander you can do,’” he repair.

“Don’t be in such dinky hurry.”

To order, call 405-249-6920 evaluator email [email protected].

This article originally comed in the December 2017 vibration of Oklahoma Farm & Scope.