Street renamed Emmy’s Way
On Friday, April 5, Enterprise Avenue was officially changed to Emmy’s Way in honor of the late Sarah Emmaline Scott Stidham, affectionately called Ms. Emmy by most.
The Katy Depot lawn was full of friends, family and dignitaries, who all came together on a beautiful spring morning for the dedication ceremony.
Checotah Councilman Jay Hayes began the ceremony by telling everyone how he had the privilege of mowing Ms. Emmy’s lawn since he was eight years old and that he was traveling down the road next to the beloved Katy Depot when he got the idea to name the road, Emmy’s Way, because it seemed most fitting with everything she had done to promote Checotah.
A few of Ms. Emmy’s accomplishment included:
• First recipient as the McIntosh County Democrat’s Citizen of the Year award in 1986 and was the only recipient to win it once again in 2022
• Board member of Checotah Main Street for eight years, serving as publicity chair for the Checotah Chamber of Commerce and was their Member of the Year in 1996 and 2003
• Founding president and the project’s chairman of the Checotah Landmark Preservation Society, which was instrumental in saving and relocating the local 1890 Katy Railroad depot and placing it on the National Register of Historic Places along with the Methodist Church and the downtown business district
• Recipient of the Oklahoma Heritage Association’s Distinguished Service Award for preservation of state and local history
• Founding member of the Friends of Honey Springs. In 1987, she was instrumental in organizing and coordinating volunteers for the first Battle of Honey Springs Reenactment under the leadership of the Oklahoma Historical Society, a project that she helped with volunteers for over 35 years
• Life Member of the Oklahoma Historical Society since 1985. In 1988, the Oklahoma Historical Society elected Stidham to its board of directors. Within the board, she served on numerous committees and also served on the executive board as treasurer, as vice president and then as president of the board from 2011 to 2014 to Chairman Emeritus.
• One of four honorees inducted into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame in Chickasha on April 26, 2019, to which she “I guess if you get old enough they’ll nominate you for just about anything because you’re actually becoming history One by one welldeserved accolades were spoken about Ms. Emmy at the ceremony of a gracious lady who not only knew her his-tory but became part of that very history.
Representative Neil Hayes brought a citation from the Oklahoma House of Representatives as did Senator Roger Thompson from the Oklahoma State Senate. Crystal Wood-Campbell, a representative from Markwayne Mullin’s office, also brought a citation she read.
Mayor Daniel Tarkington spoke about how Ms. Emmy always stopped by for a brief visit to inform him of what needed to be done in Checotah. He also helped Ms. Emmy’s great grandchildren unveil the road sign at the conclusion of the ceremony. They included Reed Stidham, Spencer Stidham, Simon Stidham, Sullivan Stidham, Lucas Schuering and Milo Schuering.
Also in attendance were Ms. Emmy’s four children/spouses: Mike and Glenna Stidham, Gary and Shelli Stidham, Greg and Ann Stidham and Cindy Schuering. Plus her grandchildren/ spouses: Scott Stidham and Amanda Godin, Stewart and Stephanie Stidham, and Grayson and Melinda Schuering.
A special thank you also went out to the following businesses and organizations that made the dedication ceremony such a success: City of Checotah, Love Bottling, WTJ Trophy Shop, Checotah Landmark Preservation Society, Friends of Honey Springs Battlefield, Garrett Family Funeral Home and the McIntosh County Democrat.
Perhaps the most touching speech of the street dedication ceremony was spoken by Ms. Emmy’s dear friend, Dr. DeLois Ann McGee.
“There is no way you could put Emmy Stidham in one place, because she was all over the place,” McGee said. “She had a heart full of compassion, a head full of information and a store house of wisdom. All she didn’t have in her head was in her stash of notes and newspaper clippings in folders and boxes she could retrieve at a moment’s notice. Whether it was about Checotah’s history or citizens, she knew who was where, who did what and what the next step should be.”
McGee went on to say that the legacy of Ms. Emmy will never be matched or exceeded and that every time she drives down Emmy’s Way she will remember all the little things that Ms. Emmy did to encourage others and promote Checotah, from the little handwritten notes to watering the flowers to her corn chowder she made for special events.
“This passageway will be a constant reminder that we are all better, Checotah is better, the world is better, because Emmy Scott Stidham was here and we chose to do a few things Emmy’s Way.”
On a personal note: As a newbie to the local newspaper, I know how much Ms. Emmy educated me and other journalists before me about Checotah’s history and the people who put Checotah on the map.
I am forever grateful for every encouraging note she wrote me, calls she made to the office to inform me and all the books and newspaper clippings she handed me to make sure I had the right information to cover the story properly.
Ms. Emmy was the newspaper’s biggest cheerleader and definitely a community leader who made a difference every day, left big shoes to fill and left her footprint for all to follow.
