Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel - Stroud, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 45.201 W 096° 39.395
14S E 711881 N 3959124
This is the story of Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel, the Okie Poet.
Waymark Code: WMWYPB
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 10/31/2017
Views: 0
On the corner of W. 7th Street and N. 3rd Avenue stands a beautiful Art Deco building which once housed a Southwestern Bell Telephone switching station. Today it is the home of the Stroud Public Library.
To the left of the entrance is a bronze plaque honoring Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel. Born in Oklahoma, McDaniel's family emigrated to California during the Dust Bowl days, but she never lost her love for Oklahoma and its people. As a child, she began writing her poems on scraps of paper and saving them. It wasn't until her mid-50's that she made an effort to get them published. She wrote over 50 books of poetry and was known in California as the Okie Poet - a title she cherished.
The plaque reads:
United for Libraries
Literary Landmarks Register
Stroud Public Library
Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel
(1918 - 2007)
Born near Stroud, Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel attended
schools in Lincoln and Creek Counties. She felt wrenched
from her home in 1936 when he family migrated to
California where she became known as the Okie Poet.
Anthologized in America working class literature, her
poetry reveals an appreciation for everyday people and her
deep love for Oklahoma, friends, and family. She sent some
of her books and papers to this library for preservation.Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma / April 28, 2013.