THE DINOSAUR'S THINKTANK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. THE BOOK COVER: - Born with an insatiable curiosity, but as with most, the exploration of life had to be set aside. I became embroiled in the day to day struggles to build a career and provide for the needs of my own family. Now my children are all grown and gone, I am retired, and free to know for the sake of knowing. To do those things that I dreamed of as a boy. The flames of curiosity still burns brightly.
2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: - I begin this study with those things I can remember from my childhood on to this very day. I have divided my memories into three parts as follows:
   • DINOSAUR EGGS HATCHED: - All those things I can remember about my first 20 years of life, up to leaving the nest when I was drafted into the United States Army in 1953.
   • Part I - Born in Indian Territory, the great state of Oklahoma, from birth to age seven:
   • Part II - World War II and life in San Antonio, age seven to age 14:
   • Part III - Life in Washington DC, age 14 to entering the US Army in the fall of 1953:
   • BACHELOR LIFE:
     My life on my own as a bachelor from entering the army until I married in December, 1965.
   • A MONSTER IS CREATED: - Married life, career development, retirement, and life in general turns a shy little dinosaur into a monster. No more Mr. Nice Guy!
3. FAMILY TRAILS: - I now move into the past. This begins the stories written by my ancestors and includes both my mother's side and my father's side.
   • TANKPAGE: - This is all the information I have gathered to date on my Father's side of the family. The surnames of importance are Tankersley(also Tanksley, Tankersly), Stropes (also Stroopes, Staupes, Straub), and Bixler. Others will be added if found of importance to the family history; note that more important names can be found in the stories below:
     • Grandma and Grandpa Tankersley
     • Grandma Bixler Tankersley's Letters
     • Memories of an Oklahoma Teacher
     • The Stropes Connection
     • Marena-Life on the Homestead
     • Sammy Lee Barnett Tankersley's Autobiography - Sharon Worth Goodnight, Sammy Lee Barnett Tankersley's granddaughter, has written the forward to her grandmother's autobiography. This forward also applies to her aunt, Maurene Ruth Tankersley Bishop's story of her life on the Oklahoma homestead.
       • Part 1: Happy Times
       • part 2: Mrs. Tankersley
       • part 3: Homesteading in Oklahoma
       • part 4: Building the Community
       • part 5: Doctor in the House
     • Maurene Ruth Tankersley Bishop's "Life of the Homestead". Ruth is the third daughter of Sammy Barnett Tankersley and Marshall Rush Tankersley's, born in 1897 while on the Oklahoma homestead. Ruth, as she was called, tells us the story of her life growing up in Oklahoma and of the hardships her parents faced in civilizing an untamed land.
       • Part 1: A child is born
       • Part 2: Vesta is seriously ill
       • Part 3: starting school
   • COATESIDE: - This is all the information I have gathered to date on my Mother's side of the family. The surnames of importance are Coates (also Coats), Garrett, and Mead. Others will be added if found to be important to the family history.
     • Mardy's Autobiography
     • Mardy celebrates the century mark
     • Rugie's Autobiography, Part I
     • Rugie's Autobiography, Part II
     • Rugie in Australia for World War II
     • Charles L. Coates is Polesti Raid Hero
     • Coats Ancestors
4. ON EDUCATION:
   • TKE-HAAAI: - Tau Kappa Epsilon - Houston Area Alumni Association, Inc. - dedicated to education and leadership training for our young college men.
   • STARSHIPS: - A physics adventure
   • ECOLOGY: - Saving our earth
     • SEProjects An introduction to Sustainability Engineered Projects are effort to provide alternatives to the high cost fossil fuels that pollute the atmosphere, water, and earth and to fight global warming.
     • MESS-SEProject My Earthbound Space Station - a Sustainability Engineered Project.
     • APIX-SEProject Agro-Polymer Industry Complex - a Sustainability Engineered Project.
     • HARP-SEProject Houston Area Recycling Proposal - a Sustainability Engineered Project.
     • PAL-SEProject Projects Available for Learning - Sustainability Engineered Projects to teach sustainability to school aged children.
     • ULTIMATE LAWNMOWER Build a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Lawnmower.
     • BIO DIGESTION Making Natural Gas in your septic tank.
     • FAST Using Fuel Alcohol Still Technology
     • CHP A simple Combined Heat/Power unit for home heating and electric power.
     • SYNGAS Using steam Reformation to convert solid waste into fuel gases.
5. ALIEN REPORTS: - science FACTION novel in very early stages.
   • Report no. 1, Space Stations:
   • Report no. 2, Drones, Space Tugs, Shuttles, and Transports:
   • Report no. 3, Why Space, Early History:
   • Report no. 4, The Science of Space Colonization:
   • Report no. 5, Discovery of new species:
   • Report no. 6, Government and civil control:
   • Report no. 7, Religion and the after life:
6. JEAN'S JUNGLE: - My wife's web pages.
7. DEEPSPACE: - A clean, wholesome family and handicap accessible irc network.
8. Don Wood and family