by Shelley Muzny
Ronnie Renshaw was born and raised on a farm northwest of Lacey, OK by Johnny and Colleen Renshaw. He was one of three children they raised there. Ronnie’s hard work ethic and friendliness came from the examples his parents set. Johnny and Colleen had a dairy and farmed; this is where Ronnie’s story begins. Ronnie has always been a worker on his family’s farm, but when he was twelve years old, he worked for Robert Malone, a neighbor of theirs. Ronnie would plant Bermuda grass and help them farm. Ronnie said his feet could barely reach the pedals of the farm tractors. Ronnie attended Lacey Schools until consolidation with Hennessey. While at Lacey Schools, Ronnie loved playing baseball. He graduated from Hennessey High School in 1975. After graduation, Ronnie worked laying brick with Jimmy Nelson and then Hennessey Rental Co., but the oilfield was calling his name. Ronnie went to work for Pratt Drilling Co. and then Welltec Oilfield Services. Ronnie’s hard work ethic, dedication and knowledge led him to running the Oilfield Rig’s for over 30 years. He then went to work for Frontier Oil Services for 8 or 9 years, living in OKC; while working for Frontier, Ronnie decided it was time to move home and drove to OKC daily to work. As Ronnie put it, he was doing good, money was good- so he decided to buy a semi-truck and fix all that. Kidding aside, Ronnie drove a Semi-truck to Tulsa, hauling scrap iron for Dale Choate for several years. He also had stories of working for Don Choate, but some of those can not be published!
A cat and their nine lives don’t have anything on Ronnie. Just to mention a few incidents because this is an article, not a book. Ronnie broke his sternum at the Hennessey Rodeo while trying to get a ribbon off a bull. Ronnie said, “he got me, but he didn’t get me down.” Ronnie went to the rodeo dance afterward. He also did a swan dive off a homemade bridge on the farm and broke his neck. He’s had Rattlesnake bites, Ronnie’s advice don’t wait 12 hours to go get it looked at. He replaced the window on the camper and fell, with his hand going through the glass, cutting a main vein- thanks to a neighbor, he got an ambulance and to the hospital, before he bled out. All I can say is Ronnie keeps his guardian angel busy watching over him!
Ronnie has retired for about four years. You won’t find Ronnie running any Oil Rigs these days, but he is running Preacher Creek Social Club, signing off every post with Ronnie Said. Ronnie’s love for his family and friends radiates through the stories he tells. The memories that have been made in Lacey, OK. Ronnie is blessed with a son, Clint Renshaw, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
If you ever get a chance to have a conversation or sit on his swing with him, a person needs too. Ronnie’s smile and laughter are contagious. The memories, stories and reminiscing will take a person back to what seems like a lifetime ago. Ronnie said “times are hard, but we lived a good life. I am lucky to be alive.” Times may be tough, but so is Ronnie!