Bartlesville Snow Doesn’t Stop Coffee Tradition

By Margaret Stokes, NewsOn6.com

BARTLESVILLE, OK -- People in Bartlesville woke up Tuesday morning to about an inch and a half of snow. It covered streets, cars and sidewalks. The roads are passable, but still slick in some spots.

Local schools and many businesses were closed as a result of weather conditions.

Neighborhoods looked like a postcard. Children could be seen throwing snow balls and enjoying their unexpected vacation.

At the local mall, which is usually bustling this time of year, it almost empty...almost. It turns out not everyone changed their routine because of a little bit of snow.

"I called him. I wasn't going to come if he didn't come, but he said he was going to come, so we came," said Bartlesville resident, Bob Long.

"I didn't get stuck or anything. It's not that bad," said Bartlesville resident, Fred Holland.

The friends have met at the mall for coffee every morning for the past eight years.

"We eat breakfast at home and we come out here and drink coffee and talk," said Bartlesville resident, Wanda Jeter.

"It gets us out of the house. We go to coffee and then we have the rest of the day free," said Long.

Driving in bad weather is apparently not a problem for these folks.

"We all three worked at the post office for years and we used to work in this, so we thought we could at least go drink coffee in it. So, it's no problem for us," said Long.

They meet at 8:30 a.m. sharp, no matter if the coffee shop is open or not.

"We were using the restaurants, but they got where they wouldn't open up in time for us to have coffee so we bring our own coffee," said Long.

Wanda doesn't drive anymore, but she still makes it to the mall five mornings a week.

"Bob comes and gets me every morning and brings me out here. I don't drive anymore at my age. I don't need to," said Jeter.

So over coffee, the group caught up, laughed and sipped their way through the morning. They seemed to forget the winter weather.

"I'm surprised there's not more people out here," said Jeter.