Murder, Mystery, and a Whole Lot of Hattitude!
Published
Submitted by Felecia Garvin
What’s more fun than a murder mystery dinner? A murder mystery wedding, of course! And when you add 16 Red Hatters dressed in their finest hats and fascinators, you have the makings of an unforgettable evening.
More than 100 guests attended “Till Death Do Us Part,” hosted by Ardmore Parks and Recreation in Oklahoma. Among them were Red Hat Society members representing Ardmore, Purcell, Durant, Ada, Wilson, Lone Grove, and Sulphur, a wonderful showing of the growing sisterhood across Southern Oklahoma.
The evening had all the trappings of a real wedding, complete with a guest book, gift table, wedding announcements, a preacher, and even a decorated getaway car. Guests enjoyed delicious food, a magician, music, and dancing. The red wedding décor and maid of honor’s red gown were an especially fitting touch for the Red Hatters!
But this was no ordinary wedding. During the cake cutting, the lights suddenly went out. When they came back on, the bride had been stabbed in the back with the cake knife! Guests searched for clues, questioned the wedding party, and worked together to solve the mystery.
The Southern Oklahoma Queens at Table Three proved they had more than Hattitude. They had detective skills, too! The group earned second place, with each member receiving a miniature magnifying glass proclaiming, “I solved the murder.”
“From the wedding, venue, cast, announcers, décor, music, dancing, magician, the Who Done It Clues, watching groups trying to figure it all out, was AMAZING,” said Queen Brenda Gibson of the Redbud Monarch Ladies.
Beyond the laughter and mystery, the evening celebrated something even more exciting: the remarkable resurgence of the Red Hat Society in Southern Oklahoma.
Until recently, Purcell was home to the area’s only active chapter. Determined to bring Hattitude back to the region, Queen Brenda Gibson began encouraging women in surrounding communities to form new chapters.
The Red Dirt Magnolias of Ardmore, led by Queen Felecia Garvin, meet twice monthly for dinners and adventures. Their outings have included an Amtrak trip to Fort Worth, a lavender farm visit, lunch at Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Restaurant, and a mystery excursion to Lake Texoma featuring lakeside dining and a scenic boat cruise.
Other chapters are spreading the fun. The Durant Dolls, led by Co-Queens Kristin Nichols and Donna Gail Walker, enjoy restaurant outings, hat decorating, and mystery theater events. In Wilson, Queen Rose Marie Carfrey is bringing two groups of interested women together into one chapter.
Queen Heather Dodd, a recent transplant from Virginia, started a chapter in Lone Grove to make friends and explore her new community. Meanwhile, Debra Ivey was so inspired by an Ardmore meet-and-greet that she signed up on the spot to establish a chapter in Sulphur.
Four members of an Ada chapter continue participating with the Purcell and Ardmore groups, while additional chapters are recruiting in Ardmore and interest is growing in Davis.
With so much activity, perhaps it’s time to call this growing sisterhood the Southern Oklahoma Red Hat Dynasty!
Much of this renewed enthusiasm can be traced to Queen Brenda Gibson, whose dedication has inspired women throughout the region.
“Brenda Gibson has been a wealth of information about the Red Hat Society, and her untiring support for all these new chapters is amazing,” said Queen Felecia. “She lives and breathes Red Hattitude,” right down to her purple-and-red Jeep proudly displaying her chapter name.
From solving fictional murders to building real friendships, these Southern Oklahoma Red Hatters are proving that fun, friendship, and Hattitude are alive and thriving. And with enthusiastic women like Brenda leading the way, the future looks brighter than ever!