Austin came into this world Aug. 5, 1987, in Oklahoma City to Gene Fox and LuCinda Dillingham Lynch. He was the oldest grandson to Dean and Sandra Dillingham and Vondel and Phyllis Fox of El Reno. 

Austin was preceded in death by his father, Gene, and both his grandfathers, Dean and Vondel. 

Austin was the nephew of Kyle and Kary Dillingham of El Reno, Nanette Jordan and Joe Fox, Blake Dillingham, Brady Dillingham and son, Hudson, plus many more cousins.

Russell Cook admits he had a personal motive when he went looking to rekindle the Oklahoma Native All-State Association’s football game after an 18-year hiatus.

“Originally I approached the Native All-State Association because Evan Roman Nose was initially left off the All-State team for the Oklahoma Coaches Association and we felt he was an All-State caliber player,” said Cook.

Though Roman Nose was later added to the OCA squad as an alternate, Cook felt the need to keep the process of the Native All-State game intact.

Barbara O’Neal and Vera Mae Morse slowly walked beside a long row of graves inside the El Reno Cemetery, carefully studying the names on the markers and watching American flags placed nearby waving in the breeze.

The pair stopped at a white granite headstone that listed the name Private Robert A. Morse.

“He was my brother-in-law,” said Morse.

Otis Bruce says it’s probably just history repeating itself.

He figures that’s why El Reno claims to have recently celebrated the 37th Annual Fried Onion Burger Day Festival. Bruce says the 2025 festival was actually the 36th rendition. 

“I think it’s like what happened in 1889,” said Bruce, now retired and former longtime owner of Johnnie’s Grill. “It’s just the Sooners jumping the gun again, only this time it was in 1989.”