Trumblys bless Pawhuska community

Joe and Arlena Trumbly have owned and operated Clifton’s store since November 1994. As of June 2019, the store owners have announced their retirement to the Pawhuska community and the official closing of Clifton’s.

Clifton’s was a store owned and operated by Ms. Clifton starting in the mid-1920s. After Ms. Clifton, the store was owned and operated by Marguerite Wood and Mary Myers until the Trumblys bought it in 1994.

Through efforts by Joe and Arlena, several historical documents, books, photos and items were preserved from the previous owners of Clifton’s and throughout the Trumblys’ ownership. With the closing of Clifton’s, Joe and Arlena, with son Thomas Trumbly, decided to disperse most of the historical items through charitable donations.

Donations were presented to the following organizations and businesses: the Pawhuska Public Library, the Osage County Historical Society and Museum, Dance Maker Academy, Daposka Ahnkadapi (the Osage Immersion School), the Ben Johnson Cowboy Museum, the Osage Nation Museum, the Osage Nation Cultural Center, the Osage Indian Baptist Church and individual families.

Thomas Trumbly was charged with inventory and coordination of the donations.

“My parents have always cared about our community,” he said. “They have instilled in me the importance of identifying and preserving items of historical value, and I am honored to help them share these treasures with our community.”

Joe and Arlena Trumbly are moving to Branford, Conn. to spend quality time with their oldest grandson. Their retirement plans include visiting the New England states they longed to see as children.