The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

AT&T began driving nails in DirecTV's coffin almost as soon as they purchased it.  Formerly a department store, the building at 21st & Sheridan was rebuilt in 2004 as a call center with a huge auditorium and food court.

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/2029-S-Sheridan-Rd-Tulsa-OK/25351977/

Formerly a department store, the building at 21st & Sheridan was rebuilt in 2004 as a call center with a huge auditorium and food court.

Anyone remember what the department store was?

I think the Auto Zone across Sheridan was a Handy Dan.

Anyone remember what the department store was?

I think the Auto Zone across Sheridan was a Handy Dan.

It was a Wal-Mart knock-off called Venture

Yes!  Handy Dan.  The current Autozone was Service Merchandise if I recall.

TULSA, OK–MAY 2, 2022–Funeral services are set Friday (May 6) for longtime Tulsa businessman and Oklahoma horseman Lester E. "Les" Horner, 83. He died peacefully and went to Jesus Saturday (Apr. 30).

Services will begin at 2 p.m. (CDT) at the Southern Hills Baptist Church, 5590 S. Lewis Avenue, Tulsa, OK. Viewing will be from 12:30 to 2:00.

Les was born in Tulsa on December 27, 1938, to Elsie A Smith Horner and Andrew J. Horner.

He and his childhood sweetheart, Leah, grew up in Turley, OK. She adored him even as a bashful six-year-old when they played house together and created a home when they married at 16 and 17 years old on June 5, 1956, at the Turley Methodist Church.

In his teenage years, Les played a three-neck steel guitar in his western band "The Sooner Swing Band." Monday nights, the Sooner Swing Band swooned the evening crowd with their TV Show on Channel 23.

Les started his carrier as a package boy at B&W Thrif-T-Wise in Tulsa before becoming the Executive National Grocery Supervisor for Gulf Mart Stores working out of San Antonio, TX.

After leaving Gulf Mart in 1970, Les became a distinguished entrepreneur with an eighth-grade education and opened Food City Red Bud, 4404 South Peoria, in 1971. He continued a successful path developing Horner Foods.

He built six Price Mart stores, nine Horner Apple Markets across Oklahoma, and a warehouse at 129th & the Broken Arrow expressway.

At the age of 15, Les dreamed of having a chain of grocery stores, and His vision was always more important than his fear of failure. He was known for his enormous generosity and integrity. He believed all you carried with you through life was your reputation.

Les served on the Board of Associated Wholesale Grocers, Kansas City, Century National Bank. Oklahoma Baptist University, Gatesway Advisory Board, and was a Deacon at Southern Hills Baptist Church.

The book "Movers and Shakers" was published In 1997. In the book, Les was named one of Tulsa's amazing Movers & Shakers who Dared to Believe and Stepped Into A Place Where Dreams Were Realized.

Post writing under Les article. "If you've ever seen Les Horner doing a television advertisement for Price Mart, you saw a distinguished man, however not as distinguished as the man who sat before me during our interview. Mere television doesn't do him justice at all. In my opinion, he radiated success in a humble, clearly defined, simple way: he was just "Himself." I don't know what God has prepared for him in the future, but I can assure you that you haven't heard the last of Les Horner."

Long before Venture, and before Handy Dan, it was Gulf Mart. They even had their own full service gas station and auto service and tires building which I think became Burgraff Tires when Handy Dan took over the main store.

When I was a kid I would go there and collect old tire weights to give to Don Butler and his kids so they could make Okie Bug Fishing Lures.