Striking Oil Isn't All Bad

O.K., o.k., I won't begrudge these millionaires their oil strike. Oscar and Lorene Stohler of Beulah, North Dakota, are among the nouveau petro-riche Professor Schaff mentioned earlier this week. Oscar was raised in a sod house. He and Lorene grew up in the Dirty Thirties, put their four kids through college... and now, thanks to oil found two miles under their ranch, they can enjoy the rest of their lives with no financial worries.

Not that wealth is going to their heads:

The couple moved a few miles east to Beulah and paid cash for their new home, the first one they have owned. They have established trust accounts for their four children.

Lorene said the only thriftless purchase was an automatic sprinkler system for her flowers that surround the couple's new home. And Oscar bought a $1,000 ring for his wife to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

"We got enough now to buy new stuff," Lorene said, "but we like our old stuff." [James MacPherson, "Oil Is Making Millionaires in North Dakota," AP via Yahoo News, 2008.06.30]

Before I get all misty... congrats to the Stohlers for striking it rich, and for and keeping their fiscal wits about them.

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p.s.: Oil joke of the morning comes from the Capitol Steps promo for their July 4th public radio special: With oil now over $140 a barrel, George W. Bush has a plan to stop those rising prices. He's going to order smaller barrels.