ST. TAMMANY PARISH, LA. 

Obituary for: PROVANCE, JESSE LOYD (J. L.) 

Submitted by: Louis Lavedan. 

Source: St. Tammany News

Published on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 

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PROVANCE

Pawhuska, Okla., businessman J.L. Provance passed away Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010, 
at his home. He was 82 years old.

Jesse Loyd (J. L.) Provance was born Sept. 19, 1927, in Southwest City, Mo. He's 
the son of Nora Francis Gann and Bennie Frances Provance. He graduated from high 
school in Southwest City May 12, 1945, and married Julia Marie Pollman May 25, 
1945. They were blessed with three children; Robert Loyd Provance, Dianna Kay 
Uptagrafft, and Susie Marie Porvance.

Shortly after graduating from high school, during the World War II period, he 
enlisted in the U.S. Army.

He was a member of the Church of Christ in Pawhuska, Okla., and was a loving and 
devoted father and husband.

In 1949, he moved to Wichita, Kan., where he worked for the Humphry 
Manufacturing Company and Boeing Aircraft. In 1951, he moved to Neosho, Mo., 
where he worked for Rocketdyne and participated in NASA's space program. In 1967 
he transferred to New Orleans with a group of men who were responsible for 
quality control at North American Rockwell. Two and a half years later he moved 
to Tulsa, Okla., where he worked eight years for Jones Aluminum Corp. as an 
installer and salesman. In 1978 he was asked to return to the space program at 
the test facility in Bay St. Louis, Miss. While working with the space program 
in Mississippi, he also owned his own business, Energy Saving Products, which 
was located in Slidell. He received the highest award for safety ever given by 
one of NASA's astronauts. In October 1992, after retiring from the space 
program, he moved to Pawhuska, where he continued owning and operating his 
Energy Saving Products business.

He was preceded in death by both parents; a granddaughter, Dionna Marie Hooper; 
a brother Bennie Provance and two sisters, Etta Mae Estes and Viola Marie 
Nichols.

He's survived by his wife; a son Robert Loyd Provance of Collinsville, Okla.; 
twp daughters, Dianna Kay Uptagrafft and her husband (Lamar) of Simpsonville, 
S.C., and Susie Marie Provance of Pawhuska, Okla.; two sisters, Bertha Nichols 
of Southwest City, and Jean Hardage and her husband, (Ronald) of Tulsa; four 
grandchildren, Jessie Lenard Gosvener II and wife (Karen), Jessica Marie Boone 
and husband (Tom), and Bobbie Sue Gosvener all of Pawhuska, and John Richard 
Hooper of Davenport, Okla.; two step-grandchildren, Marty Ross of Raeford, N. C. 
and Tracy Leach of Collinsville, Okla..; 10 great grand children and 7 step-
great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. today in the McCartney's Johnson Funeral Home 
chapel. The Revs. Carl Harris and C.E. Glendenning will officiate. Graveside 
military honors will be provided by the American Legion and VFW. Interment will 
be in the Pawhuska City Cemetery. 

McCartney's Johnson Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

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