Garfield Co., OK - Obits: January 14, 2002 Obits from the Enid News & Eagle **************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. **************************************************************************** This file was submitted by: Lola Withrow ============================================================================ OBITAURIES From the Enid News & Eagle Monday, January 14, 2002 SHAFER, JAMES, 67, Nash. Service pending with Wilson Funeral Home, Pond Creek. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KLOEPPEL, HILDA, 97, Kingfisher. services pending with Sanders Funeral Service, Kingfisher. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHUSENBERY, BUD, 87, Alva. Service pending with Wharton Funeral Chapel, Alva. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOROTHY HANKINS Lahoma - A graveside service for Dorothy Hankins, 82, will be 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Garden of Commandments at Memorial Park Cemetery. Jack Pilgrim will officiate. Arrangements are by Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home. She was born Oct. 10, 1919, in Enid to Mr. and Mrs sid Batchelder and died Friday, Jan. 11, 2002, at St. Mary's Regional Medical Center. She attended the Enic school system and was a resident of Lahoma until her death. She was a member of Lahoma Baptist Church. Surviving are her stepmother, Reba Robinson of Enid; two brothers, Bill Batchelder of New Mexico, and Dal Batchelder of Arkansas; one sister, Linda Bowen of Enid; three sons, James Hankins of Garber, Tommy Hankins of Colorado and Bobby Hankins of Lahoma; five daughters, Sharon Callaway of Enid, Betty Emerson of North Enid, Margaret Pilgrim of Kiowa, Kan., Beverly Hart of Enid and Mary Luckert of Edmond; 22 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by one son, one daughter, one sister and one brother. Memorials may be made to the church. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JACOB H. DIRKSEN Meno - The funeral for Jacob Harms "Jake" Dirksen, 90, will be 2:30 p.m. today in Brown-Cummings Funeral Home Chapel, Enid. The Rev. Henry Cook will officiate. Burial will be in Karoma Cemetery at Goltry. He was born Feb. 1, 1911, in Inman, Kan., to Nicholas and Anna Harms Dirksen and died Friday, Jan. 11, 2002, at Integris Bass Baptist Health Center, Enid. He received his education in Inman. On Jan. 23, 1942, he married Catalina Valenzuela in Ketchum, Idaho. He was a painter by trade and lived in San Diego until January 2001, when he moved to Meno. Surviving are two sons, Daniel of Modesto, Calif., and William of Meno; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, three sisters and four brothers. Memorials may be made through the funeral home to the charity of the donor's choice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STEPHEN POTTER Darrouzett - The funeral for Stephen Francis Potter, 65, will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in United Methodist Church. The Rev. Cris Ford will officiate. Burial will be in Darrouzett Cemetery. Arrangements are by Good Samaritan Funeral Service of Booker. He was born Oct. 4, 1936, at Boise City to Walter and Velma House Potter and died Friday, Jan. 11, 2002, at Intergris Bass Baptist Health Center. After graduation from Boise City High School in 1954, he worked at various places, including a seismograph company near the Great Lakes. On Dec. 4, 1961, he married Barbara Ragan at Clayton, N.M. They lived in Boise City until 1962 when they moved to Darrouzett. He worked at Ragan Locker of a time, then for Darrouzett Co-op, delivering propane. In 1989, he began working in the oil industry as a pumper, transferring to Hennessey in 1992. He retired in May of 1999. He was a member of United Methodist Church of Darrouzett, Darrouzett American Legion, Kiowa Post No. 635 and Darrouzett Masonic Lodge No. 1156. Surviving are his wife, Barbara of the home; one son, Mark of Sulphur Springs, Texas; two daughters, Lori Freeman of Woodward and Shelley Carver of Lubbock, Texas; one brother, Lyman of Boise City; one half brother, Otto of Winslow, Ark.; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandson. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother. Memorials may be made to Darrouzett American Legion, Kiowa Post No. 635 or Darrouzett Masonic Lodge No. 1156. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIRGIL R. HANKINS SR. Canton -- A memorial service for Virgil Ray Hankins Sr., 74, will be 4 p.m. Tuesday in Haigler Funeral Home. Burial will be 4 p.m. Wednesday in the family plot in Johnson Cemetery, near Bradleyville, MO. He was born Dec. 1, 1927, in Protem, MO., to Stephen Ray and Rutha Mildred Ford Hankins and died Friday, Jan. 11, 2002, at his home in Longdale. He attended White School through the 8th grade, then worked in a mill, did roofing and logging. He married Bobbie Lee Walker on Aug. 1, 1967, at Newkirk. They lived in Hardtner, Kan., Alva, and Geneseo, Kan. He retired in 1989 and lived in the Fairview community before moving to Longdale. Surviving are five sons, Virgil Jr. of Lahoma, Bryon of Newalla, David Lawson of Springfield, MO., Dennis Frye of Boise, Idaho, and John of Santa Cruz, Calif.; one daughter, Verdena Hankins of Los Angeles; one sister, Vesta Littleton of Springfield, MO.; and numerous grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife in 1975, one daughter and seven brothers and sisters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MELVIN E. FEE Watonga -- A graveside service for Melvin Edward Fee, 89, will be 2 p.m. Wednesday in Watonga IOOF Cemetery. The Rev. Mark Myers will officiate. Arrangements are by Wilkinson Mortuary. He was born July 20, 1912, at Watonga to William and Florence Fee and died Saturday, Jan. 12, 2002. He was a resident of Watonga, where he was a trucker, custom cutter and a carpenter. He attended Cedar Valley and Watonga schools. On Feb. 2, 1935, he married Arla Lorene Crawford at Arnett. Surviving are one son, Ed of Bartlesville; one daughter, Clella Lookabaugh of Watonga; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, one brother, two half brothers, and one half sister. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEWIS D. BUCK Woodward -- The funeral of Lewis Doral Buck, 89, will be 2 p.m. Tuesday in First Christian Church. Dr. Kipp Wolfe will officiate. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery. Arrangements are by Billings Funeral Home. He was born Oct. 5, 1912, north of Woodward to Frank and Elizabeth Curtis Buck and died Sunday, Jan. 13, 2002, in Woodward Regional Hospital. He attended Cottonwood School. On May 13, 1935, he married Opal White in Woodward where they made their home. He owned and operated Lewis Buck Body Shop for many years before retiring. He was a member of the First Christian Church and served as deacon. Surviving are his wife, Opal of the home; one daughter, Jane Dwinelle of Woodward; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by seven brothers and one sister. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RUBY V. EASTERLY Funeral services for Ruby V. Easterly will be 3:00 p.m. today, January 14, 2002, in the Henninger-Allen Chapel in Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of the Henninger-Allen Funeral Home. (Paid Obit 1-14-2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THELMA WOODRING A graveside service for Thelma Woodring will be 1 p.m. today in Waukomis Cemetery. Arrangements are by Henninger-Allen Funeral Home, (Paid Obit 1-13-2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FAYE OPAL WAHL Fairview -- The funeral for Faye Opal Wahl, 88, will be 1:30 p.m. today at First Assembly of God Church. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery. Arrangements are by Fairview Funeral Home, Inc. Visitation will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. today at the funeral home. (Paid Obit 1-13-2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DUANE A. BOWSER A memorial service for Duane A. Bowser will be 2 p.m. today in Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home Chapel. The casket will be open until noon today at the funeral home. At his his request, the body will be cremated. (Paid Obit 1-14-1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E.M. BURK The memorial service for E.M. Burk, 92-year-old Enid resident, will be at 10 a.m. today in St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. The Rev. Jerry Rankin, Rector, will officiate. A private committal will follow in the Memorial Garden of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. Arrangements are under the direction of Henninger- Allen Funeral Home. Burk was born March 21, 1909, to Alpha and Alice Hoffman Burk on his Grandfather Hoffman's homestead near Wakita and died Thursday, January 10, 2002, at St. Mary's Regional Medical Center following a brief illness. He graduated from Wakita High School in 1926 and Wichita Business College. He married Lucile Cansler in 1934; she died in 1968. A daughter, Bette Burk Runge, also preceded Burk in death in 1987. Burk worked as an executive for International Harvester Corporation in several cities for 15 years prior to being commissioned in the Army in 1943. He served in the European Theater and was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain in 1946. Following his discharge, he became associated with his father-in-law, Charles P. Cansler in the general insurance business. He purchased Cansler's Agency, which became known as Cansler-Burk Company. He was an active independent insurance agent for over 50 years. He served in all offfices of the Enid Association of Insurance Agents and also served on the board of directors and executive committee of the Oklahoma Association of Insurance Agents, to which he was elected president in 1960. Burk was a communicant of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church where he was baptized and confirmed in 1955. He was a member and chaired the Memorial Committee there for many years. Burk was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Enid for over 50 years with perfect attendance. He helped build and rebuild the Kiwanitrain at Meadowlake Park. He frequently drove the train until a few years ago. He was president of Kiwanis in 1963. A physical fitness enthusiast, Burk won the YMCA Roadrunner Award in 1968 following a run to Hennessey. He jogged the perimeter of Oakwood County Club daily for many years. Also an avid bird hunter and golfer, Burk was a charter member of Oakwood Country Club and the Oakwood Men's Golf Association. A widower himself, the normally shy Burk courageously crossed the hedge one day with a bouquet of fresh flowers he had picked from his yard to present to his recently widowed neighbor. The widow saw him crossing and ran and hid in her room, requiring her daughter to meet Burk at the door to accept the tribute. A few trips later, he left a characteristically Burk note which she treasures to this day. Paraphrasing, he confessed to the widow his intentions were strictly dishonorable - he intended to marry her! On December 7, 1968 Burk married his neighbor and fellow Episcopalian, Barbara Wooten Smith, in St. Matthew's Church amidst a sea of pink poinsettias wrapped in silver paper tied with pink bows. He knew a faint heart never won a fair lady. In 1969, Burk and Barbara purchased Interiors Gallery Gift Shop from Jane Champlin, which they operated for several years before selling to C.M. Miller. They enjoyed the semi-annual buying trips for the shop. They also enjoyed playing golf together. Surviving are his wife of 33 years, Barbara Burk; daughter, Susie Hume Eckles; sons Randy Smith and Tim Smith; 11 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and nephew, Bill Athey. In lieu of flowers memorial donations made be made through Henninger-Allen to St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. (Paid Obit 1-12-3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VERA MAE SMITH Lamont -- The funeral for Vera Mae Smith, 80, will be 10:30 a.m. today in Lamont United Methodist Church. The Rev. Kirt Moelling will officiate. Burial will be in Lamont Cemetery. Arrangements are by Wilson Funeral Home, Pond Creek. She was born Aug. 23, 1921, in Alva to Ralph and Myrtle Brady and died Friday, Jan. 11, 2002, at Integris Bass Baptist Payilion, Enid. She attended Short Springs School and graduated form Alva High School in 1939. She attended Nothwestern Oklahoma State University. On Feb. 19, 1940, she married Carrol Smith in Enid. They lived on a farm southwest of Lamont from 1940 until 1960 where they ran a dairy farm. They later moved into Lamont and operated a coin-operated laundry and a Zenith TV shop until retiring in 1986. She was a member of Banner Club for more than 50 years. Surviving are her husband Carrol; two sons, Bryce & Lavetta Smith of Oklahoma City and Stan & Marlene Smith of Stoutland, MO; two sisters, Maxine Pederson and Mary Ellen Watkins, both of Kiowa, KS; two brothers, Ronald & Barbara Brady, Alva, and Larry and Nelda Brady, Balko; three grandchildren, Brent Smith of Oklahoma City, Ross and Melinda Smith of Stoutland MO. and John & Angie Lasley of Springfield, MO; and three great-grandchildren; Shannon Smith & Shelby Smith of Stoutland, MO; and Addison Lasley of Springfield, MO. She was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Gayle Jones. Memorials may be made to the Lamont United Methodist Church Memorial Fund. (Paid Obit 1-14-1) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------