Garfield County Obits: August 5, 2001 Obits from the Enid News & Eagle Submitted by: Ann Weber aweber@pldi.net ============================================================================ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ============================================================================== August 5, 2001 Obits from the Enid News & Eagle Georgia R. London London, Georgia R., 79, Canton. Service penind with Haigler Funeral Home. Mildred Pauline Paige Paige, Mildred Pauline, 81, Enid. Service pending with Henninger-Allen Muneral Home. Rubie M. Critchlow The funeral for Rubie M. Critchlow, 91, will be 10:30 a.m. Monday in Bible Baptist Church. Dr. T. A. Chick will officiate. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are by Brown-Cummings Funeral Home. She was born Feb. 13, 1910, in Hunter to J. W. and Bertha May Warner Horton and died Thursday, at St. Mary's Regional Medical Center. She graduated from Hunter High School. On July 21, 1928, she married Carson Critchlow in Stillwater. They moved to Enid in 1941. She worked in the cafeteria at Enid High School for 17 years, 11 years as manager. She was an active member of Bible Baptist Church. Surviving are two sons, Doran of Enid and Earl of Farmington, N.M.; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband on Oct. 31, 1982, three brothers and one sister. Memorials may be made through the funeral home to the church. Elva Haskins Freeport, Fla. - The funeral for Elva Loraine Ryals Haskins, 88, will be 11 a.m. Tuesday in Wilson Funeral Home Chapel, Pond Creek. The Rev. Craig Vandeburgh will officiate. Burial will be in Pond Creek Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the furneral home. A service in Freepoprt was conducted Saturday in the Ark of Damascus Church. She was born Nov. 21, 1912, in Waynoka to Ora and Perry Ryals and died Friday, Aug. 3, 2001 in Freeport at the home of her daughter. She married Darrell Valmore Haskins. He died March 14, 1964. Surviving are four daughters, Wilberta Evelyn Cowger of Medford, Etta Dolores Meritt of Freeport, Shirley Ilene Knowles of Hoodsport, Wash., and Elva Jane Ehardt of Norman; 13 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great grandchildren. Memorials may be made through the funeral home to Hospice of Northwest Florida or the Ark of Damascus Church. Zella Pearl Mitts Alva - A graveside service for Zella Pearl Mitts, 91, will be 10 a.m. Monday in the Riverview Cemetery at Kiowa, Kan. Arrangements are by fisher Funeral Home. Visitation will be 3 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home in Kiowa. She was born Dec. 12, 1909, in Temple Hill, Ark., to William Henry "Harv" Sanders and Mary Elizabeth "Molly" Osborne and died Friday, Aug., 3, 2001, at her home in Alva. She attended school through the eighth-grade at Temple Hill, Ark. On June 17, 1927, she married Lemuel Madison France in Fayetteville, Ark. They were divorced. On July 19, 1934, she married Charles "Slim" Mitts at Winslow, Ark. She was a homemaker. Since 1959 she had lived in Alva. Surviving are one son, Rexford G. France of Argonia, Kan.; four daughters, Dorothy Steinle of Mulvane, Kan., Vista Bowden of Alva, Nyla Scott of Chambers, Neb., and Irma Smith of Aline; two stepsons, Earl and Charles Mitts of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; one sister, Sally Evans of Winslow, Ark; 13 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. She was preced in death by her husband on June 26, 1984, four brothers, three sisters, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Billie Joe Tice The funeral for Billie Joe "Wild Bill" Tice, 66, will be 10 a.m. Tuesday in Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home. The Rev. Kenneth Wade will officiate. Burial will be i Memorial Park Cemetery. He was born Nov. 13, 1934, in Durant to Fred and Florence Walker Tice and died Saturday, Aug. 4, 2001, at Integris Bass Baptist Health Center after a battle with cancer. He attended Enid schools and spent most of his early life in Enid. He joined the Navy on Nov. 9, 1951, and retired in January of 1974 after serving in both the Korea and Vietnam wars. He served on board served on board several aircraft carriers and with several fighter squadrons. He returned to Enid and married Marjorie Pfenninger. He worked for A-1 plumming, then started Bill's Auto Detail in 1988. He went to work for the city of Enid as a plumber for the park department, retiring in December of 1998. He retired from auto racing in 1991 after 40 years of driving. He worked part time for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. He was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Surviving are his wife, Marjorie of the home; three daughters, Tammy Martens of Enid, Leslie Brock of Gladstone, Mo. and Debbie Burk of Springfield, Mo.; four sons, Tim of Oklahoma City, Barry of Olathe, Kan. Mike of Enid, and Butch of Phoenix; one sister, Mary Huddleston of Wichita, Kan.; and 12 grand-children. Memorials may be made through the funeral home to Oklahoma Medical Research, Cancer Division. Albert L. Pearcy Wakita - The funeral for Albert Laverne Pearcy, 84, will be 2 p.m. Monday in the Church of the Nazarene at Medord. The Rev. Bobby Smith will officiate. Burial will be in Hawley Cemetery at Hawley. Arrangements are by Hills-Ely Funeral Home. He was born May 28, 1917, south of Sand Creek to Stacy Logan Pearcy and Annie May Black Pearcy and died Saturday, Aug. 4, 2001, at the Community Health Center, Wakita. He was a 1935 graduate of Gore High School. On April 23, 1939, he married Beryl Marie Ledlow at Monte Visa, Colo. He lived most of life in Grant County, retiring in 1979 after 27 years of employment at Adams Alloy and Rod Manufacturing Plant in Wakita. He served several years as a member of Wakita Town Board and was a Democratic precinct committee member. He also served as a lay minister of Pond Creek Church of the Nazarene. After retirment, they moved to Perkins where they moved to Perkins where they were caretakers of the Free Methodist Church Camp grounds for nearly 10 years. They returned to Grant County in 1988, locating in Medofrd. They moved to the Wakita Community Health Center in 1999. He was a member of the Church of the Nazarene at Medord; and sang at weddings, funerals and various church functions. Surviving are his wife; Beryl of Wakita; two daughers, Shirley Biggs of Medord and Beverly Mack of Enid; one son, Robert of Owasso; three brothers, Cecil of Eakly, Omer of Hackett, Ark., and William of Waukomis; nine grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren. he was preceded in death by four brothers and three sisters. Memorials may be made through the funeral home to Wakita Community Health Center or the Medford Church of the Nazarene. Ann Marie Guffy Cherokee - The funeral for Ann Marie Guffy, 26, will be 2 p.m. Wednesday in Driftwood Christian Church at Driftwood. The Revs. Rod Rieger and David Atzenweiler will officiate. Burial will be in Hawley Cemetery at Hawley. Arrangements are by Fisher Funeral Home. Visitation will be 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. She was born March 13, 1975, in Wichita, Kan., to Jessie Bartell and Sue Derrick and died Thursday, Aug. 2, 2001, at Fort Bliss, Texas. She graducated from Wakita High School in 1993 and from El Paso Community College in May 2000. On March 11, 1994, she married Kent Guffy in Haderslev, Denmark. She was a dental hygienist. She was a member of Driftwood Christian Church, American Dental Hygienist Association, Army Family Readiness Groups and did volunteer dental work for low income families. Surviving are her husband, Kent of Fort Bliss; one daughter, Kathylyn Lois Guffy of Fort Bliss; one brother, Garet Harden of Manchester; two sisters, Shelly Sade of Wichita, Kan., and Josie Harden of Manchester; and her mother and stepfather, Mark and Sue Harden of Manchester. She was preceded in death by her father and her grandparents. Memorial may be made through the funeral home to Kathlyn Lois Guffy Scholarship Fund. Deeann Moore Woodward - The funeral for DeeAnn Moore, 54, will be 10 a.m. Monday in Faith United Methodist Church. The Rev. Larry Masoner will officiate. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery. Arrangements are by Billings Funeral Home. She was born May 8, 1947, in Beaver to Roscoe and Ruby Howard Crawford and died Friday, Aug., 3, 2001, at her home in Woodward. She graduated from Gruver (Texas) High School in 1965 and attended West Texas State Univeristy. She married Dean Moore on March 17, 1967 at Hardesty. They lived in Guymon, moving to Buffalo in 1969. She worked at the Harper County Journal. In 1971, the family moved to Woodward. She worked for Sears and Waldrop Engine Service. In the early 1990's, she went to work for Mutual of Omaha in the Customer Service department. She retired in 1999. She was a member of Faith United Methodist Church. Surviving are her husband, Dean of the home; one daughter, April Ragan of Woodard; her mother, Ruby Lee Crawford of Guymon; two sisters, Beverly Klingaman of Chandler, Ariz., and Sherry Branecky of Del Norte, Colo; two brothers, Dereld Crawford of Balko and Skeeter Crawford of Guymon; and two grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father and one granddaughter. Memorials may be made through the funeral home to the church's building fund or the women's Group. Ralph H. White Woodward - Prayer vigil for Ralph Homer White, 84, will be 7 p.m. Monday in St. Peter's Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at the church. The Revs. James D. Knight and Y. C. Irudayaraj will preside. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery. Arrangements are by Good Samaritan Funeral Service. He was born May 21, 1917, in Woodward Hospital and Health Care Center. He attended school in the Woodward area. On Feb. 15, 1935, he married Alvina Anna Rieth of Woodward. She died April 3, 1968. He married Fern Butcher on Oct. 12, 1977. He was a farmer, then a carpenter. He was a member of St. Peter's Catholic Church, serving as head usher for many years. He was a member and past president of Oklahoma Numismatic Association-Woodward Chapter. The past three years, he lived at Grace Living Center and served as president for the resident's council for two of those years. Surviving are his five children, Sister Martina "Luella' White of the Sister of St. Joseph, Wichita, Kan., Phyllis Koehler of Fort Worth, Texas. Brenda Johnson of Woodward, Richard White of Woodward and Theresa Blowers of Waterville, Minn.; nine grandchildren; and four great-grand children. Robert E. Barney Caton - The funeral for Robert E. Barney will be 2:30 p.m. today at First Christian Church. Burial will be in the Canton cemetery. Arrangements are by Haigler Funeral Home. Jonathan Gregory Anderson Graveside services for Jonathan Gregory Anderson will be held today at 10 a.m. at the Old Town Tuskahoma Cemetery in Tuskahoma, OK. Arrangements are by Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home. Gabrielle Aloysia McConnel Yenzer Gabrielle Aloysia McConnel Yenzer was born on January 5, 1909, near Meeker, Oklahoma, to 89er pioneer John W. McConnel and Dorothy McDowell McConnel. She died July 30, 2001. She graduated from Crescent High School in 1927 and started attending Phillips University in 1928. During her college days she was baptized at University Place Chrristian Church on July 25, 1928. She received her B. S. in Math and Science from Oklahoma A&M (OSU) in 1932 and returned to Enid in 1936 to teach at Phillips University. During spring break in 1939, Gabrielle left as Miss McConnel and returned as Mrs. Yenzer, much to the surprise of her students. She had married Lester Yenzer, owner of Yenzer Brothers Funeral Store and Funeral Home, in Crescent, on April 5th in Sulphur, Oklahoma, and had taken a short honeymoon trip to Galveston, Texas. For her wedding she chose a navy blue dress with matching jacket, trimmed with a red fox collar. Gabrielle will be buried in her wedding attire. She was a unique lady who lived her dreams. One dream, after her husband died, was to move every two years. Her adventures included living in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and being in the "Passion Play", then on to Stillwater, where she lived being "Mom Yenzer" for two years at the Farmhouse Fraternity at OSU. Next she took off for New Zealand and Austrailia. But every few years she returned to Enid and Phillips. During these years, she volunteered many at Bass Baptist and St. Mary's Hospitals. In her 70s she was still taking courses at Phillips to add to her over 300 hours of college credit. At 80 she was back in Enid tutoring sixth grade students at Lincoln Grade School and going in the mornings to the Enid Public Library to teach algebra and geometry to young Air Force wives working on their GED's. She is survived by two children; Kveta, who lives with her husband, Royal Smith, in Altus, and Dwight, who lives in Tulsa wife his wife Sharon. Her services will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Crescent, Oklahoma, at 10:30 a.m. Monday, August 6, 2001. Interment will be in the Crescent Cemetery, under the direction of Community Funeral Home in Guthrie.