Garvin County Obituaries - Flossie Lee Beckett Submitted by Karen Renfrow karenfrow@msn.com ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Use your browsers back button to return to the previous page She was my grandmother and she did much for Lindsay and Garvin County. Article in Lindsay, Oklahoma newspaper, January, 1988: Well Known Teacher Dies A well known Lindsay teacher, Flossie Lee Beckett, died Wednesday, December 30, 1987, in Oklahoma City. Mrs. Beckett was born April 8, 1910 in Mounds, Oklahoma to Daniel and Mattie Eaton. She moved to Lindsay in 1955, moving here from Wewoka, OK. She was married to Si Beckett and they had two daughters, JoAnne and Peggy and one son, Si Dean Beckett. Mrs. Beckett received her teaching degree from East Central State. She was chosen County Teacher of the Year and State Teacher of the Year in 1961 and was one of nine finalists for National Teacher of the Year. She along with nine finalists traveled to Washington, D.C. in 1962 and met with the President of the United States. Mrs. Beckett was the first teacher to be selected from this area since the basis of the selection was changed form length of service to achievements and contributions to the profession and community. During her teaching career, Mrs. Beckett became well known throughout the southwest for her activities in the field of education. During this time she served in many capacities in the local, district, state and national OEA committees and was on the state OEA-NEA committee at the time of her selection. She was also secretary of the Garvin County Classroom Teachers Association, president of the Lindsay chapter of Kappa Kappa Iota and chairman of the local PTA publicity committee. She also served as president of East Central district Classroom Teachers Association, rural arts department of OEA, Rural Teachers association and reading and third grade departments of OEA. She had also participated in a "Title VII" project in radio and television utilization and her classroom had participated in guidance studies being carried out by the University of Oklahoma. She was an official delegate to South Central regional conference of Classroom Teachers, where she served as consultant to one of the groups. Mrs. Beckett received many other honors during her teaching career, in addition to participating in various civic and community activities. Mrs. Beckett retired from teaching in 1975 and was a member of the First Baptist Church. She is survived by her son and two daughters; seven grandchildren, Max (Joseph Edward Cochran III) and Mickey (Michael J. Cochran) Cochran of Oklahoma City, Karen Renfrow of Edmond, Steve and Mark Beckett of Arlington, TX, and Larry and Gary Phillips of Yorba Linda, CA. (Also 7 great-grandchildren.) Mrs. Beckett was preceded in death by her parents and in 1969 by her husband, Si Beckett. Services were held Saturday, January 2, 1988 at 11 a.m. in the First Baptist Church in Lindsay. Reverand Alvin McConnell, Jr., officiated the services. Interment was held at the Greenhill Cemetery under the direction of B.G. Boydston Funeral Home in Lindsay. Obituary in Lindsay newspaper, December, 1987: Flossie Lee Beckett Flossie Lee Beckett was born April 8, 1910 in Mounds, Oklahoma and passed away Wednesday, December 30, 1987 in Oklahoma City at the age of 77. She had been a resident of Lindsay, OK since 1955 having moved from Wewoka, OK. Mrs. Beckett was a retired school teacher and a member of the First Baptist Church. Survivors include one son, Si Dean Beckett of Arlington, TX; two daughters, JoAnne Phillips of Yorba Linda, CA and Peggy Cochran of Oklahoma City; and seven grandchildren, Max (Joseph Edward Cochran III) and Mickey (Michael J. Cochran) Cochran of Oklahoma City, Karen Renfrow of Edmond, Steve and Mark Beckett of Arlington, TX and Larry and Gary Phillips of Yorba Linda, CA. (Also, seven great-grandchildren.) She was proceeded in death by her parents Daniel and Mattie Eaton and in 1969 by her husband Si Beckett. Services will be held Saturday, January 2, 1988 at 11:00 a.m. in the First Baptist Church in Lindsay. Rev. Alvin McConell, Jr., will officiate the services. Interment will be held in Greenhill Cemetery, under the direction of the B.G. Boydston Funeral Home, Lindsay, OK. Obituary in The Daily Oklahoman January 1, 1988: BECKETT Flossie Lee (Eaton), passed away Dec. 30 at Baptist Hospital. Born April 8, 1910 in Mounds, OK. She was preceded in death by her husband, Si, her parents, Daniel J. and Mattie Cumby Eaton. She is survived by her children, JoAnne Phillips, Yorba Linda, Ca., Peggy Cochran, OKC, Si Dean Beckett, Arlington, Tx.; grandchildren, Larry and Gary Phillips, Yorba Linda, Ca., Max (Joseph E. III) and Michael Cochran, OKC, Karen Renfrow, Edmond, OK, Steve and Mark Beckett, Arlington, Tx., and 6* great grandchildren. She was a retired teacher, teaching in Seminole County and Lindsay during her career. Active in professional organizations related to education, she was a life member of the OEA and NEA. She was Oklahoma Teacher of the Year in 1961, National Teacher of the Year in 1962, State President of the Assn. of Classroom Teachers of OEA in 1972 and State President of Kappa Kappa Iota 1969-70. Services are 11 am Saturday, Jan. 2, First Baptist Church in Lindsay. (*The number of great grandchildren was actually 7. Typographical error in newspaper.) Here are some awards and honors that brought a positive light to Lindsay, OK. Some of her honors brought statewide and national attention to Lindsay: Garvin County, Ok Teacher of the Year 1961 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year 1961 - Presentation by Governor Runner-Up for National Teacher of the Year 1962 - Presentation by President of US National Teacher of the Year 1962 Honor Roll, presented by the US Office of Education, The Council of Chief State School Officers, ant LOOK Magazine in recognition of outstanding achievement as a teacher. Featured in LOOK Magazine 1962 National Education Association of the United States, Washington, DC, Life Membership, 1964 Classroom Teachers National Conference, 1964, 1965 Life Member, Oklahoma Education Association, 1966 Personalities of the South, Honoring America's Leaders, Distinguished, Outstanding, Notable, selected to appear in the 1969 edition "Personalities of the South" in recognition of past achievements, outstanding ability, and service to community and State. Alpha State President, Kappa Kappa Iota, 1969-1970 Life Member, Kappa Kappa Iota, 1970 Award for Distinguished Service in the Education Field, included in volume VIII Dictionary of International Biography, 1970 Two Thousand Women of Achievement for Distinguished Achievement, presented in London, England, in 1970 Alpha Delta Kappa Honorary Sorority, 1971 Community Leaders of America, selected to appear in 1971 edition of Community Leaders of America. Oklahoma Association of Classroom Teachers, Oklahoma Education Association, Professional Leadership and Service to the Teaching Profession award, 1972 Who's Who of American Women, Seventh Edition, 1972-1973 Acknowledged as an Important and Valuable Human Resource of the United States of America, selected for inclusion in the Library of Human Resources of the American Bicentennial Research Institute, 1973 The World Who's Who of Women, presented Cambridge, England, 1973 Assistant State Director of the American Association of Retired Persons, 1982 The National Register of Prominent Americans and International Notables Named by Governor Henry Bellmon, State of Oklahoma, Member, Oklahoma Academy for State Goals, 1966. Governor Dewey F. Bartlett, State of Oklahoma, Designated Flossie Beckett the proud and historic title of OKIE: "This title is conferred with the strong belief that an OKIE is a fortunate, gifted and versatile person and the further belief that it's great to be an OKIE knowing that this entitles the bearer to be an honored citizen from Oklahoma, Key to Intelligence and Enterprise." 1970 Governor David Hall, State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission and Northeastern State College, Oklahoma Aerospace Education award, 1972. Named by Governor George Nigh, State of Oklahoma: · Member, State Burial Board, 1981 · Alternate Member, Governor's Advisory Committee on Aging, 1981 · Member, Governor's Advisory Committee on Aging, 1983