Obit of Wettengel, Jack Dean - Grady County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 19 Dec 2010 Return to Grady County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/grady/grady.html ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::Rush Springs Cemetery--Rush Springs OK Jack Dean Wettengel, newspaper publisher and former executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, died Thursday, December 16, 2010, at OU Medical Center Edmond. Jack was born November 7, 1922, in Enid, OK, to Ralph Waldo and Donna (O'Donnell) Wettengel. He grew up in Covington and Rush Springs, OK where he graduated from high school in 1940. He attended the University of Oklahoma, Norman, until he was called for military duty. He graduated from the U.S. Army Field Artillery School on August 5, 1944, and was stationed at Fts. Sill and Knox before going overseas to Japan in the Army of Occupation. Returning to OU, he received his BA in Journalism in 1948. Coming from two generations of newspaper publishers, Jack grew up in the back shop of the Covington, OK newspaper and the "Rush Springs Gazette". After graduation from OU, he became the owner and publisher of "The Clay County Leader" in Henrietta, TX until 1961. Then, he took over as Managing Editor of "The Duncan Banner" for a year until he was asked to serve as the Oklahoma Assistant Secretary of State under Jim Bullard during the Bellmon administration. After his term in office in 1967, Jack worked for the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (REC) until he was recruited for the Oklahoma Historical Society where he headed the Newspaper Archives until he was named the Executive Director. He worked at the Historical Society until his retirement in 1986. Jack married Winona Lee Gossett on October 7, 1944, in Rush Springs. She became his true partner in his life and newspaper endeavors and survives him. He is survived by his sister: LeDelle Wettengel, Surfside, SC. Other survivors include his three children: Lou Dean and Steve Edwin Hawks, Edmond; Margaret Ann Wettengel, Oklahoma City; and Wesley Allen and Sharon Wettengel, Mansfield, TX. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Jennifer Leanne Hawks, Edmond; Emily Rebecca and James William Zuckermandel, Highlands Ranch, CO; Ethan Lee Wettengel, Peoria, IL and Eric Allen Wettengel, San Marcos, TX. Two delightful great-grandchildren also survive: Jakob William and Autumn Elizabeth Zuckermandel. He is preceded in death by his sister: Patricia (Wettengel) Arnold and his daughter, Della Beth, who died at age 5. A lifelong Methodist, Jack was an active Board member and teacher of the Clyde Harrison Class at St. Luke's United Methodist Church since moving to Oklahoma City in 1962. He was an avid golfer. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in Jack's name be made to the St. Luke's Foundation, 222 N.W. 15Th, Oklahoma City, OK 73103. Services will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, December 21, 2010 with burial at the old Rush Springs Cemetery, Rush Springs, OK at 3 p.m. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Grady County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/grady/grady.html