Obit of Ringwald, John Arther - Payne County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Billy Ringwald 07 Mar 2010 Return to Payne County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/payne/payne.html ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::Oak Grove Cemetery--Coyle OK John Arther Ringwald John Arther Ringwald, 82, Coyle, died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2003, in Stillwater Medical Center. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Strode Funeral Home Chapel. Pastor Merle Kinser will officiate. Interment will be in Oak Grove Cemetery in Coyle under the direction of Strode Funeral Home. Ringwald was born Feb. 25, 1921, in the Council Valley area east of Cushing to John W. and Eva (Wilson) Ringwald. He grew up and attended school in Kansas. His family was originally from the Perkins area; they later returned to the area and Ringwald graduated from Ripley High School in 1937. He earned an associate=s degree at Murray State College in Tishomingo. He went to work for Triple A in Stillwater when it was located in the Payne County Courthouse, where he met his wife, Wilma Gunkel. They were married April 3, 1943, in Chicago. Ringwald joined the flight cadets and served in World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corps as a navigator and pilot. He flew many missions around South America and Africa. After his discharge, he came back to Stillwater to attend Oklahoma A&M, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in agronomy in 1946. He worked with the Veteran=s Agricultural Training. A few years later, Ringwald and his family purchased a farm on S.H. 33 west of Perkins. He completed his master=s degree from A&M in agronomy in 1958. He farmed and commuted to Murray State College in Tishomingo, where he was head of the agriculture department and taught agriculture until 1963, when he moved to Shawnee and became the congressional aide for U.S. Rep. Tom Steed. He worked for Steed for many years, and when Steed planned retirement, he began working for Farmer=s Home Administration as a rural development specialist. He relocated to Lexington, Ky., and continued working with FHA until his retirement. Ringwald was named a Kentucky Colonel by Gov. Nunn and enjoyed association with the Black Powder Rifle Club and pursued his hobby of black powder marksmanship. He brought home many trophies from numerous shooting meets. The family returned to Stillwater and built a home on his wife=s family home place, the Gunkel farm west of Friends Chapel Church, which they named Ringwald Hill. He remained active in farming and ranching. He was involved in many community affairs and enjoyed the company of his many friends and family. In Kentucky, he received an Outstanding Accomplishment Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Farmer=s Home Administration. He was a member of the Lexington, Ky., Black Powder Gun Club and enjoyed the meets. He was also a member of the American Legion for 60 years at the Hanner-Sharp Post 129, the Masonic Lodge in Guthrie for 50 years and the ATC Group and was a Scottish Rite and an Honorary State FFA Farmer. He was predeceased by his parents, brother Wayne Ringwald and grandson Beabby Ratliff. Survivors include his wife; one son, John Arther Ringwald II and wife Christa of Tulsa; two daughters, Jo Ann Bruni and husband Mike of Edmond and Jan Lee Davis and husband Buddy of Aspen, Colo.; three grandchildren, Lea Ann Ratliff, Kimberly Thomas and Rebecca Ringwald; six great-grandchildren; three brothers, Dale L. Ringwald and wife Marion of Kerrville, Texas, Billy Ray Ringwald and wife Bonnie of Ada and Archie W. Ringwald of Bethany; and three sisters, Wanda Maddux and her husband Bill and Val Sims and her husband Robert, all of Stillwater, and Lucille Terrell and her husband Garland of Marble Falls, Texas. Memorials can be made to Friend=s Chapel, 126 S. Main, Perkins, Okla., 74059. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Payne County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/payne/payne.html