Obit of Stratton, Virgil Safe - Payne County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 29 Jul 2007 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 ===================================================================== ::Santa Rosa Memorial Park--Santa Rosa CA Stratton, Virgil Safe STRATTON, Virgil Safe - Passed to eternal life on Friday, January 19, 2007 in Stillwater, OK, at the age of 95 years, surrounded by his loving daughter Lucy, her husband Harold and two of their children Keith and Ginny. Safe and Sarah Stratton acquired the family farms in the Oklahoma Land Rush in 1889 and were parents of Virgil, born in Hennessey, OK on March 27, 1911. In 1920, the family moved to Clinton, OK where Virgil spent his youth on the family farm before enrolling at Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University). He met his wife, Maxine McBride, and dedicated himself to her and his second love, the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. He graduated with a degree in Agricultural Science in 1933. After marriage in 1934, Virgil worked for Swift & Company in Texas and Oklahoma, before accepting a transfer to California with his wife and three young daughters. In 1947 Virgil was hired by the University of California Berkeley in the Agricultural Extension Service, as the Poultry Advisor for Sonoma County. Virgil discovered, developed and introduced a chemical agent to help eradicate the spread of a poultry parasite that threatened egg production. He also hosted an early morning radio program for area farmers on KSRO. In 1967, Virgil accepted an invitation from the International Collaboration of Farmers to provide a lecture series to poultry producers throughout Japan. Virgil and Maxine later hosted numerous Japanese poultry producers who toured Sonoma County poultry facilities in his territory, which was known at the time as the "Egg Basket of the World." In Santa Rosa, Virgil and Maxine raised their three daughters. He was an active member and served on the Board of Directors for the First United Methodist Church, and was a member and President of the Santa Rosa Exchange Club. After Virgil retired from the University of California, he and Maxine moved back to Stillwater, OK in 1974. Virgil pursued his passions of gardening, playing bridge, supporting and attending most every OSU athletic game, match and event, and working with his beloved fraternity. Virgil was instrumental in recruiting several high school graduates from Santa Rosa High School to OSU and the AGR house. Virgil served as president of the AGR Pi Chapter Alumni Board of Directors, and in 1987, endowed the Virgil and Maxine Stratton Scholarship for Alpha Gamma Rho, through the OSU Foundation, which is awarded annually to benefit AGR undergraduate students. In 2003, Virgil was honored with the Pi Chapter's "Member of the Century" award. Today, the "Virgil Stratton Outstanding Alumni Award" is presented annually in the Pi Chapter, and Virgil is further honored by the "Virgil Stratton Sitting Room" at the AGR House. Virgil was in the Exchange Club of Stillwater, and on separate occasions was honored as the Oklahoma and later Midwest District Exchange Member of the Year. He was a member of the Stillwater Garden Club and the Stillwater Senior Citizen's Center, where he served as President. He was preceded in death by his infant son, Charles; a grandson, Hugh Boyd; his brothers, Jessie Glen and Samuel, and his sister, Nellie Garnett. Virgil is survived by Maxine, his wife for 72 years; a sister, Clara Jeffers, of Oklahoma City, OK; three daughters; Sylvia Cullivan and husband, Tom, of El Dorado Hills; Lucy Wilkes and husband Harold, of Stillwater, OK; Sara Boulware and husband, Claude, of Santa Rosa; eight grandchildren; Rick Boyd and wife, Danice, of Graeagle; Scott Boyd and wife, Nancy, of League City, TX; Hal Wilkes of San Francisco; Keith Wilkes and wife, Angela, of Owasso, OK; Dennis Wilkes and partner, Roberto, of West Hollywood; Ginny Wilkes and partner, Teresa, of Santa Rosa; Claudine Kunkle and husband, Brendan, of Santa Rosa; and Darcy Tsung, and husband, Brian, of San Francisco; seven great-grandchildren; Matthew and Gillian Boyd; Austin Wilkes; Gavin and Grace Kunkle; Campbell and Riley Tsung; special honored friends, Fusao and Yoko Sato of Oklahoma City, OK and, numerous and much loved nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at the First United Methodist Church, 1551 Montgomery Drive on Saturday, February 17 at 1:00 p.m., with inurnment at Santa Rosa Memorial Park. No flowers please. Contributions may be made to the Pi Chapter Alpha Gamma Rho, 224 S. Washington, Stillwater, OK 74074, and/or Judith Carman Hospice Inc., P.O. Box 818, Stillwater, OK. 74075. Published in the Press Democrat on 2/11/2007. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Payne County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/payne/payne.html