Obit of Duke, James Jefferson - Roger Mills County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Wanda Purcell 20 Aug 2006 Return to Roger Mills County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/rogermills/rogermills.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== ::Llano Cemetery--Amarillo TX Surnames Duke, Forgey, Blanscet, Ricken, Owen, Zeineddine, Haskell Originally posted at: http:\\boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/5YB.2ACE/6769 CORRECTED James Jefferson Duke, 74, Amarillo died Friday, March 17, 2006. Memorial services were held at 3 p.m., Monday, March 20, 2006, at the West Campus of Saint Stephen United Methodist Church, 7800 West 45th, with Reverends Rusty Sieck and Rich Jones officiating. Interment followed at Llano Cemetery Mr. Duke was born March 19, 1931, near Elk City, Oklahoma, to Jame Walker and Opal Forgey Duke. Following graduation from Reydon High School in Reydon, Oklahoma, he was employed by the Santa Fe Railroad. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving from 1950 to 1954. Following his discharge, he worked for the Amarillo Fire Department, then at the Pantex Ordinance Plant while pursuing a Social Studies degree at West Texas State University. He earned a Masters Degree in Education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and enjoyed a teaching and coaching career in Texas panhandle public schools, including Allison, Heedley, Clarendon, and Dalhart. In 1953, James married Madge Blanscet in Wheeler, Texas. They have three children, Kathleen Ann Ricken, John Walker Duke, and Jamie Denise Duke. After his retirement in 1984, James studied and documented family genealogy. He and Madge also spent much of their time traveling in the U.S. and abroad, visiting such places as China and the former Soviet Bloc. James taught Sunday school for a number of years at Lakeview United Methodist Church in Dalhart, and presently is a member of the West Campous of Saint Stephen United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Billy Walker "Ike" Duke, and one sister, Oneta Duke Owen. Survivors include his wife of the home; two daughters, Kathy Ricken and husband Shane of Amarillo, and Jemie Duke of Austin; one son John Duke and partner Bassam Zeineddine of Austin; two grandchildren, Melissa Haskell and husband John of Amarillo, and Josh Rieken of Austin; and two great grandchildren, Caitlin Haskell and Christian Haskell, both of Amarillo. The family suggesr memorials to the National Parkinson Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 11693, Atlanta, G 30368-6931, or www.p[arkinson.org; or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Reaearch, Grand Center Station, P.O. Box 4777, New York, NY 10163-3772, or www.michaelifox.org. The family is grateful to BSA Hospice and the staff of Plum Creek Special Hospital for the loving and compassionate care they have extended to our husband, father, and grandfather. Cheyenne Star, Cheyenne, OK 30-Mar-2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Roger Mills Archives http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/rogermills/rogermills.html