Obit of Merle A. Strickland (s362) - Roger Mills County, OK Submitted by: Wanda Purcell 31 Aug 2002 ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ========================================================================= Surnames: Strickland, Cardwell, Leitner, Harp, Newman, Curb Originally posted at: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/5YB.2ACE/5009 Merle A. Strickland, a long-time Randall County and Amarillo Lawman, died Tuesday, Mary 7, 1991 in an Amarillo Hospital. He was 65 years of age. Merle was born December 8, 1925 to Merle E. "Dick" and Annie Laura Strickland in Durham, Oklahoma growing up in the Durham Community and graduating from the Durham High School. He was a Veteran of World War II serving in the Army. Following the war he returned to Durham where he operated a small grocery store. In 1942 he and Arleva Ruth Leitner were married. They continue to operate the sore until moving to Amarillo, Texas to make their home. Mr. Strickland began his career at the Amarillo Police Department in July, 1951, when police science was in its infancy, and the poligraph test was first being developed as a investigative tool. When the police department moved to a new quarters in 1956, he helped up a new record system. He resigned in 1957, holding the rank of lieutenant to become security education supervisor at Pantex Ordinance Plant. After a year at Pantex, he joined the Randall County Sheriff's Department. He was the county's polygraph examiner, jailer, record's supervisor and scientific aids laboratory man. Early in his career, Strickland developed an interest in polygraph testing as a crime- fighting tool. He was among the first officers in Texas to become proficient in the new investigative method. After licensed as a polygraph operator, he was the ezaminer for all the Texas Panhandle and parts of Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado, all while he was on the Amarillo Police Force. He earned an advanced and instrurctor's certificate from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, enabling him to teach in any police academy. He was married three years ago to Doris J. Cardwell and was a member of the Church of Christ. He worked with Cecil Burch in helping troubled boys. Preceding him in death was his first wife Arleva in 1987, his father in 1971 and his son Gail in the Vietnam War in 1969. Survivors include his wife Doris of the home; his mother, Annie Strickland of Cheyenne, Oklahoma; 2 daughters, Karen Harp of Knoxville, Tennessee; Doris Newman of Carter, Oklahoma; 1 granddaughter, Annie Newman of Yale, Oklahoma; 1 sister, Carolyn Curb of Clovis, New Mexico; 2 brothers, Bill Strickland of Elk City, Oklahoma, Ron Strickland of Houston, Texas; other relatives and friends. Funeral services were held Thursday in the Memorial Park Chapel of Memories in Amarillo at 10 a.m. with Cecil Burch officiating. Graveside services were held at 3 p.m. in the Prairie Dell Cemetery, Gem City, Hemphill County with the Memorial Park Funeral Home of Amarillo in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers the family requests a donation be made to your favorite youth charity. Cheyenne Star, Cheyenne, OK