Rogers Co. Obit for: Omer Franklin Warden ************************************************************************ http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/rogers/rogers.htm Rogers County Archivist: Bill Cook, billcook44@aol.com Submitted to the Rogers County Oklahoma Archives Date: 3/23/2003 by: Bill Cook, billcook44@aol.com ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************************ Omer Franklin Warden 3/13/2003 Funeral service for Omer Franklin Warden will be 11 a.m., Friday, March 14, 2003 at the First Baptist Church in Inola. Dr. Mike Butler will officiate. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery, Inola under the direction of the Inola Funeral Home. Visitation will be until 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Mr. Warden died Tuesday, March 11 at Southcrest Hospital in Tulsa. He was 89. The son of Harry Calhoun and Era Lee Richey Warden was born in Glen, Okla., on June 28, 1913. He was one of seven children. Due to his fathers occupation in highway construction, it was necessary for the family to move from town to town several times. He attended several high schools before graduating from Inola High School in 1934. While attending school in Wagoner, he was an outstanding football player, having had the chance to play college ball, but chose to stay and help support his family. Omer worked all through school, doing whatever job he could. He drove a gasoline truck for Guy L. Davis and worked at the creamery to name just a few. During World War II, he moved his family to California where he worked in the shipyards. Most of his life he worked in highway construction for the Layman Brothers and MC Michael Construction Companies. Omer could tell you in which year bridges were built and how much material was used to construct each highway. He went to work early in the morning, leaving at 5, and would not arrive home until after 6 each evening. He was responsible for the asphalt being hot and ready when the drivers arrived each day. Supper was never served until he got home. He then went to work for the State of Oklahoma as an Inspector. His last project before retiring was the four-laning of Highway 33 (later named Highway 412) from I-44 to Inola. Omer and Lahoma were married on Dec. 18, 1935. They raised their family on a farm south of Inola until moving to the Sequoyah area for 28 years. In 1993, they returned to their present home in Inola, where he really enjoyed his retirement. Omer watched all kinds of sports on TV, especially football, and he was an avid OU fan. He also enjoyed working in the yard. He loved to work with his flowers and the weedless beauty of his flower beds showed it. When his health slowed him down, he still took pride in getting on his scooter and digging in the dirt. Truly a gentle giant, he was a quiet, strong appreciative man, but when he spoke, we listened. His humor showed by his nicknaming each of his kids, grandkids, great-grandkids and friends. He was a big tease and loved to tease the kids to see their response. He never required the extras, only the necessities to get by. He was always willing to do without if he thought someone needed something. Omer is survived by his sons, Harry Warden and wife, Sharon of Claremore, and Steve Warden of Tulsa; daughters, Margaret Ford and husband, Elvin of Clovis, N.M., Oma Wilson and husband, Jerry of Inola, Betty Hazelwood and husband, Herb of Claremore, Rhonda Gulisao and husband, Joe of Claremore; brothers, Kelly Warden of Tucson, Ariz. and Sam Warden of Jay, Okla.; sisters, Colleen Strickland of Tulsa and Barbara Scott of Sallisaw; 15 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lahoma; his parents; son, Jerry Lynn; daughter, Virginia Lee; granddaughter, Shirley Ford; and brothers, Jim and Leo Warden. Memorial contributions may be made to the Inola Fire Department at Inola Fire Dept., A Street Northeast, Inola, OK, 74036. ************************************************************************* Transcribed from the Claremore Progess Newspaper, we sincerely thank them for allowing us to post these obits on the Rogers Co., OK USGenwebpages http://www.claremoreprogress.com/ copyright c 2002-2003, by webmaster Rogers Co. Archives Bill Cook billcook44@aol.com *************************************************************************