Obit of Dunham, Jo Bennett - Texas County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 16 Apr 2006 Return to Texas County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/texas/texas.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== ::Cremated Dunham, Jo Bennett JO BENNETT DUNHAM, 69 of Eufaula, Oklahoma died peacefully at her son Michael's home in Oklahoma City on June 12, 2004 ending her courageous livelong battle with Crone's disease. Jo was born November 23, 1934 in Barnsdall, Oklahoma to Roy O. Bennett and Thelma Owens Bennett. She attended school in Barnsdall where she showed early skills in drawing and painting. Jo and her sisters, known in the community as the three musketeers, were taught to appreciate life and spent many hours exploring the woods and swimming in Bird Creek. Their father Roy had a distinctive whistle that he used to call them home that Jo heard on her last day; her father calling her home to join him in heaven. Jo went on to earn a Masters Degree in Education with a minor in Art from Northeastern State University where she met and later married J.T. Dunham, her husband of 49 years. Painting and educating students on art and the arts were two of Jo's passions. She taught at Straight School, Guymon Public Schools and finally at Panhandle State University leaving a legacy of enriched lives of many students. She designed the College Seal used by Panhandle State University. Jo was a founding member of Artists' Studio Northwest, Entre Nous and Beta Sigma Phi social sororities and was named Woman of the Year by Beta Sigma Phi. She received the Oklahoma Governor's Arts Award from Governor Henry Bellmon in 1990. Jo was an accomplished artist and her paintings live on in many homes throughout Oklahoma and the nation. She drew and painted in many different media and many different styles and was comfortable and proficient in them all. She attended and conducted numerous workshops through the years, collected a significant art library and in later years after retiring from the University, painted family portraits, most often using watercolor media. Her favorite subject during these years was her precious grandson Drew Dunham. Though slight in stature, she had a giant heart and a giant wit and sense of humor and was the wind under many people's wings, particularly her husband J.T. Jo was always an 'independent woman' way before that was anything that many women wanted to be. She never intentionally said anything to hurt anyone's feelings, but she was outspoken and opinionated and usually 'right-on'. If you didn't like her or what she had to say, that was okay...just don't participate. She was 'one of a kind'. Never a complaint when she lived daily with health conditions the rest of us could never have endured. She was too busy living, doing and being; no time for pity for wondering 'why me?' Jo is survived by her husband J.T. Dunham of Eufaula, Oklahoma and her son Michael Dunham of Oklahoma City along with Michael's wife Susan and their son Drew. She is also survived by her Mother, Thelma Owens Bennett of Barnsdall, Oklahoma, and two sisters, Pat Kuzilik, her husband Jim and their four children Roy Alan, Claudia, Sonia and Jimmy and Mavis Elks, her husband Ray, and Mavis' children Bruce, Carolyn and Keith as well as by many cousins and great nieces and nephews. Her cousin Barbara Pearman, of Oklahoma City, Barbara's husband Bill and her children Cathy, Rink, Steve and Chris, also survive Jo. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on June 15th, 2004 at the Chapel of St. Mary's at All Souls Episcopal Church located at 6400 N. Pennsylvania Avenue in Oklahoma City. In Lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the donor's preferred charity or to The Panhandle State University Art Scholarship Fund, Panhandle State University, P.O. Box 430, Goodwell, OK 73939 or the #9 Community Center Supporters, Eufaula, Oklahoma 74432. CREMATION SOCIETY 1145 W. Britton Rd. 843-3345 Published in the Oklahoman on 6/14/2004. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Texas County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/texas/texas.html