Search Archived Marriage Records
JANET YUKIKO SCHIVERS
Janet Yukiko Schivers, 73, of Wahiawa,
Hawaii, our beloved mother, passed from
this earth into the hands of the lord on
Thursday, February 12, 2004 in Norman,
Oklahoma. Memorial Services will be held
at 2:00 PM Tuesday, February 17, 2004 at
Havenbrook Funeral Home Chapel in
Norman, Oklahoma with Chaplain Susan
Beam officiating. Visitation will be held at
Havenbrook Funeral Home from Friday
through Tuesday morning.
Janet was born March 4, 1930 in Aiea, Hawaii. She married Bryant
Schivers June 2, 1951 while he was stationed with the U.S Army in
Wahiawa, Hi. His tours of duty took her and their children to
Massachusetts, overseas to Japan, Greece, France, Germany, Hawaii
again, and Okinawa. When her husband retired in 1971, they moved
back to Hawaii. Janet moved to Norman in December of 1979 to be
with her children. Janet’s greatest love was her family. She also
enjoyed reading, music, gardening, and her dog Pokey.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and one sister,
Marian Nishinaga. She is survived by two sisters, Gladys Inouye and
family of Wahiawa, Hawaii, Florence Suwa and family of Honolulu,
Hawaii, three daughters, Debbie Sellers and husband Gates of
Norman Oklahoma and their children, John, Daniel, and Nathan, Nori
Pruitt and husband Mike of Granbury, Texas, and their children,
Sean, Michelle Guerin, and Jennifer Pruitt, Sandy Atherton, of
Norman, Oklahoma and her children, Jessie Johnson, Aaron, and
Joey. One son Bryant Schivers, and wife Michele, of Gulfport,
Mississippi and their children, Matt, Josh, and Ashley. Three great
grandchildren, Macee Sellers, Adrienne Russell, and Ashtyn Johnson,
and a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Richard E. “Dick” Smethers
Richard E. “Dick” Smethers, 84,
passed away peacefully at home in Norman
after a long illness on February 12, 2004.
Funeral service will be held at 10:00 A.M.,
Monday, February 16, 2004 at Havenbrook
Funeral Home with Reverend George
Gardner officiating. Interment
will follow
at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Norman,
Oklahoma. Services are under the
direction of Havenbrook Funeral Home of
Norman, Oklahoma.
Dick was born in Ponca City to Jess
and Mrytle Smethers on March 1, 1919. His boyhood in Ponca was
filled with farm work, his brothers and sisters, and wrestling, until his
senior year when the high school re-started a track team. Immediately
he was successful at distance running, taking third place in the 1937
Oklahoma High School Track Championships in the Mile Run. After
a year at Oklahoma Junior College at Tonkawa, he became a walk-on
in Track at the University of Oklahoma.
At Oklahoma Dick lettered in cross country, indoor track, and
outdoor track 1939-1942. In both his junior and senior year, he was
the Big 6 Indoor and Outdoor 2-mile conference champion and set
new conference records. He had additional victories at the Texas,
Kansas, and Drake Relays. His best friend and roommate in college
was Bill Lyda, national 880 yard champion in 1942 (a Marine pilot
killed in WWII). During his years at OU, he was heavily influenced
by two legendary Oklahoma University sports men. John “Jake”
Jacobs, OU’s Track Coach, gave him his humorous way with
nicknames and simple common sense advice to complicated problems
(“We’ll have you run around the top of the football stadium to get in
some altitude training before the Colorado meet”). Jake also liked the
fact that some of the cross country two mile races were run at the
stadium during football half-time. He loved to say 40,000 fans came
to see his boys run. The other important man became his lifetime
friend and mentor, Harold “Grantland” Keith, OU’s Sports
Information Director. Harold guided him in life - from being the first
man Dick met at OU to attending OU sporting events together 60
years later. The rest of his life Dick was a proud Sooner track
letterman.
In 1942 after graduation in Business Administration, he entered the
Navy’s Midshipman Officer Program. He wanted to see the ocean and
joining the Navy solved that problem. But he was disappointed that
in the final Physical Test of multiple events, out of 450 in the class,
he took second to a gymnast from UCLA . His war years were spent
in the Pacific. He served aboard the Destroyer USS Black Douglas,
YMS 328, and in March 1945 was selected to serve as Commanding
Officer of the Minesweeper YMS 286.
After the war he returned to Yukon, Oklahoma and began a career
with Prudential Insurance Company as a Farm and Ranch Loan
Appraiser. He served in the Navy again during the Korean War as
Commanding Officer of a YMS. In 1956 he moved to Wichita,
Kansas with Prudential and continued to make farm and ranch loans
until completion of a 35 year career. He was known as “ the Loan
Man” and was well respected throughout the rural areas of both states
for his knowledge of land, for helping farmers realize their dreams,
and for his integrity. During these years he frequently served in the
Methodist Church as a Lay Speaker or Sunday School Teacher, and
credited Dr Ronald Meredith and Dr George Gardner as being great
influences on his life.
Dick was also a farmer himself from 1967 to 1992 in Belle Plaine,
Kansas. He raised wheat and Santa Gertrudis cattle, as well as an
assortment of small animals and garden vegetables. He loved working
the soil, watching things grow, and being involved in the world of
farmers and farming.
In 1992, he and his wife ‘Skeet’ decided to return to Norman. He
could be seen for years afterward on his daily 4 mile walk, always
timing himself to see if he could go faster.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, the former
Theda B. Halford, in 2002 They are survived by five children -
Sharon, Susan, Tommy, Rick, and Judi, as well as ten grandchildren
and twelve great-grandchildren. He also is survived by two brothers
and a sister.
The family would like to extend it’s appreciation to the hospice
employees of Loving Care for their year of devotion and affection to
Dick.
DEAN C. WADDELL
Dean C. Waddell, age 74, a
Norman businessman and Korean War
veteran, passed away Thursday,
February 19, 2004 at Norman Regional
Hospital. Funeral service will be at 2:00
PM Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at
Havenbrook Funeral Home Chapel.
Interment will be at I.O.O.F Cemetery in
Norman. Services are under the
direction of Havenbrook Funeral Home
of Norman.
Dean was born in Norman, Oklahoma on August 18, 1929 to
Ross R. and Cora (Fore) Waddell. He grew up and attended school
in Norman. He joined the Oklahoma National Guard in June of 1948
and was called to active duty in August of 1950. He served as a
sergeant with the 45th Division, Company C, 120 Engineer during the
Korean War. In 1953, Dean became the owner and operator of TD’s
Radio & Television, a business which has served the Norman vicinity
for over fifty years. Widely respected for his expertise, he maintained
police, fire, ambulance radios, and also, radios for oil companies in
the greater Norman area. Throughout the years his firm sold and
serviced television sets for private homes as well as to area hospitals.
In his shop are plaques honoring his sales and service of Motorola
and other companies communication products. He was devoted to his
business and considered his employees as extended family members.
His hobby was amateur radio and was an advisor to many ham
operators. Dean was a feline lover and never wanted a stray cat to
leave his yard hungry.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Charles
William, and infant sister, Edith.
He is survived by his three sisters, Melba Bishop, Rossine Etchieson
and her husband Marshall, and Mary Jean Malaby and her husband
Bill, all of Norman, a nephew, Bill Bishop Jr., four nieces, Lt. Col.
(Retired) Marcene Etchieson, Brenda Bishop, Dr. Marina Symcox
and Alicia Malaby Feldkamp.
