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Joe Faircloth
Former Shawnee minister Joe Faircloth of Pryor died Friday in Pryor. He was 78.
He was born Nov. 20, 1921, in Corinth, Miss. He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the U.S. Air Force. He was a sergeant when he was discharged in 1945.
He married Nell Crittenden on April 7, 1945, in Vincennes, Ind.
In 1946 they moved to Pryor and he went to work for Meadow Gold Dairy, where he worked from 1946 to 1964. He worked in many different capacities, ending his career with the dairy as wholesale supervisor for northeast Oklahoma, including Pryor, Vinita and Claremore.
He also had worked for Gabels Ranch House Sausage as route supervisor and was distributor for Foremost Dairy Products for Mayes and Delaware counties. In 1964, at the age of 43, he was elected sheriff of Mayes County.
He was elected to a second term in 1966. He became minister at Southside Church of God in 1966.
He pastored three churches, Southside Church of God, First Church of God in Shawnee and Red Fork Church of God in Tulsa. In 1985, he retired from full-time ministry.
He served as director/caretaker of Seminole Youth Camp for four years, while he served as interim pastor at Seminole, Holdenville, Midwest City, Pauls Valley, Shawnee, Moore, Bristow, Cushing, Texas Banner and Little Mission Church in Seminole and as supply preacher, where needed.
In many central Oklahoma communities he also served two terms as task force representative for Church of God World Services.
He served one year as a Select Senior, which is a group of retired pastors recommended by the National Office to council many situations. He was chairman of Oklahoma Ministerial Association for one year, served one year as president of Oklahoma General Assembly of Church of God, two years as secretary of General Council for Church of God, four years on Property Board for Oklahoma Church of God, 11 years on Church Service Board for Oklahoma Church of God, was an officer in Shawnee and Red Fork Ministerial Fellowship, and served one year as president with Wewoka Christian Men's Fellowship.
He preached his last sermon at the Congregational Methodist Church in Seminole in 1999.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe Walker and Beatrice (Loyd) Faircloth; sister, Mary Sue Faircloth; and granddaughter, Anne Patton.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Nell of the home; daughters and sons-in-law, Judy Patton of Oakland, Calif.; Mary and Jerry Lawson of Pryor and Nancy and Chris Camilleri of Concord, Calif.; son and daughter-in-law, Joe and Patricia Faircloth of Pryor; grandchildren, John, Jason, Becky, Tim, Libby, Catherine, Caleb, Amanda, Joe Michael and Stephen; great-grandsons, Michael and Cody; a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.
Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at the First Church of God, Pryor with the Rev. David C. Williams and the Rev. Markus Tincher officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Pryor, under the direction of Stephens Memorial Chapel in Pryor.
Alvena Louise Stein
Alvena Louise Stein died Saturday. She was 80.
She was born Sept. 25, 1919, in Wellston. She was the daughter of Henry C. and Lizzie (Geisler) Krieg.
She married George Stein in Wellston on Feb. 27, 1936. She worked as a cook for Central State University for many years and was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Wellston.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband George and one brother.
Survivors include four daughters and sons-in-law, Pauline and Eldon Whitnah of Wellston; Rosena Scott of Okemah; Kathrine and Bill Green of Wellston; Christina and John Polach of McLoud; three brothers, Edwin Krieg of Wellston; Elmer Krieg of Wellston; Everette Krieg of Wellston; 13 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and other relatives and friends.
Services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at the St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Wellston with the Rev. Chad Bird officiating. Burial will follow at the Lutheran Cemetery under the direction of the Parks Brothers Funeral Home of Chandler.
Myrle Elaine Hale
Myrle Elaine Hale died Saturday in a local hospital. She was 95.
She was born on Dec. 28, 1904, to Greg C. Duncan and Ada (Yates) Duncan. She attended Comanche schools and later attended beauty college. She was a homemaker and married John A. Hale in 1933. She lived in Shawnee for about 63 years.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, son John Duncan Hale and brother Jack C. Duncan.
Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law, Harriet and Leroy Michener of Shawnee, grandchildren Judith Michener of Shawnee, Gregg C. and Glenda Michener of Garland, Texas, Deborah Moore, Pamela Stephenson and Johnny Lynn Hale, three step-grandchildren Sharon Fruit, Karen Garoutte and Bart Thompson, 15 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.
She is also survived by one sister, Maxine VanBebber of Brawley, Calif., and one brother, Glenn C. Duncan of Comanche.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Resthaven Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Leroy Rice will officiate under the direction of Resthaven Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Resthaven Memorial Park.
Virginia Slepka
Virginia Slepka, Okemah, died Sunday at her daughter's home in Broken Arrow. She was 92.
She was born on Jan. 31, 1918, to Alonzo Lee Atchison and Bess Shaver Atchison. She was a 1936 graduate of Okemah High School and a 1938 graduate of Okemah Junior College.
On June 9, 1940, she married William George "Bill" Slepka in Okemah. She worked with her husband in the family theater business. She was a member of the First Christian Church and served as treasurer of the Christian Women's Fellowship. She played bridge and was a charter member of the Triad Club.
She was also a charter member of the Okemah Golf Club Association and held memberships in many service clubs and organizations.
She was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Mary Kate Larned.
Survivors include her husband of the home, two sons and daughters-in-law, Bill and Kaye Slepka Jr. and Bob and Reni Slepka, all of Tulsa, one daughter, Carole Javes of Broken Arrow, grandchildren, Kye Javes of Boulder, Colo., Steve Slepka of Lawton, Joe Slepka of Stillwater, Susan Squires and husband Chris of Norman and Britta Javes of Witchita, Kan., one brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Kathryn Atchison of Witchita, Kan. and one nephew.
Service will be held 2 p.m. today in the First Christian Church of Okemah with the Rev. Will Eads officiating. Burial will be in the Highland Cemetery under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Home of Okemah.
Memorials may be made to St. Francis Hospice, the American Cancer Society or First Christian Church of Okemah.
Nolan Dean Rather
Nolan Dean Rather died Sunday at Deaconess Hospital from leukemia. He was 60.
He was born on Feb. 21, 1940, to Sam Roland and Jessie (Bennett) Rather. He lived in Comanche and attended school there until moving to Cement, where he graduated in 1958.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1964. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service. He married Judy (Ives) Rather Sept. 8, 1979.
He was preceded in death by his father, stepfather Charley Weir, and brothers Bobby Len Rather and Donald Ray Rather.
Survivors include his wife of the home, sons Jerry Dale Rather of Norman, Michael Wayne Ives of Oklahoma City and Samuel Dean Rather of Oklahoma City; his mother of Duncan; brothers, James Roland Rather and Kenneth Wayne Rather, both of Duncan; sisters and brothers-in-law Frances Jean Rather Newton and Gary of Clinton, Linda June Garrison of Duncan and Anita Yvonne and Dennis Clippinger of Lawton.
He is also survived by sister-in-law Gaylene Partain and family of Oklahoma City, brother-in-law Johnney T. Ives of Choctaw, sister-in-law Linda Tegeler Rather of Lewisville, Texas, grandsons Dakota Rather, Noah Tyler Ives and Cody Allen Rather, granddaughter Chelsea Rather and numerous other family members.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Smith and Kernke Chapel, 1401 N.W. 23rd St., Oklahoma City. Pastors Bill Matthews and Phil Thompson will officiate . Burial will be in the Resthaven Memorial Gardens.
Goldie Helen Remington
Goldie Helen Remington died Sunday in Drumright. She was 96.
She was born Dec. 31, 1903, in Stroud. She was the daughter of Jesse and Mertie Murphy.
She was a resident of Stroud all of her life and was a member of the Stroud Christian Church. She was a homemaker.
She married Roy J. Remington in Stroud in 1923.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, three sons, one brother, four sisters and one grandchild.
Survivors include two sisters, Dorotha Hawk of Carbondale, Kan., and Bonnie Colvin of Napa, Calif.; two daughters-in-law, Lorene Remington and Luella Remington, both of Stroud; five grandchildren and their spouses, John and Mary Remington of Broken Arrow; Laleta and Gene Baker of Olive; Joe and Debbie Remington of Prague; Candace and Judd Hobbs of Washington state; Guy Remington of Virginia; 12 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and other relatives and friends.
Services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Stroud Christian Church with Randy Ethridge officiating. Burial will be in the Stroud Cemetery under the direction of Parks Funeral Home in Stroud.
Ben J. Marshall
Ben J. Marshall died in Austin, Texas, at the age of 65.
He was born to Walter and Katie (Szbiak) Marshall on Aug. 3, 1934, in Harrah. He served in the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Germany under the Third Army Tank Corp. In 1996 he retired from the 3M Company, where he worked for 30 years.
Survivors include five brothers, John of Harrah, Father Eugene of Shawnee, George of Texas, Marion of Texas and Carl of Texas, two sisters, Rosalie Marino of Harrah and Helen Schmitt of Texas, 10 nephews, 12 nieces and many other family members and friends.
Wake services were held Wednesday. Mass services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday with burial in St. Teresa's Cemetery. Both services will be held at the St. Teresa's Catholic Church in Harrah, under the direction of Asa Smith Funeral Service.
Ernestine Moore (Watkins) Melot
Ernestine Moore (Watkins) Melot died Tuesday at home in Norman after a battle with cancer. She was 83.
She was born on Sept. 23, 1916, in Bartlesville to Ernest Edmond Moore and Vivian Etoile (Riner) Moore. She graduated from Dickson Consolidated High School in 1935, Murray State School of Agriculture in 1937 and the University of Oklahoma in 1940.
She worked for the U.S. Employment Commission during World War II and retired from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission in 1975. She participated in Friendship International, the Margaret Lindsey Missionary Group and the Elizabeth Class at the First Baptist Church. She taught classes in American cooking.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her identical twin sister Geraldine "Jerry" Moore and her brothers Malcolm, Herschell and Wilfred Dion "Buddy" Moore.
Survivors include her son Mark Watkins, daughter Lynn Watkins Snop, her grandson Gabriel Marcel Snop of Norman, and many nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the Havenbrook Funeral Home Chapel in Norman. Dr. Lavonn Brown will officiate. Burial will follow in the Wanette Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Mission Hospice of Oklahoma City, 7301 Broadway Ext., Oklahoma City, OK 73116.
