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Geneva Higdon Byrd
Tecumseh resident Geneva Higdon Byrd died Tuesday at the age of 72.
Services will be 1 p.m. today at Cooper Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Glen Pence officiating. Burial will be in New Bethel Cemetery, near Byng.
She was born April 8, 1929, in Oakman, Okla., the daughter of Clarence Harlton and Barbara (Turner) Higdon.
She attended Byng schools.
In December 1969 she married Ron Byrd in Ada.
Byrd had lived in Tecumseh since 1971. She was a licensed practical nurse, working at Mission Hill Memorial Hospital for years. She attended Full Gospel Church and the Wunagisa Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Byrd was active in genealogy, having written two books about her family. She also was a founding member of Park Street Band, where she was a vocalist and mandolin player.
Preceding her in death were her parents; one son, Johnny Davis; and one granddaughter, Misty Lee Purdy.
Survivors include her husband of the home; sons and daughter-in-law, Gene and Laura Davis of Clarkstown, Wash., and Tony Miller of Amarillo, Texas; daughter and son-in-law, Chris and Gerald Purdy of Fritch, Texas; grandchildren, Rena McCully, Rebecca Hardin, Paula Garton, David Purdy, Rhonda Harrison, Linnie Davis, Brian Davis and Kristy and Christopher Caudle; 17 great-grandchildren; and one sister, Juanita McCoin of Ada.
Cooper Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Sylvia Pearl Walls
Sylvia Pearl Walls died Wednesday in Stroud at the age of 94.
She was born in Alton, Mo., Feb. 24, 1907, the daughter of Aaron and Sarah Ellen (Barton) Cagle.
She had lived in Stroud most of her life.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church and Rebekah Lodge, both in Stroud.
Walls worked as a nurse for many years and had operated a grocery store.
After her retirement, she worked as a hostess at Howard Johnson's and Wright's Restaurant in Stroud.
On Dec. 1, 1926, she married Lester C. Walls in Bristow.
Preceding her in death were her husband; parents; one brother; four sisters; one grandson, Eddie; and one daughter, Wanda.
Survivors include her sister, Velma Peer of Tulsa, and one grandson, Jeffrey Lynn Taylor of Norman. She also is survived by several nieces and nephews.
Services will be 10 a.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church in Stroud. The Rev. Jim Bierd will officiate. Burial will be in Stroud Cemetery.
Parks Brothers Funeral Services of Stroud is in charge of arrangements.
Gary Edward Clayton
Erick, Okla., resident Gary Edward "Ed" Clayton died Tuesday at Oklahoma University Hospital. He was 58.
The son of Jack Clayton and Mary Ruth Parker was born in El Reno on June 23, 1942. He worked as a barber, having operated his own business in north Oklahoma City. He was a member of Northwest Baptist Church.
His parents and one grandson preceded him in death.
Survivors include his longtime friend, Trisha Bryant of Erick; stepfather, Jack Parker of Mountain View; sisters and brother-in-law, Bill and Geanette Head of Canyon, Texas, and Sandy Wein of Oklahoma City; brother and sister-in-law, Jackie and Trisha Parker of Oklahoma City; daughter and son-in-law, Kim and Allan Giddens of Shawnee; sons, Tim Clayton and Kevin Clayton, both of Shawnee; and grandchildren, Trevor Smith, Tara Smith, Eric Giddens, Matthew Clayton and Whitney Clayton.
Memorials may be made to the American Red Cross or Act of Kindness Each Day.
Graveside services
will be held at noon Saturday at Hinton Cemetery. Jack Parker will officiate. Arrangements are under the direction of Demuth Funeral Home, Oklahoma City.
Kay (Hudson) Rains
Kay (Hudson) Rains, 48, died Tuesday.
She was born in Seminole on March 25, 1953, the daughter of Alfred and Grace Hudson.
On July 18, 1981, she married Larry Rains in Midwest City.
Rains was a homemaker who had spent the last 15 years in Newalla. She had been raised in Konawa.
Preceding her in death were her father; mother; stepmother, Audrey Ralston Hudson; and mother-in-law, Hazel Christine Johnson.
Survivors include her husband of the home; son, Michael Chad Floyd of Oklahoma City; daughters and sons-in-law, Cher Rene´ and Mike Brown and Dora Lorene and Gavin Miller, all of Thomas; brothers and sisters-in-law, Denver L. Jr. and Beverly Foran, and Kenney Dewayne and Staci Foran, all of Oklahoma City; sisters and brother-in-law, Sue and Charles Ray of Ada, June Chapman of Moore and Michelle Foran of Midwest City; one grandchild; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Assembly of God Church. The Rev. Mitch Williams will officiate. Burial will follow at Dora Cemetery.
Pickard Funeral Home of Konawa is in charge of arrangements.
Adolph Mikish
Eighty-nine-year-old Adolph Mikish of Shawnee died Wednesday at a local nursing home.
Services will be 2 p.m. Monday at Resthaven Funeral Home with burial at Resthaven Memorial Park.
Further arrangements will be announced by Resthaven Funeral Home.
Betty Jo (Keel) Garner
Betty Jo (Keel) Garner of Eufaula died Tuesday in Wilburton. She was 64.
Garner was born Feb. 15, 1937, in Culver City, Calif., to Roy and Sophia McEntire Keel.
She graduated from Meeker High School.
She worked at Tinker Air Force Base and was an employee of Braum's before her retirement.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Gerry and Barbara Garner, Eufaula; daughter and son-in-law, Diane and Sam Thomas, Eufaula; brother and sister-in-law, Howard and Joan Keel, Meeker; sisters and brothers-in-law, Joyce and Jack Smith, Meeker, and Georgia and George Crum, Choctaw; and eight grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at New Hope Cemetery, Meeker, under the direction of Gregg Funeral Home, Eufaula, with the Rev. Ed Cagle officiating.
Obie Beene
Seminole resident Obie Beene died Thursday at Sunset Estates of Maud at the age of 85.
He was born Sept. 18, 1915, to Obidiah Beene and Cora Ann (Clary) Beene in Ray City, Okla.
He married Ruby Edna Dobbs Feb. 24, 1939, in Fort Smith, Ark. She preceded him in death in 1986.
Beene was a welder and a U.S. Army World War II veteran. He also was a member of Trinity Baptist Church and the Local 798 Pipefitters Union of Tulsa.
He also was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include one daughter, Jaquita Beene of Seminole; a sister, Hazel Thrailkill; and one grandson, Antonio Beene.
Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Swearingen Funeral Home with the Rev. Steve Cline officiating. Burial will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery.
Julia (Wilson) Scraper
Julia (Wilson) Scraper, 58, of Shawnee died Thursday. Services will be 2 p.m. today at the Nagawee Methodist Church, north of Shawnee.
Burial will be at Jamison Cemetery, McLoud, under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home, Tecumseh.
Harlie A. Sample
Newalla resident Harlie A. Sample died Friday at his home. He was 77.
Sample was born Dec. 6, 1921, in Haskew, Okla., to Charlie Gilbert and Mabel (Mix) Sample. He married Loraetta on March 4, 1950, in Texas.
He was an aircraft electrician at Tinker Air Force Base and has served in the military during World War II.
Survivors include his children, Harrietta Williams, Newalla; Cherry Henson, Choctaw; Krystin Prescott, Lincoln, Neb.; Gail Sample, Midwest City; Harlie Sample Jr., Oklahoma City; Jay Sample, Choctaw; sisters, Mary Meade, Laverne; Lela Brown, California; 15 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, on Feb. 26, 1999.
Graveside services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Pilgrims Rest Cemetery, Newalla, under the direction of Asa Smith Funeral Service, Harrah.
Ray Hart
Lifelong Prague resident Ray Hart, 81, died Friday in Prague.
Hart was born Feb. 28, 1918, in the Belmont Community in Lincoln County to Jay S. and Izetta (Bennings) Hart. He married Georgia Adelee Williams on Dec. 23, 1937, in Stroud.
He was a heavy equipment operator for Lincoln County and the city of Prague. He retired from the city of Inglewood, Calif., and was a member of the View of The Cross Freewill Baptist Church in Prague.
Survivors include his wife, Georgia Hart, of the home; daughters and sons-in-law, Mary and Teddy Allen, Kingsburg, Calif.; JoNell and Ron McClellan, Manhattan Beach, Calif.; daughters, Betty Wood, Shawnee; Linda J. Adams, McAlester; sister, Doris Hendrickson, Moreno Valley, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, and one daughter, Donna Rae Bryant.
Services will be 10 a.m. Monday at the Parks Brothers Funeral Home Chapel in Prague with the Rev. Bob Duncan officiating. Burial will be in the Prague Cemetery under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Home in Prague.
Helen May Wingard
Shawnee resident Helen May (Bingham) Wingard died Thursday at an Oklahoma City hospital. She was 82.
Mrs. Wingard was born Jan. 1, 1917, in Caney, Kan., to the late Howard William and Pearl Ann (Garr) Bingham. She married Wilbur Wendell Wingard on Oct. 31, 1935, in Independence, Kan.
She graduated from Caney High School in 1935 and was employed by the general services department of Phillips Petroleum Company from 1959 to 1969.
She had lived in Ohio, Indiana, California, Texas and Pryor, Okla. before moving to Shawnee.
She was a member of the First Christian Church of Bartlesville.
Survivors include three sons, Sherman Alan Wingard, Bartlesville; Donald Eli Wingard, Prescott, Ariz.; John David Wingard, Pryor; five daughters and sons-in-law, Catharine Julianne and Bill Strickland, Shawnee; Susan and James L. Hickman, La Porte, Ind.; Mary Beth and L. V. "Jack" Harris, Plano, Texas; Debra Kay and David Gurley, Wewoka; Judith Gae and Gary Don Thompson, Garden Grove, Calif.; 22 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild; two brothers, Charles Bingham, Springfield, Mo.; and Martin Bingham, Jasper, Ark.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, on May 15, 1982; and one sister, Ruth Hoppes.
Services will be 10 a.m. Monday at First Christian Church of Bartlesville with the Rev. Gary L. Hagan officiating. Burial will be in Sunnyside Cemetery, Caney, Kan., under the direction of The Arnold Moore Funeral Service, Bartlesville.
