Published: April 25, 2007 10:20 am            

Obituaries, April 25

Randy Sarratt

Randy Sarratt, 51, passed away April 17, 2007. Funeral services were 10 a.m. April 21 at Bill Eisenhour Southeast Chapel. Burial was at Sunny Lane Cemetery. Services were under Bill Eisenhour Southeast. He was born to Danny Sarratt and Martha (Tecumseh) Cosby July 2, 1955, in Tulsa. He was a member of Hilltop Baptist Church. He served in the Marines from 1976 to 1978. He coached baseball for many years. He was an avid OU football and New York Giants fan. Not only did he love his family, but also had a passion for cooking. He is survived by three children, Dustin and wife Aimee Sarratt, Lindsey and husband Chris Elsea and Bryce Magby; three grandchildren; four sisters, Pat Neal and husband Gaines, Dannette Russell, Pamela Hughes and Kay Thompson; a brother, Dale Sarratt; an uncle, Richard Bruner; four nieces, five nephews and numerous cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents.



Paul Julius White

Paul Julius White, 63, of Spencer passed away April 16, 2007, at his residence. He was born to Julius Oliver and Pearl Stella (Nunley) White Jan. 3, 1944. in Chandler. He was a cement finisher. He married Clara Faye Lee Dec. 18, 1961, in Edmond. White is survived by his wife, Clara Faye; two sons, Paul White of Meeker and Chuck White of Paden; three daughters, Kelly Harless of Paden, Melinda Grounds of Choctaw and Angela White of Paden; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; six brothers, Earl, Charles, Ray, Terry, James and Freddy White, all of Oklahoma; four sisters, Doris Coslow, Linda Gilbert and Wanda Logan, all of Oklahoma, and Mary Carr of Kentucky; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Bob White; and two sisters, Betty “Melba” Coons and Joyce Coslow. Graveside services were 2 p.m. April 20 at Oakdale Cemetery in Paden. Services were under Barnes & Johnson Funeral Home.



Emit Cruze

Emit Cruze, 80, of Midwest City passed away April 19, 2007. Funeral services were 10 a.m. April 25 in the Paylor Dignity Memorial Chapel. Burial followed in Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery in Norman. Arrangements were under the direction of Paylor Funeral Home. He was born June 1, 1926, in Arcanum, Ohio, to Charles E. and Naomi F. Eubanks Cruze. She has lived in Midwest City since 1966 he was a U.S. Navy veteran and worked for Oklahoma County for 20 years as a janitorial supervisor over all the county buildings. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alma, and a son, Gary Lee Cruze. He is survived by five sons, Robert E. Cruze of Midwest City, Ted Ray Cruze of Midwest City, Donald James Cruze of Greenville, Ohio, Charles William Cruze and wife Vanessa of Greenville, Ohio, and Tommy Joe Ross of Indianapolis, Ind.; two daughters, Donna Jean Hall and husband Jeff of Greenville, Ohio, and Eunice Mae Ross of Denver, Colo.; 20 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; and many other relatives and friends.



Fred ‘Zack’ Zagaruyka

Fred “Zack” Zagaruyka, 76, passed away April 20, 2007, at his home. A prayer service was 7 p.m. April 22 in the Candlewood Chapel at Ford Funeral Service and a reception followed. The Mass of Christian Burial was 10:30 a.m. April 23 at St. Paul Apostle Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Vincent de Paul’s Society at St. Paul Apostle Catholic Church, 3901 S. Sunnylane Road, Del City, OK, 73115. He was born Feb. 8, 1931, in Pawtucket, R.I., to Nicholas and Josephine Zagaruyka. He served in the U.S. Air Force for four years and retired as a program manager from government civil service after 36 years. As a member of St. Paul Apostle Catholic Church, he was actively involved in the St. Vincent de Paul’s Society, Men’s Group, Meals on Wheels, Golden Agers and the Finance Committee. He also volunteered in Friends of the Library and as Santa Claus in Nursing Homes and the Senior Citizens’ Center. He is survived by his wife, Kitty; five children, Ed and wife Becky, Tess, Nick and wife Jackie, Tom and wife Vikki and Fred; a brother, Leo; a sister, Flora McLaughlin; 12 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.



Virginia Lee Barr

Virginia Lee Barr, 64, passed away April 20, 2007. Funeral services were April 23 at Bill Eisenhour Northeast Chapel. Burial followed at Arlington Memory Gardens in Midwest City. Services were under the direction of Bill Eisenhour Northeast. She is survived by her two daughters, Jennifer Terrell and husband Ricky of Duncan and Tonya Dunn and husband Jeff of Midwest City; a son, Keith Sliger; three granddaughters; a grandson; a great-grandson; two sisters; and a host of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Barr; her parents, two granddaughters, Rikki Nicole Terrell and Virginia Sue Mooneyham; and several brothers and sisters.



Jeffery Kutin

Jeffery Kutin, 49, of Newalla passed away April 20, 2007, in Midwest City. Services were April 17 at the Asa Smith Memorial Chapel of Harrah. The Rev. Larry Chapman officiated. Burial followed at Memory Lane Cemetery of Harrah. Services were under the direction of Smith~Parks Funeral Service in Harrah. He was born Nov. 11, 1957, in Oklahoma City. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Keril Kutin of Newalla; a daughter; 12 grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends. A guest book is available at www.smithparks.com.



Florence Mendell

Florence Mendell, 81, passed away April 21, 2007. Graveside services were April 24 at Murray Cemetery in Binger. Services were under the direction of Bill Eisenhour Southeast. She was born Nov. 25, 1925, in Binger, to Jewel and Bessie (Smith) Arthurs. She married B.C. Mendell in Oklahoma City May 21, 1948, and lived in the Oklahoma City area for 51 years. She is survived by Ed and Teresa Mendell and Dean and Pat Mendell; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.



Ralph Donald Tharp

Ralph Donald Tharp died April 21, 2007, at home in Midwest City. He was born to Frank and Ethel Tharp in Kingfisher County Sept. 23, 1921. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley; two daughters, Judy and husband Allen Rich of Midwest City and Betty and husband Mike Haug of Lake Kiowa, Texas; a sister, Helen Waller; a brother, Robert Tharp; a grandson, David Rich of Santa Fe, N.M.; and a granddaughter; and four great-grandsons. He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Cecil. He served in the Army-Air Corps during World War II and the Korean War. He retired from Tinker Air Force Base, where he worked as a civil engineer. Tharp was active in the First Christian Church of Midwest City where he served as a deacon and elder. Services were April 24 at Barnes & Johnson Funeral Home Chapel. Burial followed at Arlington Memory Gardens. Arrangements were by Barnes & Johnson Funeral Home.



James Sanders Sr.

James Sanders Sr. of Choctaw passed away April 21, 2007, following an extensive battle with heart disease. Services were 10 a.m. April 25 at the First Baptist Church of Nicoma Park. Burial followed at Elmwood Cemetery in Choctaw. Services were under Bill Eisenhour Northeast. He was born April 23, 1933, in Bergman, Ark., to Stella Jane and Stephen Wallace Sanders. Sanders was serving as a sargeant in the U.S. Army, when he met and married his first wife, Gerena Pearl Manning June 17, 1954. They had five sons. He was married to Gerena for 23 years before her passing in 1977. He married his second wife, Deloris June Feb. 14, 2002. He is survived by his wife, June; his mother-in-law, Faye Stephens, also of the home; five sons, Steven, Robert, Marcus, James Jr. and Alan; three stepsons, James, Allen and David Hopwood; 25 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; two brothers, William “Doc” and Ernie Sanders; three sisters, Lena, Dovey and Jean; and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Gerena; and a sister, Ruby.



Jeanie Laakman

Jeanie Laakman passed away April 22, 2007, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. A prayer vigil was 7 p.m. today at the Barnes & Johnson Funeral Home in Midwest City. A funeral mass will be held 10:30 a.m. April 26 at the Tinker Air Force Base Chapel. Burial will take place at Arlington Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Infant Crisis Services Inc., 1933 N.W. 39th St., Oklahoma City, OK, 73118. Services were under the direction of Barnes and Johnson Funeral Home. She was born to Norbert and Edomina Pinger Nov. 30, 1949, in Humphrey, Neb. A graduate of the University of Nebraska, she was a lifelong Cornhusker fan. She was a speech language pathologist with the City County Health Department, where she was dedicated to the care of children from age’s birth to 3. She was a long-term volunteer with the Infant Crisis Services Inc. where she was recently honored with the Professional Services Award. She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Hank Laakman; two daughters, Shana Willis and Nikki Green; two sons-in-law, Sean Willis and Jason Green, three grandsons; her mother, Edomina Pinger of Columbus, Neb.; a sister, Judy Engelbert of Omaha, Neb.; twin sisters, Kathy Smith and Karla Scalia of Phoenix, Ariz.; and her twin brother, Gary Pinger of Buffalo, N.Y.



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