Published: June 05, 2007 02:45 pm            

Obituaries: June 6, 2007

Thelma J. Sammons

Thelma J. Sammons, 81, of Midwest City passed away May 29, 2007. Services were 10 a.m. June 2 at Bill Eisenhour Northeast Chapel. Services were under the direction Bill Eisenhour Northeast in Del City. She was a caregiver.



Charles ‘Chuck’ William Abbott

Charles “Chuck” William Abbott passed away May 24, 2007. Services were 1 p.m. May 29 at Hibbs Funeral Home. Burial followed at Jones IOOF Cemetery. He was born Feb. 21, 1920, to Fred and Ivone Abbott. He served in World War II and retired from the Federal Aviation Administration after 27 years of service. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Dorothy Rudkin; a brother, Frank Abbott; and a nephew, Kim Deason. He is survived by Francis and Joe Deason; Patricia Deason; Brian and Angela Irvine and their children; Paul and Susan Deason and their children; Pam and Keith Leifer and their children; Janet and Don Zimmer; and Mike and Lori Marris and their children.



Mildred Alma Fife

Mildred Alma Fife, 83, passed away June 1, 2007. He was born to John and Alma (Campbell) Cooper Nov. 27, 1923, in Oklahoma City. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Roy Lee Fife; and a brother, Gene Cooper. She is survived by three sons, Deryl and wife Gail Fife of Midwest City, Johnny and wife Marcella Fife of Pintail, Texas, and Harlan and wife Brenda of Luther; eight grandchildren; a brother, Larry Cooper; and numerous other relatives and friends. A service honoring her life was held June 4 at the Midwest Pentecostal Holiness Church. The Rev. Benjamin F. Parker officiated. Burial was in Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Wheatland. Services were under the direction of Caskets Inc.



Gloria Ann McPherren

Gloria Ann McPherren, 77, of Midwest City passed away May 27, 2007. Graveside services were 10 a.m. May 31 at Graveside Memorial Park Cemetery in Oklahoma City. Services were under the direction of Bill Eisenhour Northeast Funeral Home in Del City. She was a retired waitress.



Alta Belle Waggoner

Alta Belle Waggoner, 83, of Del City passed away June 1, 2007. A service honoring her life was June 5 in the Heavenly Heights Baptist Church. The Rev. Jack Bettis officiated. Burial followed at Sunny Lane Cemetery. Services were under the direction of Caskets Inc. She was born March 1, 1924, in Bartlesville, to Daniel and Etta (Smith) LaFaver. She retired from Tinker Air Force Base after 25 years as a draftsman then received her Bachelor of Arts from Central State University. She was a member of Heavenly Heights Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Fred Waggoner; and a granddaughter, Julie Ann Allen. She is survived by a daughter, Betty Ann Allen and husband Eddie of Del City; a son, Lemuel Allen Waggoner and wife Jean of Wakefield, R.I.; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Emma LaFaver of Oklahoma City and Esther Tharp of Choctaw; and two brothers, Daniel LaFaver and Ron “Dick” LaFaver.



Juanita M. Beard

Juanita M. Beard, 81, of Harrah passed away June 2, 2007, in Midwest City. Services will be 10 a.m. June 6, at the Asa Smith Memorial Chapel in Harrah. Burial followed at Wellston Cemetery in Wellston. She was born Sept. 22, 1925, in Wellston. She was the daughter of Albert W. and Olive Mae (Denison) Hall. She worked for the City of Del City as a receptionist for 13 years and spent most of her life as a homemaker. She enjoyed cooking and gardening. She was preceded in death by two daughters, Sandra Beard and Cheryl Beard. She is survived by two grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends. Services are under the direction of Smith-Parks Funeral Service in Harrah. A guest book is available at www.smithparks.com.



Terry L. Thurman

Terry L. Thurman, 61, of Del City passed away June 2, 2007. A memorial celebration service was 2 p.m. today, June 6 at the Candlewood Chapel at Ford Funeral Service in Midwest City. He was born Oct. 9, 1945, in Oklahoma City. His mother was Mildred E. Goddard Thurman and his father was Oliver A. Thurman. When he was younger, he worked for his uncle, Kenneth Goddard at Goddard Concrete. Upon graduation from Del City High School in 1963, he attended the University of Central Oklahoma. He met Kathryn M. Morrison and they were married July 15, 1966, before he reported for duty at Fort Polk, La., after having been drafted into the U.S. Army. Thurman served in Korea with the 7th Battalion 17th Artillery 2nd Infantry Division and received the coveted Indianhead Award for Conduct of Superior Training in November of 1966 while a Private First Class in Seoul, Korea. When his service ended, he returned home and began attending the University of Oklahoma where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering degree and later earned his American Society of Civil Engineering Certification. He worked for the State Department of Transportation and the Water Resources Board during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. In 1978, he left the state to help establish the Oklahoma City office of Espey, Huston and Associates. In 1981, he decided to start his own business, Thurman Engineering. He worked on Oklahoma City’s MAPS project by helping design the Oklahoma River’s several dams. He served terms as the city engineer for Noble, Kingfisher and Choctaw, as well as served on the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and the Del City Planning Commission. In 1996, he received a Citizen of the Month Award for his work with the Del City Planning Committee. He is survived by his wife, Kathryn M. of Del City; two children, T. Kenneth Thurman and wife Mary Beth of Rockport, Texas, and Teresa “Kate” Thurman of Del City; three grandsons; two brothers, Gary O. Thurman of Livermore, Colo., and Jimmie R. Thurman of Del City.



Clois ‘Rusty’ Compton

Clois “Rusty” Compton, 82, passed away June 3, 2007. He was born April 30, 1925, in Frederick to Owen and Fata Compton. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Ramona Esther Compton. He is survived by daughters, Teddye Compton and Lisa Heflin; a granddaughter; two sisters, Gwen Landrum and Gyneth; a brother-in-law, Marion Reed; two nephews; a niece; two cousins; his longtime running buddy, Walt Matthews; and many other friends and family members. He was a World War II Navy Veteran. He was an income tax consultant for many years with Compton & Compton in Pauls Valley and then Reeds Tax Service in Midwest City. He retired from Eastman Kodak and continued in the microfilm business after his retirement. He was then able to pursue his passion for fishing. In his early years, he loved horses and was the president of the Appaloosa Club and the Round Up Club in Pauls Valley. He was chosen to ride and carry one of the Western flags in the opening of the Cowboy Hall of Fame. He was proud of the years that he raced stock cars at Taft Stadium. He loved to walk at the mall with the “Hot Air Club.” He had a garden that had tomatoes, hot peppers and gourds. Funeral services were 2 p.m. June 5 at Bill Eisenhour Southeast Chapel in Del City. Graveside services followed at Sunny Lane Cemetery in Del City. Services were under the direction of Bill Eisenhour Southeast.



Dallas Eugene ‘Gene’ Curling

Dallas Eugene “Gene” Curling, 77, of Midwest City passed away June 4, 2007, in Midwest City. The family received guests at Barnes & Johnson Funeral Home for visitation 4 -8 p.m. June 5. Private graveside services were under the direction of Barnes & Johnson Funeral Home. He was born Dec. 16, 1929, in San Angelo, Texas, to Dallas and Ardath (Williams) Curling. He served in the U.S. Army and Air Force during World War II and later retired from civil service at Tinker Air Force Base where he worked as an air freight chief. He will be remembered by his family for being an accomplished pool shark and gifted gardener. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Ruth and Sue; and a brother, Bill. He is survived by his wife of nearly 25 years, Shirley; four children, Bob Curling and wife Kim, Karen Duvall, David Curling and Dallas Curling Jr.; 10 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.



Mary Solenberg

Mary Solenberg, 78, passed away June 3, 2007. Services will be 2 p.m. June 6 at Eastside Church of Christ. Burial followed at Arlington Memory Gardens. She had a profound passion for the Lord, her family and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Sande Solenberg; her parents, Ed and Fannie Warf; and her sister, Helen Warf. She is survived by two daughters, Sherry and husband Leonard Wagner of Choctaw and Dawn and husband Damon Linnell Sr. of Kissee Mills, Mo.; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; two brothers of Tennessee, Loyd and wife Dot Warf and Henry and wife Linda Warf; numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

        

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