Published: September 05, 2007 11:40 am            

Obituaries: Sept. 5, 2007

Monty Gale Vance

Monty Gale Vance, 67, died Aug. 28, 2007. Funeral services were 2 p.m. Saturday in the Candlewood Chapel at Ford Funeral Service. Burial was at Ft. Sill National Cemetery. She was born Nov. 6, 1939, in Blue Mound, Kan., and she graduated from Kincaid High School in Kincaid, Kan., in 1957. As a military wife, she and her husband raised their sons in many different locations both in the U.S. and overseas. She was a loving (and well loved) wife and mother. She was a masterful homemaker and was never happier than when family and friends gathered for special occasions and holidays. She was preceded in death by her parents, Levi Beaty of Grand Junction, Colo., and Muriel Croan of McLoud. She is survived by her husband of almost 48 years, Jim; three sons, Jeff Vance of McLoud, Sean Vance and wife Regina, Chad and wife Alma; four granddaughters; two grandsons; a brother, Dale Beaty of Chester; a sister, Bonnie Bray of Waxahachie, Texas; a sister-in law and husband, Harold and Shirley Hoyt of Los Gatos, Calif.; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and cherished friends. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Monty Gale Vance Memorial Fund, American Brain Tumor Association, 2420 River Road Des Plaines, IL, 60018; www.abta.org; 1-800-866-2282.



Barbara Jean Spradlin

Barbara Jean Spradlin, 75, passed away Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007. Funeral services were conducted by Ford Funeral Service at 10 a.m. today, Sept. 5, 2007, at the Candlewood Chapel. She was born Feb. 18, 1932, in Wynnewood, the daughter of James H. and Elnora (Rutherford) Oakes. She retired from Tinker Air Force Base after 37 years of service. She was a loving, generous, mother and grandmother and had a great sense of humor. She was a liver transplant recipient of 18 years. She showed great strength, courage and determination in her life. She always had a smile on her face and never complained. She was preceded in death by her father, James H. Oakes; and the love of her life, Bill. She is survived by two daughters, Billie Jean Embree-Bowers and husband Bob of Oklahoma City and Kaye Kirkes of Oklahoma City; four grandchildren; her mother, Elnora Oakes; a sister, Jo Ann Cox and husband Jim; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.



Ella Marie Peters

Ella Marie Peters, 96, of Midwest City died Aug. 31, 2007. Mass will be 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, 2007, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Tipton, Kan., with local arrangements by Ford Funeral Service. She was born Oct. 14, 1910, in Tipton, Kan., the daughter of Charles and Philamina Auer. She is survived by seven sons, William E. Peters, Edwin J. Peters, Ronald J. Peters, Larry L. Peters, Robert L. Peters and Jerry L. Peters, all of Midwest City and Arnold O. Peters of Fargo, N.D.; a daughter, Mildred C. McLaughlin of Melbourne, Fla.; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends.



Dick W. Welt

Dick W. Welt, 59, of Harrah died Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007, which he knew to be the opening game day for OU football, giving him the best seat in the house. Funeral services were 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Faith Community Christian Church in Choctaw and were conducted by Ford Funeral Service. His family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday in the Candlewood Chapel at Ford Funeral Service. He was born Dec. 5, 1947, in Seminole, the son of Warren and Betty Welt. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and was a wonderful son, husband, brother, uncle, dad, grandpa and PaPa. Besides OU football, he also loved college basketball, bowling, his vegetable garden, Keystone, hunting deer, turkey and quail, fishing for crappie and bass and spending time tinkering in Danny’s barn. Two of his favorite things were playing golf, where twice he had a hole-in-one, and using his favorite saying: “I guaran XXXX T-ya.” He was preceded in death by his father, Warren; and his stepfather, Alden Phillips. He is survived by his mother, Betty Phillips; his wife of 37 years, Annette; three children, Warren Wayne Welt II and his wife Chandra, Alisha Spiwak and her husband Christopher and Russell Welt; eight grandchildren; four sisters and their husbands, Vickie and Danny Dilbeck, Rita and Eddie Miller, Debbie Wood and Penny and Jimmy Dickinson; and many other relatives and good friends who loved him.



Mary Grace Angeline Duckett

Mary Grace Angeline Duckett passed away Sept. 2, 2007, following a brief unexpected illness. Services will be conducted by Ford Funeral Service at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007, at the Wellston Christian Church. She was born Jan. 5, 1925, in Wellston. She was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and sister. She was devoted to her large personal family and numerous extended family members. Her friends and family will always remember her loving ways and her great sense of humor. Her great joys were fishing at Lake Eufaula, crocheting gifts, quilting, gardening, playing board games and cooking for others. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gordon Duckett; and former husband, Leland L Connelly; two brothers, William and Gene (Marion) and Merle Becker; and a sister, Lucille. She is survived by five brothers, Francis Becker, Walter Becker, Charles Becker, Donal Becker and Leo Becker; a sister, Nancy Burnett; three sons and two daughters-in-law, William and Pam Graves, Donal and Debbie Connelly and Jerry Connelly; two daughters and a son-in-law, Bernie and Paul Hall and Twyla Connelly; Nancy Murray, whom she considered to be her adopted daughter; 28 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn., 38105.



Thecla Brandt

Thecla Brandt, 89, passed away peacefully on Aug. 30, 2007 at St. Ann’s Nursing Home. She was born March 29, 1918 the daughter of George A. and Lena Weyel in Evansville, IN and moved to Oklahoma City in the early 1920s. She married Fred Brandt Jr. in 1945 and shared a devoted 54 years together. Thecla had lived in Midwest City for 49 years until 2005. Thecla was active in both her church and community lastly working for the Reading for Literacy program at the Midwest City Library in 2004. She is survived by a son, John Brandt and wife Elaine of Parker, Texas; a daughter, Kathryn and husband Doug Hammerbeck of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; a daughter, Peggy and husband Paul Hyde III of Palm Harbor, Fla.; a daughter Judy Rhodes and fiance Steve Lyon of Frederick, Md.; a sister Sister Modesta RSM of Mercy Hospital; and seven grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred; a sister Dorothy Kallman; and another sister, Rita Mancini. A wake service was held at St. Phillip Neri Catholic Church in Midwest City on Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. with a funeral mass at St. Phillip Neri on Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. Burial followed at Sunny Lane Cemetery.

        

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