System Mechanic - Clean, repair, protect, and speed up your PC!Joe E. Phelps
Services for Seminole resident Joe E. Phelps are scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Swearingen Funeral Home with Don Gil to officiate.
Joe E. Phelps died peacefully in his home after a long struggle with illness. He was 85, having been born Jan. 15, 1920 in Putnam, Okla., the only child of Vern and Orley Phelps.
He was raised on his parents’ wheat farm in Putnam and then he attended Oklahoma A&M College, graduating in 1942 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
Joe then enlisted in the United States Navy as soon as possible following Pearl Harbor.
He was an officer in the submarine service in the Pacific Theatre and based in Hawaii. Joe went on six patrols, attacking Japanese shipping and war vessels.
Phelps served aboard the U.S.S. Pollock and the U.S.S. Catfish submarines. He earned the Bronze Star along with other service medals and was discharged at the end of the war as a first lieutenant.
During the war he married Edna Mae Hough of Seminole, who had been his girlfriend in college. They moved to Seminole and had two sons, Ronald and Mark.
After working at the W.H. Hough Machine Shop, he was elected Seminole County Surveyor in the 1950’s, and served at that post for four years.
Later in the 1950’s he formed a civil engineering partnership with a friend in Oklahoma City and went on to found the engineering firm of Phelps, Spitz, Ammerman and Thomas of Oklahoma City.
During this period of time his company designed and built several buildings, roads, bridges, lakes and water and waste systems all over the state.
Joe was also closely involved with Oklahoma politics at this time, counting Senator Gene Stipe and Governor Raymond Gary among his best friends.
He left his company in 1973 to build a catfish farm in southeast Oklahoma and founded the Phelps Construction Company, which built water and sewage facilities in McAlester, Shawnee, Clinton and Eufaula.
Phelps was also a consultant for Wyatt, Doyle and Butler Engineering Company in Oklahoma City. He also served on the Oklahoma Mining Commission and the Redark Development Trust following his retirement in 1990.
He was a dedicated hunter and fisherman, traveling yearly to the upper Midwest for pheasant hunting. Joe also purchased a trailer at Lake Eufaula to facilitate his bass fishing.
As a great sports fan, he was devoted to the athletics program at OSU and attended the first basketball game in Gallagher Hall.
Along with his wife, Edna Mae, he was a passionate and involved supporter of the Democratic Party. The couple traveled to virtually every state in the Union and on cruises to Alaska, Hawaii, Australia and the Caribbean.
He was particularly pleased by his membership in the Oklahoma chapter of the United States Submarine Veterans of World War II, and attended several conventions of this group all over the United States.
Joe was a 32nd degree Freemason and a charter member of the local Elks Lodge and American Legion.
He was always interested and informed about world affairs, with all of his loved ones remembering the dry wit and taciturn wisdom that he derived from his wide experience of the world.
His lifelong modesty and stoicism were predominated traits of his character and served him well during his long illness, which he bore without complaint.
All of the members of his family have been inspired by the cheerful, active and adventurous approach to life he had for himself and his wife.
Above all he was a builder.
He is survived by his sons, Ron and Mark Phelps; daughters-in-law, Judy and Bonnie and granddaughters, Lauren Shatzel and Lane Phelps.
Pallbearers for the services will be Mark Frazier, Billy Stephens, Larry Moyer, Brandon Moyer, Brad Jones and Brad Shatzel.
The family would like to suggest that in lieu of flowers, donations please be sent to the Edna Mae Phelps Scholarship endowment, OSU Foundation, 400 S. Monroe, Stillwater, OK 74074.
Services are under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home.
James Phillips
Funeral services for James G. (Jim) Phillips Jr. are scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church in Holdenville.
Rev. Jason Yarbrough will officiate with Rev. Revel Johnson and Re. Meredith Robinson assisting.
Interment will follow the services in the Holdenville Cemetery under the direction of Hudson-Phillips Funeral Home.
Jim, 76, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2005 at Heritage Nursing Home. He was born Sept. 5, 1929 in deer Creek, Okla. to James G. and Lorraine (Beard) Phillips.
He was reared in the Oklahoma City and Minco areas and graduated from New Liberty High School, near Sayre in 1948. While in high school Jim played basketball and baseball and in college he played basketball.
In 1950 Jim graduated from Sayre Junior College and then in 1951 from The Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science with a degree in Funeral Service.
He continued his undergraduate work at Southwestern State College, and in 1953 he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, graduating cum laude.
While a student at OU, Jim worked for Primrose Funeral Home, where he met Ima-Jean Devault. They were married Sept. 26, 1952 in Norman.
The couple had two sons, Dennis Ray in 1953 and Gary Allen in 1955.
Jim and Jean moved to Holdenville in 1962 where they purchased Hudson Funeral Home, along with Douglas Hudson. In 1971 they then purchased Mr. Hudson’s share of the business.
In 1976 Jim purchased Stout Funeral Home in Wewoka where he loved the funeral business and remained active until his health prevented him from attending the funeral services.
He also enjoyed working on his farm in Atwood. Jim was a member of the First Baptist Church for over 40 years and was a longtime Rotary Club member and enjoyed visiting with his "brothers" at Bobbie’s Restaurant.
Jim "Papa" loved spending time with his grandchildren every weekend and taking them to Bobbie’s and Wal-Mart.
"Papa we love you and will miss you forever."
His father, James G. Phillips Sr. and two sisters, Jackie Fish and Doris Jean Phillips preceded him in death.
He is survived by his wife, Jean Phillips of the home; his mother, Lorraine Phillips of Sayre; two sons, Dennis and wife Debbie of Wewoka and Gary and wife Terri of Holdenville and one sister, Pat and husband Paul Martin of Oklahoma City.
Peggy Jane Pickering
Funeral services for Peggy Jane (Groves) Pickering are scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at the Wanette United Methodist Church.
Arrangements are under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home in Tecumseh.
Peggy Jane (Groves) Pickering of Wanette went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005 at the age of 75. She was born April 28, 1930 near Coalgate, Okla. to Winnie and Adaline (Benton) Groves.
She married Neal Pickering in Borger, Texas on Oct. 15, 1949. They moved to Wanette in 1966 where they raised cattle.
Peggy was a wonderful and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She enjoyed cooking, family gatherings and especially the holiday seasons.
After raising her own children she continued to care for and babysit many children in the Wanette community.
She was a member of the Chickasaw Nation and Wanette United Methodist Church. Peggy was an artist of considerable talent and created intricate beadwork.
Among her favorite pastimes were bus trips to Tunica, Miss., collecting dolls and collecting and watching movies. She also loved her many animals.
Her parents and all of her siblings; Juanita Daniel, Opal Farmer, Oleta Neal, Lillian Archer, Joann Groves, Felix Groves and Albert Groves preceded her in death.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Neal Pickering, of the home; daughters, Hope Pickering and Sue Snodgrass, both of Seminole and Zay Tiffin and husband Doyle of Norman and son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Terri Hodges-Pickering of Shawnee.
Also surviving are her grandchildren, Jason Michael Pickering and wife Jennifer of Norman, Kayla and Kaci Tiffin of Norman, Carrie Hill and husband Matt of Moore and Emily Dyer of Shawnee.
She had one great-granddaughter, Miranda Pickering of Norman. She is also survived by Cody Brant, who was like a son to her, and many nieces and nephews.
The family suggests that donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Wanette United Methodist Church in her honor and memory.
Drebbie Pierce
Funeral services for former Wewoka resident Drebbie Pierce are scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Cheyenne Church of Christ under the direction of Rose Chapel Funeral Services of Cheyenne.
Burial is set for Thursday at Salem Cemetery at Alba, Texas.
Pierce died Sunday, Jan. 23, 2005, in Cheyenne at the age of 87.
She was born May 10, 1917, in Alba, Texas to Lettie Mae and George Washington Pope.
Pierce grew up in the Alba community where she attended school until the fifth grade.
After leaving school, she started helping her family in the cotton field and working on the farm tending to the goats.
In the early 30’s, her family moved to Sayre and started running the Route 66 Café.
After leaving Sayre, Pierce and her four children moved to Wewoka to work in Big Yank clothing factory where she worked as a seamstress.
In 1984, she moved to Cheyenne to make her home.
Pierce attended many garage sales and collected all kinds of stuffed animals.
She was an active member of Cheyenne Church of Christ and always put God and others before herself.
Pierce was preceded in death by her parents, 14 brothers and sisters, and one granddaughter, Bridget Nalley.
She is survived by three sons, Joe Binion of Arlington, Texas, Danny Binion of Dallas, Texas and Larry Binion of Ennis, Texas and two daughters, Glenda Parvin and Jean Ann Hay of Cheyenne.
Martha Pitts
Graveside service for Seminole resident Martha Rose Pitts is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens with Rev. Roy Robertson officiating.
The service will be under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home.
Pitts, 72, died Monday, Jan. 31, 2005. She was born Oct. 21, 1932 in Oklahoma City to John L. and Adelaide Minerva (Gilbert) Shaw.
She married Eugene "Gene" S. Pitts on Jan. 30, 1963 in Miami. They moved to Seminole 43 years ago and she was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith.
Her parents and husband preceded her in death.
Surviving her are four sons, Bill Willson of York, Pa., Bob Willson, John Pitts and Paul Pitts, all of Seminole; brother Gilbert Shaw of Kerrville, Texas; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
