Obituaries

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Darrell Gene Hamilton

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Darrell Gene Hamilton, age 74 of Purcell, passed away on Friday, December 22, 2023. Darrell was born September 4, 1949 in Wellington, Texas, the youngest of three children born to Nathan and Mary Katherine (Trench) Hamilton. He started school in Vinson, Texas before moving to Hollis, Oklahoma. He graduated with the Tigers Class of 1967. He joined the Army National Guard in 1969, and served proudly for nearly 24 years of combined service. He fell in love with his Dairy Queen sweetheart, Ranae Davis and married her on September 18, 1971. The young couple moved to Purcell the following year where they raised their two children, Devin and Amanda. They spent 51 years together in Purcell where Darrell proudly served on the Purcell City Council, and Darrell was proud of his work with the water infrastructure. Darrell trained as a Telecommunications Engineer under his fatherin- law, Frank Davis and worked at GTE for many years. Later he worked at Tinker for Red River Telecommunications. Darrell loved to work and was always busy doing something. It was said, he would break something just to fix it. Darrell loved the outdoors; he looked forward to deer hunting and fishing and enjoyed riding motorcycles. He was a member of the 9th & Pierce Church of Christ in Purcell.
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Eudora Powers Wall

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Eudora Powers Wall was born July 10, 1925, in Yazoo County, Mississippi to Sallie and Joe Powers while Joe was working in a sawmill clearing the Delta. When Eudora was 1 year old, Sallie brought her and her newborn sister Erie home to Pollock, LA, where Sallie was raised. After graduating from Pollock High School in 1942, Eudora moved 10 miles south to Alexandria to work for Bell Telephone as a longdistance telephone operator. It was there she met Rex LaVonne Wall, a US Army Staff Sergeant stationed at Camp Polk during World War II. After a whirlwind courtship, they married and moved to Little Rock, AR where Rex was stationed at Fort Robinson and Eudora worked in the defense plant inspecting bullets. When Rex was shipped overseas, a pregnant Eudora came to Willow to stay with his parents, Nig and Bess. She spent the next year and a half with other “war widows” Edna Cowley, Fayetta Smith, and Doris Bell, wondering if this war would ever be over. hen her firstborn Judy Kay came in October of 1944, Rex’s superiors in England arranged for him to serve on-board ship bringing war prisoners to America so he could be here for her birth. He returned overseas two weeks later. Finally, the war was over and the boys came marching home. Rex and Eudora made Willow their home welcoming Ed Von to the family. Soon after Rex was appointed Postmaster of Willow. Eudora joined him as a clerk spending 39 years in the Willow Post Office, 22 as clerk and 17 as Postmaster. udora was a faithful member of the Willow Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School for many years and worked in the nursery. Pastor Will J. Roberts often referred to her as one of his deacons. This was in jest since only men are allowed to be “servant-leaders” of the church. In 1967, Rex and Eudora added grandson John Wall to the family and raised him. Eudora is preceded in death by Rex, her husband of 62 years, her mother Sallie Tarpley Powers Chandler Rosier, father Joe Powers, stepfather Tom Chandler, and sister Erie Powers Watts. She is survived by her children Judy Kay Wall of Norman and Ed Von Wall, and wife Glenda, of Enid; five grandchildren: John Wall of Willow; Carri (Wall) Crockett and husband John of Enid; Toby (Tedder) Underwood and husband Terry of Kansas City, MO; Terri (Wall) Endicott and husband Adam of Enid; and Tory Tedder-Loffland and husband Mike of Norman. She has fourteen great-grandchildren: Summer, Nathan, Katie, Aaron, Logan, Morgan, Farris, Thomas Rex, Jack, Samual, Abigail, Natalie, Nicholas, and Dayton. She is also survived by her sister Bonnie Chandler McCann of Pollock, LA, and a host of other relatives and friends.
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Ronnie Lee Thomas

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Ronnie Lee Thomas, 62, of Mangum, Greer County, Oklahoma was called to his eternal home on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. Ronnie was born on March 8, 1961, in Mangum, Greer County, Oklahoma to Homer William and June Ann Murdock Thomas. Ronnie graduated in May 1979, Mangum, Oklahoma. After graduation, Ronnie proudly served in the United State Air Force, for four years. He was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base Rapid City, South Dakota, Tula, Greenland, and Wichita, Kansas. Ronnie worked for the Oklahoma State Reformatory, Granite, Oklahoma for 36 years. Ronnie enjoyed reading, hunting for doves, craft, gardening and helping his parents on their farm, at Reed, Oklahoma. He was a member of the Trinity Baptist Church, Mangum, Oklahoma. Ronnie is preceded in death by his brother Jimmy Ray Thomas, Grandparents Samuel Evans Thomas Jr., Maggie Lorene “Vannoy” Thomas, Johnnie Martin Murdock, and Beulah Oleta “Kersh” Murdock, Aunt Cathelene Lousie Thomas and Uncle W. A. Bird. He is survived by his parent’s Homer William and June Thomas, sister Debra Ann Thomas-Owens, brother-inlaw Hank Thomas Owens, Sister-in-law Kelly Thomas, nephews Douglas McBride Thomas, Samuel Murdock Thomas, Kaleb Thomas Owens, Joshua Martin Owens, Matthew William Owens and a host of other relatives and friends.
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Billy Burl Buchanan

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Billy Burl Buchanan of Mangum, Oklahoma passed away on September 18, 2023. He was born in Loveland, Oklahoma on January 22, 1937 to George William Buchanan and Velma Haney Buchanan. 5Bill was raised in Loveland before moving to Brinkman where he graduated in 1955.