Nathan Hill Benton, Jr., 91 of Arkansas City, died Sunday (October 4, 2020) at the Ponca City Medical Center, Ponca City, Oklahoma. Funeral services are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Saturday (October 10, 2020) at the Hillcrest Bible Baptist Church. Pastor Jimmy McCullough will officiate. Burial will be at 5:00 pm that evening in the Choctaw Nation Veteran’s Cemetery near Tuskhoma, Oklahoma.

The family will greet friends 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday evening at the funeral home.

Nathan was born July 22, 1929, in Antlers, Oklahoma, to Nathan Benton, Sr. and his wife Alice (Gibson) Benton. He was reared and educated in Antlers, Muse and later attending Jones Academy, the Bacone School and Haskell Indian School. He later received his teacher’s certificate from Oklahoma State University. Nathan loved and served in the United States Army.

He married Vernis Aline Scuggins on October 9, 1950, in Lawrence, Kansas. The couple made their home at Chilocco Indian School of Chilocco, Oklahoma, where Nathan taught heavy equipment operation for 26 years, retiring in 1980. When Chilocco closed the family moved to Arkansas City, where he was a heavy equipment operator for LG Pike Construction for 12 years. He was a charter member of the Hillcrest Bible Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife Vernis of the home; children Nathan Benton, III, and wife Teresa of Combine, Texas, Marilyn Walking Sky and husband Woolsey of Royse City, Texas, Phillip Benton and wife Gwen of Arkansas City, John Benton and wife Margaret of Greenville, Texas; Nancy Smith and husband John of Mesquite, Texas; 15 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and other family members and many, many friends that Nathan considered to be “family”.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Norma Ruth Price, Benjamin Bohanan, Edmond Howard Bohanan, Emma Sue Bohanan, Betty Jo Carnes, Maxine “Shukie” Carnes and Nancy Ann Carnes.

Memorials have been established with the Hillcrest Bible Baptist Church or the Choctaw Nation Veteran’s Cemetery. Contributions may be made through the funeral home.

Arrangements are being made through the Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home and Crematory of Arkansas City. Online condolences may be made at www.rindt-erdman.com Those attending the visitation or the service are requested to follow COVID-19 mandates including social distancing and the wearing of a mask.

Paid Obituary