Obituaries

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Gary Allen Meyer

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Gary Allen Meyer, age 76, long-time Ponca City resident went home to be with his Lord & Savior on December 16, 2023. He was born on July 15, 1947, and was raised on a farm in Red Rock, OK. He graduated Red Rock High School in 1965, and married his high school sweetheart, Sherrille Berry, on July 23, 1966. He worked several jobs before making their home in Newkirk, and they resided there for 28 years. He worked for Rodeo Meats in Ark City, KS, until it was closed down. He then began working for Smith Bits in Ponca City, OK, where he retired after 30 years of service. While working at Smith Bits, they moved to Ponca City in 1997, where he currently resided.
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Thelma Elizabeth Smith

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Thelma Elizabeth Smith passed away peacefully Wednesday, December 13, 2023, in her Bryan home, surrounded by her family. Thelma was born in Tonkawa, Oklahoma on September 19, 1932, to Gladys Loretta (Ward) Fairless and Henry Eugene Fairless. She grew up on a farm just outside of Tonkawa. She met a boy named Olin Dail Smith in church, and they both attended Tonkawa public schools. A few months after Thelma graduated from high school, she and Olin married on September 5, 1950. While Olin worked on his father’s farm, he also began attending college – first at Northern Oklahoma College, and then at Oklahoma State University. Thelma supported him by working at a soda fountain in the local drug store, and later at the OSU Library in Stillwater (where she and Olin lived in married student housing). They also started a family, with Brenda, Brent, and Beth all being born during this period. Olin completed his PhD at the University of Minnesota, with Thelma managing the household, and also serving as his clerk/typist, faithfully typing out every version of his dissertation on a manual typewriter.
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Donald Lee Turner

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Mr. Donald Lee Turner, age 82, of Maryville, Illinois died December 10, 2023. He was born on September 30, 1941, in Ponca City Oklahoma to Mr. and Mrs. Carl Patrick (Alta) Turner. He began 1st grade at Lincoln School and completed elementary school at Jefferson School in Ponca City. He attended East Junior High School, graduating from Po-Hi in 1960. Mr. Turner graduated from Northern Oklahoma Junior College in 1962 and Oklahoma State University in 1964 with a degree in Agricultural Economics. After college, he joined the United States Air Force and served in Japan from 19641968, finishing his term of service at Scott Air Force Base in Belleville, Illinois.
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Esteleene “Esty” Louise Maxell

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Esteleene “Esty” Louise Maxell, 91, long-time Ponca City, OK, resident left this life on December 7, 2023, in Stillwater, OK. Viewing with the family present will take place between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM, Sunday, December 17, 2023. A Celebration of Life Ceremony will take place at 11:00 AM, Monday, December 18, 2023, at Albright United Methodist Church. Those unable to attend the Funeral Ceremony, may attend virtually on the Trout Funeral Home website, www.troutfuneralhome. com and click on the live-stream or toolbar icon on the top right corner after 10:45 AM.