Wednesday 2-4-15.

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2/3/15 1:25 PM Page 2

Obituaries

Freeman Bunky Lowe

July 11, 1945 - January 31, 2015

Freeman Bunky Lowe

was born July 11, 1945 to
Andrew Lowe, Sr. and Nora
Roberts in Okmulgee,
Oklahoma.
Bunky attended Nuyaka
High School. He joined the
United States Marine Corps
in 1965, serving two tours in
Vietnam as a corporal.
Bunky was a combat Vet and
a member of the Muscogee
Nation Red Stick Society. As
a civilian, he was a welder
by trade.
Preceding him in death are
his grandfather, Chick
Roberts;
grandmother,
Nancy Roberts; mother,
Roberts;
father,
Nora
Andrew Lowe, Sr.; brothers,
William and Alexander Lowe; son, Christopher Lowe and
longtime companion, Marlene Whiston.
Survivors are his daughter, Diana Lowe of Okmulgee;
brothers, Andrew Lowe, Jr. of Tahlequah, Rusty Lowe of
Catoosa, Kenneth Lowe, David Hutke Lowe both of Broken
Arrow, Kun-a-gi Lowe , Nacoma Lowe both of Tulsa; sisters,
Joanna Lowe of Glenpool, Christina Vargas Arriega of
Brockport, NY and Andra Samuels of Bixby; granddaughters,
Christyn Barnett and Carmen Burgess; grandsons, Chance
Beasley, Hunter and Thunder Washington and Tyson Baker;
great grandchildren, Kolby, Keegan and Koen Burgess, Kye
Wilson and host of nieces, nephews, friends and relatives.
He entered into eternal rest on January 31, 2015 at the VA
Hospital in Muskogee at the age of 69 years, 6 months and 20
days.
Visitation will be Tuesday, February 3, 2015 from 3:00 p.m.
to 8:00 p.m. and Wake services will be held at 6:00 p.m. officiated by Reverend Norman Daniels both held at the Jackson
Funeral Home in Okmulgee.
Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, February 4, 2015
at 1:00 p.m. officiated by Reverend Marvin Lowe at the
Nuyaka Baptist Church in Okmulgee and he will be laid to rest
at the Nuyaka Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Scott Lowe, Buster Lowe, Bubba
Alfred Lowe, Vincent Lowe, Billy Lowe, Barry Lowe,
William Lowe, Eddy Lowe and Chance Beasley.
Military Honors will be conducted by the Muscogee Creek
Nation Honor Guard.
Friends may send their condolences to www.jacksonfhandcrematory.com

Mary Ethel Brogan

December 11, 1921 - January 28, 2015

Mary Ethel Brogan, 93, of Beggs passed away Wednesday,

January 28, 2015. Her services were held Tuesday, February 3,
2015 at 10:00 AM at Beggs First Baptist Church.
Arrangements were entrusted to McClendon-Winters Funeral
Home.

David Leon Blackwell

February 4, 1963 - January 27, 2015

David Leon Blackwell, a resident of Okmulgee, passed

away Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at the age of 51.
Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday,
February 7, 2015 at the Apostolic Life 1533 E. 13th St.
Okmulgee with Robert Rich officiating. Burial will follow the
service at the Hitchita Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Jackson Funeral
Home and Crematory in Okmulgee. Friends may send their
condolences to www.jacksonfhandcrematory.com

Billye Joyce Williams

August 18, 1928 - February 1, 2015

Okmulgee Times, Wednesday, February 4, 2015, Page 2a

Betty Lou Qualls
January 4, 1926 - January 31, 2015

Billye Joyce Williams

loved her family, friends,
adventures, and her faith.
She began her last great
adventure February 1,
2015, surrounded by loved
ones. She was born
August 18, 1928 in
Muskogee, Oklahoma to
Faye Frances Hartgraves
and Dickie McCracken
Hartgraves.
Billye
Joyces mother died soon
after she was born and
when she was three, Jerri
OConnell
Hartgraves
came into her life. Jerri
brought the love and care
that helped to mold Billye
Joyce into the person she
became. Billye Joyce
flew a plane before she drove a car, could ride a horse standing
up and was a proud Aggie cheerleader while attending
Oklahoma A & M. That same sense of adventure and fun took
her and Gene around the world making wonderful friends,
memories and stories for future generations.
Billye Joyce and Gene loved the small Oklahoma towns in
which they were raised and wanted the same experience for
their family so they eventually settled in Okmulgee,
Oklahoma; Gene to practice architecture and Joyce to raise
their four children. The years spent growing up in Haskell and
her time at Oklahoma A&M, especially with her beloved
Kappa Deltas, were good preparation for Billye Joyces many
future activities. Billy Joyce was a member and supporter of
many organizations as well as serving on many boards. These
included St Anthony Catholic Church, St. Anthonys Altar
Society, OSU Alumni Association, Knights of the Holy
Sepulchre, P.E.O. Chapter Z, Art and Literature Club,
Okmulgee Service League, Creek Council House Board,
CASA, Gilcrease Gillie, Daughters of the American
Revolution, Colonial Dames and she later volunteered at San
Miguel School in Tulsa. Because Billie Joyce loved all things
Cowboys she received a great deal of teasing when she
returned to school at OU to earn a second degree, this time in
Nursing Home Administration. She commuted to Norman
from Okmulgee, studied late into the night and continued to
make her family feel as though they were her priority.
Billye Joyce is survived by her husband of 64 years, Harold
Eugene Williams. She is also survived by her children, Diane
Ornelas and husband Steve, Terri Gilley and husband Curtis,
Jimmy Williams and wife Jennifer and Patricia Cohen and
husband Mitchell. A source of great joy in her life, Billye
Joyce is survived by eleven grandchildren, Duncan Ornelas
and wife Mary, Amy Burden and husband Chad, Ashlee
Towery and husband Todd, Zachery Ornelas and wife Teresa,
Justin Goodman and wife LaCresha, Abigail Wilburn, Haley
McCord and husband Patrick, Barrett Gilley, Bradley
Williams, Tara Williams and Michael Williams. Billye Joyce
is also survived by fourteen great-grandchildren. She is also
survived by her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Neil and
Susanna Williams of Blackwell Oklahoma as well as many
loving nieces and nephews.
A Rosary will be held 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 4,
2015 at McClendon-Winters Funeral Home Chapel in
Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Her Funeral Mass will be held at St.
Anthony Catholic Church in Okmulgee, Oklahoma on
Thursday, February 5, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow in the Haskell Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to Saint
Anthony Catholic Church, Catholic Charities or San Miguel
School.
Arrangements have been entrusted to McClendon-Winters
Funeral Home of Okmulgee. Billye Joyces Tribute Page may
be viewed at www.mcclendon-winters.com

Betty Lou Qualls, 89, of

Okmulgee passed away Saturday,
January 31, 2015. She was born
on Monday, January 4, 1926 in
Oklahoma City.
Betty graduated from Slick
High School in 1941. She was a
long time member of the Freewill
Baptist Church, where her husband Euell was a minister. She
loved playing piano and singing
at church, as well as going to
gospel singings. Betty also
enjoyed embroidery and playing
bingo.
Betty is preceded in death by
her parents, Lewis and Stella
Leist, her husband, Euell Qualls,
and a sister, Meldora Cooper.
She is survived by a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins,
as well as a dear friend, Kathelene Kelly, of Okmulgee.
Funeral services for Betty will be held on Friday, February
6, 2015 at 2:00 PM at the McClendon-Winters Funeral Home
Chapel, Okmulgee. Interment will follow at Okmulgee
Cemetery. Viewing will be Thursday, February 5 from 1:008:00 PM. Services have been entrusted to McClendonWinters Funeral Home, Okmulgee.

Representatives from the

Oklahoma
Educational
Technology Trust (OETT)
will visit Beggs High School
tomorrow to participate in a
site visit to see the schools
2014 OETT grant in action.
The $65,000 grant pro-

to enhance classroom learning.

OETT is focused on creating long-term change in
Oklahoma schools, said Dr.
Phil Berkenbile, OETT
Board of Trustees chair.
Improving overall student
achievement and learning
through the use of technology is our goal.
OETT was established in
2001 as a result of an agreement between then Attorney
General Drew Edmondson
and AT&T Oklahoma during
the companys transition to a
modern form of regulation.
As part of the agreement,
AT&T contributed $30 million to establish the trust.
The
Oklahoma
Educational
Technology
Trust continues to provide
cutting edge technology and
engaging learning opportunities for students in our state,
said Steve Hahn, president of
AT&T Oklahoma. AT&T is
proud to partner with OETT

Kendall Karyl Ellis

April 18, 1959 - January 31, 2015

Kendall Karyl Ellis was

born April 18, 1959 in
Topeka, Kansas.
She
passed away January 31,
2015 at her home in
Mounds at 55 years of age.
Kendall previously lived in
Claremore and earned her
Associates degree from
Rogers State College in
Liberal Arts. She later
joined the United States
Navy and served her country from 1988 to 1992,
when she was honorable
discharged. While in the
Navy, she attended EmbryRiddle
Aeronautical
University and became a
licensed Airframe and
Power Plant Mechanic.
She then worked for American Airlines before retiring. She
was preceded in death by her mother, Judith Ann (Culver)
Turnage and her grandparents, Leonard Brandy Culver and
Nancy Voncille (Sumpter) Harjo. Survivors include her
father, Odell Turnage of Mounds, a sister, Teri Stamper and
husband Tom of Mounds, nieces, Mollie Devereaux and husband Josh of Claremore and Brittany Stamper of Mounds,
nephews, Pake and Sam Stamper of Mounds, great grandmother, Sis Culver of Houston, Texas, an uncle, Curtis Culver
of Houston, Texas, aunts, Evelyn Culver of California and
Betty Culver of Pawhuska, cousins from California, Molly,
Anne, Paul and Sam Culver and very special friends, Ellin
Henderson of Beggs, Mary Jo Fools of Claremore and the
Beams Family of McAlester.
A service to celebrate Kendalls life will be held 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 5, 2015 at the McClendon-Winters
Funeral Home Chapel in Beggs. Friends may visit the funeral
home on Wednesday from 12:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. and
Thursday beginning at 9:00 a.m. Honorary casketbearers will
be Sam Stamper, Pake Stamper, Ricky Beams, David
Henderson, Randy Beams and Curtis Culver. Memorial contributions may be made to the Okmulgee Humane Society in
Kendalls name. Arrangements have been entrusted to the
McClendon-Winters Funeral Home of Beggs.

OETT representatives to view

technology from AT&T-funded
grants to Beggs High School
vides technology and professional development to students and educators at Beggs
High School. The OETT representatives are visiting the
school to see how students
and teachers are employing
the technology and training

in this endeavor to serve

schools, teachers and kids.
Trustees of OETT are Phil
Berkenbile appointed by the
Oklahoma State Board of
Career
&
Technology
Education, Steven Crawford
appointed by the Cooperative
Council for Oklahoma
School
Administration,
Robert Franklin appointed by
the Oklahoma State Senate
Education Committee, David
Duvall appointed by the
Oklahoma
Education
Association, Scott Parks
appointed by the Oklahoma
State Superintendent of
Public Instruction, Bob
Stafford appointed by AT&T,
John A. Wright appointed by
the Oklahoma State House of
Representatives Committee
on Education, Shawn Hime
appointed by the Oklahoma
State
School
Boards
Association and Sandy
Johnson appointed by the
Attorney General.
OETT is administered by
Communities Foundation of
Oklahoma and the OKACTS Phase II Grants-toSchool professional development team is administered
through the University of
Oklahomas K20 Center. For
additional information on
OETT, visit www.oett.org.