Obituaries

Mark Sterling Pritchard

Mark Sterling Pritchard

Mark Sterling Pritchard

Mark Sterling Pritchard resident of Tecumseh, passed away on June 25, 2026. Mark was born on Aug, 19, 1956 in Shawnee, OK to Johnny and Patsy Pritchard. Mark graduated from Shawnee High School and continued on to earn his associate’s degree at Seminole Jr. College.

Betty Jean Nolen

Betty Jean Geisler Nolen, age 89, passed away June 30, 2026, in Shawnee, OK. She was born to Henry E. and Edna (Seebeck) Geisler on Aug. 9, 1936, on the family farm near Wellston, OK. Betty graduated from Shawnee High School in 1954. Bobby Joe Nolen, became her husband on Oct. 22, 1955, at St.

Ruby Vandever

Ruby Mae Vandever, 89, passed away July 3, 2026. Ruby and her twin sister, Rose, were born on April 2, 1937, in Concho, OK, to Albert and Marie (Wakole) Stephens. They made history as the first set of twins born at Concho Hospital.

Aubrey Rose Ricketts

Aubrey Rose Ricketts passed away July 1, 2026. She was born on Jan. 21, 1997, in Shawnee, OK. Aubrey will be remembered as a beautiful, funny, vibrant young woman. She graduated high school in 2015 and from Gordon Cooper to be a CNA in 2014.

JoElla Thomas

JoElla Thomas passed away June 30, 2026. JoElla was born on Oct. 28, 1951, in Fort Sill, OK, to Delmar and Avis (Smith) Maranell. After graduating high school, JoElla attended Seminole Junior College.

Jimmie Dale Coker

Jimmie Dale Coker passed away on June 29, 2026. He was 90 years old. Jimmie was born on November 24, 1935, in Shawnee, OK to Rudy and Leva Coker. Jim graduated from Bethel High School. He attended OBU, earning his bachelor’s degree in education. He married Sonya on Aug.

Kenneth Jim Poole

Kenneth 'Jim' Poole passed away June 29, 2026, following a fight with pancreatic cancer. Jim was born Aug. 19, 1944, in Wewoka, OK to Laura Ellen Reed and Kenneth Jim Poole, Sr.On Dec. 28, 1967, he enlisted in the Marine Corp at the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City.

Barbara Evans

Barbara Ann Evans passed away June 29, 2026. Barbara was born on Oct. 1, 1944, in Lancaster, CA., to Paul H. Hopkins and Geneva Bell (Plaster) Hopkins. She graduated from Bethel High School in 1962.On June 14, 1963, Barbara married Bill, at New Hope Baptist Church.

Darrell Lee Hatfield

Lt. Darrell Lee Hatfield, OCPD, Retired passed away on June 22, 2026. He was born to Jimmy Lee Hatfield and Betty Lou Hatfield in Oklahoma City on Dec. 1, 1949. He attended Capitol Hill High School, graduating in 1967. In Jan. 1967, he met his wife and lifelong companion, Brenda Lou Coots.

Martha Ann Lillard

Martha Lillard passed away of long-haul Covid-19 on June 26, 2026. She was born June 8, 1948, to Thomas M. and Gloria June (Green) Lillard of Shawnee. Martha contracted polio in 1953, and from that time slept in an iron lung.