Obituaries

Memorial services for Carson Ray Mills of Cogar will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12 at Canaan Baptist Church in Minco.

Carson died Oct. 26, 2023. He was born April 21, 1970, in Midwest City.

He grew up in Cogar and attended school in Binger, graduating in 1988. He attended college at Oklahoma State University and El Reno Junior College. He lived in Cogar, Stillwater, El Reno and Shawnee during his life.

Carson was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2020. He continued to stay active with his hobbies until he was no longer able.

Services for Richard Byron Whiteman were held Nov. 9 at Huber-Benson Funeral Home with Mark MeGehee officiating. Interment was in the El Reno Cemetery.

Rick passed away Nov. 2, 2023. He was born Aug. 23, 1953, in Okarche. He grew up in El Reno, Oklahoma City and Houston, Texas. He graduated from Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City and attended Oklahoma State Technical Institute specializing in automotive and diesel mechanics. Rick worked at a variety of restaurants in the Oklahoma City area and in construction work.

Services for Verna Lou Wheeler of Yukon were held Nov. 2 at Covenant Community Church in Yukon, with David Ray of Yukon Church of Christ officiating. Interment followed at the Lone Wolf Cemetery.

Services were under the direction of Peoples Cooperative Funeral Home, Lone Wolf.

Verna passed away Oct. 29, 2023. She was born Feb. 13, 1944, in Granite, and graduated from Lone Wolf High School.

Wake services for Carl Heap of Birds will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, with funeral services at 12 p.m. Saturday, both at the Emergency Response Center in Concho. Burial will follow in the Concho Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Carl Heap of Birds, whose Cheyenne name was Sun Bear, died Nov. 3, 2023, in Ada.

He was born May 5, 1961, in Wichita, Kan., where he was raised.

Services for Alisha Dawn Kirkland will be held at 10 a.m. Friday in the Benson Memorial Chapel with Ginger Lemons officiating.

Alisha died Nov. 6, 2023, at her home in El Reno. She was born Feb. 14, 1980, in El Reno.

A lifelong resident, she graduated from El Reno High School in 1999.

Her kindness radiated in her life and work. She loved her job as a senior personal banker working for Interbank for 23 years.

Ralph William Rickner was born Feb. 25, 1940, out west of Concho to James Gilbert Rickner and Vonda Atkinson Rickner. Vonda married Clyde Thomason in 1954. Grandparents included Sally and Nelson Atkinson and William Bert and Rilla Townsend Rickner.

Ralph passed away Oct. 28, 2023, in Fort Smith, Ark.

Ralph was born the second of five sons, though the first son, Donald Ray, died at 6 months old of pneumonia. Ralph’s youngest brother, Gary and his wife, Nan are here with us today.