Obituaries

Juanita Charlene (Ashley) Doolittle, a resident of Claremore, passed away with grace and dignity on Dec. 23, 2023, at the age of 75. 

A celebration of life service was held in the chapel at DeLozier Funeral Service in Chelsea on Thursday, Jan. 4, with burial following at Dawes Cemetery in Chelsea.

Charlene was born Oct. 30, 1948, to the late Charlie Nelson Ashley and the late Almeda Ree (Christopher) Ashley in El Reno. Charlene was the second of five children and graduated from El Reno High School in 1966.

Services for Gabriele E. Taylor were held Thursday in the Benson Memorial Chapel with Rev. Paul Roach officiating. Burial followed at the El Reno Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Gabriele died Dec. 29, 2023, at Select Specialty Hospital in Oklahoma City. She was born Aug. 12, 1948, in Pirmasens, Germany.

She was adopted at the age of 8 and later moved with her parents to El Reno where she was raised and attended El Reno schools. She was a homemaker.

Services for Robert LeRoy Hoffman will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6 in the Benson Memorial Chapel with Pastor Danny Hart officiating. Burial will be at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8 at the Grant Township Cemetery in Marion, Kan., with Pastor Carl Helm officiating. Services are under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Bob was born Sept. 22, 1955, in Marion, Kan. He served as a policeman with the Marion Police Department and worked his way through the ranks to the office of Chief of the Department.

Gary Lynn Rickner peacefully passed away Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, in the comfort of his home in Oklahoma City.

He was born the youngest son to James and Vonda Rickner on June 6, 1947.

Gary is survived by his wife, Nanette; daughter, Nicole Sloat and husband, Bradley; daughter, Holly Howard and husband, Christopher; and six grandchildren. He also leaves behind relatives and friends.

Viewing will be held at Huber-Benson Funeral Home on Tuesday, Jan. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., with funeral services set for 2 p.m. at First Christian Church, El Reno.

Allen Donnell Graybill, 81, of El Reno, was born Oct. 25, 1942, in Elk City. He is the son of Otha Allen and Reta Dwendlyn (Weir) Graybill. He went to walk the golden streets of heaven on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, at Mercy Hospital, Oklahoma City, surrounded by his loving family.

Allen graduated from Leedey High School with the Class of 1960. He then continued his education at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, where he received his bachelor’s degree and graduated in 1965.

Graveside services for Myrl McBride were held Thursday at Fairview Cemetery in Tuttle, under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home in Minco.

Myrl passed away Dec. 22, 2023, at his home in Oklahoma City. He was born Oct. 8, 1935, in Tuttle. He was an Army veteran and worked for the Oklahoma Publishing Company until retirement in 1998.

Myrl is survived by his daughters, Tammy Bush and Julie Manuel and Amy Williams; nine grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Agnes “Atty” Christina Nijkamp Fitzgerald passed away peacefully on Dec. 17, 2023, at Mercy Hospital.

Atty was born July 24, 1944, in Alkmaar, The Netherlands, to her parents, John and Agnes Nijkamp. Her family (including twin sisters, Frely and Gemma) immigrated to America when she was 14. They moved to Oklahoma to be near a family that sponsored them.

Wake for Andrea Dianne Patton of Kingfisher will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, with funeral services set for 11 a.m. Saturday. Both services will be at the Kingfisher Emergency Response Center with Rev. Wendell Prim officiating. Burial will be in the Kingfisher Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Andrea died Dec. 18, 2023, in Oklahoma City. She was born Oct. 24, 1977, in El Reno and was raised in El Reno and Kingfisher. She was a member of the All Nations Church.

Deanna Thompson was born Feb. 15, 1962, in Carson City, Calif., to Lloyd and DeReba Lembke. She spent her early childhood in Lynwood, Calif., before the family relocated to El Reno in 1972. Deanna graduated from El Reno High School in 1980 where she had formed many close, long-term friendships.

As a young adult she went to work for the state of Oklahoma where she remained for many years before moving to Roll, Okla., in 2006 to live with her stepmother after the passing of her father.

Linda Fay Shumate died Dec. 12, 2023, at her home in Oklahoma City.

She was born May 19, 1948, in El Reno and graduated from El Reno High School.

Linda worked for the Oklahoma State Board of Education for 10 years, the Sheraton Hotel in their leasing office for 10 years, and as a secretary in the Department of Surgery at OU Health Science Center.

Her parents, Lyman and Georgia (Ballenger) Shumate, preceded her in death.