Obituaries

Private graveside services for Jerry Lou Phelps of Minco will be held in the Evergreen Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home.

Jerry passed away April 18, 2020, at her home in Minco. She was born March 8, 1945, in Lawton and was raised in Oklahoma City.

Her family moved to Minco in 1961, and she graduated from Minco High School in 1963. Jerry was a homemaker and later was employed with Minco schools as a cook for 12 years. She then went to work at Mariemont Industries in Chickasha, where she retired. She attended First Baptist Church.

Private graveside services for Thomas Dwain Russell of Minco will be held in the Friendship Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home.

Mr. Russell passed away April 18, 2020, at his home in Minco. He was born Oct. 9, 1945, in Pocasset.

Tom was raised in the Waynoka area, attending Waynoka schools. The family moved back to Minco in 1966. Tom served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam.

He was employed as a diesel mechanic for Roadway Trucking, retiring in 2009. He was a member of Canaan Baptist Church.

A private graveside service for Malaina Sue Tallbear will be held Thursday in the El Reno Cemetery with Rev. Jim White officiating.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Benson Memorial Chapel.

Services are under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Malaina died April 17, 2020, at Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City. She was born July 28, 1977, in Oklahoma City. She lived most of her life in El Reno and was employed by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.

Mary Bell, El Reno resident for 49 years, went to be with her Lord and Savior April 11, 2020, in Yukon. She was born July 3, 1935, in Bennington to Roy and Violet Whitmore. On Aug. 13, 1951, she married the love of her life and best friend, Vernon Bell. Together the two of them shared 68 years and 7 months happily married.

Mary, better known as Nanny Bell to everyone she met, loved her family and friends deeply.

Private services for Robert James “Lil Rocc” Meely will be held in the Concho Cemetery under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.   

Lil Rocc died April 12, 2020, in El Reno. He was born Dec. 4, 1979, in Oklahoma City.  He lived most of his life in El Reno and worked in maintenance at Concho.

Metta Bernice Norton, 96, of Salida, Colo., passed away April 8, 2020, at Columbine Manor Care Center in Salida where she had resided the past year.

Bernice was born Aug. 21, 1923, in El Reno. She grew up and attended public schools in El Reno, and after graduation, moved to Wichita, Kan., where she spent most of her adult life. 

Bernice had been employed with Beech Aircraft, Dillard’s and the Veterans Administration. She returned to El Reno after retirement and volunteered at Russell-Murray Hospice Thrift Store for several years. 

Debra Donnell “Debby” Pence, age 66, passed away April 10, 2020, in Oklahoma City. She was born to Donald Clinton and Bonnie Mae (Paulk) Artherholt on Oct. 18, 1953.

Debby loved to dance and one of the highlights of her teenage years was dancing on “The Scene” at Channel 4 Studio hosted by WKY disc jockey Ronnie Kaye.

Debby attended Northwest Classen High School in Oklahoma City. She always loved fashion so while attending school she took a position in the health and beauty department at American Mutual Company (AMC).

Margy Stephens passed away on Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020, at Dell-Seton Hospital in Austin, Texas.

She was born in El Reno, the fourth child of James Ellis and Peggy Walsh Smith. Margy was known for her unwavering generosity, fierce independence and astute design sense — as well as for throwing the best Valentine’s Day party in town during the 1980s.

Margy graduated from the American University in Washington, D.C. with a BA in Art and Interior Design. She was married to Don Stephens from 1966 to 1975.

Kyler Walker, a plumbing apprentice and lifelong resident of El Reno, died unexpectedly on Sunday, April 12, 2020, at the age of 28.

Kyler was born April 17, 1991, to Tony and BJ (Thompson) Walker. He graduated from El Reno High School in 2009.

He also completed a two-year construction trades program from Canadian Valley Technology Center at the same time. He was employed at his family’s company, Walker Plumbing.

Kyler was one of the third generation of plumbers.

Betty Ann Heinrich was born Oct. 26, 1926, southeast of El Reno in Carl and Carrie Pivniska’s farm house to Ross and Bessie Hubbard.

She passed away April 12, 2020, in her home east of El Reno with her kids by her side.

Betty grew up in the El Reno area and worked at various jobs including the movie theater. She graduated from Capitol Hill High School in 1944.

She met Will Roy Heinrich while working for National Cattle Company at the Oklahoma City Stockyards.