Obituaries

Bertha Jean Williams Sanders went to her heavenly home on Sunday, April 13, 2025.

She was born Dec. 20, 1937, to Silas and Opal Williams. She attended Wewoka High School and graduated from Sulphur High School in 1956.

Bertha married Floyd Sanders on Nov. 25, 1955. They lived in Sulphur the first three years of their marriage. In 1958, they moved back to Wewoka before moving to El Reno in 1960 where they made their home.

In November 2024, Bertha moved to a senior living center in Purcell to be closer to Peggy, Paige and Cyndy.

Betty Jean Paxton passed away March 26, 2025, at Integris Hospital in Yukon. She was born May 1, 1935, in Watonga, and was a graduate of Geary High School.

She worked at the Geary Nursing Home for 25 years as a medical technician, office manager and records specialist.

Betty was a lifelong member of Macedonia Baptist Church, where she served as church secretary and deaconess. 

Caroline Holdaway, a beloved mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and dear friend to many, passed away peacefully on April 11, 2025, in El Reno, at the age of 89.

Born in Omega, Okla., in Kingfisher County, Caroline grew up on the family farm and attended Omega schools before finishing her public education at Calumet High School.

She married Raymond Holdaway in 1952, beginning a loving marriage that spanned 61 years until his passing.

George Frederick Lerch, 90, passed away peacefully in his home in the company of his family on April 7, 2025. 

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, April 14, 2025, at Trinity Baptist Church in El Reno.

George was born the son of Ernest and Selma Lerch in Elgin, Iowa, on Feb. 22, 1935. He graduated from Elgin High School.

George served in the Army from 1952 to 1955 at Fort Sill. During his time at Fort Sill, on a weekend liberty in Anadarko, he met the love of his life, Barbara Elms.

DeWayne Carvin Wood passed away April 1, 2025, at his home in Kodiak, Alaska, where he had resided this last year.

He was born Nov. 10, 1938, in Carnegie, where he grew up and graduated high school. 

DeWayne lived most of his life in Calumet. He retired from AT&T after 30 years of service. He was a member of First Baptist Church in El Reno, where he served many years as a deacon and Sunday school teacher.

Services for Marjorie JoAnn Sarrett of Minco will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, April 11 at First Baptist Church in Minco, with burial following at the Evergreen Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home.

Marjorie died April 7, 2025, in Minco. She was born Feb. 11, 1933, in Dibble and graduated from Dibble High School in 1950. She moved to Minco in 1964 from Moore. 

William Michael (Mike) Thompson passed away at the age of 72 on March 28, 2025, at River Oaks in El Reno. He was born in Okarche on Oct. 1, 1952, to William Sidney Thompson Jr. and Florine (Hanks) Thompson.

Mike attended Lincoln Elementary and Etta Dale Junior High and graduated from El Reno High School in 1971. He attended El Reno Junior College, now Redlands, and completed two years.

Betty Mack Wolfe Smith, 98, passed away peacefully March 31, 2025, in Bethany. She was born in Corsicana, Texas, in 1926 to parents, WM. M. Wolfe and Georgia Bishop.

Betty dedicated her life to caring for those around her, including time as a teacher.

But her pride and joy was making her home a welcoming place for family and friends to make memories together.

Services for Leland Bradley Mitchell of Union City were held Monday, March 31 at Hazel Dell Baptist Church, with burial following at Hazel Dell Cemetery. Services were under the direction of Huber-Reynolds Funeral Home, Minco.

Leland died March 24, 2025, in Oklahoma City. He was born Jan. 28, 1948, in Pocasset. He was raised in the Pocasset community, attending Chickasha Public Schools. From the age of 18, Leland worked as a sheet metalist at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, retiring after over 40 years.

Fred was born Feb. 20, 1931, on the family farm outside of Gracemont.

His parents were Freeman and Lula Mae (Pet) Steenbergen. They lived in Gracemont a couple of years, then moved to a farm in Spring Creek. They lived there for eight years.