The News Press

Billy Carl Wallace, formally of Stillwater, OK., and a "Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and a helluva engineer," passed away in Newnan, GA., on Sunday, May 1, 2022. He was 96 years old. His given name is indeed Billy, though his Uncle Orland, or "Unk" as he was affectionally known, would on occasion call him William. Billy is survived by his four children, Carol (Rich) Johnstone of Walnut Creek, CA., Debbie Blossom of Oklahoma City, OK., Wendy (Paul) Kooser of Sarasota, FL., and Brian (Carrie) Wallace of Newnan, GA., five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, his sister Bettie Clark of Houston, TX., sister-in-law Helen Wallace of Tucker, GA. and 12 nieces and nephews. His wife of 73...

Alan Raupe, 68, passed away March 18, 2022, at his home. He was born April 18, 1953, in Stillwater, OK, to Arthur Lyle and Norma Jean (Lazenby) Raupe. Alan was a 1971 graduate of C.E. Donart High School, Stillwater, OK. He started as a restaurant cook after high school, working his way up to managing restaurants in Oklahoma and Cincinnati, Ohio, by the time he was 20. Alan then moved back to Oklahoma and began working in the energy industry for Koch Hydrocarbon, and later ONEOK, Inc., from 1976 through the present. Alan and his special fur baby, Brutus, were inseparable. If you saw one, you knew that the other one was not very far away. He enjoyed home remodeling, gardening,...

Dale Lamoine Ringwald died at 3:50 pm on February 20, 2022, in Temple, Texas, at the age of 99. He had been living in the William R. Courtney Texas State Veterans Home, where he was honored with a flag and final salute. Memorial Services will be held in the Chapel at Strode Funeral Home in Stillwater, Oklahoma, April 11 at 10 am, followed by graveside services to include full military honors. He will be interred next to his late wife, Mrs. Betty Ringwald. His name is on the Payne County War Veterans Memorial at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Stillwater. Mr. Ringwald was born at his maternal grandparents' farm on Euchee Creek near Pemeta, Oklahoma, between Cushing and Drumright, on Friday,...

Dr. Christopher Robert Ross (Chris), age 69, of Manhattan, KS, died December 12, 2021 in Manhattan, KS. Chris was born April 29, 1952. Chris earned his Bachelor's degree followed by his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1981. After practicing in Fulton, MO, he returned to MU where he received his PhD in Physiology in 1990. He then researched and taught in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine for the next 17 years. From 2007 until his retirement in 2021, Chris served at Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine as Professor of Physiological Sciences, Associate Dean for...

Jack Clifton Jacobson of Ardmore Oklahoma passed away on September 5, 2021, in Dallas, Texas. He was with family at the time of his peaceful passing. A memorial service is being planned for Labor Day weekend 2022 in Oklahoma. Jack was born in Stillwater Oklahoma on June 23, 1941, the second child and first son of C.E. "Tip" and Francis "Fran" Jacobson. He grew up in a variety of Oklahoma and Oregon towns before settling in Ardmore, OK when he was 9 years old. Jack was a natural athlete. As a pre-teen he waterskied on his first try and he rode a unicycle on his first try around a city block. He was small in the seventh grade, but he was a tough player in all sports. At Ardmore High School...

David "Barry" Dowd, 85, passed away Fri, Aug 20, 2021. He was the former head basketball coach of Arlington State College. A celebration of his life will be at Jeter & Son Funeral Home, 2PM, Fri, Aug 27, 2021, with visitation beginning at 12PM. Please see his full obituary at www.jeterandson.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Northeast Arkansas Cancer Society and Northeast Arkansas Humane Society.

Dr. Harley Wayne Reno, age 82 of Rigby, passed away at his home Tuesday March 30, 2021. Harley was born February 13, 1939 in Oakland, California a son to Dorris Gaylen Reno and Margaret Eileen Moffatt Reno. Harley earned five master's degrees and a PHD in his education. He was a Professor of Engineering Science at Baylor University and Oklahoma State and at the INL. Throughout his life he lived in California, Oklahoma and Idaho. He enjoyed nature and was a fishing guide for fifty years. He is survived by his wife Cathy Reno of Rigby, Baby sister Charlene Reno-Brown of Tennessee, and two daughters; Robin Reno of Salt Lake City and Katy Reno of Phoenix, Arizona.

Fritz Wade Wirt, a newspaperman virtually all his life, died January 6, 2021 in Montgomery, Texas. He was 85. A former newspaper reporter, editor, publisher and journalism educator, he worked at several newspapers in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. While working in the private sector, he taught journalism classes part-time at various universities in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas. In 2006, Fritz was inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame and the Midwest City High School Wall of Fame in Midwest, Oklahoma. Fritz was the general manager of the OSU Daily O'Collegian from 1989 until his retirement in 2008. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Karen, his daughter Tobey (Richard)...

Cherry Barnard Axtell Lewis, 94, long time resident of Ripley, OK., passed away Monday, January 4, 2021, in Wichita Falls, TX. The third of four children born to Nathaniel George Barnard and Lorena Regina Estes, she was born on December 1, 1926, in Agra, Oklahoma. In 1932 her family moved to the four corners area of Colorado where they homesteaded land and raised pinto beans. During WWII her family moved to Oregon for a brief time where she worked as a welder in the shipyards. After the war they returned to Colorado and Cherry married Robert Allen Axtell of Ripley, Oklahoma. After a few years of traveling to work in the oil fields around the four corners area the couple settled in...

Sharon Sue Petty, 80, passed away peacefully at home amid family on December 24, 2020. The third of five children, Sharon was born at home on February 26, 1940, to Edward Tony and Catherine Leota Barker Savage in Oklahoma City. She brought extra joy into this world. As a young girl, Sharon wanted to be president of the United States. She met David Kent Petty at the end of her eighth-grade year when she was elected Student Council president. David, as the outgoing president, swore in Sharon as the new president. These kids fell for each other at Northeast High School in Oklahoma City, and they swore their lives to each other in marriage on May 29, 1961. Sharon attended Oklahoma State...

JoAnn Lewis Wallace, 96, formally of Stillwater, OK., passed away on Friday, October 23, 2020, in Newnan, GA. She is survived by her husband of 73 years, Billy Wallace of Newnan, GA., and her four children: Carol (Rich) Johnstone of Walnut Creek, CA., Debbie Blossom of Oklahoma City, OK., Wendy (Paul) Kooser of Sorrento, FL., and Brian (Carrie) Wallace of Newnan, GA., five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. "Aunt Jo" also leaves behind 12 nieces and nephews and friends made throughout her long life. She was preceded in death by her parents, Stuart and Ann Lewis, two brothers who died before she was born, her stepmother Cornelia Jean Lewis, and her half-brother Richard "Dick" Lewis....

Neil Bernard Williams, son of James Elmer and Francs Williams passed away at the age of 90 on September 12, 2020. He is survived by his wife Susanna Williams; children Rebecca (Randy) Pitre, Garth (Lisa) Williams, Nancy (Jeff) Fulton, Dr. Neil (Cathy) Williams, Quintin (Rene) Williams and Seth Williams, 15 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his siblings Eugene, Virginia, Neville Louis, Mary, Lawrence Edward, Ellen Mary, Loretta, Hamil and Donald. A viewing/rosary will be held on September 24, 2020 from 3-5 pm, at Hiers-Baxley Funeral home, 3975 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, FL 32162. Mass will be held on September 25, 2020 at 11 am, at St. Vincent de...

Former high school graduate of Stillwater High and student at Oklahoma State University, Steve "Nick" "Nicholson left this world to be with his Lord and Savior on July 9th. Steve was born on September 13, 1963 to Sally and Thomas Nicholson in Duncan, Oklahoma. Steve moved to Amarillo, Tx in 1991 where he was a managing partner at Sonic for over 21 years. He thrived in the business and was able to retire to pursue his passion in boxing. He opened Nick's Fight Club which quickly grew and evolved to a franchise. Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Sally and Thomas Nicholson, his beloved grandmother, Lelah Nicholson, who helped raise Steve, grandfather Bonnie Nicholson, grandparents...

Janis Lee Williams was born on July 6, 1941 in a farmhouse on 80 acres in Yale, Oklahoma to Minnie McDaniel Haydock and John Everett Haydock. It was a working fruit and vegetable farm and people came from all around to purchase their produce. Janis married Billy Joe Bradley and they had four children together. The family moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1972 where Janis was a Realtor for a number of years. She later married Richard Williams of Stillwater and they ran a sheep farm until his death in 2011. She then moved to Bozeman, Montana where she resided at the time of her passing. Janis is survived by her children Mark, David, Joni, and Toni Bradley; her sister Emily; 7 nieces and...

Edward Lee Brumfield Jr, 70, passed away on March 31st, 2020 in Plano, TX. Born January 30th, 1950 in Ada, Oklahoma to Edward Lee Brumfield Sr. and Edna Margaret (Jordan) Brumfield. He graduated from Stillwater High School in 1968 and was a member of the state football championship team of 1967. He attended Oklahoma State University, and then started a career with Southwestern Bell. During his time spent with Southwestern Bell, he influenced many lives and developed additional lifelong relationships. Ed grew up and worked initially in Oklahoma then progressed his career moving to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. After more than 30 years in the telecommunication industry, he retired in order to...