OBITUARIES

Mar 13, 2026

Memorial service for Gene Loyd Anthony will be 1:00p.m., Saturday, March 21, 2026, at First Baptist Church. Gene, a dedicated husband, father, and respected professional, passed away peacefully on March 13, 2026, in Claremore, Oklahoma.

Born on June 8, 1931, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Gene was the son of Elic and Edna (Pratt) Anthony. His early years in Muskogee instilled in him...

Mar 13, 2026

Wendell Douglas Johnson was born August 5, 1935 in Dallas, Georgia, to Ralph and Alta Johnson.



He attended Hiram High School. From there he entered the military, where he served as Chief Warrant Officer 4 for thirty years, then transferred to the Reserves while working as the Chief of Emergency Management for the Corps of Engineers. After retirement, he went to...

Mar 9, 2026

Carolyn Sue Coon was born Sep. 24, 1943. Her parents T.D. and Velma Butler raised her in Crawford, Oklahoma where she married her high school sweetheart Jack Coon on June 18, 1960. Shortly after marriage the couple lived in Germany until 1964. After returning to the U.S. they settled in Claremore, Oklahoma where they raised two sons, Mike and Bruce...

Mar 8, 2026

Betty passed from this life on Sunday, March 8, 2026, into the arms of her Lord and Savior, from her earthly home, at the age of 95 and one half years.

Betty Jo Horner was born September 8, 1930, in Chelsea, Oklahoma, to Clarence and Jessie (Dewey) Horner. She was raised and educated in her birth community and would have graduated...

Mar 7, 2026

Graveside service for Dan Mullen will be 10:00a.m., Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Highland Cemetery, Inola, Oklahoma.  Friends may visit at the funeral home on Friday, March 13, from 4pm-7pm.

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Dan Deo Mullen, 67, a resident of Inola, Oklahoma, on March 7, 2026, after a long battle with cancer.

Dan was...

Mar 5, 2026

Mar 5, 2026

Howard Edwin Reed, 67, of Inola, OK passed from this life on March 5, 2026. He was born to Kyle and Mary Reed in Des Moines, IA on May 18, 1958, and grew up with 5 sisters on a farm near Minburn, IA. Howard enjoyed farming and working in his father’s business, Farm-El Services. He moved to Tulsa in the...

Mar 2, 2026

Funeral service for Viola Stanton will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the House of Prayer Holiness Church. Burial will follow at Chelsea Cemetery.

Viola passed away on Monday, March 2, 2026, at the age of 91.

Viola was born on November 17, 1934, in Kenwood, Oklahoma, to James and Ada (Pilant) Brown. She later moved with her family to...

Mar 2, 2026

Funeral service for Jerry Coldren will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 6, 2026, at Chelsea Grace of God Church. Burial will follow at Ball Cemetery.

Jerry Keith Coldren passed away on Monday, March 2, 2026, at the age of 87.

He was born on March 31, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to W.D. and Wilma (Gay) Coldren. Later, he and...

Feb 28, 2026

Funeral services for Steven Joe Dowty will be held Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at Claremore First Methodist Church. Visitation will be Monday, March 9, 2026 at MMS-Payne Funeral Home, with the family receiving friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Steve passed away on Saturday February 28th, 2026 at the age of 64.

Steven Joe Dowty was born February 25, 1962 in Ponca...

Feb 27, 2026

Linda Smith McClurg, born in Tiawah on March 26, 1944, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her children on Friday, February 27, 2026. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Eastern Hills Baptist Church. Services are under the direction of MMS-Payne Funeral Service.

She married the love of her life, Tommy Gene...

Feb 27, 2026

Dr. Vernon Soriux Smith passed away on February 27, 2026, at the age of 87.

Vernon was born on June 10, 1938, in Dacoma, Oklahoma, to Guy Edward Smith and Helen Marie (Rexroad) Smith. He was raised by his grandparents John Daniel Vernon and Jeanette Virginia Rexroat. He attended Alene Public Schools before continuing his education at Phillips University in Enid,...

Feb 24, 2026

Rodney James Rhine, 66, passed away on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at his home surrounded by his family, following a long-fought illness.

Rod was born on August 5, 1959, in Claremore, Oklahoma, to Samuel James and Nancy (McDaniel) Rhine. A lifelong resident of Rogers County, he attended school in Verdigris and Catoosa before moving to the Sequoyah area. During high school,...

Feb 21, 2026

Judith “Judy” Negelein passed away on February 21, 2026, at the age of 77.

Judy was born to Harvey and Virginia Gagnon in Holyoke, Massachusetts. She attended Chicopee High School and, following graduation, furthered her education by pursuing her LPN degree at Western Massachusetts College.

On July 14, 1967, she married the love of her life, David. Throughout her life, Judy worked...

Feb 21, 2026

Funeral services for Cheryl Denise Long will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at the Inola Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery.

Cheryl was born on January 5, 1960, in Benton, Arkansas, where she spent part of her childhood. Her family later moved to Oklahoma, settling in the Catoosa area. She attended school there and...

Feb 15, 2026

Marilyn Iva Bretz

Marilyn Bretz passed away on February 15, 2026 at the age of 90.

Marilyn Iva Bretz was born on February 28, 1935, in Coweta, Oklahoma, to Ray Felix and Ruby (Chance) Waldrup. She grew up in the country and attended Bull Creek schools before graduating from Wagoner High School in 1953.

After graduation, Marilyn and two of her girlfriends moved...

Feb 14, 2026

Louise Bernice Wildman Ickes, age 96, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on February 14, 2026. She was born on September 16, 1929, at home in Vici, Oklahoma; the third child of Norman and Eura Wildman. Louise grew up on a farm in a close- knit family with two brothers and many cousins who lived nearby. As a child...

Feb 12, 2026

Services for Gary Davis will be held on Monday, February 23, 2026, at 2 pm at MMS-Payne Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Gary Don Davis of Foyil, Oklahoma, passed away on February 12, 2026, at the age of 68.

Gary was born on November 26, 1957, in Claremore, Oklahoma, to James and Mary Davis. He grew up in...

Feb 11, 2026

Funeral service for Shirley Reed will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at the Inola Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery.

Shirley Clayrene Reed passed away on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at the age of 88. She was born on September 27, 1937, in Inola, Oklahoma, to Ray Ollie McDaris and Ruby (Logan) McDaris. Shirley grew...

Feb 11, 2026

Services for Dr. Jimmie Shipman will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 2:00pm at Claremore First Presbyterian Church. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 from 1:00-7:00pm with family greeting friends from 5:00-7:00pm at MMS-Payne Funeral Home. Burial will be held on Friday, February 20, at 11:00am at Summitview Cemetery in Guthrie, OK.

Dr. Jimmie Leroy Shipman, lovingly...