Jerry Jean Wayhan

Jerry Jean Wayhan passed away April 8, 2026, two weeks shy of her 89th birthday. Jerry was born April 22, 1937 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the daughter of John Will Gragg and Rose Ella Grant. She spent the majority of her growing up years in Cherokee, Oklahoma, where she won the Miss Cherokee pageant and regional Miss Cinderella pageant in 1954. Her Freshman year of college was spent at the University of Oklahoma, where she pledged Delta Gamma sorority, and met Darel Whan (later legally changed to Wayhan), the man who would become her husband. She and Darel married in 1956, and Jerry worked for the school newspaper to help support him while he finished his degree in Petroleum Engineering. They had five children together, and moved to many different cities, including a stint overseas in Cairo, Egypt, during Darel’s career.

Jerry always sought out the alumnae group of Delta Gamma in each new city she moved to. When Darel made his final move to Houston, Texas in 1979, she began her decades of service to Delta Gamma, including becoming President of the Houston Northwest Alumnae Chapter twice. She won the Cable Award for service in 1994, and the prestigious Loyalty Award in 2021. Jerry was an active member of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Houston for many years.

In December of 2020, due to declining health, Jerry made the move to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to be closer to her daughter. Five years later, her life ended in the same city where it began.

Jerry was predeceased by her parents, brother Johnnie Gragg, former husband Darel Wayhan, daughter Valerie Braden, son Vince Wayhan, Vince’s wife Pam Wayhan, and son Victor Wayhan.

She is survived by sister Anna Haven, son Van Wayhan, daughter Venecia Davis, son-in-law Jay Davis, daughters-in-law Cory Wayhan and Michaela Wayhan, special family members Lisa Raye and Isaiah Perkins, granddaughters Shanna O’Donnell, Stacy Robinson, Summer Pennington, Miranda Davis, and Amber Davis, and fourteen great-grandchildren.

Jerry will be laid to rest in Memorial Park Cemetery in Oklahoma City.