Duchess Marie Jett Bartmess

Born 12-15-1939

Denver, Colorado

At an early age her parents moved from Denver to El Campo, Texas where she attended El Campo grade and high school. Her father Bill Jett was a math teacher at El Campo and he looked after her closely. There she met her lifelong friend, Connie Hunt. After graduating high school they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where she attended the University of Minnesota where she met Karene Lee her roommate, and they also remained lifelong friends.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota she and her parents moved to Oklahoma City, where she was employed at the Oklahoma County Court Clerk’s Office. She enrolled at the Oklahoma City University’s law school. While working during the day and attending law school at night, a friend invited her to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. At the wedding she was matched with Charles Bartmess, a groomsman for the groom. After their meeting in February, they were married on August 28, 1964. They both attended night school at OCU, where Duchess graduated law school. She was hired by Oklahoma’s Attorney General Larry Derryberry to be assistant attorney general for four years. While at the state capital, she was hired by the Oklahoma Legislature to be the Chief Counsel. She wrote legislation and did law research. While there she was appointed to the commission on uniform state laws.

She and Charles traveled to many states where she participated in legislation. While at the Legislation counsel she met and did law work for Representative Frank Keeting. After he won the election for Governor, he hired Duchess to be his General Counsel. During her time there, the 1995 Murr building bombing occurred, she and many others in the Governor’s office mourned the 168 lives lost. She retired from the Governor’s office in 1998, and she and Charles enjoyed retirement.

Duchess was diagnosed in 2023 with Leukemia cancer. She and the doctors and nurses at Mercy Hospital fought the two-year battle and she finally lost out. We want to thank all the friends and family for their support during those days.

After over sixty years of marriage, she will always be on my mind and in my heart. – Charles