Tana Lile

Tana Kay (Smith) Lile was born February 9, 1939 to Garland and Flossie (Potter) Smith in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her early years were spent working in the family bakery, while attending the local schools.

As a young adult she took voice lessons and sang solos, participating in church programs, and choral groups. Carrying on in her own energetic way, she was an officer as part of a league bowling team which traveled all over the United States. Tana was an accomplished seamstress which led to many counted cross stitch projects. Her real passion was decorating Christmas trees, packages and making bows.

Upon graduating high school Tana began what would become a 30 year career as a clerk at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in Tulsa and later moving to Oklahoma City where her job skills were expanded to data processing and report handling. There she met Charles and they were married February 11, 1984 in the Del City Christian Church.

Moving back to Lake Fort Gibson Oklahoma after a 5 year stay in Marceline, Missouri, she and Charles joined the Hulbert United Methodist Church. She and Charles had opportunities to attend Walk to Emmaus and Texas Christian Ashram, where she made a spiritual commitment of faith to the church. Serving as church secretary, she and Charles also were delegates to the United Methodist State Annual Conference.

They traveled to Missouri, Colorado, New Mexico, Illinois, Kansas, and took an Amtrak trip to Washington D.C. among other activities; she volunteered to sew costumes for the Olympic Festival figure skaters in Oklahoma City/Norman. She also became a member of the Rebekah organization, the counterpart of International Order of Odd Fellows in Wagoner, Oklahoma. Any spare time was spent working puzzles, reading and watching sporting events. Her lifelong dream came true to attend the University of Oklahoma and graduate with a Bachelors in Religion and Ethics in 1994.

Tana is preceded in death by her parents, two sisters and one brother.

Tana is survived by her husband and one sister, Carol Bierer of Oklahoma City as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and a host of friends.

The family has requested in lieu of flowers for Tana, donations can be made in her honor to:

American Diabetes Association

P.O. Box 11454

Alexandria, VA 22312

www.diabetes.org

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

www.aspca.org/donate