Lois Arlene (Gwartney) Powers

Lois Arlene (Gwartney) Powers was born on November 11, 1935 to Kelly “Ted” and Murl (Allen) Gwartney and just celebrated her 86th birthday. She was the oldest of five children, three brothers, Harold, Jimmie and Bobby Gwartney and one sister Joyce (Gwartney) Ruch. Arlene “Ene” loved her family and working the land in western Oklahoma where she was born and raised. After graduating from Hammon High School, Lois worked as the Hammon telephone switchboard operator and later at the Hammon Coop when she met the love of her life on a blind date. Cecil had just returned home to Butler from serving in the army in Korea and was working for the construction company that built the elevator at the Coop. After a very short courtship she married Cecil Ray Powers Sr. on April 15, 1955 and followed him all across the country on his job with the construction company. During these travels Lois became the mother of two children. Renita was born in South Dakota and Ray in Kansas. When the children started school the family settled down in Del City where both children graduated. Lois was a stay at home mom, keeping busy as home room mother and was active in the local PTA. One of the highlights of her PTA leadership career was when she attended a National conference in Washington DC. When the kids were in high school she began working at the Del City Tag agency and later as a secretary at Del City High School. After retirement she enjoyed her garden, supporting Renita’s Hammon FHA/FCCLA chapter, attending the Warrior basketball state tournaments and fishing in the “BigPond”.

Greeting her in Heaven on November 30, 2021 was her loving husband Cecil Ray Powers Sr; son Cecil Ray Powers Jr; parents Ted and Murl Gwartney; brother Harold Gwartney; sister Joyce (Gwartney) Ruch; niece Elizabeth (Gwartney) Wookey; nephews Darrel Gwartney, David Powers, and Timothy Powers; her mother and father-in-law Jim and Nadine Powers; brothers and sisters-in-law Curtis and Irene Powers, Bill and Dorothy Powers and Thanti Powers; along with her grandparents James and Nancy “Tennie” Gwartney and Granville and Emma Allen; and Aunts, Uncles and many cousins and friends. She was waiting in Heaven to greet her great great niece Payton Chlon who joined her on December 1, 2021. Aunt Arlene now has another child to watch over.

Lois is survived by her daughter Renita Elaine Powers of Del City and Hammon; brothers Jimmie Gwartney and wife Marilyn of Earlsboro, and Bobby Gwartney and wife Janet of Hammon; sister-in-law Carolyn Gwartney of Cheyenne; brothers-in-law Greg Ruch of Edmond, and Donald Powers and wife Collene of Bakersville, CA; her nieces Christine Davis and husband Billy of Edmond, Cheryl Johnson and husband Jay of Nowata, Michele Shanklin and husband Mike of El Reno, Ann Roles of Hammon, Gwenda “Susie” Betzina and husband John of Tusculum, TN, Janice Munger and husband Kable of Bakersville, CA, Sandol Johnson of Thrall, TX, Terri Powers of Custer City and Michaela Asherson of Chino Valley AZ; and her nephews Allen Gwartney of Earlsboro, Eugene Gwartney and wife Michelle of Strong City, Kelly Gwartney and wife Karla of Reydon, Bobby Lynn Gwartney and wife Elisa of Hammon, Shawn Gwartney of Norman, Lynn Ruch of Edmond, Todd Powers and wife Denisa of Coos Bay OR, Christopher Powers and wife Kasey of Bakersvillle, CA and Everett Wookey of Jones,OK.

Services for Lois are Friday, December 10, 2021 at the Bill Eisenhour Funeral Home Chapel in Del City, at 10:00 a.m. with a graveside service at Red Hill Cemetery in Hammon, OK at 2:30 p.m. Officiating both services is Dolan Ivey of Hammon, Oklahoma. Honorariums can be made in her name at The National Alzheimer’s Association, The American Cancer Society or The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation.