Doris "Jean" Spoon Martin

The family has asked me to say a few words about Doris Jean….. mother, great-grandmother, grandmother, daughter, and friend. First – thank all of you for coming and sharing this time with us. We appreciate so much having you here and I know Jean is smiling on us from heaven.

This is such a difficult time for all of us who loved Jean and as we try to mend our broken hearts, we find ourselves also remembering many good times, smiles, and special moments with this beautiful lady.

Jean was a kind, loving soul. Her life was not easy or paved in gold…. but whatever the challenge – she survived it – usually with some comedic rendition of something that happened in the midst of every crisis.

She adored her mother Lorene, and her daddy Johnny Spoon. Although she always said she entered this world with two huge disadvantages. She was born on April Fools day and her last name was Spoon. Think about all she had to overcome in the 6th grade with that!

Jean’s mother Lorene was a beautiful woman. Curvaceous, a little prissy, but always warm and caring. Jean always said it was a little disappointing that when evaluating those physical traits we all inherit from our parents – that she apparently inherited her Daddy’s chest!

Lorene was a wonderful cook which helped all of us a lot. Jean worked her whole life – 30 years of it commuting from Norman to Tinker Field…. Lorene made sure dinner was ready for all of us at the end of the day. Having become accustomed to not cooking… Jean (like many of us who work) became quite proficient with the microwave oven later in life.

During her daughter’s single years, they both considered remodeling their kitchens into wet bars…. A microwave, ice machine, extra large refrigerator for diet cokes and…. Well whatever else might need to be chilled. Seems like that would handle every Lean Cuisine that was needed by the two of them.

Now to reveal a dark family secret. For any of you ladies in the Guild who have begged Jean for her FABULOUS potato salad recipe… we are going to give it to you now.

1. First, pull out your best and largest salad bowl

2. Next, get a piece of masking tape and carefully print your name and phone number on it – so the bowl will not get lost.

3. Now take the bowl and go to Homeland…. Have the deli ladies fill the bowl with their “best” potato salad… Ask them to sprinkle the top with a little paprika… and cover it with plastic wrap.

4. Deliver it to whatever function needs this offering… and swear to never reveal the recipe!

Jean would call Linda every time she did this and giggle about how much everyone LOVED her potato salad. She always told Linda her potato salad was the best thing she ever cooked.

Johnny was the comedian of the family. A barber by trade, Johnny Spoon’s reputation and stories have lived on for over 50 years since he left this earth to prepare a place for Lorene and for his beloved daughter, Jean. If you meet an old sage barber or son of a barber in the Norman area… you may very well hear of some shenanigan Johnny Spoon pulled “in the day.”

Johnny taught Jean the joy of being on the water, fishing, boating and camping. A most joyous life was shared by the family packing up the boats with camping gear and heading to the lake every Friday night… I mean EVERY Friday night from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Jean loved to fish especially when the sand bass “ran” at lake Texoma. She always used some contraption called a “Golly Whopper” that had multiple hooks on it --- making it possible to catch 4 or 5 sandies at a time! This all worked perfectly until that one time when in the excitement she threw back to cast without checking and nabbed (then husband) Roy in the back of the skull. She did have a really good arm… and if Roy hadn’t been carrying a little extra weight at the time… I think Jean could have thrown him about 50 yards out in the lake.

One of Jean’s great joys was the birth of her grandson, John. She always held John in a special place in her heart and was soothed, even in her final days, by his warm touch and loving words. If the birth of her “only grandson” was Linda’s greatest accomplishment – John giving Jean a bride and four grandchildren surpassed all her dreams. Once Jean added John’s wife, Brooke, and their children: Christien, Brooklin, Aysha, and John Jr. to her “Grandma Bragging Books” the circle of life was complete for her.

Jean enjoyed bowling and made many dear friends honing her skills. She bowled for years – primarily with the Campbell twins – and actually in spite of her small build, became quite an excellent little bowler. She was thrilled when the first of her great grandsons (Christien) shared her love for bowling. She took advantage of every opportunity to watch him at Sooner Bowl deliver those 1-2 punches on the lanes. As adult on-lookers remarked about his skill, Jean was the first one to be sure they knew: “That’s my great-grandson!”

Jean was always very proud of Christien and loved hearing every detail of his many accomplishments. One of her final out of town trips was to watch Christien’s high school graduation in Kansas – a could not miss event for her. Christien also blessed Jean’s life with the introduction of his special person, a beautiful little angel the family has always called “Miss Kate.” Jean immediately loved Kate and appreciated how sweetly Christien and Kate always treated her.

Jean’s great grandchildren blessed her more than words can describe. Brooklin (now 11), Aysha (10) and John Jr. (8) always were sources of joy and pride for Jean. Between performances, accomplishments on the field and in the classroom, and the belly laughs their monkeyshines gave Jean – “her babies” energized and filled her heart.

Anyone who knew Jean appreciated her skill with yarn and a crochet hook. Many a hook was worn smooth under the pressure of keeping up with her prowess at making afghans. She loved crocheting–but she loved giving afghans as gifts even more. She made nearly 150 creations (most of them red) in her later years and made sure to distribute them among family and friends. Even the ladies at the Walmart McDonalds who always had her chicken sandwich and senior coke ready for her received her special gifts.

Jean was preceded in death by an infant brother, LeRoy Spoon; her beloved “daddy,” Johnny Spoon; her mother Lorene Spoon, and an infant son, John Roy Franklin.

She is survived by her daughter Linda Maxey and her husband Darwin of Oklahoma City; her grandson John Keeling and his wife Brooke; her great grandchildren Christien, Brooklin, Aysha, and John Jr. of Junction City, Kansas.

Jean’s many friends always loved her quick smile, her warm heart and her knack of bringing people together. Jean enjoyed a great circle of friends ranging from those she gathered working at Tinker, bowling, her church family, Golden Agers and the ladies in the Guild.

The family wants to give particular thanks to our new “extended family” – the ladies who cared for, prayed for, and loved Jean.

Words fail to express the appreciation and love we feel for a group of women Linda considers her sisters. Amelia Ramos, Maria De Loera, and Claribel Velasco always lovingly cared for Jean. Guille “Candy” Ramos literally spent 24/7 during the final months of Jean’s life providing warmth and love to Jean and the family. These ladies have done everything from creating a beautiful birthday celebration, delivering the most amazing jello treats, bathing, caring, and praying over Jean.

We also want to express our gratitude to a group of very special people affiliated with Loving Care Hospice, Noble. In particular, we recognize Kelly Phillips who worked with mom the longest. Kelly’s contagious smile and gentle touch always brightened Jean’s “spa” days. Also, thank you Debbie Tripp, Tommie Autry, Amanda Ogletree, and Pam Foreman for your loving care of Jean and support for Linda and our family as we traveled down this difficult path.

Finally a special thanks from Linda to Pam and Jerry Stottman for their support and helping to keep her “propped” up when she would begin to crumble. Also thank you for your weekly visits with Jean for prayer and communion, and when Jean’s health took a critical turn getting a priest to our house in a matter of minutes.

Also, thank you Cindee Pichot and Charlie Keeling for your extraordinary kindness and moral support. Most recently, of course, for opening your home to us to celebrate Jean’s life.

Sweet Mother…

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)

i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear;

and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)

i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it’s you whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;

which grows higher than a soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

e.e. cummings