Jessie Mae Mengel, 93, a long-time resident of Edmond, born on April 17, 1919 in Marlow, Oklahoma to TE and Roxie Jewel Bradley, joined her heavenly father on January 13th, 2012. After graduating Valedictorian from Gatlin High School in Marlow, Oklahoma in 1935, Jessie received her AS degree at Cameron State Agriculture College in 1941. She then worked at Cameron until she met and married Ralph Mengel II in 1951. Both completed degrees at the University of Texas in Austin by 1953, (Jessie a BA in history and Ralph an MBA), then moved every 3 years in the US Army, including a tour in Europe, until Ralph’s retirement in 1967, having 2 children along the way. Then it was back to Austin, where Ralph completed his Ph.D. in 1972. They then moved to Edmond in 1972 when Ralph accepted a teaching position at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Jessie loved learning, so she obtained another BA in Art from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1976.
She also loved art and felt art was important to her community, so with a group of friends helped formed the Edmond Art Association in the 1970’s and was a past president. She was also the Recording Secretary for the Edmond Arts and Humanities Council since it started in 1985, retiring in 2000. She was an accomplished painter, both oils and watercolor, and a poet.
Besides being a devoted wife and mother of 2 children, Jessie was a devoted member of the Church of Christ. She participated actively in the Edmond Church of Christ Search Program and was strengthened by attending church services there. Besides her volunteer work for the arts in Edmond, Jessie was an excellent substitute teacher and often would work as an administrative assistant during some of Ralph’s active duty tours. She was known for the high quality of her work and the responsibility she took in completing her assignment on time.
Jessie was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Hain Mengel II , Ph.D., Professor of Business Administration at the University of Central Oklahoma and a retired US Army Officer; her parents; and 3 brothers and 1 sister. She is survived by her 2 children, Mark B. Mengel, MD, MPH of Little Rock, Arkansas and Susan A. Mengel, Ph.D. of Lubbock, Texas; her granddaughter, Sally Mengel, also of Little Rock, Arkansas; her brother JW Bradley of Duncan, Oklahoma; and her sister, Winnie Smiley of Albany, Oregon.
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