Arthur H. ‘Hoot’ Vernon

© Durant Daily Democrat

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

On Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008, Mr. Arthur H. “Hoot” Vernon, 75, passed peacefully into the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at his home in Tishomingo. Funeral services were held Saturday at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church, with Rev. Kenneth McCarthick officiating, assisted by Rev. Ron Forrest.

Interment followed in the Tishomingo Cemetery with Military honors provided by the Chickasaw Nation Honor Guard.

Hoot was born on May 16, 1933, in Lamar to Arthur B. Vernon and Beulah Houston Vernon. He graduated from Caney High School in 1951, received his BA from Southeastern State University in Durant, his MBA from East Central University in Ada and worked on his Doctorate at East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas. He was an educator his entire working career at schools, including Richland Hills High School in Texas, Murray State College from 1966-1987, Petrolia High School in Petrolia, Texas, and Waco Alternative School in Waco, Texas.

He served in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict and married Glenda Willis on June 9, 1957, in Caney. He was a member of First Baptist Church, worked with the Swamp Kids program at the church, was a member of the Gideons and had been on the Planning and Zoning Board for the City of Tishomingo. Hoot was an outdoorsman all of his life and enjoyed fishing and hunting. He was also a referee for football and basketball games for many years.

He was preceded in death by his father and other relatives.

He is survived by his wife Glenda of the home; his son and daughter-in-law Kent and Jamie Vernon of Mill Creek; his daughter and son-in-law Cindy and Preston Burns of Bokchito; his mother of Shawnee; sisters Sue Cole of Seattle, Wash., and Aurice Weiss of Newton, Mass.; his grandchildren Katelynn Burns, Bronson Burns, Austin Vernon, Bethany Burns, Kenlea Vernon and Preslee Vernon; other relatives and a host of friends.

Pallbearers for the service were Clayton Pryor, Vernon Hurst, Bill Smith, Bill Brown, Harold Scates and Donnie Rowland.

Memorials may be made to: The Hoot Vernon Memorial Scholarship Fund at Murray State College, One Murray Campus, Tishomingo, OK 74360.

Funeral services were under the direction of Clark Funeral Service of Tishomingo

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