The funeral service celebrating and honoring the life of Marland Miles Mason, 86, of Enid (formerly of Altus) will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, February 19, 2021 at the Garriott Road Church of Christ.  Minister Ray Rose will be officiating.  A graveside service will be held at the Gotebo Cemetery at a later date. 

A visitation for family and friends will be held from 5:00 PM-7:00 PM on Thursday, February 18, 2021 at the Brown-Cummings Funeral Home.

Marland was born to Walter and Mable Dungan Mason on August 10, 1934 in Foss Oklahoma and entered into Heaven on February 11, 2021 in Enid Oklahoma.

Growing up, he attended various small country schools where his mother taught.  The family settled in Gotebo Oklahoma when Marland was in the fifth grade.  He graduated from Gotebo High School in 1952 and attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University, graduating in 1956 with an Industrial Arts Degree.  In 1968 he completed his Master’s in Secondary Education at the University of Oklahoma.

At the age of 16, he met who he knew would be the love of his life, Shirley McClure, while attending church with a friend.  After graduation from college, he was united in marriage with Shirley on June 29, 1956 in Gotebo, Oklahoma. 

In 1956 Marland joined the United States Army and was assigned to Fifth Army Headquarters in Chicago Illinois.  He served with distinction and was honorably discharged in 1958.

In 1958 he returned to Oklahoma and began his teaching career, first in Shattuck Oklahoma and later in Olustee Oklahoma.  Eventually Marland settled his family in Altus where he taught for many years at Altus Central Junior High and Altus High School.  He retired as the Principal at Northeast Junior High in 1987.

Marland and his wife Shirley have been members of the Garriott Road Church of Christ since 2012, when they moved to Enid to be near their children.  They previously had been members of the Elm and Hudson Church of Christ in Altus Oklahoma for over 30 years.
 

Marland also preached in several Church of Christ congregations over the years, including those in Durham, Olustee, Headrick, and Blair Oklahoma, as well as Odell Texas. 

He enjoyed wood-working, camping, reading, and fishing; however, his main passion was spending time with his family.  He adored his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and all the time he got spend with them.

He is survived by his wife of sixty-four years Shirley; two sons and one daughter, David Mason (wife Melanie) of Enid, Todd Mason of Edmond, and Connie Walker (husband Bill David) of Waynoka; grandchildren, Leander and Davin Walker, Keira Reimer, Grant, Collin, and Garrett Mason, Declan and Coulter Freeman and six great grandchildren with another due in June.
 

He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant brother and one granddaughter.
 

In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be given in his honor to the Altus Public School Foundation with Brown-Cummings Funeral Home serving as custodian of the funds.