Lee Allen Ward

February 3, 1933 ~ July 11, 2019

© Parks Brothers Funeral Service
(permission granted)

Submitted by: Glenn Shroads

Lee Allen Ward was born February 3, 1933 in Kilgore, Texas. His childhood was spent in Oil City, Louisiana. Lee was the first child of Howard Bruce Ward and Hazel Geneva Russell and had three siblings including Nancy, Cletus Ann, and Bruce. During his childhood, he enjoyed playing various sports with his cousin and best friend, Charles Robert Ward. He attended school in Oil City until the second semester of his senior year. Circumstances required him to move to Davenport, Oklahoma with his parents to complete his senior year. Lee graduated high school from Davenport High.

Soon after, he returned to Oil City to marry his high school sweetheart, Clara Janelle Moore. Lee worked as a roughneck in the oil field with his father. Together they followed the oil industry to various locations in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado.

During this time, Janelle and Lee had 2 children, Diana Lee Ward and Frank Allen Ward. The two parted ways, and as time went on, he met his second wife, Shirley Jean Yates, in Guymon, Oklahoma and they adopted an infant son, Roger Alan Ward.

What was supposed to be a three-week job turned into an almost 40 year stay in the Oklahoma panhandle where he raised his family. Lee left his roughnecking behind and got a job at ANR Pipeline Company. Lee began as a mechanic working his way up to become the superintendent where he managed the entire plant. He retired after nearly 35 years there.

After retirement, Lee and Shirley left the Panhandle to move to Enid where Shirley grew up allowing them to be closer to family. They began travelling all over the country in their motor home. His favorite destination with Shirley was Las Vegas. Shirley passed away in 2005.

Later, he married Rae Nell King. Lee and Rae Nell continued to travel. Their favorite destination was Branson, Missouri where they attended a show boat cruise every year for their anniversary. Lee and Rae Nell moved to Noble, Oklahoma to be closer to his beloved Oklahoma Sooners