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July 30, 1993 Kenneth Ware Bilyeu May 17, 1914 ~ July 29, 1993 Kenneth Ware Bilyeu died Thursday, July 29, 1993, at the age of 79. Services will be at 10 am Monday, August 2, in the Strode Funeral Home Chaoel with Dr Rodney McGlothin, pastor of the First Baptist Church where Bilyeu was a member for nearly 40 years, officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens under the direction of Strode Funeral Home. In Lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Cottonwood Community Center, Rt 1 Box 190, 74075, or Judith Karman Hospice, 720 S Husband, Suite 12, 74074. Bilyeu was born May 17, 1914, on the family homestead four miles west of Stillwater to Cleve and Lennie [Ware] Bilyeu. He was married to Verna Dimick from 1940 to 1965. He attended Possum Trott and Mound Valley schools and graduated from Stillwater High School in 1932. He attended Oklahoma State University and a diesel training school, which prepared him for work in the oil fields in Oklahoma, Kansas and for two years in Bay City, Mich. In the mid-1940s, Bilyeu was honored as one of only three families in Payne County who still lived and farmed the original homestead that was claimed in 1889. His paternal grandmother, Sarah Bilyeu, brought her three children to the area after her husband had died in Kansas tow years earlier. Instead of returning to her home state of Illinois, she traveled with other Bilyeu family members to make her claim on the 160 acres west of town. She paid a cowboy $100 when he rode up saying he had already claimed the land. In Bilyeu's home hangs the original certificate signed by President Grover Cleveland dated 1895, which officially transferred the land from the US Government. His ,eternal grandparents, Alex and Mattie Ware, and their 14 children, also homesteaded in the Cottonwood area west of town. His grandfather was once Payne County Treasurer and owned the "little Stillwater mill." He was preceased by his parents; one brother, Gerald; one sister, Juanita Jackson' and an infant granddaughter. Survivors include three daughters, Cathy Durant and her husband, Mike, of Kingston, Tenn, Karen Thomas and her husband, John, of Stillwater and Gwen Beyl and her husband, James, of Duncan. He is also survived by five granddaughters, Cindy Hardin and Sherri Felton of Florida, Yvette Santana of Colorado, Johnna Thomas Leider of Broken Arrow and Kara Beyl of Duncan; two grandsons, Mike Thomas of Stillwater and Casey Beyl of Duncan; five great-grandchildren; and special care-givers, Velma Bilyeu and Lillian Harting. |
© Strode Funeral
Home Stillwater, Oklahoma December 2009 Jerald D. "JD" Bilyeu Jerald D. "J.D." Bilyeu, 79, of Stillwater, Oklahoma died on Saturday, December 26, 2009 at his home in Stillwater, surrounded by his family. A Celebration of his life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at First United Methodist Church with Rev. Stanley M. Warfield, Jr. officiating. Strode Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. He was born on October 25, 1930 in May, Oklahoma to FA "Penny" Bilyeu and Thelma Dungan Bilyeu. He married Darlene Dunham on March 29, 1958 in Agra, Oklahoma. He attended many schools during his early education and graduated from C. E. Donart High School in 1949. After high school, he worked for Lee Construction Company until 1951 when he joined the Air Force and served in Korea. When he returned from the service, he began working for Demaree Construction. He worked there for many years, until he started working for Fowler Vending Corporation, where he was a partner until he retired in 2007. J.D.'s pride and joy were his wife, his girls and their families, especially his grandchildren who called him "Grandpa." He and Darlene were a constant in their lives and he found great pleasure in attending their golf tournaments, basketball and soccer games. J.D. enjoyed golfing and he loved OSU sports, traveling to many away events. He was known to many as "the man seen around town in the red pickup truck." J. D. was a member of the First United Methodist Church and OSU Posse Club. He was a former member of Stillwater Noon Lions and the Stillwater Country Club. He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Darlene "Puddin" Bilyeu, of Stillwater; three daughters: Jennifer Dawn Hackett and husband, Roy of Broken Arrow; Julie Diane Miller and husband, Bill; of Stillwater and Joni Darlene Bilyeu and fiancé, Jeff Fitzpatrick of Broken Arrow; five grandchildren: Austin Hackett, Taylor Hackett, Ali Miller, Peyton Miller, and Olivia Miller; sister: Barbara Johnson and sister in law and brother in law, Virginia and Howard Hensley; nephews: Stan and Dirk Johnson, Brett Hensley and family; and niece, Robin Hensley Musto and family. Honorary pallbearers will be Roy Hackett, Bill Miller, Austin Hackett, Taylor Hackett, Jeff Fitzpatrick, Brett Hensley, Rick Musto and Kenny "KT" Todd. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to First United Methodist Church, 400 West 7th Avenue, Stillwater, OK 74074; Life Adult Day Center (First Christian Church), 411 W. Mathews, Stillwater, OK 74075; Judith Karmen Hospice, P.O. Box 818, Stillwater, OK 74076. |
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