|
| |
Gene Ira Fillman, 87-year-old rural Vinita resident, passed away on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at his daughter’s home in Vinita. He was born on December 30, 1938, in Ketchum to Gettis and Charlotte Marie “Lottie” (Parsons) Fillman. Gene graduated high school, then went to college at Southern University and Southwester Union College where he achieved his bachelor’s degree in education and theology. Gene served in the United States Army from 1961 to 1963. He taught at the Ketchum Seventh Day Adventist School for a few years. Gene went to work as a carpenter and roofer, he worked for Conklin Roofing, Caldwell Roofing, and lastly with National Roofing Company. Gene was a talented carpenter, woodworker, and very talented with his hands. He enjoyed building cabinets, working on, restoring old cars, and rebuilding their engines. Gene also farmed for a time and had a blade sharpening business. He was a very active member of the Ketchum Seventh Day Adventist Church.
He was preceded in death by his; siblings, R.G. Thurman, Dale Thurman, Gerald Fillman, Ardena Black, Melvena Johnson, and Bernice Lee; a daughter, Lessia Conner; and granddaughter Danielle Lauren Bamford.
The family includes his children, Peggy Babcock and husband Marty of Vinita, Gene McComb, and wife Misty of Grove; siblings Donald Fillman of Collegedale, TN, Noel Fillman of Dalton, Georgia; twelve grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Burckhalter-Highsmith Chapel in Vinita.
The celebration of life will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Ketchum Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Kristopher Knott will officiate. Interment and military honors will follow at the Fairview Cemetery in Vinita. Online condolences may be made at www.highsmithfh.com or on the funeral home Facebook page. Arrangements are in the care of the Burckhalter-Highsmith Funeral and Cremation Services of Vinita. “Vinita’s only locally family owned and operated funeral home.”
This site may be freely linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent.
All rights reserved! Commercial use of material within this site is prohibited!
© 2000-2026 Oklahoma CemeteriesThe information on this site is provided free for the purpose of researching your genealogy. This material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, for your own research, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The information contained in this site may not be copied to any other site without written "snail-mail" permission. If you wish to have a copy of a donor's material, you must have their permission. All information found on these pages is under copyright of Oklahoma Cemeteries. This is to protect any and all information donated. The original submitter or source of the information will retain their copyright. Unless otherwise stated, any donated material is given to Oklahoma Cemeteries to make it available online. This material will always be available at no cost, it will always remain free to the researcher.