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Donald W. Coats © Grace Memorial Chapel 03-2012 Submitted by: Jo Aguirre
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Donald W. Coats, resident of Ponca City, passed away Monday, March 26, 2012 at his home. He was 91 years of age.
Donald was born October 26, 1920, on a farm near Tyrone, Oklahoma. He was born the tenth of eleven siblings to James Fredrick Fred Coats and Olive Rebekah Newman Coats. Don was the grandson of William Henry and Martha Eliza Dotson Coats and Frederick Richard and Martha Jane Ray Newman.
Don attended school in Tyrone from first grade to ninth grade, graduating from eight grade as Salutatorian. At the age of 14 his mother died suddenly from heart failure. His dad quit farming and moved his family to the Ponca City area south of Uncas, Oklahoma. Don attended tenth grade in Ponca City, the eleventh grade in Kaw City, and graduated in 1939 from Ponca City High School.
After graduation, Don worked odd jobs until he went into the CCC, the Civilian Conservation Corps, a public work relief program for unemployed men providing vocational training. Don was stationed in Blackwell, Oklahoma from 1940 to 1941. He received training to be a draftsman drawing farm survey projects, Morse code, first aid, radio operator, and assistant leader over the library, excelling in all. He accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior at a very young age and he was a member of Sunset Baptist Church.
The life Don knew would be forever changed on December 7, 1941 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. On September 22, 1942 at the age of 21, Don joined the United States Army Air Force and went to Jackson, Mississippi where he was stationed at Jackson Army Air Base for basic training. He took training in a detachment for chemical warfare for the use of different gases and chemicals. While stationed in Jackson he made corporal. Don was then sent to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas Air Base to train personnel and pilots, even other officers, on the use of gas masks, making the rank of Sergeant while there. This base housed the Walnut Ridge Army Flying School.
In 1944 he again trained in chemical warfare after being transferred to Moody Army Air Base in Valdosta, Georgia. Don went overseas from Norfolk, Virginia in January 1945 and was stationed in Pisa, Italy. He made Staff Sergeant and was trained in malaria control detachment with the Air Force. After Germany was defeated, Don returned to the U.S. on Christmas Day, 1945 and went to Ft. Chaffee, near Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he was honorably discharged on January 2, 1946.
Don had met Thelma Pauline Musgrave at a church in Ponca City and had dated her in high school. They became engaged while Don was on leave and were married April 4, 1943 at her folks home in Ponca City. She then accompanied him to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. While Don was still in the military, two sons, Ronnie and Gary were born.
After being discharged, Don returned to Ponca City on February 4, 1946 and he and Thelma established their home in the Bois Doc area. They had three more sons, Marvin, Wayne and Alan. He went to work for Continental Oil Company as a repairman in the maintenance department of the refinery. The company would become Conoco Inc., and then ConocoPhillips Inc.
Thelma passed away unexpectedly on November 13, 1965. After a few years, Don married his widowed nextdoor neighbor, Maxine Duroy Miller on December 4, 1969 at Ranch Drive Baptist Church in Ponca City. Maxine brought two sons, Duke and Terry, and one daughter, Debbie to this union.
After retiring from Conoco, Don and Maxine moved to Sallisaw, Oklahoma to help raise their granddaughter, Sara, after her mother, Debbie, died suddenly from a heart attack. When they moved back to Ponca City they enjoyed traveling the east and west coasts in their motor home. In good health for most of his life, he and Maxine continued to be involved with family, retiree conferences and church activities. Don and Maxine have been members of the choir in all of the churches where they were members.
Don was fully blessed with the following survivors: his wife, Maxine, of the home six sons, Ronnie and wife, Melba, of Horn Lake, Mississippi, Gary and wife, Lois, of Ponca City, Marvin and wife, Linda, of Tulsa, Wayne and wife Carol, of Bartlesville, stepson Duke and wife June, of Ponca City, stepson Terry and wife Martha, of Katy, Texas daughterinlaw Sammie Coats of Ponca City and soninlaw Bob Kilgore of Sallisaw 20 grandchildren 38 great grandchildren 5 great great grandchildren sistersinlaw and brothersinlaw Donna and Lawrence Glaser, Demps and Nancy Kessler, Darlene Duroy and Opal Brown numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents his first wife ten siblings, Ray, Thelma, Theodore, Verna, Leroy, Rena, Lloyd, Opal, Dorton and Nola his son, Alan Coats stepdaughter, Debbie Kilgore grandson Marty Coats and stepgranddaughter, Nicole Miller.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 29, 2012 at Sunset Baptist Church with Pastor Matt Brown presiding, assisted by Rev. Jerry Graber. Interment will be in Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Grace Memorial Chapel.
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