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James E Wolfe Sep 21, 1923 - Sep 4, 2013
Posted by Ann Weber
Published in
Examiner-Enterprise from
Sept. 22 to Oct. 21, 2013
James E. Wolfe was the first
born of John and Lila Wolfe
in 1923. The next year his
beloved sister Rena was born
and the two enjoyed an
idyllic childhood with
extended family in Tulsa,
Oklahoma. With great support
from his Mother he enjoyed
Boy Scouting, attending the
first BSA Jamboree in 1937.
Jim loved time spent in the
family cabin overlooking
Grand River, summer
vacations with his Mother
and her sister Rena in the
Colorado mountains, and
helping on the farm north of
Collinsville which was
established by his father in
1926. Jim attended Eliot
Elementary, Wilson Junior
High, and graduated from
Central High, all in Tulsa.
The highlight of high school
was playing the tuba in the
all-male marching band with
his best friend Bill Bearden
who played the piccolo. He
loved bumping into
classmates the rest of his
life and would get
reacquainted with "I don't
remember your name, but we
went to school together."
Two of his most life
changing events came in
quick succession – his
mother died in 1941 at the
end of his senior year as he
was preparing to attend
Oklahoma A&M (OSU). The
second was his 1942
enlistment in the war
effort. His enlistment group
finished their semester
bivouacked in a Stillwater
firehouse and was known as
the "Firehouse Gang"
throughout their years of
reunions. Jim shipped to
Europe on the Queen
Elizabeth and joined the 5th
Division in France serving
as half of a machine gun
team before, during and
after the Battle of the
Bulge. He was wounded in
March 1945 when a German 88
mm shell exploded a building
his patrol was in, resulting
in shrapnel burns from head
to toe. He spent seven weeks
recovering in a French
hospital earning the
Purple Heart for his
injuries. After his
discharge he rarely talked
about his service experience
until he was in his 80's.
In 1945 he enrolled once
again at Oklahoma A&M (OSU)
along with many friends from
his service days. Those
veterans who gathered and
worked at the cattle barns
provided his social network.
Many were also in his
college fraternity,
Farmhouse. He graduated with
honors in 1947 with an
Animal Husbandry degree and
headed to the farm.
Excitement ensued early in
his senior year when he met
his future wife Virginia
Saxon on a double blind
date. They were each with
"the other one". Eventually,
shared pints of ice cream
thrown to her 2nd floor
window and a Sadie Hawkins
Dance invite sealed the deal
and they were married in
1947 at the First
Presbyterian Church where
Jim had grown up. After a
honeymoon in Colorado they
headed to their home where
they celebrated 65 years of
marriage this past October.
During his sixty-six years
of farming the family raised
cattle and laying hens, sold
eggs, and produced pecans,
as well as three children.
He found the quiet of his
life good therapy post war
and never met a stranger for
the remainder of his life.
In 1956 Jim was named
Outstanding Young Farmer in
both Washington and Tulsa
counties. Over the years Jim
served on the boards of
several groups: Collinsville
Tri-County Fair, Verdigris
Valley Rural Electric
Cooperative, Farm Credit
Services, Soil and Water
Conservation, Oklahoma Pecan
Growers Association, and in
1952 helped initiate the
Rural Fire Department. He
held an elected position on
the Collinsville Board of
Education, serving as chair
for several years. He was a
long-time member of his
beloved Collinsville
Community Church and served
the membership in many
capacities.
Jim is survived by his wife
Virginia, son John (Debbie)
of Collinsville, daughters
LeAnn Slater (David) of
Trumbull, Connecticut and
Lynette Bedford (Gary) of
Pryor and seven
grandchildren – Matthew
Wolfe (Amanda), Kendal
Wolfe, Gayle Wolfe, James
Slater (Megan Chirby), Joel
Slater, Harrison Bedford
(Brooke), Nathan Bedford,
sister Rena Olschner and her
four children and extended
family.
A Memorial Service
celebrating Jim's wonderful
life will be led by Rev.
Rick Brinkley at 5 p.m. on
Saturday, September 28 at
the Collinsville Community
Church. Prior to the service
the family will receive
visitors at 3:30 p.m. in the
church social hall.
A private graveside service with military honors led by Dr. Bill Haynes
was held earlier at the Memorial Park in Tulsa. Those wishing to make a memorial
contribution in Jim's name may send it to Collinsville Community Church, 1400
West Oak, Collinsville, OK 74021.
See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/examiner-enterprise/obituary.aspx?n=james-e-wolfe&pid=167005173#sthash.3t2d9rzL.dpuf
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