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Funeral services for Mr. Orel Duane Sallaska, age 67, of Corn, Oklahoma will begin at 10:00am Thursday, July 19, 2018 at the Corn Mennonite Brethren Church, 100 West Main Street with Pastor Earl Stephenson and Pastor Tim Sandy officiating.

The Sallaska family will greet friends from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home, 2500 West Modelle Avenue in Clinton, Oklahoma.

Orel was born November 5, 1950 in Beaver, Oklahoma the son of James Francis and Miriam (Gossen) Sallaska. He passed away on Sunday morning, July 15, 2018 at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City. Orel was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who enjoyed his friends, the OU Sooners and his Chihuahua companions.

Orel moved to Corn with his family at age five, where he attended Corn Bible Academy. He excelled in sports, lettering in track, basketball and softball. After graduation, Orel was united in marriage to Miss Jeanne Marie Bailey in 1970. 

Orel later enrolled at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Accounting. 

After graduating SWOSU, Orel began his career in the Corn community raising cattle, farming wheat and growing alfalfa hay. He and Jeanne owned and rented land spanning from Gotebo, Oklahoma to Weatherford, Oklahoma.

They were the recipients of the Young Farmers of the Year award in 1982 given by the Oklahoma Young Farmer Association and won the Grand Champion Prize for alfalfa hay at the Oklahoma State Fair in 1987.

Orel enjoyed many forms of competition, attending almost all of his daughters’ T-ball, basketball, softball, track, academic and self-created “fishing” meets. His favorite team, the Oklahoma Sooners, was almost always displayed on his vehicles, clothing or lawn. If possible, he would have competed for the prizes of most proud “Daddy” and “Papa.”

Orel also enjoyed learning and shared it with others. He continuously asked and answered his own math problems, such as the volume of water draining from a pipe or how much extra mileage he should earn from premium gasoline. He was a self-taught grill-and-smoke master who honed his craft by taking notes on recipes and tracking ways to improve. His favorite data source, though, was people. He captured every opportunity to meet new people and find contacts in common.

Above all, Orel was a devoted Christian, taking many moments to share his faith with others. His relationship with his God was personal, but he was eager to tell others, who might be struggling, what God meant to his daily life. His advice to fellow farmers was “never quit fighting and never quit church.”

Orel was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Keith Delton Sallaska and his beloved dog, Cheech in 2015.

He is survived by his wife, Jeanne of the home; two daughters, JoRel Nye and her husband, Jack of Austin, Texas and Jordan Sallaska of Weatherford, Oklahoma; one granddaughter, Jorja Nye of Austin, Texas; one sister, Darlene Kay Sallaska of Lewisville, Texas; one brother, Aldee Sallaska and his wife, Linda of Moore, Oklahoma; one maternal uncle, Jacob Gossen of Corn, Oklahoma; two paternal uncles, Charlie Sallaska of Denver, Colorado and Vernon Sallaska of McLoud, Oklahoma; and his beloved dog, Sadie of the home. 

Memorial donations may be made in memory of Orel Duane Sallaska to the Mennonite Disaster Service, 583 Airport Road, Lititz, PA 17543 or  by visiting www.mds.mennonite.net or The Gideons International, P.O. Box 97251, Washington, DC 20090-7251 or by visiting www.2.gideons.org.

Burial will conclude in the Corn Mennonite Brethren Cemetery under the direction of the Parks Brothers Funeral Service of Prague, Oklahoma