Wanda Lee (Jarvis) & Jack Walton McHughes Cemetery Photo Norman, Cleveland County, Oklahoma
 

Photo © by Kay Marshall

Obit for Wanda posted by Janet Laubhan Flickinger

http://www.havenbrookfuneralhome.com/

After a lengthy illness, Wanda Lee (Jarvis) McHughes, 86, passed away on July 3, 2011 from complications following a stroke.

Wanda was born to John Searcy and Veta Myrtle (Calvert) Jarvis on March 16, 1925, at the family home in Mustang, Oklahoma. When Wanda was a teenager, her father moved the family to the Noble/Banner area. They eventually purchased a farm in Noble. Wanda took care of her younger siblings, cooked, and cleaned house while the older kids helped their parents work the farm. While attending Liberty Baptist Church, she lead the singing and her Sunday school class several times.

Wanda attended school in Mustang and Noble, leaving school shortly before she would have graduated. She was a fast learner, skipping a grade in grade school.  During World War II, she worked at Douglas Aircraft Plant (now Tinker Air Force Base). She wasn’t a “Rosie-the-Riveter,” but held the rivets in place for “Rosie” with a bucking bar.

Wanda married her soul mate, Jack W. McHughes, on April 2, 1946, in Guthrie because Jack thought it was a romantic spot for a wedding. That night, they returned to Noble to help Searcy and Veta slaughter hogs.  Their 65th anniversary, in 2011, was celebrated by the wedding of their grandson, Kevin.

Jack and Wanda owned two service stations, a Skelly and a Texaco, in Norman. She helped pump gas and did accounting for the stations. She worked for many years at Sooner Dairy Lunch (owned by Jack’s brother, James), serving legions of kids from Norman. She also worked at Westinghouse (later York) when it first opened in Norman and at Norman Regional Hospital as a ward clerk. She “retired” to take care of her grandson, John.

Always youthful and active, Wanda played with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren as though she was one of them. She loved reading, gardening (both vegetable and flower), canning (she made the best apple butter in the world), yard work,  and most of all, square dancing with Jack. She and Jack belonged to Silver Spur of Norman and OC Twirlers, and she danced with the Clogging Grannies.

She was a member of Goodrich Memorial United Methodist Church. She and Jack were part of the founding group of Goodrich Chronologically Gifted (GCGer’s).

She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Robert and Herb Jarvis;  her grandson, Jeffery Don McHughes; and several brothers-and-sisters-in-law.

She is survived by her husband, Jack of the home; two sisters and two brothers: Oleta Robertson, Ruby Duffey, Jay Jarvis, Otis (Pauline) Jarvis; three children and their spouses: Patsy and David Willcox, David and Vicki McHughes, Linda and Russell Oxsen;  five grandchildren and spouses: John and Tara McHughes, Adam and Sherise Oxsen, Mark Oxsen, Kevin and Lana Oxsen, Nishay Oxsen; three great-granddaughters: Shelby, Mayci, and Bree McHughes; one expected great-grandson Elijah Oxsen (due October 5); and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.