Westville Cemetery
Adair County, Oklahoma

Faynell Buffington Bowles

© Stilwell (OK) Democrat Journal
October 2011
Submitted by: Martha Real

Faynell Buffington Bowles, lifelong teacher was born August 20, 1926 to Jay and Nellie (Woods) Buffington in Westville, Oklahoma. She departed this life on October 27, 2011 at the age of 95 years, 2 months and 8 days.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 73 years, Woodrow Bowles and her parents whose families, the Woods and Buffingtons, settled in the Westville area in 1885, which was Indian Territory before statehood. Also preceding her in death were three brothers, Owen, Ernest and Mitchell Buffington.

She leaves a daughter, Ann Leinn Bowles Gibson who loved her very much, Ken McLain, who loved and cared for her, 2 nephews, Jack Buffington and Gene Buffington, one niece, Cynthia Buffington, several great and great great nieces and nephews, hundreds of former students whose lives she touched forever and many dear family friends.

She was so happy to live her life in the town and state she so loved with her high school sweetheart for 73 years and in the community with many relatives and friends she enjoyed. She was fortunate to have the career she so loved being a teacher and her students were fortunate to have such a dedicated and creative teacher.

She loved learning. Beginning at barely six years old, she walked over two miles to school and two miles back every day for twelve years. She graduated from Westville High School as Valedictorian and homecoming queen. It was the Great Depression and she could not afford to go to college. So she took and passed a county exam that allowed her to teach in rural schools. She began her teaching career at barely age 18 in a one room school house which paid $20-$25 a month. She stayed in the homes of students and again walked over rocky roads to school, built the fire, ate cold biscuits for lunch and taught 8 grades and walked home in the evening. By taking correspondence courses and going to college in the summer she graduated with a degree in Education from Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK.

She grew up in a two story farm house two miles east of town with no electricity, no running water and only a wood fireplace and stove for heating. The family raised field crops, had milk cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and a huge garden. Her mother, Nellie, made their clothes. She loved music and walked or rode in the wagon to town on Saturday to take piano lessons, paid for with a pound of butter. She later played the piano at church for many years, and wrote operettas and musical programs to be performed by her students.

From a very early age she loved horses. She rode as often as possible and at age 15 she lead the Westville Rodeo parade carrying a huge flag. The love of horses remained with her throughout her life. Faynell was born to be a teacher. Teaching, reading, arithmetic, penmanship, geography and science to 4th grade students was truly her passion for life.

When she retired after 37 years of teaching she and Woodrow enjoyed, traveling, going to football and baseball games, seeing the United States in their RV with their dog and going to musical shows in Branson. However, her greatest pleasure was living on their cattle ranch, riding the quarter horses with Woodrow, seeing and smelling the hay, raising cows, and enjoying the sunsets.

Funeral services will be held, Friday, November 4, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church in Westville, Oklahoma with Darrel Maddox officiating. Interment will follow in the Westville City Cemetery under the direction of Hart Funeral Home.