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Wallace Earle Kirkpatrick © Alva Review-Courier 01-31-2018 Submitted by: Glenn
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BYRON, Okla. – Memorial services for Wallace will be Saturday, January 27, 2018, at 2 p.m. at Driftwood Christian Church. Burial will be at a later date at Byron-Amorita Cemetery. Arrangements are by Lanman Funeral Home Inc. of Cherokee. Online condolences may be made at http://www.lanmanmemorials.com.
Wallace Earle Kirkpatrick was born in Byron on January 26, 1927, to Earle Kirkpatrick and Amanda Smith Kirkpatrick and parted this life on January 23, 2018, at the age of 90 years, 11 months and 29 days. His early childhood was spent in the Byron area. As a young boy, he moved with his family to the Perryton, Texas, area for a time before moving back to Byron. Wallace attended the Byron School until his junior year. While a junior at Byron High School, 17-year-old Wallace lied about his age in order to join the United States Marine Corp. In 1944 he was inducted into the Marines at Kansas City, Missouri, and received Infantry Training at Parris Island, South Carolina. He was sent to Saipan before entering the fight at Iwo Jima. On February 19, 1945, the Marines landed on Iwo marking the start of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Wallace was among the third wave of troops to land on the beach where he carried a flame thrower. After Iwo Jima was declared captured on March 26, 1945, Wallace's division was sent to Saipan to regroup. While there, the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki leading to the Japanese surrender. He was then assigned to the group tasked with locating and destroying mines that had been placed in the water around the islands. Following that, his division was assigned to destroy gunnery stations. This continued for about eight months. He was honorably discharged in August of 1946 and returned home to Byron, where he graduated with the class of 1947.
After returning home and graduating, he married Betty Jean Burleson at her home at the Byron Fish Hatchery on June 20, 1948. They shared 69-and-a-half years together always living in the Byron area. Wallace retired in the 1980s after working at, and eventually owning, a sand pit that was started by his father. They pumped sand and gravel and delivered it to many locations, local and statewide. He was a skilled welder and one of his larger projects was welding the pens at the Cherokee Sales Company. He and his son, Rob, operated a trucking company and later a heavy equipment diesel repair shop. The family managed to work in farming and a cattle operation at the same time.
Wallace is survived by his wife, Betty, of Byron and their two children, Rob Kirkpatrick and wife Louise of Burlington and Ellen "Sis" Rockenbach and husband Bob of Byron; seven grandchildren, Tracy Granados and husband Joe of Burlington, Sasha Kirkpatrick of Burlington, Robbie Rieger and husband Brad of Manchester, Shaunda Bueno and husband Robert of Clarkdale, Arizona, T.J. Rockenbach and wife Bridgette of Amorita, Brooke Meyer and husband Cris of Alva and Alisha Matzke and husband T.J. of Byron; 22 great-grandchildren; numerous nephews; nieces and a host of family and friends.
Wallace was preceded in death by his parents; sisters Aylene Lambdin, Jane Alexander and Elizabeth Coulter; infant brother Robert and great grandson Trevon Matzke.
The family requests no flowers. Your kind thoughts and prayers are gifts they greatly appreciate.
Memorials have been established for the Amorita-Byron Fire and Rescue or the Pioneer Spirit Foundation of Byron-Amorita Cemetery through the funeral home.
Betty Jean Burleson Kirkpatrick © Lanman Funeral Home, Inc. 01-2020 Submitted by: Glenn
© Lanman Funeral Home, Inc.
December 31, 1930 ~ January 14, 2020
Memorial service for Betty Jean Kirkpatrick will be 1:30 p.m., Friday, January 31, 2020, at Driftwood Christian Church under the direction of Lanman Funeral Home, Inc. of Cherokee. www.lanmanmemorials.com Facebook: Lanman Funeral Home Inc.
Betty Jean Burleson Kirkpatrick, daughter of Clyde and Bertha Goode Burleson, was born in Medicine Park, Oklahoma on December 31, 1930 and departed this life on January 14, 2020 at the age of 89 years and 14 days.
Betty spent her early childhood in the Medicine Park Area before moving with her family to the Byron Fish Hatchery in Byron, Oklahoma, where she attended Locust Grove School through 8th grade and graduated with the class of 1948 from Byron High School. Betty was an outstanding athlete, participating in basketball and softball. Betty played softball and basketball on the Byron town traveling team after graduation. It’s been said that they could out play most of the boys’ teams around. Later in life she took up bowling and acquired a mantle full of trophies.
Betty always said she was the tomboy of the family growing up. She loved spending her days outside with the animals as opposed to inside doing housework. She loved all animals, but her greatest love was horses. During much of her spare time as a child she could be found riding and working around them. Her love of horses came from her father, Clyde, and his team of Black Belgian horses. On Sunday afternoons she was her Dad’s jockey in the local horse races.
Betty married Wallace Kirkpatrick at her home at the Byron Fish Hatchery on June 20, 1948. They shared 69 ½ years together living in the Byron area. They welcomed their son, Rob in 1949 and their daughter, Ellen “Sis” in 1950.
Betty and Wallace operated Kirkpatrick Sand and Gravel and a mechanic and welding shop. They pumped sand and gravel to deliver to locations local and statewide. Betty was truck driver, bookkeeper, and office manager. They later expanded it and started Kirkpatrick Trucking with their son, Rob. The family also managed a farming and cattle operation at the same time. Betty drove trucks, chased parts, ran the office, attended to the animals, and delivered many meals to the fields all while attending to the many responsibilities of the home and being a Mom.
Betty rode, raised, and trained many horses during her lifetime. She trained many of her colts at the Cherokee Sale Barn while helping with the weekly cattle sales. One of her favorite things was helping neighboring ranchers each fall and spring gather, brand, and doctor their cattle. Betty and Wallace were instrumental in helping start the Cherokee Round Up Club. They rode in trail rides, participated in parades, and helped put on the Cherokee Rodeo. Betty shared her love and knowledge of horses with her daughter, Sis, and together they raised, trained, and sold many nice horses.
Betty loved spending time with her family. As Rob and Sis’s families grew, she enjoyed welcoming all the grandkids and great-grandkids into the world. She enjoyed visiting and listening to the stories about all their activities. Grandma always had a pop and snack in the fridge for them when they came to visit. She was loved and cherished by her family and will be greatly missed.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Wallace; her parents, Clyde and Bertha Burleson; brother, Joe Burleson; brother-in-law, Roger Zahorsky, and great-grandson, Trevon Matzke.
She is survived by her son, Rob Kirkpatrick and wife, Louise of Burlington and her daughter, Ellen “Sis” Rockenbach and Bobbie of Byron; seven grandchildren, Tracy and Joe Granados of Burlington; Sasha Kirkpatrick of Byron; Robbie and Brad Rieger of Manchester; Shaunda and Robert Bueno of Clarkdale, Arizonia; T.J. and Bridgette Rockenbach of Amorita, Brooke and Cris Meyer of Alva, and Alisha and T.J. Matzke of Byron; brothers, Warren and Meron Burleson of Cherokee and John and Pat Burleson of Morrisville, Pennsylvania; sisters, Frances and Bob Kraft of Burlington, and Cordelia Zahorsky of Dacoma; sister-in-law, Nancy Burleson of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas; twenty-two great-grandchildren; numerous nephews; nieces, and a host of other family and friends.
The family requests no flowers. Your kind thoughts and prayers are gifts we greatly appreciate. Memorials may be given to the Amorita-Byron Fire Department or the Byron-Amorita Cemetery through the funeral home.
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