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Betty Jean (Nickels) Epperley passed away unexpectedly on Friday, December 27, 2024, at Tahlequah, Oklahoma, at the age of 92 years.
Betty was born on September 12, 1932, to Oscar Nickels and Cora (Turner) Nickels at Matoy, Oklahoma. After graduating from Matoy High School as valedictorian in 1949, she obtained a B.S. with honors from Southeastern State College in 1952. From 1952 to 1956, Betty worked as a computer performing oil exploration calculations for Shell Oil Company in Oklahoma City, one of her favorite jobs.
Betty married her childhood sweetheart, Charles Maurice Epperley, on June 26, 1954. When Charles returned in 1956 from army service in Germany, Betty and he taught for two years in Gallup, New Mexico before moving to Oklahoma City to start their family.
Betty taught math and business at Southeast High School in Oklahoma City, and Western Oaks Junior High and Mayfield Junior High in the Putnam City school district before retiring to Willow Springs at Lake Texoma in 1988. Betty and Charles excelled as retirees by living each day to the fullest, feeding the masses from their fishing excursions and playing games with friends and family. They moved to Durant, Oklahoma in 2005.
She attended Presbyterian church at Matoy; Crown Heights, Western Hills, Putnam City and Council Road Baptist Churches in Oklahoma City; and Streetman Road Baptist Church in Mead, Oklahoma. Betty was known throughout her life for her kindness, attention, and caring for others, including single-handedly keeping Hallmark cards in business. She was a superb organizer, as was evident from her many notes on any handy sheets of paper. An avid sports fan, she loved OU Sooner football, basketball, and softball, OKC Thunder basketball, and watching friends and family play sports of all kinds. She was an excellent cook - though she did not think so, and will be remembered for her wonderful fried chicken, beef stew, and chocolate ice box pie, among other family favorites. Betty also was a lifelong Democrat.
She shared with her Turner cousins the struggles of farm life during the Depression. However, she had a childlike optimism facing the promise of each new day. Betty's luck at sweepstakes, contests, and slots is legendary. Her lucky kids got the greatest gift of all - the rich certainty of unconditional love.
Betty is survived by her daughter Linda Epperley of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, son Gary Epperley and son-in-law Marcus Phelps-Munson of San Jose, California, brother Boyd of Mead, brother Ron and wife Teri Nickels of Durant, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Charles preceded her in death in 2015. Also preceding her in death were her beloved parents, sister Delena (Nickels) Monroe, and brother Ray Nickels.
Services are under the direction of Brown's Funeral Service.Betty Jean (Nickels) Epperley passed away unexpectedly on Friday, December 27, 2024, at Tahlequah, Oklahoma, at the age of 92 years.
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