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Funeral services for Lindel N. “Nick” Purkey, 66, of Tahlequah will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009, at the First Presbyterian Church. Officiating will be Rev. Rick Davis and Rev. Leigh McCaslin. Serving as pallbearers are Jerry Miller, Ted Kupsick, Ray Hammons, Aaron Garrett, Rick Hicks, Casey Baker and Mark Whittmore with Tahlequah City Firefighters serving as honorary pallbearers.
Interment will follow in the Tahlequah City Cemetery under the care of Green Country Funeral Home.
He died on Feb. 20, 2009, in Muskogee.
Nick loved the community and people of Girard, Kan., where he grew up and where life remains less complicated. The Girard schools instilled in Nick a great appreciation of music. It was here he learned to play the bass trombone. He was a 1960 graduate of Girand High School. As a teenager, hot-rods and drag racing became a passion. Later in life Nick enjoyed playing the harmonica. Faithful to our country, Nick served in the Army Reserve from 1960-'68.Moving to Tahlequah in 1962, Nick began working for Ed King Boat Factory. In the '60s he also worked for Tahlequah Lumber Co. and Tahlequah Public Works Authority. During this time his love for stock-car racing began. His passion lasted 25 years, resulting in many championship seasons at Muskogee Thunderbird Speedway and Crawford County Speedway in Arkansas.In 1971, Nick became a volunteer firefighter for the Tahlequah Fire Department and in 1977 a full-time firefighter. He earned the rank of assistant fire chief before retirement in 1999. Nick always stressed the importance of fire safety, stressing prevention and education of our children on the Stop, Drop, and Roll program. Following retirement, Nick remained active with the city of Tahlequah, teaching safety classes to city employees. Preceding Nick in death are his parents.
Cherishing his memory are his wife Susan Bliss, whom he married in Tahlequah on July 1, 1977; a son, Chuck, and his wife Diane of Tahlequah, three daughters, Deborah Sells of Tahlequah, Jamie Linn of Shreveport, La., and Nicki Johnstone and husband Bobby of Ponca City; two brothers, Bob Purkey of Pittsburg, Kan., and Leroy Purkey of Girard, Kan.; nine grandchildren, Brittany and Allison Sells, and Trinton, Steven, and Tyler Purkey all of Tahlequah, Austin and Bradley Linn of Shreveport, La., and Chelsea and Cheyenne Van Zandt of Ponca City; a great-grandson, Xavier Nicholas Garcia, also of Ponca City; and other relatives, friends, and loved ones who will miss him dearly.
Memorial contributions may be made to Tahlequah First Presbyterian Church.Green Country Funeral Home, 203 S. Commercial Road, 458-5055.
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