Dewey County Obituary
Rhea Cemetery

Frankie Pauline Hendricks Ferrell

21 Nov 1921 - 31 Dec 2008

© Cheyenne Star
8 Jan 2009
Reprinted with permission
Submitted by: Wanda Purcell

Frankie Pauline Ferrell was born November 21, 1921 in Hastings, Oklahoma. She passed from this life on December 31, 2008 at the age of 87. Her parents were Nettie and Frank Hendricks She attended school in Hastings and Spencer Oklahoma, and junior high a Capital Hill H.S. in Oklahoma City. She was living in Colorado with her sister when she met John Murphy Ferrell. He was working in the oilfield at the time and they were married on November 8, 1939. The couple lived in Oklahoma City prior to moving to the Ferrell homestead farm near Rhea, Oklahoma in 1941. It was at this time that they began their family of 8 children: Barbara Poulson of Sulphur, Judy Bentley of Leedey, Betty Ferrell of Ft. Cobb, Ronnie Ferrell of Oklahoma City, Kathy Binkley of Clinton, Mickey Ferrell of Taloga, Rickey Ferrell and Curtis Ferrell of Vici, Oklahoma. Frankie was the matriarch of 5 generations totaling approximately 80 wonderful children who all love their Grandma Pauline.

Frankie worked very hard providing for her family as an incredibly loving Mother, housewife, and hairdresser in Leedey and Sulphur for 30 years. She was a great cook, and seamstress; she loved gardening, camping, and anything fun. More than anything, she loved her family and many, many friends, and she was a friend to everyone. Everyone was welcome in Frankie's home. Frankie always wanted to know if you had enough to eat and if you slept well. It was common for her to work all day shucking corn and staying up late to get it all 'put up'. When the kids arrive home from school on the bus, they might see 3 or 4 baskets of clothes under the line to be hung up to dry. Even if it was really cold out, she would say, 'they will freeze dry'. Frankie was baptized in the Church of Christ in 1947. She and Grandpa had many church friends that they socialized with. They might stay up to the wee hours of the night playing cards or dominoes with the Pecks, the Switzers, the Carney's and the Shackleford families.

Frankie was preceded in death by her husband John Ferrell, her parents, Nettie and Frank Hendricks, 2 brothers and 6 sisters. She leaves a living legacy of family including 8 children, 25 grandchildren, 40 great grandchildren, 11 great great grandchildren, a sister-in-law Violet Hendricks of Enid, and a brother-in-law John Logan of Taloga. She has a herd of nieces and nephews who loved her and called her Aunt Polly. They all said that she was their favorite Aunt because everyone was welcome, dirty shoes and all, and there was usually wonderful food on the stove that she was always willing to share. She was very loved by her special friend Sammy Jones of Sulphur, Oklahoma. She was always concerned about everyone having enough to eat, and she always said that laughter was the best medicine, and laugh we did.

She will surely be missed by all who know her. Some tears never dry, but all the happy times and wonderful memories will replace the painful loss of our Grandma, Franky Pauline Ferrell.

Funeral services were held Saturday, January 3, 2009 in the Church of Christ, Leedey, Oklahoma with burial following in Rhea Cemetery. Services arranged by Shaw Funeral Home, Leedey, Oklahoma.