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November 30, 1964 August 6, 1900 ~ July 31, 1985 John Wesley Abney, born Oct. 13, 1869 in Saline County, Illinois. He died Nov. 30, 1964 at Stratford, Oklahoma. He was known by most as "J.W." but his wife called him "Wes". He was an ordained Missionary Baptist preacher. He held three degrees in the Masons at the Stratford, Oklahoma lodge. He worked as a farmer to support the family and handled revival services and pastored several churches in Oklahoma throughout his life. He also traded properties and did various types of labor after he quit farming. He owned and operated a grocery store in the Prairie Grove Community, west of Stratford, Oklahoma. After the death of their youngest son, Clarence, in WW II, he renamed the church Clarence Chapel. He was active up to a short time before his death. According to Ruth Abney-Spurlock, J.W. had almost no formal education. His wife taught him to read and write. When he was saved, J.W. joined the Missionary Baptist, although his mother was a Primitive Baptist. |
April 18, 1951 Maud May Maxwell Abney was born in Arkansas on September 27, 1878 to V.B. "David" Maxwell and Minerva Elizabeth Posey. She married John Wesley Abney when she was 15 years old. She took care of his 2 year old daughter, Bertha, and raised her as her own. Maud didn't have much formal education, but was self-taught. After her husband surrendered to the ministry, she helped teach him to read and study. On April 18, 1951, she died of multiple causes, but the primary cause was hardening of the arteries. Her services were conducted at the Prairie Grove Baptist Church, west of Stratford, Oklahoma. Jimmy Ratliff, pastor of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, Stratford, Oklahoma, handled the services. Her grandsons: Billy Abney, Johnny Abney, L eo Abney, Sonny Abney, Jesse Spurlock, and Louis Spurlock served as pall bearers. She is buried in the Abney Family Cemetery. |
July 31, 1985 Jesse Lee Abney, born Aug. 6, 1900, in Logan Co., Ark. Jesse was 9 years old when his father moved the family to Oklahoma. He spent the remainder of his life in and around Stratford, Oklahoma. After retiring from farming, he moved to town, and was appointed City Marshal of Stratford, Oklahoma. Jesse spent much time studying the Bible, but never took an active part in church, although he attended First Baptist Church, Stratford, Oklahoma on a regular basis. He married Jewell Velta Tilley, on September 21, 1918. She died Nov. 1, 1976. Jesse died from inoperable bladder cancer at Norman Regional Hospital, on July 31, 1985. His services were held at First Baptist Church, Stratford, Okla. with pastor Jim Brown and David Plank handling the services. He is buried in the Abney Cemetery. |
November 1, 1976 Services for Jewel Velta Abney, 73, Stratford, will be 2 p.m. Wednesday in the First Baptist Church, Stratford, with Rev. Gene Daley officiating and Russell Duck assisting. Mrs. Abney was born July 30, 1903 in Oklahoma and died November 1 in Pauls Valley General Hospital. She had lived most of her life around the Stratford area. She was married Sept. 22, 1918 to Jesse Abney and she was a member of the First Baptist Church of Stratford. Survivors include her husband, Jesse, of the home; daughters, Loren Frantz, Midwest City; Pauline Skaggs, Stratford; sons, Lee Abney, Stratford; Louie Abney, Coalinga, Calif; sisters, Alma Moore, Detroit, Mich; Rita Gerkin of Houston, Texas; brothers, Lonie and Milford Tilley, Oklahoma City; 13 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. Palklbearers will be Elvia Morris, Harvey Lewelling, George Lewis, Johnny Tyler, Lester Skaggs and Virgil Skaggs. Services are under the direction of Pickard Funeral Home, Stratford. |
© Stufflebean~Coffey Funeral Home Pauls Valley, Oklahoma December 23, 1974 Thomas Isaac Abney was born July 27, 1905 in Franklin County, Arkansas. Tom finished the 8th grade in school, which was typical for young people of his era. He was an amateur wrestler in his younger days. He loved to play checkers and could best almost anyone at the game. As an adult, he was a cattle trader and a butcher. He became Deputy Sheriff under Garvin County Sheriff, Claud Sweeney. He served five years as a deputy and then ran for sheriff and was elected. He served as Garvin County Sheriff for 18 years. During his tenure as sheriff, he received the True Detective Service Award in November 1963, for apprehending an armed fugitive and without injury to anyone. After leaving the Sheriff's Office, he ran for Garvin County Commissioner and was elected. He served in that capacity for two terms. During his time in office, he worked to build a bridge across the Washita River to provide easier access to Pauls Valley to a number of citizens. He never saw it completed, but after his death, the bridge was completed. In recognition of his service to Garvin County, the bridge was named the "Tom Abney Bridge". It is located southeast of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. After leaving the Commissioner's office, he worked as a tree surgeon and was very active in that occupation until he suffered a heart attack. He was recovering from that when he suffered a stroke that took his life. His services were held in the Stufflebean Funeral Home Chapel of Pauls Valley, with his old friend and his pastor, Earl Storie, officiating. Tom was a faithful member of the Pauls Valley Missionary Baptist Church in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. He is buried in the Abney Cemetery. |
© Stufflebean~Coffey Funeral Home Pauls Valley, Oklahoma October 2, 2004 Katie Mattie Abney, of Tecumseh was born August 22, 1907 in Pilot Point, Texas to Luther and Lillian [Chapman] Mercer. She passed away October 2, 2004 at Tecumseh, Oklahoma at the age of 97 years. Katie Mattie Mercer married Thomas Isaac Abney in Roff, Oklahoma on September 21, 1927. She was proud of having earned her teaching certificate and taught for a number of years, but what she was most was a loving homemaker. From the 1920's to the 1940's she lived in Stratford and then moved to make Pauls Valley her home until 1989. The past two years she has lived in Tecumseh. Katie was a member of Missionary Baptist Church in Pauls Valley. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Isaac "Tom" Abney on December 23, 1974; and by 2 sons, John Wesley "Sonny" Abney and Glen Abney. Surviving family include her daughter and her husband, Betty and Cliff Ginn of Tecumseh; a sister, June Bragg of Conroe, Texas; two brothers, Everett Mercer, and John Mercer, both of Stratford; eight grandchildren, Debra Day of Pauls Valley, Brenda Roundtree of Tecumseh, Barbara McBroom of El Reno, Thomas Ginn of Bentonville, Arkansas, Stan Ginn, Jr. of Norman, Bryan Glen Abney of Paoli, Michelle Dehmer of Washington State and Rhonda Abney of Darien, Georgia as well as numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held Monday, October 4, 2004 at 2:00 pm at Stufflebean Chapel officiated by Rev. Roy Brooks. Burial will be at Abney Family Cemetery near Stratford and are under the direction of Stufflebean-Coffey Funeral Home. |
1911 Henry was just over two years old when an old sick cat showed up on the Abney farm place. Little Henry loved on that cat. Since it was obviously sick, Henry's mother was worried that Henry might get sick from handling it. She put the cat outside the house but Little Henry went out, got it and brought it back in the house. She put it back outside, but each time Little Henry brought it back inside. They finallly got rid of the cat, but Henry became ill within a few days. It was determined that he had diptheria. Because of his contact with the sick cat just days before he became ill, they thought he got diptheria from the cat. J.W., his father, was very concerned about spreading diptheria to anyone else, so he decided to have a private ceremony in the home and bury Little Henry on their farm place, instead of in a regular cemetery. That way they would expose fewer people. However, on the day of the services, "everyone in the country" showed up. No one else came down with diptheria, but Grandpa went ahead and buried Little Henry as planned. He fenced off the area, which started the family cemetery. |
January 21, 2004 Opal Bessie Abney was born June 19, 1914. She is the wife of Herman Floyd Abney, who is a son of J.W. and Maud Abney. She died on January 21, 2004 at the age of 89 years, 7 months and 2 days. |
October 23, 1981 Vernon Hall Abney was born August 29, 1915 in Stratford, Oklahoma. He was a life long resident of Oklahoma. He married Delma Minnie Mercer on February 14, 1936 in Stratford. His wife, Delma Mercer, was the sister of Katie Mercer, who married Vernon's older brother, Tom Abney. Vernon finished the 8th grade in school. That was typical for his era. He didn't receive any encouragement to go further. Vernon loved to fish and was very successful in that effort. He retired from the Oklahoma City Stockyards. Vernon died in Oklahoma City on October 23, 1981. On the day of his death he had just finished doing yard work for a neighbor and had sat down on the porch to rest. He lay back to relax and died of a heart attack. Vernon's services were held in Trinity Freewill Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, officiated by pastor DeArthur Yandell. Vernon was raised as a Missionary Baptist, but at the time of his death, his membership was with Trinity Freewill Baptist. Vernon is buried in the Abney Cemetery. |
October 7, 2011 Delma Minnie [Mercer] Abney was born March 29, 1916. She married Vernon Hall Abney on Feb. 14, 1936. Vernon was a younger brother of Thomas Isaac Abney, who had married Delma's older sister, Katie Mercer. Delma was a home maker all her life. She died on January 3, 1995. Her services were officiated by her nephew, Jesse Spurlock, in the Pickard Funeral Home Chapel, Stratford, Okla. She is buried beside Vernon in the Abney Cemetery. The eulogy delivered by Jesse Spurlock stated, "Aunt Delma was married to my Uncle Vernon. She made a good home for her family. She and Vernon raised three fine girls. When I graduated from high school, I moved to Oklahoma City and stayed in their home, while waiting to enter the Marines. They accepted me into their family and treated me like their own son. Aunt Delma was a good cook and a homemaker in the best sense of the word. She always maintained a clean and pleasant home." Delma Mercer-Abney was saved as a very young girl. She was baptized by the authority of the Prairie View Missionary Baptist Church. She was baptized in a farm pond just north and west of the church. She was a member of the Southwest Friendship Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, at the time of her death. She had been faithful in her church attendance throughout her life. However, for the last several years, she had been unable to attend because of health. She had a good reputation with the community. |
March 9, 1987 Hermon Floyd Abney was born December 28, 1917 in Stratford, Oklahoma. Hermon was the first of his family to graduate from high school. When WWII came, Hermon was already married, with a wife and children. When his younger brother, Clarence, was killed in the invasion of France, Hermon joined the U.S. Navy, although he could have been exempt because of his family. He served as a Hospital Corpsman. Upon separation from the Navy, he ran a Laundromat in Stratford, Oklahoma for several years, then moved to Los Angeles, California where he joined the Los Angeles Police Department and served for 20 years. During his service with the Los Angeles Police Department he worked Parking and Intersection Control, assigned to the Hollenbeck District, which was a predominantly Mexican-American community. While there the local newspaper did a feature article on him. Hermon was very poplar with his fellow officers and ran for the Police Protective League and was elected. He served several terms in that position. During his police service, Hermon received several commendations and awards for community service. After his retirement from the Los Angeles Police Department he returned to Stratford, Oklahoma, where he served as Chief of Police on two separate occasions. During his tenure as chief of police, Hermon was very active with the Little League and other community activities. At the time of his death, he was working alone flailing and picking up pecans. There, he suffered a fatal heart attack. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Los Angeles Fire and Police Association, the American Legion, and the First Baptist Church of Stratford. His services were held at the First Baptist Church in Stratford, Oklahoma, with the pastor, Jim Brown, officiating. He is buried in the Abney Cemetery, which, in the last years of his life, he had voluntarily maintained for the Abney family. |
July 14, 1920 Little Baby Abney was born July 13, 1920 at Stratford, Oklahoma. He was then known at that date, as a "Blue Baby". He died the next day, July 14, 1920. He was the fourth one, and J.W. and Maud's second child, to be placed in the Abney Cemetery. |
18 January 1945 Clarence Leon Abney was born July 9, 1921, at Stratford, Okla. He graduated from Stratford High School. He began farming after graduation from high school, but WWII had started and he was drafted. He was promoted to Corporal as he was preparing to ship out for overseas. Just prior to going overseas, Clarence married Thelma Motz on Nov. 30, 1943 in Buffalo, New York. Due to a clerical error, Clarence was reverted to PFC in rank after going overseas. His serial number was 38272175. He was assigned to the 12th Armored Division, known as the Hellcats. According to their history, they shipped out of Camp Shanks, New York and sailed for England on 20 September 1944. According to the history of the unit, their battalion engaged in combat on December 5, 1944 near Weislingen. They captured a German town at Utweiler on 21 December 1944. Clarence was killed on 18 January 1945, which was the day his unit engaged in the battle for Herrlisheim, France, a small town north of Strasbourg. Because of their heavy casualties, this became known as "Bloody Herrlishem". Quoting from "The Story of the 12th Armored Division - WWII G.I. Story Book": "This was their only defensive battle of the war when they smacked into a numerically superior and well-entrenched enemy. But while sustaining many casualties, the Hellcats thwarted repeated German attempts to break out of the river head pocket and strike south toward the political prize of Strasbourg. It was here that the 12th was dubbed the "Suicide Division" by the Germans, who eventually withdrew, still puzzled by American tenacity. Later, according to the Nazi POWs, the Hellcats became one of the two most feared divisions on the western Front. The other being the 4th Armored." According to a witness from Stratford, Oklahoma who was also in the invasion, a bomb landed directly in the fox hole where Clarence was, killing him instantly. He is buried in the Epinal American Cemetery, Vosges, France, Plot A, Row 21, Grave 71. However, he also has a marker in the Abney Cemetery, Stratford, Okla. His rank is listed as PFC. He was awarded the Purple Heart. Clarence and Thelma had no children. |
August 19, 2004 Funeral services for Louie Jesse Abney were held Monday, August 23, 2004 at Pickard Funeral Home Chapel, Stratford, Oklahoma with Rev. Marvin Knox officiating. Burial Followed at Abney Cemetery, Stratford, under the directrion of Pickard Funeral Home. Pallbearers were Bo Frantz, Randy Frantz, Steve Frantz, Gary Frantz, Jimy Frantz, and Tom Abney. Honorary Bearers were J. D. Masters, Clem Simms, Junior Hyatt, and Gary Hargrave. Louie Jesse Abney, a resident of Stratford, was born May 11, 1931 in Stratford, Oklahoma to Jesse asnd Jewel [Tilly] Abney. He passed away August 19, 2004 at Stratford, Oklahoma at the age of 73 years. He was married to Helen Seay Abney. He was a retired oilfield worker, and had lived all of his life in Stratford. Mr. Abney was an Army veteran of the Korean Conflict. He joined the U.S. Army when he was 16 years old in 1947. Upon the Army's discovery of his actual age, he was separated from the Army. He enlisted again in 1949 and served until 1952 and was promoted to Sergeant before his separation. In the last years of his life, he settled in Stratford, OK. He was responsible for caring for the Abney Cemetery. He paid for the maintenance out of his own pocket and refused to be reimbursed for it. He was buried there on August 23, 2004. Survivors include: one son and his wife, Steve and Debra Whedbee of Stratford; one daughter, Sharon Abney of Stratford; one brother, Leo Abney of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma; one sister, Pauline Skaggs of Stratford; four grandchildren, Melody Christian, Madeline Gilley, Debra Pingleton, and Amy Wedbee; and one great-grandchild, Steven Dale Wedbee. He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Abney in 1986; his parents, Jewel Abney in 1976 and Jesse Abney in 1985; and one sister, Lorene Frantz. |
May 21, 2015 Sue, wife of Leo Glenn Abney. She was known her life as "Sue". She was very involved in genealogy study of hers and Leo's family. She was very concerned about the accurates of the information. Sue died on May 21, 2015. She was cremated. A memorial services were held in lieu of a regular funeral services. Her ashes are placed with a joint head stone with her husband, Leo Abney, in the Abney Cemetery. |
March 24, 1959 John Wesley "Sonny" Abney, was born October 1, 1933 at Maxwell, Oklahoma. He served six years in the U.S. Air Force and was in the National Guard at the time of his death. On March 13, 1959, Sonny and Dan Snellgroos were en route to a job in western Oklahoma. As they were leaving, they stopped at Ruth and John Spurlock's store in Lindsay for groceries. Just hours after leaving there, they were involved in a traffic accident. According to the newspaper account, Dan, who was a passenger in the car and was pronounced dead at the scene. They took Sonny to the hospital in Shattuck. On March 24, because of his condition, they decided to transfer him to the VA hospital in Oklahoma City, but Sonny died en route. Sonny's services were held in the Stratford High School gym in Stratford, Oklahoma under the direction of W.E. Winan's Funeral Home in Maysville, Oklahoma. He is buried in the Abney Cemetery. |
© Stufflebean~Coffey Funeral Home Pauls Valley, Oklahoma October 7, 2011 Glen Thomas Abney was born Sepember 8, 1942. He married Judy Ann Mc Gregor August 31, 1963. Judy's parents were Francis and Rubye McGregor. Judy and Glen were later divorced. Glen worked with cattle throughout his life. He also retired from Kerr-McGee Oil Refinery. He was an artist, and sold many of his paintings. Glen was the first of Tom and Katie's children to be born in a hospital. Glen died on December 27, 2001 in Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City. Stufflebean Funeral Home in Pauls Valley was in charge. His services were held at the First United Pentecostal Holiness Church, Paoli, Okla., where his son, Brian, held membership. The pastor, Terry Erwin, handled the service, with Glen's cousin, Jesse Spurlock, assisting. Glen was raised as a Baptist and never was a Holiness. Following the services at the church, the assembly went in a funeral procession all the way to the Abney Cemetery at Stratford on icy roads and a blowing snow storm. |
December 7, 2005 Tim Abney was born August 10, 1961 in Los Angeles, Calif. to Leo Glenn and Sue Abney. He attended school in Westminster, Ca. until the family moved back to Stratford OK. He was married to Danette Lindsay May 27, 1981. They lived first in OK City, OK where a son, Noah Daniel Abney was born. Two daughters, Megan Lindsay Abney and Katelyn Shauna Abney were born after moving back to the Stratford area. Tim was a family man, a faithful member of Faith Center Church in Sulphur, OK. He enjoyed hosting holiday gatherings of family and friends, especially elaborate fireworks displays on the 4th of July. He always had time for children, his own and others, horses. dogs and various other pets. Timothy Glenn Abney left this earth life for Heaven Dec 7, 2005 at the age of 44 years, 3 months and 27 days. He is survived by his wife, Danette, of the home, a son, Noah Abney, two daughters, Megan Abney Todd and Katelyn Abney Kimmel, his parents, Leo and Sue Abney, a brother, Rick Abney, four sisters, Sherry Abney, Cynthia Mauldin, Rosalie Cavers, Alisa Abney, a large extended family and many friends whose lives were touched by the life, love and humor of Tim Abney. |
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