Apr 14, 1919 - Jul 10, 2015
Posted by: Jo Aguirre
Services for Benjamin Harrison “Ben” Nail, 96, of Ada are 10:00
a.m. Monday at the Criswell Funeral Home Chapel, Jay Downing will officiate.
Burial will follow at the Sandy Creek Cemetery near Fillmore. The family will
receive friends from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Sunday at Criswell Funeral Home.
Mr. Nail died Friday, July 10, 2015 at his home. He was born April 14, 1919 at
Fillmore to Harrison and Julia Fillmore Nail. Both of his parents were original
enrollees of the Chickasaw Nation.
He married Virginia Fern Hurt May 6, 1941 at Fillmore. She preceded him in death
April 29, 1987 in Ada. He moved to the Ada area in 2003 from Nevada and later
married Juanita Holden Byars, March 2005 at Connerville. She preceded him in
death June 27, 2006.
Mr. Nail worked on a pipeline all over the Western United States. He served in
the U. S. Army with the 179th Infantry Division, Company G during World War II
and he was of the Presbyterian faith.
Mr. Nail was a full-blooded elder of the Chickasaw Nation. He spoke the
Chickasaw language fluently. He enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid hunter and
fisherman. He made his own bois d’arc bows and river cane arrows to hunt small
and large game. He enjoyed the sport of baseball. In his younger years, he was a
first baseman for a semi-professional team that played across southern Oklahoma
and northern Texas. At one point in his career, he earned a tryout for the New
York Yankees.
Survivors include two daughters, Vivian McWhorter and husband Kenneth and
Virginia “Gingy” Nail, all of Ada; three sons, Quanah Nail and wife Sherry,
Steven R. Nail and Vance Nail, all of Ada; ten grandchildren; 21
great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son, Quinton Nail, May 5, 1952, and a daughter,
Sheridith Nail, July 24, 1997.
Bearers will be his grandsons, Jason Burwell and Marc McWhorter;
grandsons-in-law, John Impson and Johnny Carter; and great-grandson, Justin
Carter.
Obituaries may be viewed and online condolences sent to criswellfh.com.
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