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Stella Ruth Deines Ridgeway Brown
© Grace Memorial Chapel
07-2011
Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

© Grace Memorial Chapel

Mamas birthday is being celebrated in Heaven today. Free of doctors, hospitals and pain. Stella Ruth Deines Ridgeway Brown was born July 11, 1921, in Wakeeney, Kan., to immigrants from Russia, Henry Deines and Mary Ehrlich. She cleaned houses for a quarter a day. She was raised in Russell, Kan. She babysat for Senator Bob Dole when he was young. She married an Okie Army boy, Willard Ridgeway, in August 1942 and they had two girls, Kay and Cindy. In 1954, they moved to Midwest City, where she cleaned houses for generals and captains at Tinker Air Force Base. In 1960, they moved to Ponca City, where her greatest desire was to be an RN. Under Dr. De Jarnettes training, she became a nurses aide at Grandview Osteopathic Hospital. She worked in nursing homes until 1965 and then worked as a waitress in cafes in Tulsa, where she knew Patti Page as her friend.

She married Carl Brown in 1974 until his death in 1983, and then moved to Ponca City to be near her family. She resided at Broadway Plaza, making numerous friends. Wherever she went she never met a stranger.

In 2008, she was transferred to Ponca Nursing Home, where she kept everybody happy and on their toes. Bingo was her favorite pastime.

She was a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church after being brought up as a German Lutheran. She is survived by daughters, Cindy Ortega and son in law Brett Ortega and Kay Mitchell and son in law Frank Mitchell grandchildren: grandsons, Tom Wayman from Minnesota, Lonny Wayman from Kansas, Don and Sandra Wayman from Kaw City and Jimmy and Brandy Barrows of Skiatook granddaughter, Tracie Lynn Craine of Tulsa Frank Mitchell Jr. and Kristin Mitchell of Blackwell, Andy and Kelly Mitchell and Tammy Mitchell Hentges of Ponca City and Brett Jr. and Ryan Ortega of Minnesota greatgrandchildren, Jessica, Brandon, Sarah, Andrew, Tommy Jr., and Freedom children of Tom Wayman. Gage, son of Lonny Waymond Shelby, daughter of Don Wayman Christian, son of Tracie Craine Madison Lynn, daughter of Jimmy Barrows Justin, Douglas and Erica of Tammy Hentges Taylor, Samara, Conner and Brooklyn of Frank Mitchell Jr. and Andrew and Weston of Andy Mitchell and five greatgreatgrandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, three brothers and great-granddaughter, Amber Wayman.

Graveside service at 10 a.m. Friday, July 15, 2011 at the Grandview Cemetery in Kaw City.


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