J. L. Stone was born Thursday, July 10, 1919, in Magazine, Arkansas and departed this life Tuesday, August 30, 2011, in Shawnee at the age of 92.

He was the son of John Levi and Bertha Loyd Stone, moved to Paden at the ripe old age of one month. He was one of the last living students of Scrouge-Out, a country school northeast of Paden.

He enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps in 1941, served four years, three of which were in the South Pacific in a heavy bomber group, B-24 Liberators.

He married Wilma Prevett on May 18, 1946, in Shawnee. They moved from Paden to Prague in 1957.

He was active in various civic groups, including American Legion, Masonic Lodge, Past President of the Round-up Club, and a member of the Square Dance Club. He served with the Kolache Festival Association as an organizer and four years as president. He was the Kolache Parade Marshal in 1998. He also served one full term on the city council and part of another term as mayor, deciding he was not a politician. He retired from Tinker Air Force Base following 34 years of service and was a member of the Prague United Methodist Church.

J. L. was preceded in death by his parents, four sisters, Ruby Wallis, Maggie Dovell, Eva Rutherford and Lillian Moore, one brother, Ralph Stone, one nephew, Melvin “Tiny” Wallis and two brothers-in-law, Ed and Glen Prevett.

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Wilma Stone of the home, brother-in-law and his wife, Roy and Donna Prevett of Prague and several nieces and nephews, including Jimmy and Geneva Wallis of Wichita, Kansas, Clyde and Thung Stone of Paden, Loyd and Darla Stone of Manhattan, Kansas, Ralph and Wanda Stone of Newalla, Bobbie and Roy Hilburn of Bristow, Lisa and Bob Schwartz of Choshocton, Ohio, Anita and Lonnie Smith of Plano, Texas, Linda and Bob Gross of Cothan, Alabama, Larry and Debra Prevett of Bisbee, Arizona and Charlene and Rick Ernest of Oklahoma City.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m., Friday, September 2, at Parks Brothers Funeral Home Chapel in Prague with Rev. Scott Keneda officiating.

Interment will follow at the Prague Cemetery.

Services are under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Service in Prague.

A guestbook is available to share memories online. Please visit www.ParksBrothers.net.

Published August 31, 2011.