© Flanagan-Watts Funeral Home
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Media June (Petty) Hicks was born at Leon, Oklahoma, on March 26, 1932. She passed away in Chickasha on May 24, 2025. She was the firstborn child of Johnny Garnet Petty and Ouilda Francis (Arthur) Petty. Her unusual name was given to her by her father in honor of his older half-sister, Media Martin.

At that time, she and her parents lived in a small frame house due east of this cemetery on the east side of the highway leading into Leon. She was later joined by her beloved siblings: Garnet Wallace (Buddy) in 1934; Norma Jean in 1937; and Brenda Jane in 1943. 

They grew up in a close-knit, hard-working, poor farm family. Their father made sure the children understood how to work hard, yet enjoy leisure time. Their mother made sure that the children always attended church and were instilled with a love for their Lord that still guides their lives.

Media attended grade school and high school at Leon Public School, graduating in a class of 4, 2 boys and 2 girls. She loved learning, and said many times that she could have been happy being a fulltime student forever. Her love for learning showed especially in the way she studied the Bible and marveled at the new things it taught her each day. 

In the Fall of 1944, a young man and his classmates began high school at Leon because their grade school at Jimtown had no high school. His name was George M. Hicks, Jr. (Buggs), and he was a year older than Media. In a small rural school such as Leon, students did not necessarily date; they all ran around together in groups. However, Buggs and Media were attracted to each other. While in high school and after graduation, Buggs saved his money in order to buy an engagement ring to give to Media. They were married July 15, 1949, after her graduation in May of that year. Media and Buddy loved to reminisce about the day she got married. Media wasn’t sure about which day she would get married because Buggs didn’t own a vehicle and would have to borrow his daddy’s truck. Buggs showed up in the middle of that day at their peanut field. They were hoeing peanuts. Media left the peanut field to clean up and get dressed in her best dress to travel with Buggs to Gainesville, Texas, to get married. Her father was a hard worker and expected the same from his children. So Buddy had to finish Media’s work that day. He never forgave Buggs for that. 

Buggs and Media lived with his parents briefly after marrying. Buggs’ daddy traveled to eastern Oklahoma to purchase enough lumber to build a small house. Media’s daddy was a carpenter and built a 2-room house on the corner of Hicks’ property in Jimtown. They welcomed Georgina Rae on July 29, 1950. They knew she would be an only child because of their finances. However, Media’s daddy died suddenly of a heart attack on September 9, 1956. Realizing the importance of family and the brevity of life, Buggs and Media decided they needed a sibling for Gina. Johni Belinda was born July 17, 1957. 

That Fall, they moved that same 2 room house to a small 80 acre farm/ranch property that they had purchased. That house was soon enlarged by adding 2 bedrooms and a greatly appreciated indoor bathroom. Media worked several years as a factory worker at both the pants factory and cookie shop in Marietta. As mentioned, Media loved learning and attending school. Her dream of attending college and obtaining a teaching degree came about in May 1969.   Media had completed that degree in 3 years with a double major in Science and English. She started teaching at Marietta that Fall and realized she had found her true calling of teaching. Several years later, she completed her master’s degree with a 4.0 grade point average. They sold that “home place” in 1976 and moved to Marietta. They had bought 160 acres outside of Marietta, and it became the new “home place”. She retired in 1984 and bought a flower shop in Marietta. She ran it for several years and then sold it for twice what she had paid. She missed teaching. She had previously taught middle school. She began teaching high school and college classes. She and Buggs took the trip of a lifetime to Europe in 2008 with Norma and her husband, Diz. She fell and broke her collarbone before flying out of New York. She didn’t bother to tell any of us until they got back to New York a week later. You know, she didn’t want to worry anyone. Media continued to teach until around 2010. They continued to raise cattle and quail well into their 80’s. In 2016, it became obvious that they could no longer take care of the cattle. After selling the cattle and quail, Media didn’t have as much to do. She was not one to sit idly or watch television. She was happiest when she could mow the grass or pick up pecan limbs to clean up the place. Media had enjoyed teaching language arts in middle school, high school, and college. However, her deep love was reading her Bible and studying her Bible in order to teach Sunday School for almost 60 years. She continued to read her Bible and exclaim at how much she was learning as she read passages she had read many times before. 

Buggs’ physical health was fine, but he began exhibiting signs of Alzheimer’s. They moved to Ardmore in Spring 2018 to be closer to family support. He passed away April 13, 2019. They had been married 69 years and 9 months. It was a lonely time for Media. She began to feel less secure in her apartment and did not feel comfortable driving in town. She moved in with Johni February 2020. They thought of themselves as The Golden Girls for 2 years. Johni married Mark Phillips on March 5, 2022. Even as independent as she was and Johni is, Media was glad to have a man to “take care of them” now.

Media was never idle and enjoyed working with or helping others. She was a member of several churches throughout her life: Jimtown Baptist, Leon Baptist, Marietta First Baptist, and Emmanuel Baptist, Ardmore. She taught Sunday School for over 55 years. She participated in The Walk to Emmaus for more than 8 years. She was a member of Volunteer Christian Builders for 15 years, and worked in all capacities, especially as a prayer warrior. She took her professional education organization membership very serious. She was a member of Marietta Classroom Teachers, Oklahoma Education Association, National Education Association, and Oklahoma Retired Teachers Association. She supported 4-H and worked with its members for over 16 years. She hoped that her 20 years as a CASA (Court Appointed Child Advocate) volunteer helped the quality of the lives of the children she served.

Media was preceded in death by her parents, Garnet and Ouilda Petty Green; father-in-law and mother-in-law, George and Dorothea Hicks; her husband, Buggs; son-in-law, Steve Bell; sister-in-law, Erma Petty; brothers-in-law, James Hicks, Bill Hicks, and Roscoe Hicks; and great nephews, Geoffrey Petty and Donald Iran Bucher. 

She is survived by her daughters: Gina and husband, Steve Calhoun of Ninnekah, and Johni and husband, Mark Phillips of Ardmore. Her grandchildren are Dillon Bell of Ardmore, Bryce and wife Becky Bell of Ardmore, Tyler Phillips of Miami; Clint Calhoun of Ninnekah; Robert and wife Lydia Calhoun of Stillwater and Lauren and husband Blake Storms of Fort Worth. Her great-grandchildren are Jackson Storms, Elizabeth Storms, Vivian Calhoun, Maggie Bell, Miles Bell, Emma Bell, Ava Bell, Lane Willoughby, Liz Willoughby, and Brenley Martin. Her siblings are Buddy Petty of Tipton; Norma and husband Diz Glover of Concord, Massachusetts; and Brenda and husband Kent Green of Ardmore. Her in-laws are Ellie Hicks of Dallas; Zolian Hicks of New Tazewell, Tennessee; Brenda Hicks of Marlow; Daroleen and husband Paul Bucher of Marietta; and a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children.

She will be greatly missed! However, we did not lose her; we all know where she is and plan to join her some day when our Lord calls us home to Heaven.