Donald Leroy Slaght was born on January 7th, 1930 on his grandfathers homestead near Okeene, Blaine County, Oklahoma during a typical Oklahoma blizzard, to Thaddeus and Smilax Slaght who preceded him in death. He rode his horse one and a half miles to attend the Arapaho grade school (a one room school house) grades one through eight, and then graduated from the Okeene High School in 1947. Some of his favorite memories were of the ideal childhood growing up on a farm, hunting quail, ducks and geese with his father and listening to his grandfather Slaght relating stories about his life before and during the running of the Cherokee Strip. Donald enlisted in the navy the summer of 1947, at the age of seventeen to get away from what, at his age, he considered the tedium of wheat farming on his father's place and also to go out and see the world. He served two years as an engineer on air craft carriers, down in the engine room, after which he was glad to get back to Oklahoma. At the age of 21, as a navy reservist, he was called back into the service because of the Korean conflict. He volunteered for special services in underwater demolition. After extensive training he then found himself in a marine uniform, walking with a M1 rifle and doing forward observation. After a tour of three years in Korea and seeing sights such as Yalu River, the 38th Parallel, and the battle for the Enchon Reservoir, he was mustered out to return to Oklahoma and attend Oklahoma A & M on the GI Bill, with plans to be a teacher. After ninety two credit hours of school, with a growing family and the chance to make good wages working as a heave equipment mechanic in the oil fields, he decided to quit college. Donald moved to Rogue River, Oregon in 1962 and worked in the area until 1975 when he started working in Alaska for Chris Berg Incorporate. He retired in 1987 and returned to his home in Rogue River, Oregon. Donald belonged to the Grants Pass Elks Lodge and the VFW post 4116 of Rogue River. Prior to his last five years of various health problems, he enjoyed socializing with friends, working on old cars, hunting and adding to his gun collection. Donald is survived by a sister, Wanda Rae Meissinger of Oklahoma City, OK; a daughter, Debbie Craig of Mitchel, OK; sons: Donald Mark Adkisson of Ringwood, OK; David Adkisson of Watonga, OK; and the children's mother, Coeta Adkisson of Ringwood, OK; four granddaughters, one grandson, and one great granddaughter. He was preceded in death by a sister, Neora Ann. Other survivors are his wife Donna Seavey-Slagy of Rogue River, Oregon who he married on December 10, 1981 at Virginia City, Nevada and two step-sons, Dean Seavey of Brookings, Orgeon and Dale Seavey of Eugene, Oregon. The burial was in the family plot at Okeene, Oklahoma. As printed in "the OKEENE RECORD", Thursday, September 26, 2002, Okeene, Blaine County, Oklahoma, 73763, U.S.A.