Eldred Lee Deeds

Published courtesy of the Cordell Beacon

© Cordell Beacon

Eldred Lee Deeds was born January 28, 1914, on the family farm in Washita County north of Hobart, Oklahoma, to Alva Carroll and Ada Maud Young Deeds. He entered heaven on May 17, 2002 at Heritage Village in Corn, Oklahoma. E.L. attended "Big Ike" rural school for eight years and graduated from Sentinel High School in 1932. Attending college at Cameron University and Panhandle University, he graduated in 1936.

In 1936, Deeds married Elva Howard who preceded him in death in 1999, after 63 years of marriage. He met her at Panhandle University where they were both students. After graduations, they made their home in Laverne, Oklahoma, where he taught math and business subjects for six and a half years and served as high school principal for four years. Their children were born at Shattuck during their stay at Laverne.

The Deedses moved to the family farm near Sentinel in 1942. He taught math and business at Rocky for eight years. Later, until 1965, he taught at Sentinel. Deeds was voted by Sentinel High School students as Most Popular Teacher several times. Since his last year at Sentinel, former students visited him at his farm. Also, former students and friends from Laverne had come to see him. He loved his students and many loved him.

Deeds served as a member of the Rocky Coop Elevator for many years and was involved in the building of the first concrete elevator. He was a good bookkeeper for schools and businesses. He did income tax returns for the public for many years.

Deeds' interest was farming southeast of Sentinel. He was a member of the Sentinel United Methodist church.

Deeds was preceded in death by his parents, wife, three brothers, Bennett, Alva and John, two sisters, Vivian and Helen. He is survived by one sister, Mary Harlow; two children, Richard Deeds and wife Sandra of Rocky, and Karen Deeds Wheeler and husband Francis of Sentinel; four grandchildren, Mark Deeds and wife Andrea of Oklahoma City, David Deeds and wife Tracy of Edmond, Jon Wheeler and Mona and Dena Wheeler Evetts and husband Jackie of Sentinel; Great grandchildren Mary, Sarah, Derek, Dylan, Kylie Deeds, Weslee, Jesse and Culley Evetts, Quent Johnson, Johnathan and Laci Hill.

Graveside services were held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 19th at the Sentinel Cemetery, Sentinel, Oklahoma, under the direction of Jack Loftiss Funeral Home, Sentinel.