Oklahoma Cemeteries Website

Click here to break out of frames
This information is available for free. If you paid money for a
subscription to get to this site, demand a refund.
For any questions pertaining to an individual cemetery, you would need to contact the cemetery sexton / board / caretaker.

Mount Hope Cemetery

Afton, Ottawa County, Oklahoma
Coordinates: 36.70670, -94.96940

© Burckhalter-Highsmith Funeral Home
Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

Thank You For Your Service!

Lyle Lester Crane

October 19, 1945 ~ October 9, 2024

Lyle Lester Crane,78, of Glenpool and longtime resident of Afton, passed away on October 9, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on , in Labette County, Kansas to Willard Crane and Imogene Crane-Miller.

Lyle graduated from Afton High School in 1963. He attended Independence Community College in Independence, Kan., on a football scholarship. Lyle was drafted into the U.S. Army in May 1966. He was stationed at Ft Polk, Louisiana, Ft Leonard Wood, Missouri, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, and completed his military service in the Okinawan Islands, Japan. Lyle was honorably discharged in May 1968 and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal. Following in Lyle’s footsteps all three of his sons, and his grandson have proudly served in the U.S. Military.

He received his bachelor’s degree in education from NSU at Tahlequah in 1972, his master’s in education in 1974 from Northwestern State University at Alva and educational administrative degree from Pittsburg State at Pittsburg, Kan., in 1976.

Lyle began his educator/administrator career in 1976. He has taught students at Medicine Lodge, Kan., Picher, Miami, Commerce, and Afton. In 1992 he became the Afton Elementary School principal until his retirement on June 30, 2010. After retiring he continued working part time writing federal/state grants for Afton Public Schools until 2014. He served on the Afton School Board and advisory board member at Afton Vo-Tech. He also coached football and was very active in the FFA and 4-H programs.

He served as an Afton Volunteer Fireman and president of the Afton Chamber of Commerce. Lyle and his wife ran a private business in Afton for eight years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Jim and Leon Crane, nephew Craig Crane, and great nephew Clint Crane.

Surviving family includes his wife of 56 years Ginger of the home, his children, Adam (Kerri) Crane, Woodbridge, VA, Chad (Shannon) Crane, Athens, IL, Allison (Jeff) Reutter, Coweta, and Eric (Melissa) Crane, Claremore. Grandchildren Cyrus, Kaicee, Ethan, Allison, Cassius, Carver, Britany, Jordin, and Alec Reutter. Siblings include Dean (Barbara) Crane, Phyllis Crane-Logan, sister-in-law Carolyn Crane, brothers-in law Ben (Debbie) Allison, Andrew (Lisa) Allison and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The family will receive friends on Friday, October 18, 2024, from 6-8 p.m. at the Burckhalter-Highsmith Funeral Home in Vinita.

The celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at the Afton School Gymnasium, with Pastor Leon Weece officiating. Interment will follow at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Afton. Online condolences may be made at www.highsmithfh.com or on the funeral home Facebook page. Arrangements are in the care of the Burckhalter-Highsmith Funeral and Cremation Services of Vinita. “Vinita’s only locally owned and operated funeral home.”