Living

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Charles was born in the midst of the Depression, and vividly remembers the financial struggle faced by his impoverished parents. In the summers, Charles was usually sent to stay on the farm owned by his great-grandparents, James and Zada Gentry. Charles remembers Zada as a tiny woman, and a good cook. She often remarked, after he devoured her meals, "Charles, you must be hollow to your toes."

Charles eventually rebelled against his father's stringent demands. In a bid for independence, he dropped out of school for in the eighth grade, staying out late most nights or not coming home for days at a time.

His parents sent him to Oklahoma City, to live with his Aunts Fay and Lois, who shared a home. His grandmother, Bessie Payne, lived there with her daughters as well. Charles slept in a cot in the back room. He remembers his grandmother having a Chocolate Hostess Cupcake waiting for him each day when he returned from school. Charles graduated from the 8th grade at Holy Angels Parochical School in Oklahoma City on May 25, 1947. After his graduation, he enrolled in the Oklahoma National Guard. He added two years to his age so he would be eligible to enlist. He was 5'8" and 138 pounds, and told the unit he was age 17, not 15. After seven months of duty, on June 4, 1948, he was honorably discharged as a Private. The reason for his discharge was listed as "Business Interference"

Charles returned home to Duncan to attend High School. He later dropped out of High School as well, and went to work at a bakery. He developed a lifelong aversion to most baked goods, remembering the overwhelming smell. Charles finally realized that education, was the best way to escape poverty, so he returned to school. He graduated from Duncan High School in May, 1952, along with his younger brother Bill.

Charles and Bill both enrolled at Oklahoma A&M (now OSU) in Stillwater. Charles borrowed money from his Aunt Lois to pay for his freshman year, and then was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. He received a medical discharge due to a chronic skin condition which made it impossible for him to wear combat boots. After his brief military service, he returned to OSU and used the GI bill to pay for the remainder of his education. He was original a Chemistry major, but changed to business and accounting due to these same skin allergies.

A Feb. 7, 1956 article in the student paper reported that "Charles Strong, arts and sciences junior from Duncan, was named president of the Newman club Sunday evening during the election of the 1956 officers. Strong, a chemistry major, replaces Stan Prochaska, agriculture journalism senior from Enid, as proxy of the organization of Catholic students. He had been vice president and one time co-chairman of the membership committee. Ed Wakeen, OIT student from Massachusetts was elected vice president...(also from Massachusetts) Joe Hayden was elected treasurer...Beverly Kirchmeyer from Ponca City was elected secretary. Continuing as chaplin.....will be Rev. Joseph Dillon, assistant pastor of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Stillwater."

Being president allowed Charles to live in the Newman club, further helping him with financing his education. It was also through the Newman club that Charles met his wife, Pat, a fellow student at OSU.

Charles received his B.S. degree in May, 1959 with a major in accounting and minor in economics. His first job was as an instructor of accounting and economics at Bloomsburg State College in Pennsylvania. He was there for one year, after which time he went to work as an auditor for a public accounting firm in Tulsa. After two years in public accounting, he worked as an auditor for two years at Halliburton in Duncan, Oklahoma. He received his CPA certificate (#1659) from the State of Oklahoma in 1963. Charles went back to OSU, and received his M.S in accounting in May, 1964.

Later, he went on to obtain his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama (May, 1972, Major in Industrial Relations with minors in Economics and Finance). It was at the married student housing at the University of Alabama that the Strong's started their lifelong friendship with JF and Earlene Burney.

While working on his Ph.D., the Strong's moved between small college's in Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas at which Charles had short term teaching assistantships. He was an instructor at OSU, the University of Alabama, Mississippi State College for Women, University of Texas at El Paso, and the University of Montevallo (in Alabama).

Charles looked a bit like Henry Kissinger (Secretary of State under Richard Nixon). Once, while on a business trip, he was in a bar in Washington D.C. He heard a whispered conversation between two people, who were hotly debating whether or not he was indeed Dr. Kissinger. When the waitress came up to ask if he wanted a refill, he drolly answered, in his Kissingerian best, "Yah."

In May, 1973, Charles was offered a position in the Accounting Department of Pan American University in Edinburg, Texas. He also received his Texas CPA Certificate (No. 12,595) in January, 1974.

While in the Rio Grande Valley, Charles became an avid bird watcher and member of the National Audobon Society. He participated in many bird censuses. He also enjoyed sailing.

Dr. Strong later became a full professor at Pan American. He taught mainly accounting classes, although towards the end of his career he began to teach in the management department. He retired in December, 1997. During his tenure at Pan Am, he served on numerous committees, was a N.A.S.A. Faculty Intern at the Johnson Space Center during the summer of 1974, and served as a visiting professor at Incarnate Word College in San Antonio. He also did the accounting, taxes, and financial planning for a corporate client in Edinburg. Charles retired from Pan American in December 1997.

Charles is a voracious reader, and is especially interested in nature and history. In the late 1990's he and his brother Bill made several trips to Europe to visit their cousin Pete Kubik and to visit various battle sites of World War II. He also became interested in Genealogy, and began travelling throughout the southwest, visiting courthouses in search of land records and also interviewing family members.

He is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw nation, as was his maternal grandfather, Thomas Payne. He is also a Mason.

(Medical):Had Covid-19 in December 2020.

Charles married Patricia Marion McGuire on 25 May 1957 in Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma. Patricia (daughter of Keith David McGuire, Sr. and Josephine Marguerite Morlas) was born on 30 Oct 1933 in Camargo, Dewey County, Oklahoma; died on 16 Mar 2018 in Edinburg, Hidalgo County, Texas; was buried in Camargo (Westside) Cemetery, Camargo, Dewey County, Oklahoma. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Pat grew up in the small town of Camargo, Oklahoma. Even though her mother was Catholic, she and her brother attended Sunday school at the First Christian Church since there was no Catholic Church in town. She remembers spending some time one summer, along with her brother, living with a priest and his mother in a nearby town learning enough catechism to receive her first communion.

Pat and Charles raised their children in the Catholic church, and most attended parochial schools, at least in elementary school. They respected their childrens views, however, and allowed those who did not want to go through confirmation to make that choice. After their children were grown, they grew disenchanted with religion, and embraced a humanist philosophy.

She was called Patsy by her parents when she was young. and Pat as an adult. When her eldest grandson, Charles Joseph, was first beginning to talk, in 1983, he had trouble saying the word "Grandma".....instead calling Pat by the name "Munga." All her grandchildren and the rest of her family began to use that name as well, and she was known as Munga to her family and loved ones for the next 35 years.

Obituary

Patricia "Pat" Marion McGuire Strong, a resident of Edinburg, Texas for over 40 years, was born on October 30, 1933 in Camargo, Oklahoma, a small farming and ranching community near the Oklahoma panhandle. She was an excellent student with many friends, active in 4-H, and played on her high school basketball team. She died March 16, 2018 in her home, surrounded by people she loved.

When Pat was 14, her beloved father, Keith David McGuire, Sr., an experienced pilot, died when the two-seat airplane he was piloting crashed.

Pat was very proud of her mother, Josephine Marguerite (Morlas) McGuire, a native of New Orleans, who rose to the formidable challenge of raising and educating Pat and her elder brother Keith as a single parent during the 1940's. Even though Josephine had not worked outside the home before, it became necessary after her husband's death. Being widowed at age 42, she had only the proceeds from the sale of her husband's welding shop, and a small inheritance from her mother, to help support her family. Josephine and her children moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and lived briefly with Pat's Uncle Elvis McGuire, allowing Josephine to take typing and shorthand courses to prepare herself to enter the workforce. When she finished with her coursework, they moved back to Camargo and she held several different jobs over the years, many simultaneously: a newspaper clerk and social columnist, a department store saleslady, a census enumerator, and most often was employed as a waitress at restaurants and coffee shops.

The main motivation for returning to Camargo was to allow Pat, and her brother Keith to complete High School in their home town. Pat graduated in 1951 as the salutatorian of her class.

After her graduation, Pat and her mother moved to Weatherford, Oklahoma, where Pat enrolled in Southwestern State College with her mother as her roommate. Both she and her mother worked while Pat was in college to cover their daily needs, as well as the cost of college attendance. Her brother Keith, an U.S. Air Force enlistee, also contributed to their support. Pat graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Science in Education in 1954.

From 1954 to 1956 Pat taught High School in Mooreland, Oklahoma, where she and her mother continued to share a home. After her mother remarried Kenneth Carpenter (a friend and pallbearer at her late husband's funeral), Pat pursued and earned a Master of Science degree in Business Education from Oklahoma State University. There she met, at a Newman Club dance, fellow student and her future husband, Charles Richard Strong of Duncan, Oklahoma, and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. It was love at first kiss! They married in Stillwater on May 25, 1957. Pat graduated from O.S.U. in May 1958, two months prior to the birth of her eldest child.

Over the first ten years of their marriage, Pat and Charles had seven children, (in order of birth), Thomas Anthony, Mary Patricia, John David, Laura Ann, Karl Joseph, Paul Stephen and Anne Marie. They moved even more times than they had children. They lived and worked in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas, while Charles taught at various colleges while completing his Ph.D. in Business Management at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.
While busy raising her large family, Pat worked part time as an instructor in the Business Education Department at Mississippi State College for Women and assisted as proofreader and typist for her husband's doctoral dissertation. In May 1973, Charles, who was also a practicing C.P.A., was offered a position in the Accounting Department at Pan American University in Edinburg.

When her youngest daughter began school, Pat began to teach full time in McAllen, Texas, instructing her students in the subjects of English, Typing, and Shorthand. She taught 20 years before her retirement in 1994.

Pat is preceded in death by both parents, her stepfather, and four sisters-in-law: Daisy Newnam McGuire, Theresa Strong Rutledge, Betty Wehunt Strong, and Caroline Strong Brasher.

She is survived by her husband of over sixty years, Charles; four sons Tom (Melinda)-San Antonio, John (Isabel)-McAllen, Karl (Deirdre)-Boerne, Paul (Sherry)-Houston; three daughters, Laura (Ken Solomon)-Helotes, Mary Pat and Annie, both of Edinburg; twelve grandchildren, Charles Joseph (Pratistha) Strong-Jefferson City, MO.; J.H.T. "Tommy" Strong-Long Beach, CA; Michael Strong-San Antonio; Elizabeth Strong-Corpus Christi; Charles Richard Strong-Boerne; David Strong-San Antonio; William "Billy" Strong-Austin; Jacobo (Yamilet) Strong-McAllen; Katelyn Solomon-San Antonio; Joseph Strong-Boerne; Christian "Che" Strong-San Antonio; and Hannah Solomon-Helotes; three great grandchildren, Maya Strong (age 5), J. D. Alvarez (age 3), and Mateo Strong (8 months); her brother Keith David McGuire, Jr.-Bailey, Colorado; brothers-in-law, Bill Strong-Harlingen, TX; John (Brenda) Strong-Duncan, OK; Tom (Vickie) Strong-Laveen, AZ and Paul "P.D." (Jane) Strong-Duncan, OK; 18 nieces and nephews and their spouses and children; several first cousins from the Morlas family of New Orleans to whom she was particularly close, including Vivian Solares of Harahan, LA; former students; and dear friend and fellow teacher, Earlene Burney of Clarksville, Tennessee.

She was known for her love of her family, which is her proudest accomplishment, her quick wit, and her quiet intelligence. She was an ardent fan of the San Antonio Spurs. She adhered to and demonstrated the Humanist philosophy through her constant empathy and kindness to others, regardless of who a person might be.

She was also very proud that three of her children, one daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren have thus far followed her and her husband into the profession of teaching.

The family wishes especially thank Pat's special caretakers (Mary Pat Strong, Veronica Rosales, and Lilliana Herrera) for all they have done.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, P.O. Box 6251, McAllen, TX 78502; Comfort House Services, 617 Dallas Ave, McAllen, TX 78501; or the Rio Grande, or your local, Habitat for Humanity.

Cremation will be handled by Memorial Funeral Home, Edinburg. Interment will be in the McGuire family plot at the Camargo (Westside) Cemetery, where her family will gather this summer to share memories and oversee her interment.

Slightly modified versions of this obituary were published, either in print and/or online, in the following periodicals:

New Orleans (LA) Time Picayune
Woodward (OK) News
Duncan (OK) Banner
Chickasaw (OK) Times
San Antonio (TX) Express News
McAllen (TX) Monitor

The following tribute was posted, without a name attached, in her guestbook on the online version of the Woodward, OK obituary.

"My sincere sympathy is extended to Patricia's family. I fondly remember her as Ms. McGuire and as faculty sponsor of my 1955 MHS Senior class. My class was honored when she attended our 50th reunion. She inspired all of us to achieve beyond our capabilities and was always interested in helping us make good decisions. Speaking for the rest of my surviving class of '55 and as their President, we will all miss her and thank her family for allowing us the privilege of having time with this great person.."

(Medical):



An mtDNA sample supplies by her oldest son, Tom Strong, was analyzed by FamilyTreeDNA in Houston. Their analysis showed the following Haplogroup assignment, along with the following differences from the Cambridge Reference Sequence.

HVR1 Haplogroup
K
HVR1 differences
from CRS
16224C
16519C

The mitochondrial super-haplogroup U encompasses haplogroups U1-U7 and haplogroup K. Haplogroup K is found through Europe, and contains multiple closely related lineages indicating a recent population expansion. The origin of haplogroup K dates to approximately 16,000 years ago, and it has been suggested that individuals with this haplogroup took part in the pre-Neolithic expansion following the Last Glacial Maximum. William Hurst, on his Haplogroup K Website, writes that "Katrine," the founding mother of mitochondrial DNA haplogroup K, was one of the "Seven Daughters of Eve" as listed in the 2001 book of that title by Bryan Sykes. A lot of happened since 2001, but the book is still valuable.

Katrine lived about 16,000 years ago. Perhaps the oldest known K descendant was Oetzi the Iceman whose frozen body was discovered in the Alps in 1991. Estimated at 5000 years old, the Iceman proved to have the basic mutations for a K: 16224C and 16320C. Every K is a cousin of Oetzi.

Notes:

Mr. Richard E. Griffin, Sr., age 73, of San Antonio, died Saturday, May 4, 2002. Mr. Griffin is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Griffin; children, Richard E. Griffin, Jr., Cindy Finto, Dee-Dee Strong and husband, Karl, Nanette Sanchez and husband Mario, and Rusty Griffin; grandchildren Natalie Griffin, Jocelyn Griffin, Elizabeth I. Griffin, Christopher Finto, Patrick Finto, Charles Strong, David Strong and Joseph Strong; one great grandchild. Rosary will be recited Tuesday evening at 7:00 P.M at the Angelus Chapel. Funeral Mass will be offered Wednesday at 9:30 A.M. at St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with Military Honors. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Vitas Hospice, 4715 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, Texas 78229. Arrangements by the Angelus Funeral Home. The Angelus, 1119 N. St. Mary's, 227-1461, Henry Guerra/J.F. Delgado

(San Antonio Express News, Monday, May 6, 2002)

Richard married Elizabeth Ann Torres. Elizabeth (daughter of Lucille C. Elvira Saenz Gill) was born on 27 Jan 1934 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas; died on 24 Jul 2015 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas; was buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Bexar County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Elizabeth Ann Griffin, age 81 of San Antonio, passed away on Friday, July 24, 2015. Her last days were spent surrounded by her family and the support and prayers of her friends. Elizabeth was an active member of St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church for 61 years. She was grounded and guided by her faith in the Lord. Her interests included cooking, baking, traveling and gardening. She was dedicated to serving others through the ministries of her church. She loved gathering with family and friends. She always had a story to tell, food to share and a hug and a kiss to give. She taught others the importance of family and being there for each other. She embodied strength and gratefulness for the blessings that the Lord so graciously showered upon her.

Elizabeth was preceded in death by her loving husband of 49 years, Richard E. Griffin, Sr., her parents Lucille and John D. Thornton, her father and mother-in-law John and Kathleen Griffin and her brother, Richie Torres. She is survived by her loving children: Richard E. Griffin Jr. (fiance, Rose), Cynthia Finto, DeeDee Strong (husband, Karl), Nanette Sanchez (husband, Mario), Rusty Griffin (wife, Wendy), 10 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, her siblings John Thornton (wife, Arlene) and Mary Whitmire (husband, Delwin), her sister in laws: Laura Liberto, Kathy Smith (husband, Ed) and Geraldine Luna (husband, Joe), along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.

FUNERAL SERVICES

A celebration in honor of Elizabeth will include a Rosary at The Angelus Funeral Home at 7pm Wednesday, July 29, 2015 along with a Mass at 1:00pm on Thursday, July 30, 2015 at St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church with interment following at Ft. Sam Houston Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Elizabeth's honor to St. Anthony de Padua St. Vincent de Paul Society.

www.legacy.com, also published in the San Antonio Express News

(Research):She was baptized as Elizabeth Lillian Torres.

Notes:

Homer was born in a Leap Year's day, February 29, 1908. He used March 1 as his "official" birthday, however, so he could celebrate it each year instead of only once every four years.

He was eight when his mother died, and twelve when his father remarried. Neither Homer nor Barney were pleased with their new step-mother, Stella Crouch. They left home around 1925, and went to Portales, New Mexico, to live with their Uncle Rolla Strong. They grew enough beans and maize to feed the horses, and lived on Rolla's $17 a month pension from the Navy. They also spent sometime with their grandfather, Ralph, at his Ranch in nearby Pep.

In 1927, Homer moved back to Duncan, Oklahoma to be closer to his parents. He worked for a cotton gin. In 1929, he went to live with his Uncle Alois Soukup in Prague, Oklahoma. His Uncle died in an explosion while trying to rechannel a creek. Homer and a friend were in the creek setting the dynamite, while Alois on the bank putting in the fuses. Homer lost the hearing in one ear as a result of this explosion. After his Uncles death, he returned to Duncan. This is where he met his wife, Anna Laura at a dance. At the time of the 1930 census, he was a boarder with the Elmer Michels family in Duncan.

1930 census
Stephens Co. OK King Twp., Duncan city ED 69-28
Sheet 3A & 3B
1210 Spruce
69/70 Michels, Elmer A. and family
Strong, Homer R., boarder, MW 21 S OK US US

At the time, Homer was painting signs for Fuzzy Carter, at his sign company. Bill and Charles Strong both caddied for Fuzzy years later, when they were teenagers. Fuzzy had a sing up during WWII that said, in one continuous statement, "Quityourdamnbellyachingandbuymorewarbonds." This sign was on the side of the Palace Theatre. In 1936, Homer went to work for Coca Cola for $15 a week, painting signs. It was during the depression and work was scare. Roonie recounts that one day they simply ran out of food. Their eldest son was just an infant. Roonie said all they had in the house was one heal end of a loaf of bread. She borrowed a spoonful of syrup from their neighbor, and put that on the bread for Charles. She and Homer did without that day. Although there were many other days that food and money were very sparse, that was the only day they did totally without.

Homer was drafted in 1943, and helped train men at Fort Sill. He was discharged as a Sergeant First Class on March 15, 1949, and forever after was known by his nickname "Sarg." He was a Radio Repairman (Instructor) 8648, and eventually was in charge of the radio repair school at Fort Sill. Charles Strong notes that Homer's being drafted was what brought the family out of poverty and put them on the road to economic stability.

Homer went back to Coca Cola after the war, and then to Halliburton. He worked for Halliburton from 1951 to 1972. He was a sign painter and worked in their carpentery shop.

His military records show that he completed 8 years of Grammer School, but did not attend High School. His wife Roonie recounted that Homer was always a bit defensive about his lack of a formal education. He worked hard later in his life to make up for this. He read extensively, and took continuing education courses in subjects such as Spanish. He loved music, and had a wide collection of tapes, ranging from country and western to Spanish Flamenco to opera. Although he had no training in music, he would write out the scores of his favorite songs by listening to them over and over again, recreating them on his keyboard, and then writing them out. He also loved to do the daily crossword puzzle, in pen. After they retired, he and Roonie were able to travel to Europe, where they stayed where they visited their son Bill, who was stationed in Germany.

Homer's obituary in the Duncan, Oklahoma newspaper read as follows:

H.R. "Sarg" Strong, 82, 1806 Birch, died Wednesday, September 19, 1990, in a Duncan hospital. A Rosary will be at 7:30 pm Friday in the Don Grantham Funeral Home Chapel. Service will be at 10 am Saturday in Assumption Catholic Church with Father Paul Gillespie officiating. Burial will be in Duncan cemetery.

Mr. Strong was born March 1, 1908 in Lawton. He was retired from Halliburton Services, and a U.S. Army veteran, serving from 1943 to 1948. He was a member of Assumption Catholic Church. On October 23, 1931 (sic), he married Anna L. Payne in Waurika.

Survivors include his wife of the home; five sons, Charles Strong of Edinburg, Texas, Bill Strong of Yukon, John Strong of Duncan, Tom Strong of Phoenix, Arizona and Paul David Strong of Santa Barbara, California; two daughters, Caroline Brasher of Duncan and Theresa Rutledge of Austin; four brothers Barnie Strong of Gainesville, Texas and Bob Strong, Cecil Lewis and Jack Strong, all of Lawton; a sister Viola Weaver of Gainesville; 23 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. (Note: at the time, Homer actually had 22 grandchildren and nine great granchildren). Bearers will be grandsons.

Don Grantham Funeral Homes, Duncan, Oklahoma.

(Medical):AB Blood type

Homer married Anna Laura Payne on 23 Feb 1932 in Waurika, Jefferson County, Oklahoma. Anna (daughter of Thomas Hamilton Payne, II and Bessie Bird Gentry) was born on 23 Oct 1913 in Arthur, Parks Township, Stephens County, Oklahoma; was christened on 23 Dec 1922 in Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma; died on 15 Sep 2004 in Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma; was buried on 18 Sep 2004 in Duncan Municipal Cemetery, Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Member of the Chickasaw Nation. Her father, Thomas Hamilton Payne (Original Enrollee #3686) was a Chickasaw by blood.

It is believed she was named after the popular Scottish Folk ballad, Annie Laurie. Her nickname, "Roonie" was also a product of popular culture, based on the Little Annie Rooney comic strip that ran during the depression.

Anna Laura was baptized in 1922, her sponsors being her Aunt and Uncle, Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Sparks. According to a brochure from the Church of the Assumption, Duncan, commemorating Religious Heritage Day on Sunday, June 28, 1992, "Both sides of Anna Laura (Roonie) Strong's family history intertwines in their settlement of Duncan before the 1900's. Her Uncle John and Aunt Annie Sparks O'Neil's home, presently the Phil Leonard home, was used regularly for masses before the first church was built in 1909. Roonie attended the first parochial school, "Joan of Arc", which had been built by one of the outstanding parish priests, Fr. J.A. Garvey, and run by Sisters of Divine Providence."

After their father left home, Bessie had trouble making enough money to support her family. When Anna Laura was 15, she and Fay were sent to Saint Elizabeth Academy, an Orphanage and Boarding School for Native American Girls in Purcell, Oklahoma. Anna Laura remembers the long train ride being frightening. Although the distance from Duncan to Purcell was not particulary long, it was a freight train and made numerous long stops. It was very late at night before they finally arrived, and they had long since finished the sack lunch their mother had made them. Lois joined them at the school when she was old enough. Both Anna Laura and Faye graduated from St. Elizabeth's. Lois returned to Duncan to live with Anna Laura, and she graduated from Duncan High School.

Anna Laura's graduation was on the 26 of May in 1931. Her diploma was signed by Rev. Jacques Van Castel, Sister Adelhelma, Sister Theresa and Sister Lena. The nuns were members of the Sisters of St. Francis. Sister Lena had arrived at St. Elizabeth between 1889 and 1890.

Sisters Adelhelma and Lena were from Germany. Sister Lena worked in the kitchen and Roonie had been assigned to help her. She recalls the day Sister Lena accidentally dropped her rosary while cooking and loudly proclaimed, "Mein Lord and Mein Gott! I dropped my Jesus in the Soup." Sister Lena presented this same rosary to Anna Laura as a graduation gift, in memory of the work and faith they had shared. An article about the history of this school is contained under the "research" tab of these notes.

When Roonie's children were all school age, she returned to work. She was the head cook at first the parochial school in Duncan, and later at Duncan Junior High School. She held this position for approximately 20 years.

Roonie and her sisters Fay and Lois remained close friends throughout their adult lifes, often traveling together.

The Duncan Banner, Sept. 16, 2004 Anna Laura 'Roonie' Payne Strong

Anna Laura "Roonie" Payne Strong, 90, of Duncan, died Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004, in her home. Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Assumption Catholic Church with the Rev. Victor John officiating. Burial will be in Duncan City Cemetery, under direction of Don Grantham Funeral Home.

A rosary service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday in the funeral home chapel. Roonie was born Oct. 23, 1913, in Alma (sic) to Thomas H. and Bessie Gentry Payne. She married Homer Richard Strong on Oct. 23, 1931 (sic), in Waurika. He preceded her in death on Sept. 19, 1990.

Roonie was a graduate of St. Elizabeth's Academy in Purcell in 1931. She later attended Duncan Business School. She was employed by the Duncan Public School System for 28 years before retiring.

She was a member of Assumption Catholic Church, where she sang in the choir for 60 years and was a member of the Ladies' Altar Society. She was also a member of the Fatima Study Club and was a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.

She was a wonderful homemaker, wife, mother and grandmother.

Survivors include five sons and spouses: Charles and Pat Strong of Edinburg, Texas, Bill and Betty Strong of Yukon, Tom and Vickie Strong of Laveen, Ariz., and John and Brenda Strong, and Paul David and Jane Strong, all of Duncan; a daughter, Caroline Brasher of Duncan; a sister, Lois Marie Payne Hanna of Oklahoma City; 22 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren.

She was also preceded in death by her parents; a daughter, Theresa Marie Rutledge; a great-granddaughter, Alexandra Kathrine Brasher in 1994; and a sister, Fay Pierce Yeager. Bearers will be her grandsons.Memorial contributions may be made to Chisholm Trail Hospice, P.O. Box 2000, Duncan, OK 73534-2000.

(Courtesy of Lynell Cordell)

(Research):BELOW IS A TRANSCRIPTION OF AN ARTICLE ABOUT ST. ELIZABETH'S ACADEMY

A PIONEER PASSES
By Mary Jo Turner
Sunday, August 15, 1948
The Daily Oklahoman
D-Three

Purcell, Aug. 14-Historic St. Elizabeth's convent, which for 60 years played a vital part in cultural development of Indian territory and early growth and education of Oklahoma, is closing its doors September 1 for lack of funds.

Founded in February, 1888, one year before Oklahoma was opened to settlement and barely a year after Purcell was established as a junction point on the Santa Fe, it is one of Oklahoma's most famous old schools.

The spacious, roomy, two-storied frame building, set in a grassy plot with a peaceful background of slender poplars, elms and cedars, is still a thing of considerable beauty. For many years it was the only educational landmark in an unsettled area, and the sight of students playing about its grounds, supervised by the black-robed nuns, against the bright southwestern skies, has become familiar to nearly all Oklahomans who have lived here any length of time.

When St. Elizabeth's convent was founded, in 1888, Purcell was a part of the Chickasaw nation of the old Indian territory, and the gateway to the great ranching empire which lay to the west and south. The country then was all pastureland, heavily wooded and a ranch of 10,000 to 20,000 acres was commonplace. Most of the settlers were Chickasaws, but here were also Choctaw families, and a good many white settlers. All were eager to send their children to school and the news that St. Elizabeth's convent had opened in Purcell was welcomed far and wide. Families packed their children and brought them to board and room at the convent, or if there was no space there, boarded them in homes and they attended day school.

Three eager young nuns, all now dead, of the Order of St. Francis, made their way west from Philadelphia and arrived in Purcell on Feb. 14, 1888. They were the late Sister Barbara, Sister Mary Joachim and Sister Patricia. At the time there was under construction a three-room frame building on the same lot where the Benedictine priests had built a one-room church. Sunday services were conducted in the church which on week days was converted into two school rooms by hanging a heavy carpet to form a partition. In one room a Miss Fritch taught the boys, whil in the other room Sister Mary Patricia taught the girls. By November, however, the new three-room frame building was completed and enrolment consisted of 120 pupils. Ages of these pupils ranged from 6 to 18 years. Soon, there were 25 boarders, then 50. The one-room frame building was used for boys.

Money for the grounds, buildings and teachers was paid for by Miss Katherine Drexel of the wealthy Philadelphia Drexel family. She had become interested in educating the Indians through the efforts of Father Vincent Jolly, O.S.B., who taught at the Sacred Heart academy situated in unsettled wilderness in what is now Pottawatomie county. Father Jolly, accompanied by Father William Capital, took turns in coming to Purcell to hold services. Father Jolly told Miss Drexel of the Indian boys and girls who needed educational opportunities, and described the great wilderness, which pioneers were still to conquer. One church was unable to bear the expense. But Miss Drexel could and did for 60 years.

Miss Drexel furnished money for the grounds, buildings and early support, and a new building site was selected in 1891 by the Very Rev. Ignatius Jean, Benedictine priest, while Rev. F. Steven, director of the Indian bureau, gave the plans of the building to Miss Drexel. At her instigation, Archbishop Ryan of Philadelphia designated the Sisters of St. Francis of the Philadelphia Foundation, Mother House in Glen Riddle, Pa., to take charge of the mission. Miss Drexel also offered to pay of the sister's support.

In an area known as Love's pasture, named for the late Robert Love, Purcell's founder, who proved to be very helpful to the new school, ground was broken and the building erected which still stands today. On the second floor near the chapel is a bronze plaque dedicated to the founder, the late Father Vincent Jolly.

In the summers of 1889 and 1890, three more sisters, Sister Valentine, Sister Lena, and Sister Ludemiller joined the little bands of nuns and in 1891, Sister Mary Teresa, who is now the only one of the early group left, came to teach.

Sister Teresa, now the Sister Superior of St. Elizabeth's convent, is 80. She is small of stature, being only 4 feet 9 inches in height and is slender and frail. Born in Philadelphia Ja. 29, 1868, she was an only child of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Caterson, also natives of Philadelphia. In May, 1888, she took her vows at Our Lady of Angels convent at Glen Riddle, Pa., and taught one year in Wilmington, Pa. The death of her mother the next year left her free for her appointment ot the new convent in the Indian territory. On the way to the new town of Purcell, she has two companions, twos sisters who were going to the missions near Pawhuska in the Osage nation. She she came alone from St. Louis and arrived at Purcell on Sept. 4, 1891, just in time to see the ground being broken for the present site.

Government support by which the Indian girls' tuition was paid in part by the government was withdrawn in 1932......(Causing the sisters) to run the institution on practically no income except from Miss Drexel. For some time the sisters kept the girls without government aid from their own slender resources as teachers. Continued maintenance was impossible during these depressing days. This meant that the girls representing the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee and Pottawatomie tribes as well as others in all probability would be deprived of an eduation.

However, through the mediation of George C. Wells, at that time supervisor of Indian education, Oklahoma district, and Chief Dwight, chief of the Choctaw nation, a contract of 10 was received. But things have changed during the "war" years. There is a scarcity of teachers and enrollment is down. All in all, it seemed best to close the doors.

So historic St. Elizabeth is closing its doors. And good little Sister Superior Teresea will teach no more. She will take a long rest. She would like to spend the rest of her life in Purcell but will go where the church decrees.

(Medical):mtDNA Results (based on test of a child of Anna Laura PAYNE, a direct female descendant of Mary Richardson).

Your Haplogroup and mutations relative to the Cambridge Reference Sequence (CRS) are shown below. A value of CRS indicates no mutations. High resolution (HVR2) results are shown only if you have requested the mtDNAPlus or mtDNA Refine test. If you ordered a Mega mtDNA the Coding Region (CR) will be displayed below.

As you go through your mtDNA results, we strongly encourage you to read the ?u?mtDNA Results Tutorial ?/u? that we have put together in the form of frequently asked questions about mtDNA results.
HVR1 Haplogroup J

HVR1 differences from ?u?CRS
?/u?16069T
16126C
16209C
16265G
16319A

?b?Haplogroup Description?/b? J* Specific mitochondrial haplogroups are typically found in different regions of the world, and this is due to unique population histories. In the process of spreading around the world, many populations-with their special mitochondrial haplogroups-became isolated, and specific haplogroups concentrated in geographic regions. Today, we have identified certain haplogroups that originated in Africa, Europe, Asia, the islands of the Pacific, the Americas, and even particular ethnic groups. Of course, haplogroups that are specific to one region are sometimes found in another, but this is due to recent migration. The mitochondrial haplogroup J contains several sub-lineages. The original haplogroup J originated in the Near East approximately 50,000 years ago. Within Europe, sub-lineages of haplogroup J have distinct and interesting distributions. Haplogroup J* -the root lineage of haplogroup J-is found distributed throughout Europe, but at a relatively low frequency. Haplogroup J* is generally considered one of the prominent lineages that was part of the Neolithic spread of agriculture into Europe from the Near East beginning approximately 10,000 years ago.

Notes:

Married:
Marriage Record No. 10 Waurika, Jefferson County, Oklahoma Between H.R. Strong, age 23 of Duncan, Oklahoma and Anna Laura Payne age 18 of Duncan, Oklahoma. Married by J.H. Harper, County Judge in the presence of Geo. Taber of Waurika, Oklahoma and H.B. Longest of Waurika, Oklahoma

Notes:

Keith grew up in Trail, Oklahoma, across the river from Camargo. His family moved often while he was growing up He worked as a blacksmith and welder.

At the time of the 1930 Federal census, he was a Lodger in the home of Eulalie Fayard in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. He was shown as Male, Single, born in Oklahoma with his parents born in Alabama and Kansas. Occupation was that of a Telephone Lineman.
(Source Citation: Bay Saint Louis, Hancock, Mississippi; Roll: 1146; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0005; Image: 125.0; FHL microfilm: 2340881.)

Keith owned a 1940 Aeronca TL Trainer two place tandem seat air plane, in which he died after a crash on January 4, 1948. He had been assisting some local ranchers who were eradicating coyotes in the area. His son, Keith McGuire, Jr. recalls that his father "occasionally, and not for hire, would fly in areas where local farmers/ranchers that he knew were hunting Coyotes, and would serve as a spotter for those on the ground." Keith Jr was riding with hi s Dad in the plane that day until shortly before his Dad's death, which was just after noon, 12 PM.

Coyote Hunting using airplanes were accomplished by two means at that time. One was where a second person riding with the pilot would shoot coyotes while in the air from the airplane. The other was where Ranchers on horses using Greyhound Dogs to corner the coyotes would sometimes be assisted by a pilot in a plane serving as a spotter to designate where coyotes were by a maneuver , usually wagging the planes wings in flight when they flew over an area where they saw coyotes. Keith reported that his father did this strictly for the sport, and not for hire.

There was not enough room in the church for all the mourners at his funeral , which was typical for all funerals in small towns in that time era. Kenneth Carpenter was one the eight honorary pallbearers at Keith's funeral, there being six active pallbearers. Josephine and Kenneth were married some eight years after the funeral.

The funeral director was Mr. Shaw of Vici, Oklahoma.

Keith married Josephine Marguerite Morlas on 16 Jul 1930 in Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi. Josephine (daughter of John Dominic Morlas and Lucine Roquevert) was born on 13 Apr 1905 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana; died on 6 Sep 1983 in McAlester, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma; was buried in Camargo (Westside) Cemetery, Camargo, Dewey County, Oklahoma. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In his biography of his mother, Keith McGuire wrote that she was born in her parents home at 6333 South Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans. She was baptized at the Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, and later attended school at Holy Name, less than 20 blocks from her home.

She attended High School at the Holy Name of Jesus, graduating in June 1923. She received credits for both four years of Latin and four years of French

After she completed High School, she enrolled with her cousin, Hazel Roquevert, at the Charity Hospital in New Orleans to study nursing. They soon decided that this was not their vocation, and jointly terminated their enrollment. Most summers were spent visiting Lucine and Grady Quinn in Sturgis, Mississippi and vactioning with their family on the Gulf Coast at Biloxi.

In the summer of 1929, however, Josephine went to Europe with her Mother, younger sisters Vivian and Eleanor, and cousin Stella O'Brien. They travelled by Ocean Liner on a tour "especially prepared for a Party of Five Ladies" by the American Express World Service Travel Department. The group left for Europe on June 3, 1929, the ocean voyage itself taking several weeks. While in Europe, they toured France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and then returned to France. On their return voyage, they stopped in both Santender, Spain and Havana, Cuba. They arrived home again on September 10, 1929.

Pat Strong writes that it was the following summer, while vacationing on the Gulf Coast, that Josephine met, fell in love and eloped with her husband Keith McGuire. Shortly afterwards they were married in a Catholic church in New Orleans. Vivian was a witness at both weddings. Josephine left her family in New Orleans to be with her husband in Oklahoma, which was where they raised their children, Keith and Pat. Josephine always kept in close touch with her family, being an excellent and reliable correspondent. She also saw her family occasionally over the years.

Pat remembers her mother as being a social force in Camargo. She was very outgoing and loved to entertain and give parties, something not many other mothers did. She also wrote the "Camargo News" column for the Vici Beacon. She later worked for this newspaper after her husband died.

When Josephine was suddenly left widowed at age 42, she had only a small inheritance from her mother (some $1,400) and the proceeds from the sale of Keith's welding shop to help support her family. Even though she had never worked outside the home before, after her husbands death it became necessary for her to work. She had several different jobs over the years as a U.S. Census enumerator, as a clerk in a newspaper office, as a saleslady in department stores, and mainly as a waitress in restaurants and coffee shops. In her later years, she and her second husband, Kenneth, did custodian work for a number of offices as well.

After her youngest child Pat graduated from high school, Josephine moved to Weatherford, Oklahoma and worked while Pat attended Southwestern State College. After Pat graduated, they moved to Mooreland where Pat taught school for two years.

When Pat moved to Stillwater to work on her master's degree at Oklahoma State University, Josephine moved to Woodward and continued working. Josephine married Kenneth Carpenter, who had been a friend of her late husband, shortly before Pat married Charles Strong, a fellow student at Oklahoma State University.

Even though it was not easy for Josephine after her first husband died and in her later years, she seemed to get a lot of pleasure out of everything she did in life.

Carpenter, 77

Funeral services for Mrs. Kenneth (Josephine) Carpenter, 77, 923 1/2 Cherry, Woodward, will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Stecher Mortuary Chapel. The Rev. Michael Wheelahan of St. Peter's Catholic Church will officiate and burial will be in Camargo Cemetery.

She was born in New Orleans, La., April 13, 1906 (sic) and died in a McAlester Hospital late Tuesday following a lengthy illness. She attended school at Holy Name Academy in New Orleans. She later taught school at the Academy and St. Rita's school in New Orleans.

On July 30 (sic), 1930 she was married to Keith David McGuire at Biloxi, Mississippi, and they moved to Camargo, where he was killed in an airplane accident on January 4, 1948. She moved to Woodward where on September 1, 1956 she was married to Kenneth Carpenter, and he preceded her in death on December 30, 1981. She was a member of the Catholic Church.

She is survived by a son Keith McGuire, McAlester; a daughter, Mrs. Patricia Marion Strong, Edenburg (sic), Tex.,; three sisters Mrs. (sic) Juliet Morlas, Mrs. Vivian Schoenfeld, and Mrs. Eleanor Rohli, New Orleans; 10 grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

(Published in The Woodward Daily Press, Wednesday, September 7, 1983; copy courtesy of Keith McGuire)

Josephine's date of birth was April 13, 1905. This meant she was not quite a month older than her husband, Keith. The thought of being even slightly older than her husband was so upsetting that Josephine immediately began to report her date of birth as one year later than in actually was, reporting it as April 13, 1906. Even her death certificate and obituary reflected this incorrect year.

(Medical):Chronic and acute pancreatitis, micronodular cirrhosis, with no evidence of any cancer of malignancy.

Notes:

Married:
Eloped after meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi. Keith was working for the phone company. Josephine was on vacation with her family. On July 26, 1930, they repeated their vows in the Catholic Church.

Notes:

Name: John Charles Griffin
Death Date: 21 May 1969
Death Place: San Antonio, Bexar, Texas
Gender: Male
Race: white
Death Age: 66 years
Estimated Birth Date:
Birth Date: 24 Jan 1903
Birthplace: Texas
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: Richard Griffin
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Name: Unknown
Mother's Birthplace:
Veteran of World War II
Occupation: Ret.Fireman-City Firedept
Place of Residence: Preciinct #5, Bexar, Texas
Cemetery: Ft. Sam Houston National
Burial Place: Ft. Sam Houston, Texas
Burial Date: 23 May 1969
Additional Relatives: X
Film Number: 2137442
Digital Film Number: 4029608
Image Number: 336
Reference Number: 30622
Collection: Texas Deaths, 1890-1976


(Research):

Census Listings:

1930 US Census
Enumerated April 2, 1930
Texas, Bexar, San Antonio, Part of JP 1, 3rd Ward, Rivas Alley
ED 15-52 SD 22 Sheet 1B

5-62-66
Griffin, John C. Head R $12 M W 27 M@25 No Yes TX GA TX City Fireman Fire Dept
Griffin, Kathleen V Wife F Mex 18 M@16 Mexico (Am Cit) Rhode Island Mexico
Griffin, Richard E. Son M Mex 11/12 S Tx Tx Mexico

John married Kathleen Virginia Peckham about 1928. Kathleen (daughter of Chester Edward Peckham and Maria M. Moreno) was born about 1912 in Mexico; died on 31 Jan 1985 in Bexar County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name: Kathleen Peckham Griffin
Title:
Gender: Female
Marital Status:
Death Date: 31 Jan 1985
Death County: Bexar
Death Place: Bexar, Texas, United States
Collection: Texas Death Index, 1964-1998

Notes:

Married:
In 1969, they were shown as the parents of Mrs. Sam Liberto, Jr; Mrs. Ed Wililam Smith, Mrs. Joe Gilbert Luna, and Richard Griffin, all of San Antonio.

Notes:

An Amended birth certificate was filed on May 10, 1977 for Lucille. Her birth certificate orginally read Elbira GILL, born to C. GILL and Wenselado GILL. The correct information was shown as Lucille C. Elvira Gill, born to Carlos Gill and Wenseslaa Saenz. The correction was based on a affidavit by Mrs. Eugene V. Smith fo 534 Rosewood, San Antonio, a friend of Mrs. Eugene V. Smith, who recquested the amendent.