Lois Marie Payne

1920 - 2013  (93 years)

• Name	Lois Marie Payne  [1]
  Birth	10 Feb 1920	Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Death	20 Nov 2013	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
  Notes	Ken Harvey writes that she studied to be an attorney "but married one instead." She worked as a secretary in Oklahoma City. Attended Saint Elizabeth Academy, an Orphanage and Boarding School for Native American Girls in Purcell, Oklahoma. She graduated from Duncan High School, however, in 1938. She told Lynell Cordell she had only one skirt and two sweaters to wear throughout her entire senior year. The Duncan Banner - Monday, April 25, 1949 Marlow News - Pg. 5 Miss Lois Marie Payne of Oklahoma City was a guest of Mr. & Mrs. Marshall Gregston Sunday. (Courtesy of Lynell Cordell) Obituary Chickasaw Times, January 2014, Page 21 Lois (Marie) Payne Hanna Lois (Marie) Payne Hanna died November 20, 2013 at the Lakes Nursing Facility in Oklahoma City, after a long struggles with Alzheimer's disease and a short battle with congestive heart failure. She was born February 10, 1920 to Thomas Hardwick Payne and Bessie Bird Payne at Duncan, Okla. Though her early formative years were spent at St. Elizabeth's School in Purcell, Okla.; and education provided to her from the altruism of the Chickasaw tribe, she graduated from Duncan High School in 1938. Some years later she moved to Oklahoma City where she became a lifelong resident. After the War, she enrolled in the Oklahoma City School of Law (currently OCU) where she met her future husband, James Cullen Hanna. As one relative put it, "she studied to be an attorney, but married one instead." In the early 1960's she secured employment with the architecture firm of Coston, Frankfurt, Short (now Frankfurt Short Brusa) and rose from a secretarial position to retire in the 1990's as a member of the firm's board of directors. It was from this career position that Mrs. Hanna became a long lasting member of Executive Women Incorporated (EWI). Lois served in many capacities during her lengthy membership in EWI including that of president. Association with this organization provided her with the opportunity to travel and cement lifelong friendships. In later life she fondly recalled the places and people she had the pleasure to know. While her sharp and penetrating mind permitted her to explore a keen interest in myriad of subjects, her main focus was on just a few. Aside from her whole family,---her offspring, her siblings, her sibling's offspring, in-laws and everything in-between---which she cherished above all else, her great passions in life were music, literature, history, Sooner football and all things Oklahoman. Her enthusiasm for music and above all, opera brought her great happiness. She delighted in being a proud patron of the Oklahoma City Symphony, holding season tickets for more than thirty consecutive years. Last year Mrs. Hanna was honored when the Chickasaw tribe recognized her as a senior member of the tribe and presented her with a brooch. She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Hardwick (sic, s/b Hamilton) Payne and Bessie Bird Payne; her husband, James Cullen Hanna; sisters, Anna Laura Strong, Dora Faye Yeager, Patricia Gabriela (Patty Gay) Payne; and a brother, Thomas Hardwick Payne. She is survived by her three sons, Fred Hanna, Tom Hanna and John Hanna; a daughter-in-law Gabrielle Hanna; grandsons, Brandon Hanna, Travis Hanna, and Cameron Hanna, children of Fred and Gabrielle; and a great-grandson, Jack Hanna, son of Brandon Hanna. She will be forever remembered for the warm tender kindness that she shined on those that were closest to her and the unique glow of genuine charity with which she embraced all that were lucky enough to be close to her for however momentary. She will be dearly missed by all those who knew, and therefore, loved her. (Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong, January 2014)
  Person ID	i1552	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	17 Aug 2014

  
  

  Father	Thomas Hamilton Payne, II,   b. 20 Mar 1893, Marlow, Indian Territory d. 12 Dec 1957, Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon (Age 64 years)
  Mother	Bessie Bird Gentry,   b. 14 Dec 1894, Alma, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory d. 3 May 1958, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (Age 63 years)
  Marriage	27 Dec 1912	Stephens County, Oklahoma
  	Vol. 3, Stephens County Marriage Book: , Lic. # 101 Thomas H. Payne, 19 to Bessie Gentry, 18 married 12-27-1912 Because of his outgoing nature, it must have come as a surprise to some when Tom Payne and Bessie Gentry were married a few weeks after her 18th birthday. Bessie was timid and shy by nature, and much happier in town than in the outdoors. They had five children in fairly short order, and times were tough in Oklahoma during the dust bowl. Charles Strong, Bessie's oldest grandson, also remembers that Bessie had very high standards, which her husband found hard to live up to. She was a thorough and dedicated housekeeper, and was almost obsessive about things being neat and tidy at all times. Charles recalled a story one of Bessie's brothers related to him about dropping by one afternoon for a visit. Bessie had just mopped, and refused to let him in, not wanting her immaculate floors stepped on.
  Family ID	F21	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	James Cullen Hanna,   b. 16 Dec 1925, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma d. 21 Nov 1990, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma (Age 64 years)
  Marriage	22 Nov 1951	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
  Children	1. Living   2. Living   3. Living
  Family ID	F1078	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	9 Dec 2006

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 10 Feb 1920 - Duncan, Stephens County, Oklahoma Marriage - 22 Nov 1951 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Death - 20 Nov 2013 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		St. Elizabeth's Academy, Purcell, Oklahoma, Established 1888; Students PLEASE HELP US IDENTIFY the Unknown students in this picture Top Row: Appears to be one of the RICE sisters from Noble, Oklahoma Middle Row: Unknown, Bessie Gentry PAYNE (the mother of Lois and Fay PAYNE) Bottom Row: Lois Marie PAYNE, Fay PAYNE, UNKNOWN Please help us identify the unknown Students
  		St. Elizabeth's Academy, Purcell, Oklahoma, Established 1888; Payne and Rice sisters Top Row: Fay PAYNE, Anna Laura PAYNE, Jessie RICE Bottow Row: RICE Twin, Lois PAYNE, RICE Twin
  		PAYNE FAMILY REUNION - 1927 Home of Aunt Annie (O'Neill) Sparks - 303 Hickory, Duncan, Oklahoma This 1927 Payne Reunion photo is of 41 people. On September 21-23, 1999, Charles R. Strong along with his mother, Anna Laura "Rooney" (Payne) Strong and two aunts ? Dora Fay (Payne) Pierce-Yeager and Lois Marie (Payne) Hanna reviewed the picture. The late Lewis Adair Payne had already prepared his own list identifying all persons. Both list had errors. Mary Gwendolyn ?Marilynn? (Payne) Wade of Marlow later helped Charles Strong reconcile the two lists and correct some errors. One reason for differences in the two lists was due to the existence of two pictures, which were almost, but not exactly, identical. This photo slightly differs from Aunt Annie?s version. . NOTE-The list below is numbered left to right - top to bottom. The first number is sequential in total, and the second number is position within the row. TOP ROW 1 1 Paul Puckett, Boy living with Hattie (Brown) Payne. 2 2 Mabel Lyles 3 3 Baby is Mary Gwendolyn ?Marilynn? (Payne) Wade. 4 4 Joseph Ray ?Jodey? Payne Jr. 5 5 Virginia (Payne) Hardin - d. of Walter W., # 22 below 6 6 Vera (Payne) Roberts-Young, -d. of Walter W. #22 and mother of #30 below 7 7 Mary Ethyl (Payne) Benton-Madison-Parker. d. of W. W. # 22 8 8 Claude Chadwick Payne 9 9 Ruth Hazel Witherspoon-d. of Mable (Gentry) Witherspoon, d. of John Price Gentry. 10 10 Florence Scott d. of # 23 Lou Payne Scott & niece of W.W. Payne 11 11 Marvin Walter Payne Sr. Father of #'s 8, 28, 37, & 38 12 12 Gracie (Gentry) Payne Wife of # 11 Marvin W. Payne 13 13 Rene Gentry - s. of Frank Melton and Ada (Jones) Gentry, and nephew of Gracie #12 14 14 Edna (Surginer) Payne, First wife of John Earl (Dukie) Payne 15 15 John Earl, (Dukie) Payne 16 16 Caroline "Carrie" (Cover) Payne 17 17 Harry Carl Payne,Sr. MIDDLE ROW 18 1 William "Billy" West - Grandson of # 23, Louise (Payne) Scott 19 2 Joseph Ray Payne, s. of Wm. Henry H. Payne 20 3 C. Frank Payne, Brother to # 11, Marvin W. Payne Sr. 21 4 Annie (O'Neill) Sparks, Wife of #26 22 5 Walter Winkle Payne 23 6 Louise "Lula" (Payne) Scott 24 7 Hattie (Brown) Payne 25 8 Orville Scott 26 9 James Rufus Sparks f. of # 33, Mary Pat (Sparks) Kubic BOTTOM ROW 27 1 Anna Laura "Rooney" (Payne) Strong 28 2 Mary Olive (Payne) Thompson 29 3 Mary Ethyl (Benton) Jones 30 4 Clifford "Bosco" Roberts 31 5 Virginia Payne, sister to # 4 above, and d. of Joseph R. & g.d. Wm. H. H. Payne ? 32 6 Dora Fay (Payne) Pierce - Yeager 33 7 Mary Pat (Sparks) Kubik 34 8 Francis Hardin, d. of Virginia Payne Hardin, # 5 above, (in lap of Mary Pat) 35 9 Thelma (Gentry) Callaway - d. of Edgar J. Gentry & g.d. of Wm. M. Gentry 36 10 Lois Marie (Payne) Hanna 37 11 Lewis Adair Payne 38 12 Marvin Walter "Snort" Payne Jr. in Lewis' lap. 39 13 Willie Lee "Billy" Payne ? 40 14 Paul James Payne 41 15 Jean Bruce (Benton) Turner
  		Gentry, Bessie Bird ca 1930 with her daughters This picture, of Bessie with her daughters, was probably taken around 1930. From left to right are Bessie Gentry Payne, Anna Laura Payne, Fay Payne, Lois Payne, and Patty Gay Payne.
  		Payne, Lois Marie ca 1938 Duncan High School Senior Picture, Class of 1938. Lois once remarked that she had only one skirt and two sweaters to wear throughout her entire senior year.
  		Payne, Lois Marie ca 1948 Lois moved to Oklahoma City and worked as a secretary. She married James Hanna in 1951.
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		Payne, Anna Laura, Fay, Tom, Lois ca 1956 The Payne Siblings, circa 1956. From left to right, standing in order of their birth, Anna Laura (42), Fay (41), Tom (39) and Lois (36)
  		Payne sisters with family r t l: Fay Payne Yeager, Homer Strong with wife Anna Laura Payne Strong, Lois Payne Hanna, Amos Kubik and wife
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

  
  

  Documents

  St. Elizabeth's Academy, Established 1888, Purcell, Oklahoma 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, St. Elizabeth 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 soon became impossible. The school shut its doors for good in 1948. (Excerpted from an August 15, 1948 article in the Daily Oklahoman about the closure of St. Elizabeth's)

  
  

• Sources

  [S124] Harvey, Kenneth C--Family Member; Gedcom, Printed Descendants Reports of Payne and Gentry Families, Correspondence.