Violet May Stephenson

09/09/1913 - 01/26/2018

Service Date: 02/01/2018

Violet May Stephenson was born September 9, 1913 at her home near Carlton, Oklahoma to William Elija Haigler and Rebecca George (Harper) Haigler and passed away January 26, 2018 at the age of 104 years. She was a resident of the Okeene community for 80 years where she was an elementary teacher.

Mrs. Stephenson grew up on a farm in northern Blaine County near Carlton attending school through the eighth grade. She learned to drive at the age of 13 to attend high school at Southard where she graduated as Salutatorian in May 1933.

She received her teaching certificate after her first two years of college from Northwestern State College at Alva and later completed her degree at Southwestern State College at Weatherford.

At the age of 20 she began her teaching career at Broadview, a country one room school house near her family home. She also taught at Arapaho and Homestead before beginning at Okeene in 1945 where she taught for 33 years as an elementary teacher — a total of 41 years teaching.

She was a member of the Okeene First United Methodist Church, Chapter A P.E.O., Order of Eastern Star, and Blaine County Retired Teachers Association.

She was married to Edward A. Barnes in 1937. They later divorced and she married William Carroll Stephenson (her college boy friend) in 1980. She was predeceased in death by her parents, her husband, one son (Bobbie), two sisters (Mayme and Faye), three brothers (George, Harold and James), and son-in-law Gregg Bond.

She is survived by her son William Edward Barnes (Karen), Ames, and her daughter Marilynn June “Bunnie” Bond of Okeene. Grandchildren are Dwight Stephen Bond (April) of South Pasadena, CA; Rebecca June Towe (Charlie) of Edmond, OK; Nancy Elizabeth Vernon (Rod) of Harrah, OK; David Bradley Bond (Anne) of Geneva, IL. Great-Grandchildren are Cassidy and Haley Towe, Grace and Emma Vernon, and Benjamin Bond.

Funeral services for Mrs. Stephenson will be held Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 2:30 pm at the first United Methodist Church in Okeene with Pastor Patricia Johnson officiating. Burial will follow in the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Watonga, OK with Wilkinson Mortuary of Okeene in charge of arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Violet M. Barnes Scholastic Achievement Award – – a scholarship given annually for over 25 years to an Okeene student in recognition of scholarship, achievement, and leadership in high school — the First United Methodist Church of Okeene, or charity of your choice.