Delois Jean Atkins

DeLois Jean (King) Atkins was born August 20, 1925 in McCurtain, Oklahoma to Benjamin King and Ruth (Williams) King Swingle. DeLois, also known as Dee, attended high school in Shawnee and St. Louis, Oklahoma and received her diploma from Shawnee. Upon graduation from Shawnee High School, Dee was a medical receptionist in Oklahoma City.

While living in Oklahoma City, she met Buell Oakes Atkins, the man she would marry, when they served as maid of honor and best man at a 1953 wedding. The couple was married on June 5, 1954 in Oklahoma City. They made their initial home in Oklahoma and in 1963 moved to Tulsa when Buell took a position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 1971, they moved their family to Cleveland, Oklahoma. She returned to the workforce as a medical receptionist in the early 1980ís.

DeLoisí mother was a pioneer woman business owner and restaurateur, as well as the first woman dog catcher in the state of Oklahoma. DeLoisí mother, a Cleveland resident, died in 1994. DeLois had one sister: Juanita Lee (King) Richardson.

Dee always wanted to marry a man who would ìshine his own shoes and who knew how to danceî. Buell never had a chance to shine his shoes because Dee threw them away. As a result, Buell became quite familiar with the city dump.

Buell and Dee had five children: Pat, John, David, Jana and Nancy. They were also the proud grandparents of four grandchildren: Kayla, Zachary, David and Michelle.

Family and friends came first with Tootsie. In addition, she was active in many community and professional organizations including: the Girls Scouts of America, PTA, First United Methodist Church in Cleveland, Cleveland Area Hospital Auxiliary and N.A.R.F.E (National Association of Retired Federal Employees). Her hobbies were fishing, cooking, motor-homing, traveling as well as organizing and cleaning everything in sight.

Mrs. Atkins passed away on Thursday, January 22, 2004, at her home after a lengthy illness. She was preceded in death by her husband Buell, son David, mother Ruth Swingle, aunt Grace Gregory, and sister Juanita Richardson.

She is survived by her daughter, Patricia Hanford of Indianapolis, Indiana; son and daughter-in-law, John & Lynn Atkins of Naples, Florida; daughter & son-in-law, Jana and Larry Annett of Tulsa, Oklahoma; daughter Nancy Crenshaw of Tulsa, Oklahoma; four grandchildren, Kayla and Michelle Crenshaw, Zachary and David Annett; and a host of relatives and close friends.

Memorial donations can be made to American Lung Association of Oklahoma, 2805 E. Skelly Drive, #806, Tulsa, OK 74105 or Seasons Hospice Education Fund, 4200 E. Skelly Drive, #150, Tulsa, OK 74135.

ìVisit an online obituary and guest book for DeLois Atkins at www.chapman-black.com.î