Dewey J. Burgess

Dewey J. Burgess was born April 6, 1940 in Terlton, Oklahoma. He was the son of Dewey Eldon and Margaret ''Ruth'' (Storm) Burgess. Dewey was raised and attended school in Terlton, graduating from Terlton High School in 1958.

Within a year of his graduation from high school, Dewey enlisted into the service of his country in the United States Army on April 2, 1959. He served honorably as a Private First Class in the medical corps and was discharged on March 16, 1961.

Dewey returned to Oklahoma upon completion of his military service and began a career as a welder. He received on the job training in his early career at a shop in Sand Springs and was then employed by Flint Steel. He continued to work for Flint Steel until it ceased operations. He then accepted employment with various welding shops in the Tulsa area. For medical reasons, Dewey was forced to retire in 1995.

Dewey enjoyed hunting and fishing but especially liked squirrel hunting. He often enjoyed the company of others on his hunting trips and was known for concealing from his fellow hunters that permission had not been granted by the land owners to hunt until after they had arrived on the land. He could often be found in one of two coffee shops in the Sand Springs area, Crescent CafÈ or Buck Stop and rarely did he go anywhere without his faithful companion, Meatloaf, his dog. Dewey was a member of the Church of Christ.

He passed away on Friday, April 12, 2003 at his home in Sand Springs at the age of sixty-three years and five days. He had been a lifelong resident of the Terlton and Sand Springs area.

Dewey is survived by a son and his wife, Jeff and Bridgette Burgess of Claremore, Oklahoma; a daughter and her husband, Shelly K. and John Sellers of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; four grandchildren, Nicholas and Samantha Ratcliff of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and Paige and Hannah Burgess of Claremore, Oklahoma; parents, Dewey and Ruth Burgess of Cleveland, Oklahoma; five brothers and their spouses, Tom and Elsie Burgess of Cleveland, Oklahoma, Gary and Rita Burgess of Prue, Oklahoma, Ray and Dottie Burgess of Manhattan, Kansas, Kenneth and Loraine Burgess of Bristow, Oklahoma, and Les and Teresa Burgess of Cleveland, Oklahoma; three sisters and their spouses; Shirley and Bill Phillips of Cushing, Oklahoma, Linda and Lawrence Pettit of Cleveland, Oklahoma, and Joann and Jim Fugate of Noble, Oklahoma; his two best friends, John Nelson and his dog, Meatloaf.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, Monday, April 14, 2003 at the Church of Christ in Cleveland with Robert Prater officiating. Burial will be at the Woodland Cemetery under the direction of the Chapman-Black Funeral Home.

''Visit an online obituary and guestbook for Dewey J. Burgess at www.chapman-black.com.''