Kurma Lucas

Born Kurma Jean Harbeston on June 28, 1933, in Glenpool, Oklahoma, to Leo Harbeston and (Roxie) Gladys Smithee Harbeston, Kurma spent her childhood in the towns of Glenpool, Shidler, Boston Pool, and Cleveland. Kurma had an older brother Harold and a younger brother Toby.

Kurma was baptized in the creek behind the Boston Pool Baptist Church as a young girl. She later joined First Christian Church in Cleveland where she remained a member. In school, Kurma was known as the smartest girl in school and was allowed to skip her eighth grade year, going straight from seventh grade to ninth grade. She was the first female Student Council president at Cleveland High school and graduated salutatorian with the class of 1950. After high school she went to Draughon’s Business School where she also graduated with high honors.

Kurma married her high school sweetheart, Jack Lucas, in a double wedding on December 23, 1950. They made their home in Texas and California while Jack was in the Air Force. After the Service they moved back to Oklahoma, living in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Kurma and Jack had two children, Sherma and Tim. They later divorced in 1976.

Kurma worked her whole adult life until her retirement in the ‘90’s. She started her career as a secretary and continued through hard work to rise through the ranks of Cities Service Oil Company, where she eventually held an executive position and worked for over 40 years. Kurma liked to say she had earned a key to the “executive washroom”---but it was a men’s washroom! Kurma was well-known for her vigorous work ethic, arriving before anyone else, leaving after everyone was gone and rarely missing a day of work in all the years she was employed. She used the shorthand she learned in school throughout her life, even leaving notes for her funeral written in shorthand. She also for years kept the books for a beauty shop in Tulsa, as well as her homeowners association and did the taxes for anyone that needed them done. She liked to do mental math and get the answer before others could figure out the problem on paper.

Kurma enjoyed shopping. It was widely known that on any given Saturday she could be found out shopping with Sherma and her mother Gladys. The trio would shop anywhere, even neighboring states, but her favorite place to shop was Dillard’s. Kurma’s generosity allowed her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to all benefit from her love of shopping. There was not a children’s clothing store in the area that Kurma did not frequent.

Kurma also enjoyed her trailer at “The Creek” as she liked to call her place at Flint Creek. She spent many years there on weekends with her family, hosting others that came to visit. She loved taking her family out to eat at restaurants and letting “someone else do all the cooking”.

She began showing signs of early Alzheimer’s about six years ago. Slowly the disease took its toll and Kurma spent the past year living at Golden Age Nursing Home in Guthrie. Even though Kurma could no longer communicate, her strength showed through the last year. When it was clear that the end was near, the family chose to bring Kurma back to her hometown of Cleveland to spend her last days. She died peacefully in her sleep three weeks after returning home on October 28.

Kurma was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Harold. She is survived by her daughter Sherma Arnold and her son-in-law Jimmy of Cleveland, and her son Tim and daughter-in-law Lori of Guthrie. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Fielding (Kelly) Lucas of Seminole, Annie (Geoff) Wilkerson of Oklahoma City, Taylor Lucas of Oklahoma City, Coulter (Tiffani) Lucas of Guthrie, Luke Lucas of Los Angeles, California, and Jack Arnold and his fiance Chelsea of Stillwater and step-grandchildren Joey Arnold and Angela Arnold of Tulsa. Also surviving are five great-grandchildren, Leightyn, Adeline, Behr, Cora Kate and Leif. Kurma is survived by her brother Toby, her sister-in-law Janelle Adleman, and brother-in-law Bobby Lucas as well as many nieces and nephews. She will be remembered by her whole family for her unbridled deep love for her family and her extensive generosity to each of them.