HOMER BRYAN OKEY
1919-2003
WEST COVINA, Calif. -
Homer Bryan Okey was born in Montrose, Colo., on May 22, 1919 and died in West Covina, Calif.,
on Jan. 27, 2003, at the age of 83 due to respiratory complications.
Homer was raised in Montrose and worked as a young man for White & Okey Constructors & Builders. White
& Okey built the Montrose County High School, the local hospital and remodeled several prominent facilities
including the jail.
In February of 1942 Homer was inducted into the armed service where he served as a first sergeant with the 128th
Engineer Combat Battalion, serving in Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe.
After receiving an honorable discharge in January of 1946, Homer returned to Montrose. He later relocated to Klamath
Falls, Ore., to work for the state's tax commission. It was there that he met and married Dorothy Hartt from Hans
Peak, Colo., and Rawlings, Wyo. They had one son, Patrick. The family later moved to California where Homer worked
for the Veteran's Administration and later the Small Business Administration as a supervising engineer/appraiser.
Homer retired from the SBA after 25 years of service.
Following Dorothy's death in 1974, Homer married JoAnne Hughes in 1976 and they moved to West Covina, Calif., where
they made their home until the time of Homer's death.
Homer was a life member of Montrose Elks Lodge No. 1053, having joined the lodge 61 years ago.
Homer will be remembered for his love of his family, strong work ethic, healthy sense of humor and his reputation
for always leaving a situation better than before he became involved. This very loved husband, father, grandfather
and brother will be deeply missed.
Surviving family members who were privileged to share Homer's life include his wife, JoAnne Okey and her daughter
Carol; his son, Patrick Okey and wife Vicki, of Eureka, Calif.; three grandchildren: Jessica, Christopher and James
Okey; one brother, Theodore Okey, of Riverside, Calif.; one sister, Jane Miller, of Grand Junction, Colo.; as well
as numerous nephews and nieces.
Homer was preceded in death by his parents, Homer Osion Okey and Lulu (Scott) Okey of Montrose; one sister, Betty
Winters; and one brother, Bill Okey. [contributed by Carole Dick]
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John A. Oliphant
Howard Courant, January 22, 1931
DEATH OF A PIONEER OF OLD BOSTON DAYS
John A. Oliphant, Early Citizen of This County, Later Prominent in Oklahoma, Died Last Saturday
Dispatches tell of the death of John A. Oliphant, prominent citizen and ex-Police Judge of Tulsa, Oklahoma, died
the 19th inst., at the age of 83 years. He passed away at a hospital in Los Angeles, after quite a long illness.
His home for more than 25 years had been at Tulsa, Oklahoma, but since the death of his wife two or three years
ago, he had lived with a daughter most of the time. He is survived by three married daughters. His wife died
some time ago and a baby daughter died in the early years of their married life.
Mr. Oliphant was born in Missouri in 1848, served in the Union Army in the Civil War while yet a young boy, came
to Kansas in 1870 and was with the Osage Mission party that founded the town of Boston in Old Howard county times
in 1871. He studied law and engaged in practice, and at the division of Howard county he located here at Howard
City, where in 1880, he married Miss Martha Greer who was a primary teacher in the Howard schools. He took a short
law course at Ann Arbor, and continued to practice in Howard till about 1885 when he removed to Pratt, Kansas,
later going to Texas. At the first opening of Oklahoma "he made the run" and settled at Guthrie. Later
when the strip opened he settled at Perry and was elected to the Territorial legislature and afterward was appointed
receiver of the U. S. Land Office at Mangum. In 1904 he moved to Tulsa and made it his permanent home. Mr. Oliphant
prospered and engaged in many activities. He was an independent oil producer, real estate operator, newspaper
owner and dabbled in several other lines and accumulated some valuable city properties. Mr. Oliphant is remembered
by many of the pioneers of Howard and Elk county, though it has been at least 45 years since he removed from this
city. The burial was announced to be at Tulsa. [ Submitted by L.
Morgan]
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