The Norman Transcript
January 29, 2005
Thelma Jane Stockman Burton, 91, of Norman died Tuesday, Dec. 27,
in Norman. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Havenbrook Funeral
Home Chapel in Norman with the Rev. Gary Hardwick officiating. Burial
will follow at Resthaven Memory Gardens in Oklahoma City. Havenbrook
Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Mrs. Burton was born Jan. 25, 1914, in Medical Lake, Wash., to Arthur
and Mattie Stockman. Her family moved from Austin, Texas, to Drumright,
in 1919 during the Oklahoma oil boom. Mrs. Burton graduated from
Drumright High School. She then graduated from Oklahoma A&M (now
Oklahoma State University). She later enrolled in University of California-
Los Angeles summer classes and spent one year at the University of
Oklahoma earning an Elementary Teaching Certificate as she already had a
Secondary Teaching Cettificate in art and science. After graduation, she
taught in Drumright for eight years, There, she met and married Robert
Burton in 1942 while he was on Navy leave, In 1948, she joined Robert in
San Diego where they and their 18-month-old son, Tony, left for Moen Island,
Truk in the Caroline Islands of the South Pacific. Mrs. Burton taught there
for two years in a school founded to prepare students from Truk, Saipan and
the Marshall Islands to teach on their own islands, Her daughter, Moen, was
born there in 1951, and was only two weeks old when the family returned
to the United States.In 1952, Robert was stationed at the Norman Naval
Air Base where they decided to put down their roots. Mrs. Burton taught
school in Norman for 19 years, 13 of them at Cleveland School. She
enjoyed painting, crafts, sewing, reading, gardening and traveling. She
traveled to England, Scotland, Germany, Austria and Italy during retirement.
She was a member of the National and State Teacher's Association,
First Christian Church in Norman and Edgemere Garden Club. Family
members thank Dr. Stephen Lindsey for his loving care of Mrs. Burton,
Life-care Home Health Care, and Good Shepherd Hospice, whose kindness
provided a great source of strength.
Mrs. Burton was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Robert;
infant first-born son; sister Margaret; and brothers Lee, Chet and Perry.
Mrs. Burton is survived by her sons Tony of Alvin, Texas, and Randy
of Durango, Colo.; daughter Moen Hayes of Norman; sister Dorothy
Johnson of Albuquerque, N.M.; brother Douglas of Richmond, Calif.;
grandchildren Heather and Brian Burton of Houston, Sara Ottinger of
Jackson, Texas, Meagan and Braden Hayes of Norman, Shelly Hayes
Dumigan of Pittsburg, Kan. and Tom Hayes of Norman; great-grandchildren
Ethan Ottinger, Luke Burton and Will and Riley Dumigan; and many nieces,
nephews, cousins and in-laws.
Bearers will be Tony and Randy Burton, Braden Hayes and John Johnson.
Honary bearers will be Dr. Stephen Lindsey, Tom Hayes.
Contributions may be sent to First Christian Church, 220 S. Webster Ave.,
Norman, Ok. 73069 or American Cancer Society, 6525 N. Meridian, Suite
110, Oklahoma city, Ok 73116.
|