Arlene Quick's Obituary
Celebrating the Life of Arlene Chambers Quick Born November 7, 1922 in Roff, Ok. to Onie Lee Acrey and William Josh Chambers. Married to Jerry Thomas (JT) Quick, December 1, 1938. Children: Jerrie Ann Quick Cook 1939; Olin Arliss ‘Bud’ Quick 1941; Patricia Elaine Quick Elsass 1944, Baby Quick (deceased/9 hours) 1946, and Carol Jean Quick Alix 1949. Predeceased by baby daughter, parents, husband, daughter Jerrie Ann, and son Olin Arliss. Also predeceased by brother Osbie Earl Chambers and sister, Velma Chambers Watson. Survived by: Daughters Patricia and her husband Dennis Elsass; and Carol and her husband Ralph Alix. A multitude of nieces and nephews. Grandchildren: Jodie Lynn Jones Mitchum; Terrie LaVon Giesler and partner Denise Almquist; Donna Elsass Giebel; Gregory Glen Elsass and wife Karen; Olin Thomas Quick; Kathryn Arlene Quick; Cynthia Jean Quick Frizell; Nicole Cherie’ Alix and partner Tara Edwards; Natalie Colene Alix; Nanette Charity and husband John Lofton. Great-Grandchildren: James W. Giesler and wife Kristi; Dustin Keith Giebel and wife Valery; Ryan Mitchum; Rachel Marie (Giebel) and husband Tyler Allen; Alec Jack Wallace and fiancé Sydnie Hart; J. Paige Alix-Lofton; Joshua Dylan Alix-Lofton; Mirah Savanna Alix; Gavin Richard Wallace; Heather Alexis (Elsass) and husband Will Mills, and Garrett Glen Elsass. Great Great Grandchildren: Michael Quick; Audree Langston; Ashley Elliot, Brett Elliot, Sharon Frizell, Kaiden Kay Giesler, and Benjamin Lee Giebel. The Mills: Joseph Francis; Jacobe d; Colorado Natthan d; Heaven Mary; Kelilah Grace; Cainan d; Mariah j; Miracle grace; Mitchum – 2 boys; and Emmanuel Regem. Arlene experienced a variety of interesting endeavors throughout her 91 years: Born November 7, 1922 she was all the usual — a daughter, sister, wife and mother, aunt, grandmother, great and great-great grandmother, and also a model, animal/snake charmer, chicken-egg farmer, parakeet and parrot breeder, show exhibitor, and her favorite, a sales consultant. In the 1940’s, Jerry and Arlene owned the first tropical fish retail store in Tulsa, Quick’s Aquarium at 2606 East 11th Street, and later Quick’s Aquarium & Pets near Lewis on 6th. A fire closed that business. Jerry worked at the Tulsa Zoo in the 1940’s this offered the opportunity to meet and begin a lifelong friendship with Hugh Davis. In the early 50’s for a brief time they had a pet lion cub. The cub got loose in Tulsa and rampaged a few days through neighboring garbage cans. Hugh, Jerry and other zoo employees finally caught him while rummaging through a lady’s garbage can. The cub was taken to the zoo. It is felt that the Tulsa Ordinance forbidding exotic animals in captivity within City limits originated as a direct result of their escape artist’s adventures through the neighbors garbage cans. Arlene was always loving support for Jerry’s business ventures as they also owned two different animal and snake charmer businesses in Claremore and then Calera, Oklahoma. Among the critters were snakes – poisonous and non-poisonous; bear cubs; a couple of Condors from the Andes Mountains; parrots; a variety of monkeys, some were pets; a pet squirrel — from the ordinary to the exotic. Jerry performed with the rattle and cobra snakes in a concrete pit area while visitors watched. Arlene did the same with the non-poisonous snakes. In Calera, Ok, in the fall of 1954 Jerry was bitten by one of the Hooded Cobras. His recovery was slow and he was frail for some time. The business was sold and the Quick family moved back to Tulsa. A variety of jobs followed for Jerry, first at Braden Steel working with his brother and Dad. The Tulsa Zoo again, and later as a machinist in Tulsa shops. Jerry and Arlene’s business endeavors in the mid 60’s moved toward chicken (egg) farming and during the early 70’s continued the egg business and ventured into Bantam Show Chickens. They printed the National Bantam News and traveled across the country to events and competitions. They owned and showed blue ribbon winning Cochins and Japanese Silkies. In the late 60’s they sold everything, bought a motor home and traveled. Hugh Davis had moved to Claremore and built the ARK (Animal Reptile Kingdom) and while in Tulsa from time to time, Jerry and Arlene parked their motor home at Hugh and Zelta’s ARK. Jerry using some spare time assisted Hugh with parts of the construction and some painting of the original Blue Whale on Route 66 in Catoosa. After a couple of years Jerry returned to the machinist field of work, sold the motor home and they returned to living in Tulsa. Jerry continued in the machinist field, ultimately they owned Quick’s Machine Shop on East 48th Street at Memorial Drive. At this shop they also had dozens of exotic birds. Their favorites were a military macaw and a salmon crested cockatoo. Jerry retired in the late 1980’s and they bought another motor home and traveled briefly visiting friends across the country. Arlene began working as a Mary Kay Cosmetic consultant in the early 1980’s while they were still operating Quick’s Machine Shop, and this proved to be a great joy for her, making lifelong friends, and winning sales awards. Traveling with her friends, also sales consultants to Texas for the annual Mary Kay Conventions were highlights she was particularly fond of and cherished. Widowed in 1996 she continued with her business as a consultant. She won a battle with cancer in 1997 and in 1999, Arlene moved to Vera, Ok and lived in one of the two houses on 10 acres owned by daughter Carol and her husband, Ralph. Due to macular degeneration she was forced to stop driving but Arlene continued with Mary Kay retail sales via mail order. During Arlene’s last 10 years she especially looked forward to traveling. One of her trips with Patty and Dennis was to Silver Dollar City, Branson, Mo. In 2004, she traveled with Carol and Ralph to Las Vegas where she stayed with her friend, Maxie, whom Arlene had met a Tulsa hospital following her cancer surgery while Carol and Ralph celebrated their 35 anniversary. On the road, the three and luggage traveled in the 2001 Volkswagen New Beetle. She had no complaints throughout the entire trip. Shortly after that, Arlene’s granddaughter, Nicole, gave her a 4 month old red Miniature Doberman Pincher. Skippy became Arlene’s greatest joy until her death. In 2004, Arlene and Carol took a road trip and traveled through Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Arkansas. They visited the French Quarter, Pensacola Beach, Orlando/Disney World, a friend – Russell and his wife Hoppy in Georgia, Nashville, and in Memphis visited the home of Elvis Presley. In Georgia they stopped at a hotel, sat in the lobby watching the third race of the Triple Crown, but Smarty Jones did not win. A good time! One of Arlene’s favorite trips was with niece Margaret-Francis Lowe and her husband Ed and other members of the Modern Woodsmen on a cruise ship to Cozumel in 2011. Arlene enjoyed going to Modern Woodsmen monthly meetings and also family birthdays and holiday dinners until health conditions required her move to Owasso Baptist Village – Evergreen Care Center in June of 2013. At first she was able to leave the center for birthday and holiday dinners, but the last 6 months her interests in leaving the center waned. During her time at Evergreen, Arlene reaffirmed Christ as her Savior. Her congestive heart failure increasingly took its toll over the recent months and during the early afternoon of July 14, with family present, she left her old and tired body behind to be with our Lord and her other loved ones in Heaven.Reverend Andrew Rankin of Freedom Church (Owasso, Ok) will be officiating her service.
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