Thelma A. Heckman's Obituary
Thelma Heckman was born May 4, 1920 to Milton and Laura Foster in Elkins, Arkansas. She was the fourth child, second daughter, of seven children. She completed high school in Elkins and met Donald Heckman in Fayetteville, Arkansas where they were married April 27, 1941. They were married 57 years before his death in 1998. During their early marriage, they lived in Seattle, Washington, where their daughter Sharon was born before Don enlisted in the Army. Thelma and Sharon returned to Arkansas to wait out the war, but went to stay with his parents in Arizona when it was learned he had been taken prisoner of war in Germany. After his release and recuperation, they returned to Washington where Donald returned to the propane business there. Daughter Sandra was born in Seattle and Donna, Port Angeles. They moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1952 and purchased a small grocery store. Thelma ran the store and took care of the girls in the small apartment behind the store while Don worked at another job until going back in to the propane business. They purchased a house on 7th Street across from McClure Park in Tulsa where they raised their girls and Thelma was a full-time homemaker. They joined Memorial Bible Church and attended there for many years, enjoying the friendships and fellowship there. Thelma stated she was saved during a Billy Graham Crusade in Tulsa in the late 1950's. Thelma enjoyed family activities in Tulsa and Arkansas. She also enjoyed fishing especially for crappie and was so proud of her catches. She and her sister Sammie, who lived for many years a few houses down, cooked many meals on Don's little propane stove at one lake or another. One year she went to Colorado deer hunting with Don. He was her life, and she never adjusted well to his passing. In her latter years, she continued with her A.L.S. club activities in which she had been a member since about 1975, when they had moved to Collinsville, visited with her sisters, played cards, and other games with her daughters, went to garage sales, and did hand crafts. She enjoyed her grandchildren and great- grandchildren. Since 2008 she has been in nursing home care. Thelma departed this life on Monday, May 20, 2013 at St. John Hospital, Tulsa, Oklahoma at 3:33 pm. The family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff of St. John for their compassion they showed to the family, but most of all to our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, sister and aunt. We also wish to thank the ones at Coweta Manor and Leisure Village who cared for Thelma. In addition to Donald, she is preceded in death by her parents, brothers Earl and Walter, sisters Ruby, Marie, and Mary and first grandson, Rick Shields. She is survived by her sister Sammie Williams of Tulsa, the last of the 7. Daughters Sharon Butler, Sandra McIntosh and Donna Stilwell. Her grandchildren Cheryl Wilson, Bryan Shields, Lisa Wright, John Keith, Brenda Medford, Candace Stilwell, Loren Butler, Alan Butler and spouses. Great Grandchildren Brittany Frederickson, Natasha Shields, Cameron Wilson, Cody Wright, Jordan Shields, Christopher Shields, Cole Wright, Katy Wright, Amanda Wilson, Alison Medford and Hailey Medford as well as nieces, nephews and friends.
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