Surname Index
Updated: 17 Jan 2012

Daily Oklahoman, The f
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
March 2, 1997

Elizabeth Ambrose Stevens , a long time resident of our community, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, February 15, 1997, at the age of 103 years.

She is survived by her three children, Ann Stevens DePatie of Oklahoma City and southern Calif., Josef of northern Calif. and Ralph of San Francisco, Ca; her granddaughter, Kathy Stevens of northern Calif. and grandsons, David and Michael DePatie of southern Calif., Steven DePatie of Bend, Or., Kevin Stevens of Tucson, Az. and Marc Stevens of northern Calif. Elizabeth loved and enjoyed her nieces and nephews. They are Letitia Ambrose Gates of Palm Beach, Fl., Camilla Ambrose Gresham and her son, Spencer Gresham, both of Colorado Springs, Co., Thomas N. Ambrose of Ocean Ridge, Fl. and his children, Natalie Ambrose and Serge Ambrose.

Mrs. Stevens was the daughter of 89er pioneers, Joseph and Anastasia Ambrose . Mr. Ambrose , his father-in-law, and several Czech friends walked into Oklahoma during the Oklahoma Land Rush of April 22, 1889. Elizabeth, born in Omaha, Neb., July 29, 1893, one of six children, spent her childhood and adult life in Oklahoma City. As an early resident of Oklahoma City, she saw and endured a way of life unknown to us today: dirt and muddy streets, kerosene lamps, wood-burning stoves, no running water, no refrigeration. She spoke fondly of the times the family would take a Sunday excursion by horse and buggy to the Petrosek farm just below S.W. 29th St., an all day trip. Elizabeth was a lady of many interests, music being one facet of her life. As a young woman, after winning a music competition, she sang with John Philip Sousa and his military band when they played in concert during early Oklahoma City days.

She was among the first graduation class of Oklahoma High School which later became Central High School. Following her further education, she taught all secretarial and related business courses at Hills Business College in downtown Oklahoma City. Mrs. Stevens and her late husband, Ralph Linn Stevens, an Oklahoma City steel executive, who died in 1962, were a generous and compassionate couple who truly cared for people in the entire community. In their lifetimes they contributed to the good works of the Salvation Army and the First Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Stevens always cherished her honorary lifetime membership in the Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary, presiding as its president as well as being a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board. Over the years she held numerous positions of leadership in the P.T.A. Her love of music brought about her long association with the Ladies Music Club. She held a lifetime membership in the 1889ers Society, serving as its president. The remaining four years of her life were lived in a local nursing home where she was cared f or by her "Momma's Angels." And now she is gone, this elegant, cultured, southern lady. What a lifetime spanning 103 years of fantastic developments; the automobile, telephone, radio, airplanes, air conditioning, television, computers, and space travel. An era has come to an end, what a grand determined lady! We shall all miss her intelligence, her wisdom, sense of humor, her kindliness, her goodness, her steadfastness and, most of all, her love. Elizabeth was laid to rest in Fairlawn Cemetery in Oklahoma City, Ok.

photo courtesy Teafor2.com July 2009.

07-01-09 his obit not yet found

Sources:  good faith fair use of sources stated above

Compiled, transcribed and submitted by Marti Graham, Oklahoma County, OKGenWeb Coordinator, July 2009. Information posted for educational purposes for viewers and researchers. The contributor is not related to nor researching any of the above.

I believe in random acts of kindness and I believe in sharing genealogy. If you have copies of photos, obituaries, wills, biographies, or stories relating to any of these families or other Oklahoma County families, would you consider sending them my way for publication at this site?

I always welcome comments and corrections.