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Updated:
03 Oct 2017
Created: 03 Oct 2017
!!! 09-04-2017 I did not locate an obit either person
source: Oklahoman Digital Archives
(newspaper)
Daily Oklahoman, The
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
March 26, 2009, pg 18A
Jarita Pyrl Bicknell Askins
May 20, 1923-March 22, 2009
Jarita P. Askins , 85, of Duncan, died at her home
on Sunday, March 22, 2009, after a long illness.
Services will be at 1:30 pm, Thursday, March 26,
at the First Christian Church, Duncan, with Rev.
Arnold C. Nelson officiating.
Burial will be at the Duncan Cemetery under the
direction of Don Grantham Funeral Home. Jarita was
born in Tecumseh, Oklahoma, to William Stanley and
Pearl (Hunter) Bicknell, on May 20, 1923. She
attended elementary school in Tecumseh before moving
to western Oklahoma with her parents. She graduated
from Sayre High School. zzzzz After attending one year at
Sayre Jr. College, Jarita was offered a job as wire
editor for The Oklahoma Daily student newspaper at
The University of Oklahoma. Thus began her long love
affair with journalism and OU. She was selected as
the first female Editor of "The Daily" and served in
that leadership role for one year, later earning a
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She was a member of
the Psi Chapter of the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority at
OU. She later served as president of the OU Moms
Club, was a member of the OU Associates, and the
Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. The Altus Times
Democrat employed Jarita upon graduation. Later, she
would serve as Director of Public Welfare for Greer
County.
After her father's death, she moved back home to
Sayre and lived with her mother, commuting daily to
Mangum. It was during this time that she met the
love of her life, Ollie M. Askins. They were
married April 22, 1951, and moved to Duncan, where
Jarita became an active helpmate with Ollie in
growing the family's business, the Stephens County
Abstract Company. Jarita was the consummate
volunteer. Her leadership and communication skills
were in high demand. She has chaired the local
United Way fund drive, led the public relations
campaign to create Duncan Regional Hospital, served
11 years as Director for DRH, including President of
the hospital board, and completed 15 years on the
Board of Directors of Security National & Trust (now
BancFirst) in Duncan. With Ollie as her teacher,
cheerleader and partner, Jarita also began to
establish a record as one of southwest Oklahoma's
best golfers. She won dozens of tournaments
throughout Oklahoma, including couples tournaments.
Twice she won the Women's State Seniors Championship
and was the perennial local club champion. Her
commitment to improving the opportunities for
Oklahoma women to play golf competitively resulted
in decades of involvement with the Women's Oklahoma
Golf Association. She was instrumental in the birth
of the first Women's Golf Team at the University of
Oklahoma in 1975. In 2005, she became the first
woman inducted into the new WOGA Hall of Fame. For
19 years, Jarita taught the Inspiration Sunday
School Class at First Christian Church. She served
on numerous committees for the Christian Church
throughout southwest Oklahoma and in her local
church as deaconess and elder. Her tenacity for
rules and procedures resulted in many parliamentary
positions and bylaws committees. She was a member of
Chapter EE of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and a past state
president of the Oklahoma Chapter. For her community
service and leadership, Jarita has been recognized
with numerous awards. She has been honored as
Distinguished Citizen by the Duncan Jaycees, Woman
of the Year by the Duncan Chamber of Commerce, and
last year received the prestigious Liberty Bell
Award from the Stephens County Bar Association.
Jarita's life was full of energy and enthusiasm
and was always guided by her devotion to her faith,
her family and her community of friends. Her
influence will leave a positive imprint on the lives
of those she touched. She is survived by her
daughters, Jari Askins of Duncan, and Carrie Askins
of Oklahoma City; her son and daughter-in-law, Marty
and Dana Askins of Duncan; a grandson, Aaron Askins
, and a granddaughter, Allison Askins ; numerous
nephews and nieces and a multitude of friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her
parents, and two brothers, William S. Bicknell and
Wilson Hunter Bicknell. Memorial contributions may
be directed to the First Christian Church Youth
Trust Fund and the Duncan Regional Hospital
Foundation. Memorial donations may be sent to: First
Christian Church Youth Trust Fund, 912 W. Walnut,
Duncan, OK 73533 or Duncan Regional Hospital
Foundation, P.O. Box 2000, Duncan, OK 73534.
Pallbearers will be: Jim Askins , Bill Card, Charles
Anderson, John Anderson, Terry McCoy and Kent
Bicknell. Honorary bearers are: Gene Nelson, Bill
Wetzel, Cecil Conner, Don Grantham, J.D. Carter,
Jack Smith, Buddy Campbell, Reginald Lasater and
Jerry Whitten.
Daily Oklahoman, The
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
April 29, 1951, pg 59
Solemnized for Ollie
Askins, Jarita P. Bicknell
source of stone image |