Joan Modena Arthur

Leon - Funeral services for Joan Modena (Monkres) Arthur, 78 of Ardmore will be 2:00 PM December 10, 2012 at the Leon Baptist Church with Bro Jimmy May and Bro Morgan Ashworth officiating. Burial will be in the Leon Cemetery. Services are under direction of Alexander Funeral Home of Wilson.

Joan was born July 2, 1934 in Leon Oklahoma to Jim and Hester Pierce Monkres. She passed from this life Thursday December 6, 2012 in Ardmore following a brief illness.

Joan married the love of her life, Bennett on July 15, 1953,one month after he came back from the Navy, in Gainesville Texas. They had 53 years of marriage and she yearned to spend time with him until her last breath. As she lay in the hospital bed one of the last thing she spoke was “Bennett are

you hungry” and “I need to fix his belt”. After she had passed from this life the first comment was “I know PePa is smiling real big!” Joan was a member of the Leon Baptist Church and attended

Leon school and later received her GED. Joan played basketball in High School and was Bennett’s

favorite hind catcher. She had the heart of a lioness and was a hard worker all of her

life. She began working at the young age of 8 years old babysitting Pierce and

Jeleen. She also picked cotton and hoed peanuts at the age of 10 for her Grandpa Pierce. He did not work them too hard, allowing time for ant killing and funerals. After she

married, they lived the life of gypsies following Bennett’s work in construction. She also worked for the

same company and a pleather of other jobs along the way along with raising 5 kids and she never took the easy way out. She worked side by side with Bennett on whatever needed to be done.

They called Texas, Kansas, New Mexico and Arizona home before returning back to Oklahoma in 1970. She became the ‘mail lady’ for East and West Love County for the next 15 years. She retired from Postal work in 1985 and at the urging of her brother she moved to Lancaster Texas to start a new career at

the Bank of Desoto where she retired in 2004 as an Assistant Vice President of Loan Operations to once again return back to the place she loved to call home, Oklahoma. She always had love and

happiness to share with everyone. Her smile lit our lives and it had to be painted with red lipstick. She never had time for hobbies raising 5 kids and some grandkids along the way, plus working full time. During Summer and Christmas breaks her home was always open to nieces and nephews. She did like playing the card game ‘Pitch’ and dominoes, even though some were known to cheat. Christmas decorating were very important to her and spending time with family at any holiday or birthdays. She never met a construction project or lived in a home that she considered a done deal; Bennett spent their whole married life working and re-modeling their homes.

Proverbs 31:28 Her children rise up and call her blessed: her husband also. She was a daughter, sister, aunt, wife, Mother and MeMa. Proverbs 17:6 Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged. Her son-n-law whom she loved as a son, said in 40 years they had never had a cross word between them and that spoke highly of her character.

She was preceded in death by her parents in 1979 & 2000,her husband in 2007, one daughter Charla in 2007, two sons Jamie in 1985 and Jaryl in 2004.

She is survived by her brother Pierce Monkres and Sandy of Lake Kiowa Texas; sister Jeleen Sumrall of the home; daughter Janett Salazar of Corinth Texas and daughter Joni Conway and Marvin of Lone Grove Oklahoma; six grandsons and spouses , Jody Salazar Corinth Texas, Derek Salazar and Jennifer of Lantana Texas, Timmy Arthur of Overbrook Oklahoma, James Arthur and Shawna of Marietta Oklahoma, Jason Conway and Nikki of Lone Grove Oklahoma, Jake Arthur of Marietta Oklahoma; four granddaughters Amanda Freeman of Leon Oklahoma, Jesica Gilliam and David of Lone Grove

Oklahoma, Jena Arthur of Red Oak Texas, Jill Blackwood and John of Lone Grove Oklahoma; 13 great granddaughters; 13 great grandsons; 5 great great granddaughters; 1 great great grandson; 3 sister in laws, Ouida Green of Ardmore Oklahoma, Dolores Arthur of Elgin Oklahoma, and Jo Arthur of Burkburnett Texas.

Pallbearers are Marvin Conway, Jody Salazar, Timmy Arthur, Derek Salazar, James

Arthur, Jason Conway, Jake Arthur, Jimmy Monkres and Greg Gray. Great grandsons will serve as honorary pall

bearers.

Family visitation will be Sunday from 4-6 pm at Alexander Funeral Home in

Wilson Oklahoma.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.alexanderfuneralhome.org