Clergy Family

Passages

Rev. James Frank Mitchell, 77, of Guthrie died March 30, 2014. His wife is Rev. Darlene Mitchell, retired Local Pastor.

Frank was born Aug. 10, 1936, in Guthrie. He participated in rodeos, calf roping during high school and college.

He received degrees from Southwestern State University, Central State University, and Phillips Graduate Seminary.

Rev. Mitchell taught school and coached at Olustee and, in Texas, at Burkburnett and Plainview. He was a principal at Guthrie and Boswell.

In 1965 he married Darlene McGee and became an instant dad to her three children.

He entered ministry in 1975. He pastored at Kiowa/Krebs, Cashion, Lucien/Hayward, Morning Star UMC at Hough, Erick/Berlin, Hammon, Verden/Chickasha-Frisco Avenue, Freedom/Quinlan, Fort Cobb/Highland, Gracemond, Elmer/Eldorado/Olustee, and Canton/Hitchcock. He served some of these after officially retiring in 1999. He also pastored in the Oregon-Idaho Conference.

In 2007, the Mitchells fully retired and moved to Guthrie.

Among survivors are his wife, Darlene; daughters Pam McGee and Tara Barker; four grandsons and two great-grandchildren. Son James L. McGee predeceased him.

Service was April 5 at Guthrie-First UMC. Memorials to: Guthrie Education Foundation.

Doris Calley of Ardmore died March 26. She was the mother of Rev. David Gordon, pastor at Broken Bow and Eagletown.

Gene McDonald of Rushville, Ohio, died March 27. He was the stepfather of Rev. Cher Devore, pastor at Braggs and Woodall.

Rev. Dr. Marvin Stanley Beason, 81, of Broken Arrow died March 25, 2014.

Stan was born Feb. 11, 1933, to S.E. and Ethel P. Beason.

He pastored in North Alabama Conference in the 1960s and ’70s.

In 1981 in Oklahoma, he became director of the Prayer Partner Program at City of Faith, Oral Roberts University. In 1989 he affiliated with the Oklahoma Conference, serving as pastoral counselor at Tulsa-First and then pastoring at Marietta.

Surviving family members are Caroline Neller, Renae White, Mark Mayne, Carnie Moore, Faith Raymer, 10 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a son, Stan R. Beason.

Service was March 28 at Fitzgerald Funeral Home-Southwood Colonial Chapel, Tulsa. Memorials to: Dr. Stan Beason Estate, c/o Bank of America (therapy dog project, memory care unit, Emeritus at Cedar Ridge retirement community, Broken Arrow).

Rev. Francis Leon Harrel, 86, of Broken Arrow died April 7, 2014.

Leon was born Sept. 3, 1927, in Pratt, Kan. He was a military veteran. He married Diane Goolsby in June 1990 at Tulsa-First UMC.

He served the Oklahoma Conference for 36 years. He served OKC-Douglas Boulevard, Yale, OKC-Putnam City, Maysville, and Tulsa-Sheridan Avenue. He also was a retired Navy chaplain.

He is survived by his wife, Diane; sons Douglas, James, and Stephen; stepdaughter Jennifer Frisby; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Memorial service was April 10 at Tulsa-First UMC.

Appointment

Tony Huffman to Bokoshe UMC (Muskogee District), effective March 1.