Passages
Retired local pastor Carl T. Cochran, Jr. passed away on Oct. 27. He was 92 years old. Cochran served five churches in the Oklahoma Conference between 1988 and 1995, including Red Rock, Clinton-Bethel, Kiowa, Wister and Felt. A funeral service was held on Nov. 2 in Conroe, Texas.
Mike Mahaffey, a retired local pastor with the Oklahoma Conference, passed away on Nov. 14. Mahaffey pastored churches in the Oklahoma Conference for 20 years, including Morrison, Okay, Muskogee-Wesley, Fletcher, Catesby and Fairview. Services will be planned for a later date in 2021.
Rev. Marsha Purtell, age 69, passed away on Nov. 15 after 15 years of service in the Oklahoma Conference. Purtell served five churches, including Oktaha, Schulter, Muskogee-Wesley, Magnum-First and Tishomingo. She was serving as the chaplain at Epworth Villa at the time of her death. A celebration of life service was held on Nov. 24 at OKC-Quail Springs.
Rev. Don Bennett passed away on Nov. 18. Bennett served as a local pastor in the Oklahoma Conference in the 1960s. A service for the family was held after Thanksgiving.
Long-time pastor Rev. Nick Harris passed away on Nov. 23, just a month before his 80th birthday. Harris began his ministry in the Oklahoma Conference in 1969. He pastored churches in Carmen, Lamont, Ponca City-Albright and Fairview-First before leading OKC-First for 21 years. A memorial and celebration service have been delayed until a safer time.
Jean Moss passed away on Nov. 27 at the age of 91. She was married to Rev. Bill Moss, a pastor in the Oklahoma Conference between 1954 and 1989; he passed away in 2018. The family will hold services for Jean Moss sometime in the future. Stephens-Key funeral home in Pryor is handling arrangements.
Rev. Clint Purtell passed away on Nov. 30. He served congregations in Coyle, Duncan-Wesley, Walters, Bristow, Madill, Henryetta, Freedom, Bartlesville-First, OKC-Asbury, Nowata, and Lexington between 1947 and 1995. He passed away just 15 days following the death of his wife, Rev. Marsha Purtell.