Olva Feken

Olva Feken, born June 11, 1912 in Breckenridge, Oklahoma to Aminidab and Laura Ann (Dazey) Conklin, was surrounded by her family on Friday, March 6, 2015, when she passed away peacefully. She was 102.

She attended one room schools during her elementary years. After a tornado destroyed their farmstead in May 1921, the family rebuilt the farm and later moved to the Billings, OK area.
When the older children started college, the family moved to Norman during the school term and Olva attended high school in Norman. At this time she accepted Jesus and was baptized in the South Canadian River. She finished high school at Billings, making the four-and a half miles trip back and forth on a horse named "Boots."

She received her teacher's certificate from Central State Teachers College at Edmond. After a short teaching career in Garfield and Noble counties Olva married Herman Feken on May 2, 1935. The Fekens had two children, Jerry and Mary Margaret, and celebrated 73 years of marriage before he passed away in 2009. Olva was the typical farm wife of that time period. She kept a large garden, milked cows, raised chickens and worked in the fields. The Fekens sold milk, cream, and eggs to buy groceries. There was no running water or electricity on their farm until 1949. The Fekens suffered through the end of the dust bowl and drought of the 1930s and rationing during World War II.

Olva practiced being green before being green was a popular life choice. She is a self-taught cook and seamstress, and made and sewed many of the family clothes. Olva received many prizes at the local, and State fairs for her efforts. She entered quilts and hand embroidery work at the 2010 Noble County free fair.

Olva was a member of a local Home Demonstration Club and was a 4-H leader and FFA Mother.
She drove the rural Oakdale school bus for 27 years.

Her hobbies are any kind of hand work, including knitting, embroidery and quilting. She loves to read and play games. A few of her mottos are "Idle Hands are the Devil's Workshop," "A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned," "Waste Not, Want Not" and "Study to Show Thyself Approved."

She was a member of the First Christian Church in Perry and has read the Bible through many times.

Olva credits her longevity to hard work, fresh air, keeping a good attitude and of course, the care of two good physicians: God and Dr. Michael Hartwig of Perry.

She is survived by Jeanette Feken of Moore, OK; Mary Margaret (Larry) Snyder of Prague, OK; special loved ones Darrel and Elanore Carlon of Shawnee, OK; grandchildren Ronald (Sandra) Feken, Kimberly (Jeff) Partin, Sondra (Chris) Perkins, Susanna (Robert) Pope, Jesse (Gina) Snyder, Jill (Amir) Nematpour, John (Donna) Snyder; 25 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren.

She is proceeded in death by her parents, her husband, son Jerry Feken, one brother and three sister and their spouses.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Christian Church Hope Circle or Heifer International care of Brown-Dugger Funeral Home.

The funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 10th, 2015 at the First Christian Church at 1:30 pm with Rev. Martin Foster officiating. Burial will follow at Polo Cemetery northwest of Perry. The care of the family is under the direction of Brown-Dugger Funeral Home in Perry, Oklahoma. Condolences may be made online at www.brown-duggerfuneralhome.com.

Visitation

BrownDugger Funeral Home
1010 N. 7th
Perry, OK  73077
Sunday, March 8, 2015
1 pm to 8 pm

Visitation Day 2
1010 N. 7th st.
Perry, OK  73077
Monday, March 9, 2015
8 am to 8 pm

Service

First Christian Church
701 Holly
Perry, OK  73077
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
1:30 pm

Cemetery

Polo Cemetery
Billings, OK  74630

Memorial Contributions

701 Holly
Perry, OK  73077


1 World Ave.
LIttle Rock, AR  72202