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Kathryn Maples

Memorial Page | Comments Off on Kathryn Maples

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 Kathryn Maples

 January 8, 1917 – July 30, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Kathryn Lovelady Maples, resident of Ponca City, passed away Friday, July 30, 2010, at Via Christi Village at the age of 93.

The service was held on Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at the Hartford Avenue Church of Christ with Don Huddleston, officiating.  Her remains were laid to rest beside her husband’s at Resthaven Memorial Park. Trout Funeral Home handled all of the arrangements.

Kathryn was born on January 8, 1917 to Edgar C. and Maude Moody Lovelady in Bowie, Texas. She graduated from Bowie High School in 1934, then attended Abilene Christian University in Ablilene, TX and Foster Business College in Wichita Falls, TX. She worked as a legal secretary in Haskell, TX where she met and married Carl Maples, April 15, 1939. Carl preached for the Church of Christ in Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma and served as a missionary in Jamaica for 8 years. They have three children, Kay Lyons, Karen Ellison, and Rodney Maples.

Kathryn was involved in teaching children’s and ladies classes for churches where they ministered. At Via Christi she was the greeter for new residents and was involved in all social activities at the facility.

She is survived by her children, Kay Lyons and her husband Tommy of Glasgow, KY; Karen Ellison and her husband Terry of Crosbyton, TX; and Rodney Maples and his wife Carol Ann of Stillwater, OK; 10 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, and her extended family at Hartford Avenue Church of Christ.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Maples; parents, Edgar and Maude Lovelady; one brother, Orville Lovelady; and one sister, Marjorie Treat.

Casket bearers will be, Kirk Ellison, Steven Lyons, Jordan Maples, Robert Johnston, Scott Harper, and Russell Conner.

Honorary casket bearers will be Denise Dickinson, Kerry Johnston, Michele Reeves, Kelli Stegall, Krista Harper, Brianne Conner, and Kylie Maples.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the Hartford Avenue Church of Christ, 1905 Joe Street, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601.

Below is brother Don Huddleston’s eulogy of Kathryn:

Kathryn passed away Friday evening, July the 30th, having reached the age of 93 years plus.  Born on January 8, 1917, she was one of three children born to Edgar C. and Maude Lovelady, faithful Christians who lived in Bowie, Texas which is located about half-way between Ft. Worth and Wichita Falls.  She grew up in Bowie, graduating from High School in 1934, and enrolled in Abilene Christian University that fall.  Later she enrolled at Foster Business College in Wichita Falls, with the purpose of becoming a legal secretary.  She did attain that goal and took work with a law firm in Haskell, Texas which was about 60 miles north of Abilene.  It was there that she would meet the man who asked for her hand in marriage, Carl Maples.  However, Carl was not a church-going man and sister Kathryn let him know right up front that if he wanted to date her, he would have to meet her first at the church where she was attending there in Haskell.  Kathryn also happened to be boarding in the home of the local preacher for the Church of Christ, brother and sister Malphurs, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t urge brother Malphurs to make his message especially plain that night.  At any rate, Carl came and after services they went out on their first day.  It wasn’t long until the young man began to take the Christian message seriously, and Carl attributes not only the direction his life took after that but his very salvation to the faith and faithfulness and the love of Mary Kathryn Lovelady.  On April the 15th, 1939, they became husband and wife.  I remember when I first heard that, I told him, “Well at least you can’t forget your anniversary, on income tax day!”  He said “Yes, but we got married before April 15th was tax day.”  I think before that, tax-day had been in March.  To that union was given three precious children: two daughters, Kay and Karen; and one son, Rodney.  The two had become one, and the one became five.  

Not long after they married, Carl began to take on more and more roles in the church, leading prayers, singing, serving the Lord’s Supper.  He then began receiving encouragement and calls to do some fill-in preaching, so it wasn’t long until Kathryn found herself a preacher’s wife.  I suspect it must have thrilled her soul but if she had any reservations, no one, including Carl was aware of it.  Their first fulltime work was in Anthony, Kansas.  They stayed there for a couple of years, and then moved on to St. John, Kansas.  Although they loved the people where they were, the opportunity for them to return to Texas came, and so it wasn’t long until Kathryn was working alongside of Carl in Crosbyton, Texas, about 40 miles due east of Lubbock.  After spending several years in Crosbyton, they received an invitation to come work with the Church of Christ in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.  After that they found themselves doing mission work for four years in the island nation of Jamaica, living in the capital city of Kingston.  When they returned to the states in 1972, they began their first association with the Hartford Avenue congregation.  Carl preached here from 1972 to 1976, when they decided to return to Jamaica to strengthen the work with the churches and the Jamaican School of Preaching they had helped to start when they were there before.  After four more years in Jamaica, they returned to begin working once again with Hartford Avenue.  Following Carl’s official retirement, Kathryn willingly joined her husband in traveling about the country in a RV with the purpose of seeking to help smaller churches that couldn’t afford a fulltime preacher.  After a few years of that, they returned to Ponca City and Hartford Avenue for the third time, and here they lived out the remainder of their lives, doing what Jesus wants of each one of us-being a light to the world and the salt of the earth!

God had given Carl and Kathryn three children, who in turn gave them two son-in-laws, and one daughter-in-law.  Kay married Tommy Lyons and they make their home in Glasgow, KY.  Karen married Terry Ellison and after living many years in Montrose, Colorado, now make their home in Crosbyton, where once again a Maples girl works as the preacher’s wife!  Rodney married Carol Ann Patterson, and they make their home in Stillwater.  The three children gave Carl and Kathryn ten grandchildren who at the time of Kathryn’s passing had blessed them with twenty great grandchildren. 

For the past three or four years, Kathryn has made her home at Via Christi Village, formerly known as Westminster.  There she was greatly loved and respected, and she continued her lifelong habit of doing what she could to tell others about the Lord.  She enjoyed remarkable health almost all of her life, and even at 93, her mind was good and her spirit undaunted.  She suffered a stroke about a month ago, but was not suffering any pain, and quietly and peacefully passed away a little before 10 pm. 

Although Carl was the preacher and had a great influence on many people, there is no telling how many Kathryn also influenced for heaven and for better things.  I recall hearing brother Gladwyn Kiddoe, who now serves as the Director of the Jamaican School of Preaching, tell the story about some Jamaicans who are now Christian doctors and attorneys, deacons and teachers in the church who were first reached by a little Bible class Kathryn taught in her home there in Kingston.  The children first became Christians, then the mother, and then their children-three generations who were saved by the gospel first introduced to them by sister Kathryn.  She taught numerous Bible classes, Vacation Bible schools, ladies classes and activities, Christian camps.  Thousands of visits, cards and calls have been made by this woman who at 93, just this past spring was still at it.  It would be impossible to count all of the people-both women and men, including Carl himself-that owe their salvation and life in Christ to the quiet work of this precious lady.  A number of those people I am sure have already gone on to their reward and no doubt the portals of heaven resounded with the joy of Kathryn’s arrival this Friday past.  She was preceded by numerous Christian loved ones, including Carl who passed away in 2007, and her mother and father, and her sister Marjorie and brother Orville.  I also know that it was Kathryn’s and Carl’s fervent prayer for every member of their family that the circle will not be broken, that one day they will all be together again.    –Don Huddleston