RaeNell Ward

RaeNell Yates Ward, 82, former Guymon, OK  resident, passed away Thursday, August 16, 2018, in Norman, Oklahoma.  Services will be conducted Tuesday, August 21, at 2:00 p.m. at Grace Southern Baptist Church where she and Kenneth were charter members.  Burial will follow at Elmhurst Cemetery.

RaeNell was born December 2, 1935, in Wellington, TX, to parents, Ray and Velma King.  

RaeNell attended Pampa, TX elementary schools until 4th grade when the family moved to Guymon. RaeNell was a super proud member of the GHS Class of 54 and was very involved in all their trips and activities in recent years.

RaeNell married her high school sweetheart, Kenneth Yates, July 12, 1953, in Clovis, NM.  Together, they had four children:  Cyndi, Terri, Jennifer and Kenny.  They were married 47 years before Kenneth passed away November 23, 2000.

RaeNell was a stay at home mother for almost 20 years.  She participated in every school activity her daughters were involved with. She worked for First National Bank in Guymon for almost 30 years.  In the last several years of her service to the bank, she held the positions of assistant vice president, internal audit and compliance officer and personnel officer.  She was a former member of the Business and Professional Women’s Association and past president of the Great Plains Chapter of the Bank Administration Institute.

RaeNell was a devout Christian who centered her life around the teachings she read daily in her Bible.  She served First Baptist Church as financial secretary and also taught Sunday School and Training Union for many years.  She loved singing in the church choir. Her daughters said that they knew the words to most of the church hymns because Mother sang or hummed these  hymns all the time. 

She loved her family very much and bragged about them to everyone who had time to listen.  She especially loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren as old photos will reflect.  She always had the biggest smile on her face when she was holding one of these precious grandchildren.

On June 30, 2005,RaeNell and Lee Ward were united in marriage at Las Vegas, NV.  They made their home together in Noble, OK, where they enjoyed the short drive to Norman where they could watch their Sooners.  They were members of the Oklahoma Sooner Coaches Association and loved tailgating with their many friends who belonged to this group.  Lee and RaeNell spent several great years together traveling all over the United States.

RaeNell was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth, daughters, Terri Overton and Jennifer Yates, grandson, Jake Overton, parents, Ray and Velma King, and brothers, Bob and Doug King.

Survivors are husband, Lee Ward of the home in Noble; daughter, Cyndi and husband
Tom Fagan; son, Kenny Yates;  Lee’s children, Diana Ward and Ali Zarrabi and Roger Ward of three sisters-in-law, LaNora King, Lula King and Cletus Simpson; and grandchildren, Eric and Amber Fagan; Sarah and Clay Adams; Tera Overton; Jason and Kylee Fussell; Lindsey and Jeremy McBride; Kelsie Shaver; Zach and Shania Yates; and Rylee Yates.  Great-grandchildren surviving are Eve and Alex Fagan, Cooper and Kallen Adams, Zavien Overton, Katelynn and Kyson Fussell, Bristol McBride, Haylee and Austin Shaver, and Olivia Yates.

Memorials may be given in memory of RaeNell to Grace Southern Baptist Church or Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, c/o Henson-Novak Funeral Directors, P.O. Box 1306, Guymon, OK  73942. 

Friends may sign the online guest book or leave a condolence at www.hensonnovak.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of RaeNell Ward, please visit our floral store.