Ethel Dyer passed away February 18, 2009 in the Intensive Care Unit of Mercy Hospital (Saint Mary's) in Knoxville, TN following a heart attack the previous day. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday February 24, 2009 at the Assembly of God Church in Webbers Falls, OK. Ethel's body will be buried beside her mother and father at the Snake Girty Cemetery. No graveside services are planned. Though not a member of an established church, Ethel was raised as a Christian, and firmly believed Jesus was her Savior and that at the instant of her death she would be in Heaven. Her father, George Sater Dyer, mother, Lillie Raper Dyer, and sister, Juanita Dyer Hopkins are deceased. Ethel knew that her parents and sister were Christians and anticipated the joy of rejoining them in Heaven.Surviving relatives include her nephews, Frank Dyer, and his wife Marjorie, their daughter Suzanne Dyer Lebby and son Eric Dyer, Suzanne's daughter Melanie Ann Brummette and Suzanne's husband Rob Lebby, Eric's wife, Lisa McClure Dyer and their children Emily Katherine Dyer, Malcolm Scott Dyer, and Selena Meredith Dyer, and several cousins including Opal Johnson, Joe Johnson, Cartha Gamble Johnson, Charles and Shirley Raper of Paris, TX, Harland and Kathrine Raper of Yuba City, CA, Lavonne Dyer Mabry and Forrest and Berdice Dyer. In 1918, when Ethel was 3 years old, her family moved to a farm seven miles south of Webbers Falls, OK. Her parents lived on this farm until their deaths, George in 1940 and Lillie in 1972. Juanita moved away from the farm, returned in 1985 and died there in 2004. Ethel lived at the farm nearly 88 years until December 2006 when she moved to a house seven suburban lots away from her nephew Frank Dyer on Crestfield Rd. in Knoxville, TN. Ethel was expert in two facets of life (1) taking care of relatives who are ill and (2) gardening and ranching. She began her aid to family when her father became ill in 1939. Most of his care was provided by her mother and sister, but Ethel learned the ropes at that time. Ethel learned more about family care in the late 1940's when her maternal grandmother, Hattie Farmer Raper, became ill. Hattie and her husband James Gilbert (Jim) Raper lived with Ethel and her mother part time before Hattie's death in 1948. Ethel's care giving began to be perfected when Jim Raper lived part time with Ethel and her mother late in his life until his death in 1957. Ethel provided most of the care for her mother, Lillie, as she dealt with colon cancer, a colonostomy, and eventually suffered a fatal heart attack in 1972. Ethel's sister, Juanita became nearly blind and moved back to the farm in 1985. Ethel provided daily care for Juanita until she died nineteen years later. Ethel got a respite from family service when she moved to Knoxville, TN. Ethel's gardening skills were highly regarded by many people in Webbers Falls, OK and also to some of her Knoxville, TN neighbors. She loved to teach gardening techniques and enjoyed giving plants and fruit to others. She loved to watch tiny plants grow from seed sown in winter that when transplanted to the garden would eventually provide so much for so many. For over forty years Ethel cared for the cows as she did people even being their veterinarian and providing them food while they provided for her. Ethel's encyclopedia memory continued to the end of her life. She could recall conversations she heard when she was four years old. She knew first hand and from conversations of family members the genealogy of several families in the Webbers Falls area including Dyer, Raper, Chapman, Amerson and Girty. About 1930, Ethel bought a Kodak Brownie Camera. For decades she took pictures of family and friends to help preserve memories of those she loved. Her death has placed a great gulf between those who are living and the history of many Webbers Falls families. Ethel was loving, tough, patient, caring, trim and humorous. Her sharp mind and sense of humor are greatly missed.
Published in the Muskogee Phoenix from 2/21/2009 - 2/22/2009