Joe F. Strickland

August 10, 1928 - December 20, 2020

Joe Fleak Strickland, 92, of Muskogee, Oklahoma passed away Sunday, December 20, 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was born August 10, 1928 in Muskogee to Joseph William and Iva Merle (Fleak) Strickland. He married Coreta Altafa Wilbourn on October 19, 1946 and shared more than 74 years of life and marriage together. Joe grew up poor. Therefore, he was able to relate to those in need and was overly generous in helping them, especially talking to them about Jesus. To the very end he was telling how we needed to tell people about Jesus. He loved to play checkers. Some of the best times he had was when he could play checkers because he almost never lost. His spiritual gift was prophesy – always giving credit to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit revealed things to him that no one else knew and many times he would go to bed at night and the Holy Spirit would reveal it during the night. He loved his family very much but he said he was “Homesick”. It was a blessing when God took him to Heaven and relieved his pain and suffering. He had many glimpses of Heaven and was longing to go and see JESUS and his family that had passed before. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Coreta Strickland; siblings, Leonard Gayle Strickland, Wilford Glen Strickland, Jack Edson Strickland, Kenneth Loyd Strickland, Dorothy Maxine Strickland Russell, Margaret Marie Strickland, and Billy Dean Strickland. Joe is survived by his children, Nita Dunlap and husband Dan of Muskogee, Tommy J. Strickland and wife Candis of Holly Pond, Al, Rhonda J. Bell and husband Randy of Muskogee, Ruth A. Matlock and husband Douglas of Muskogee, and Nancy G Prinsloo and husband J. J. of Eufaula; 11 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, 9 great-great-grandchildren; along with many other family members. Joe’s life will be celebrated at 2PM, Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at Calvary Baptist Church with Pastor Bobby Morgan officiating. Interment will follow at Greenhill Cemetery with Caleb Thomas, Kevin Rowlett, Aaron Dunlap, Danny Dunlap, Stanley Strickland, Audie Strickland, and Preston Simpson serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearer will be Garrett Dunlap.