Denise Lea Bemo

Denise Lea McConnell Bemo August 14th, 2022, God called home the heart and soul of our family. After a hard-fought illness Denise gained her wings and was welcomed into Heaven’s gates, no doubt hearing “well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Born March 21st, 1961, in Tahlequah, OK to Wanda (Thomas) & Rev Mike McConnell. Denise was the baby of 5 children and rounded out their family perfectly. Denise was educated in the Vian school system until her Senior year. On August 18th, 1978, after promising her dad to finish High School; Denise wed the love of her life, Jeff Bemo. The following May, as promised, Denise graduated from Oktaha High School with the class of 1979. To this Union, Jeff and Denise raised two children, Alan and Jennifer. Denise was ever the home room mom, carpool mom, snack maker, game creator, picture taker, and clothes repairer. Her Children were her life and it showed. As the children grew older Denise went to work outside the home at Cimco Properties for 16 years as their Property Manager until January 2006. This was when Denise took on her greatest roll yet, work at home nanny! Just as she had with her children, Denise jumped in with everything she had with the grandchildren “her babies” as she called them. According to Denise, they never did wrong, she would haul them anywhere, have a cold drink waiting for them in the school pickup line or for Halle a hot chicken leg and never failed to teach them tons of useful quotes and stories. Ice cream at any time was always an option. They could come to their nanny with anything, know it was confidential, and know she had her entire heart in her advice for them. From potty training to Drivers Ed on the driveway she devoted all she had to her babies. A true Proverbs 31 woman of faith, Denise came to know the Lord at a young age. No better fitting a scripture for her than Proverbs 31:31, “Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her work bring her praise at the city gate.” A member of Oldham Memorial Baptist Church at the time of her passing, she was an active member until her illness kept her from doing all she wanted. Denise was a Sunday school teacher and loved her kids like her own, learning everything about their home lives while feeding their spiritual needs. For years Denise helped with the churches backpack program, a program that delivers easy to open, ready to eat food for children that may not have meals over weekends or holiday breaks from school. This was so near and dear to her heart. Many VBS children saw her handiwork in the sanctuary throughout the years welcoming them to a fun-filled week of activities getting to learn about Christ Jesus. Denise was a thrifter, a Wall’s shopper and a TJ Maxx fanatic. She and her bff Steph never met a garage sale, estate sale or craft project they didn’t like. She may not have found something she needed at every sale, but she found something someone needed at every sale. A quick text and maybe a picture to follow and she would have you a treasure picked up and headed home. Always one to stay busy, Denise had her craft room and loved to spend time scrapbooking, sewing, painting, or sitting down to write out a card to someone just to let them know she was thinking of them. Those cards always came at the perfect time. Holidays and family gatherings were when Denise would really shine. She was the keeper of recipes and family traditions. Her no bake cookies, rocky road and poor man’s turtles were devoured every time they were put on display. Every Christmas morning after her monkey bread, there was new game to play with just the perfect prize for each and every player. Preceding Denise in death were her parents, Rev Mike and Wanda McConnell, whom Denise cared for during their illnesses. Every doctors appointment, lab, scan, and x ray, she was there for them as support and driving them. Also, preceding Denise, her beloved father-in-law Don Bemo. Those left to celebrate her memory, her loving husband of 44 years, Jeff Bemo, of the home; her son, Alan Bemo (Brandy) of Muskogee; her daughter, Jennifer Bemo (Monty Taylor) of Sand Springs; her mother-in-law, Faye Bemo of Muskogee; sister, Susan McConnell of Evening Shade Community; brothers, Steve McConnell (Karen) of Ponca City, Nelson McConnell (Jackie) of Ponca City, and Leslie McConnell (Debbie) of Evening Shade Community; her sister-in-law, Pam Reganall (Jeff) of Muskogee; Denise’s best friend, Stephanie Schlup; and dear friend, Linda Poole; her grandchildren, her babies, cherishing their memories with their nanny, Bailey Kate Treadwell (Travis) of Sapulpa, Halle Grace Bemo and Fisher Glenn Bemo of Muskogee, Piper Taylor, Shelby Taylor, Denver Taylor, Kennedy Hull and Natalie Hull all of Sand Springs; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and friends. Last but not least, her million-dollar dog, Meatball. The family would like to extend our most sincere gratitude to Good Shepherd Hospice for the loving care they took of Denise. A celebration of Denise’s life will be 1:30PM, Thursday, August 18th, 2022 at Oldham Memorial Baptist Church with Brother Glen Little officiating. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery with Jeff Bemo, Jeff Walker, Jeremy McConnell, TW Horton, Steven Reganall, and Monty Taylor all serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Mike Smithson, Wes Young, Jeff Reganall, Virgil Medley, and Keith Wallace.

Denise Lea Bemo

March 21, 1961 - August 14, 2022