Lucille Utley

Lucille ‘Keener’ Utley, 91, of Oktaha, OK passed away on Thursday, January 20, 2022. She was born on November 23, 1930 to Maggie Keener in Eldon, OK. In Lucille’s later teenage years her mother married Ned Wilson who became the father figure in her life. She attended public schools and grew up in the Hulbert area of Cherokee County. She married her best friend, Tedford V. Utley on August 24, 1976 in Muskogee, OK. They shared 29 happy years of marriage and memories together until his passing in 2005. She enjoyed quilting, sewing, fishing, making homemade candy at Christmas for her family, and taking and collecting photos. Her church affiliation was Southern Baptist. She attended First Baptist while living in Hulbert and then Immanuel Baptist upon first moving to Muskogee. Later on she attended Bethel Baptist in Muskogee. After retiring from Ft. Howard Paper Company she became a volunteer foster grandparent for Muskogee Schools working at Pershing Elementary and then Ft. Gibson Elementary. She won the award for Foster Grandparent of the Year of which she was very proud. She loved working with little children. She was preceded in death by her husband, Tedford V. Utley; mother, Maggie Keener; father, Ned Wilson; son, Raymond Virgil Nichols; grandson, Kevin Veachel Davis. She is survived by her daughter, Barbara Davis of Tahlequah, OK; daughter, Patricia Earlene Carpenter and husband Steve of Hulbert, OK; daughter, Cheryl Brown and husband Rick of Oktaha, OK; grandson, Richard Davis of Hulbert, OK; granddaughter, Meredith Degraffenreid and husband Ronnie of Shawnee, OK; grandson, Jimmy Davis of Tahlequah, OK; grandson, Eric Carpenter and wife Dawn of Mulberry, AR; granddaughter, Tricia Miller and husband Brett of Hulbert, OK; grandson, Randall Curtis Jr. and wife Sandra of North Little Rock, AR; many great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, cousins, and friends. A celebration of Lucille’s life will be 10:30am, Friday, January 28, 2022 at Cornerstone Funeral Home Chapel with Randall Curtis and Sandra Curtis officiating. Interment will follow at 12:30pm at Fort Gibson National Cemetery. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Richard Davis, Jimmy Davis, Eric Carpenter, Randall Curtis, Meredith DeGraffenried, and Tricia Miller.

Lucille Utley

November 23, 1930 - January 20, 2022