Barbara Purtell

Barbara Lee Chase Purtell, 88, died on Oct. 2, 2019 in Tulsa, Okla. She was born July 20, 1931 to E.L. “Lee” Chase and Elizabeth Vesper Chase of Edmond, Okla. In October of 1940, Barbara’s birth mother died of cancer and in 1941, Helen Hubbard Chase became her second mother. All three of her parents preceded her in death, as did her brother Joe Howard Chase in 1986, and her sister Margaret Ann Chase in 2018. Barbara considered Edmond, Oklahoma, to be her home town. Barbara graduated in 1949 from Edmond High School and has remained close to her class members through the years, helping to organize several reunions in recent years. Since 2005 she has sent a newsletter several times a year to the remaining classmates and has become the “information central” for the class. She assisted in helping the class produce a book called “These Are Our Lives” in 2005. She received a B.A. degree in English from Southern Methodist University in 1953 and a M.Ed. degree from Central State University, now UCO, in 1972. The young Barbara loved horses and spent many happy childhood hours drawing them and exploring outlying areas of Edmond with her equine buddy, a white horse named Rags. She enjoyed rodeo and barrel racing, and in 1949 she was Queen of the Edmond Roundup Club. Barbara loved music and singing and had a beautiful bell-toned soprano voice. She was a talented musician and classically trained in voice and piano. She shared her music by singing and playing for church services and was many times featured by local rodeos singing the national anthem. She inspired a lifetime love of music in her three children. In 1951 she was married to Clint Purtell; they were divorced in 1979. In his capacity as a United Methodist minister, they lived in Hastings, Duncan, Walters, Bristow, Madill and Henryetta before moving to Broken Arrow in 1969. Barbara taught secondary English for two years in Broken Arrow and Coweta and worked at Oral Roberts University and The University of Tulsa as a departmental secretary for 30 years. She loved teachers and students. In addition, she was the organist for St. Stephens United Methodist Church in Broken Arrow for 30 years. In later years she became interested in genealogy and history and researched her three families, putting together books of documents and pictures for each of them. In the process she found several second cousins with whom she became good friends. Barbara is survived by her three children, Keith and Jeff of Broken Arrow, and Claire of Tulsa. Also surviving her are nieces Robin LePage and her husband Philip of Claremore, Jennifer Chase of Claremore, and Claudia Russell of Texas, as well as nephew Justin Chase and his wife Renee of Broken Arrow, Okla., and their families. Her two sisters-in-law, Paula K. Hire and Louise Miller and a large extended family also survive her. She is also survived by her children’s father, Rev. Clint Purtell of Tishomingo. Visitation will be 2-8 p.m., Sunday at Hayhurst Funeral Home, 1660 S. Elm Place in Broken Arrow, Okla. Family will be present 6-8 p.m. Memorial gifts may be made to St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, the Tulsa SPCA or a charity of your choice. Memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Tributes

Barbara Purtell

July 20, 1931 - October 2, 2019