Louis Stone

Louis Gray "Pinky" Stone, longtime resident of the Shidler community, passed September 18, 2015 at the Rose Manor Care Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He was 97 years of age.

Louis was born August 3, 1918 in Tecumseh, Oklahoma, the son of L.G. Stone and Annie Hodges Stone. He graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1936. He was married to Anne Louise Hartsell in May of 1947 in Greenville, Mississippi. The couple had been married 64 years at Mrs. Stone's passing in 2011.

Louis was a veteran of World War II, and was a former POW. He was drafted into the infantry in 1942. He served 2 years in the Aleutian Islands, then to England and on to Germany. His Troop of 200 men surrendered to the Germans at St. Vith and spent 4 months in Stalag IV-B POW camp. Louis was interviewed by the Shidler Review for an article about his military service, appearing November 7, 2013. After his service he worked for Petty Seismograph in Greenville, Mississippi where he met his wife Anna Louise Hartsell. The couple made their home in several locations before coming to Shidler to work for Phillips Petroleum Company. He retired from Phillips petroleum after 30 years of service.

He and his wife were longtime members of the Shidler United Methodist Church. His enjoyments were fishing and gardening. In earlier years he had built many Purple Martin bird houses.

He is survived by his son, Terry Dale Stone, of Shidler; two grandsons, Anthony Harrigle and Reno Stone; nephews Jerry Bryant and wife Lue, of Shawnee and Richard Stone and wife Janice, of San Diego; two nieces Janice Stone and Beverly Stone, of San Francisco. He is also survived by Mary's two sons, his nephews, Vernon Canada and wife Janette of Fairbanks, Alaska and Jim Canada of Washington State; he is also survived by two first cousins, Nola Vern Ellington and husband Claud and Bob Hodges and wife Wanda, of the Ponca City area. He also leaves behind many friends in the Shidler area where he and Louise were active in the Methodist Church and Senior Center, and many friends at the Shawnee Rose Manor Care Center where he resided since December 2013.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Annie Louise; one brother, Vernon Stone and wife Mary; one sister, Mae Bryant and husband Winfred Bryant; his wife's parents, William and Leo Hartsell and his sister-in-law Mary Adams.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 26, 2015 at the Fort Shidler Park on North Cosden in Shidler. Judge David Gamble will preside over the service in Shidler. Committal services will follow at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Tecumseh, Oklahoma Cemetery with Rev. Josh Langille-Hoppe of the Tecumseh Broadway United Methodist Church presiding. Arrangements are under the direction of the Hunsaker-Wooten Funeral Home in Fairfax.

Casket bearers are Terry Stone, Darrell Gibson and Ken Gerbach, Moose Robinson, Craig Carey and members of the Patriot Guard Riders. Honorary casket bearers is Jerry Bryant.