With her family by her side, longtime
Picher resident Junita “Fannie” Walton
passed away in Quapaw, Okla., on Monday,
Sept. 7, 2009.
Fannie was born on April 8, 1919, in
Mountainburg, Ark., along with her twin
sister, Annie, to Ellis and Leah
Striplin. She moved to Miami as a
little girl where she attended Roosevelt
Elementary School. Her family moved to
Picher during the late 1920s and she
made her home there for over 80 years
until the relocation and buyout. Fannie
attended Picher schools and Northeastern
A&M College.
She was a long time member of the Picher
Church of the Nazarene. In her earlier
years, she was very active in the Picher
American Legion Auxiliary, where she
served as president and enjoyed
attending the Picher Senior Citizen’s
organization. She was preceded in death
by her parents; brothers, Marion and
Noah Striplin; her twin sister, Virginia
“Annie” Striplin Hewett; her first
husband, Russell Morerod in 1952, and
her second husband, Donal Walton in
1973. Also five grandchildern and one
great-grandson.
Fannie is survived by one sister,
Genevea Crockett of Miami; two sons,
Ellis Eugene Morerod and wife Jenny of
Miami and David Russell Morerod of
Newberry Park, Calif.; five daughters,
Sandra Smith and husband Ben of Neosho,
Mo., Leah VanVolkenburg and husband Carl
of Irving, Texas, Dona Walton of
Ardmore, Okla., Wanda Woodworth and
husband Toby of Miami, Okla, and Betty
Lawson and husband Jim of Quapaw, Okla.;
17 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren
and six great-great-grandchildren,
loving nieces and nephews and many
friends.
Fannie was a beloved Mother and
Grandmother. She was the heart of the
family and enjoyed having her children
and grandbabies around as much as
possible.
The family will be at the home of Wanda
and Toby Woodworth in Miami.
Funeral services will be Thursday at 10
a.m. at the New Life Church of the
Nazarene in Miami, Okla. Pastor Casey
Hollingsworth will officiate. Grandsons
will serve as pallbearers, Michael
Richardson, Zach Woodworth, James Smith,
Ryan Farr, sons – in – law Carl
VanVolkenburg, Toby Woodworth and Ben
Smith. Interment will be in G.A.R.
Cemetery in Miami, Okla.
The family will receive friends from 5
to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Paul Thomas
Funeral Home in Miami, Okla. Services
are under the direction of the Paul
Thomas Funeral Home of Miami, Okla.
Online condolences may be made at
www.paulthomasfuneralhomes.com.
