Willa Jean, as she was known, (Armour) Kendall was born to Robert or "Bob" Wyatt Armour and his wife, Martha or "Mattie" Elizabeth (Hutchison) Armour near Galena, Woods Co., OK on 21 Jan. 1924. She was reared on her parents' "21 Ranch" on the Cimarron River adjacent to the old "21 Crossing Bridge." As a small tyke, she slipped out of the house while her mom was ill. Her dad could track her little foot prints in the sandy drive, headed toward the main sandy road, bridge, and river. He lost her tracks in the grass as the drive entered the main road.
Her dad asked a passer-by on the main road to help him find her; the man said he didn't have time. Her dad just replied, "Yes, you do." Fortunately, she had doubled back on grass into the side yard of the house and was found safe and sound.
Willa Jean went to Elm Grove School in the country and then into Waynoka where she graduated from high school.
She married Lyford Joe Kendall on 1 Jan. 1942. While Lyford served in World War II overseas, she attended Northwestern (now NWOSU) at Alva, OK. When Lyford returned, they lived in the Galena area and had two sons.
In 1956, the family moved to Westville, OK and began a dairy farm. She sold the dairy farm after Lyford's death.
She returned to college and graduated from Tallaquah. She later moved to Tulsa. She had health problems, so she wasn't able to return to Woods County often the last few years of her life.
Willa Jean did beautiful embroidery in her early married days. In her later years she did beautiful crewel work.
In her parents' home in the 1980s hung more than one large 11" x 20" pieces of her lovely crewel work. She died in Tulsa on 6 Jan. 1997, but she was buried in the Galena Cemetery, in Woods County, OK.
Her dad asked a passer-by on the main road to help him find her; the man said he didn't have time. Her dad just replied, "Yes, you do." Fortunately, she had doubled back on grass into the side yard of the house and was found safe and sound.
Willa Jean went to Elm Grove School in the country and then into Waynoka where she graduated from high school.
She married Lyford Joe Kendall on 1 Jan. 1942. While Lyford served in World War II overseas, she attended Northwestern (now NWOSU) at Alva, OK. When Lyford returned, they lived in the Galena area and had two sons.
In 1956, the family moved to Westville, OK and began a dairy farm. She sold the dairy farm after Lyford's death.
She returned to college and graduated from Tallaquah. She later moved to Tulsa. She had health problems, so she wasn't able to return to Woods County often the last few years of her life.
Willa Jean did beautiful embroidery in her early married days. In her later years she did beautiful crewel work.
In her parents' home in the 1980s hung more than one large 11" x 20" pieces of her lovely crewel work. She died in Tulsa on 6 Jan. 1997, but she was buried in the Galena Cemetery, in Woods County, OK.
Willa Jean, as she was known, (Armour) Kendall was born to Robert or "Bob" Wyatt Armour and his wife, Martha or "Mattie" Elizabeth (Hutchison) Armour near Galena, Woods Co., OK on 21 Jan. 1924. She was reared on her parents' "21 Ranch" on the Cimarron River adjacent to the old "21 Crossing Bridge." As a small tyke, she slipped out of the house while her mom was ill. Her dad could track her little foot prints in the sandy drive, headed toward the main sandy road, bridge, and river. He lost her tracks in the grass as the drive entered the main road.
Her dad asked a passer-by on the main road to help him find her; the man said he didn't have time. Her dad just replied, "Yes, you do." Fortunately, she had doubled back on grass into the side yard of the house and was found safe and sound.
Willa Jean went to Elm Grove School in the country and then into Waynoka where she graduated from high school.
She married Lyford Joe Kendall on 1 Jan. 1942. While Lyford served in World War II overseas, she attended Northwestern (now NWOSU) at Alva, OK. When Lyford returned, they lived in the Galena area and had two sons.
In 1956, the family moved to Westville, OK and began a dairy farm. She sold the dairy farm after Lyford's death.
She returned to college and graduated from Tallaquah. She later moved to Tulsa. She had health problems, so she wasn't able to return to Woods County often the last few years of her life.
Willa Jean did beautiful embroidery in her early married days. In her later years she did beautiful crewel work.
In her parents' home in the 1980s hung more than one large 11" x 20" pieces of her lovely crewel work. She died in Tulsa on 6 Jan. 1997, but she was buried in the Galena Cemetery, in Woods County, OK.
Her dad asked a passer-by on the main road to help him find her; the man said he didn't have time. Her dad just replied, "Yes, you do." Fortunately, she had doubled back on grass into the side yard of the house and was found safe and sound.
Willa Jean went to Elm Grove School in the country and then into Waynoka where she graduated from high school.
She married Lyford Joe Kendall on 1 Jan. 1942. While Lyford served in World War II overseas, she attended Northwestern (now NWOSU) at Alva, OK. When Lyford returned, they lived in the Galena area and had two sons.
In 1956, the family moved to Westville, OK and began a dairy farm. She sold the dairy farm after Lyford's death.
She returned to college and graduated from Tallaquah. She later moved to Tulsa. She had health problems, so she wasn't able to return to Woods County often the last few years of her life.
Willa Jean did beautiful embroidery in her early married days. In her later years she did beautiful crewel work.
In her parents' home in the 1980s hung more than one large 11" x 20" pieces of her lovely crewel work. She died in Tulsa on 6 Jan. 1997, but she was buried in the Galena Cemetery, in Woods County, OK.
Inscription
"KENDALL
Willa Jean Jan.12, 1924 - [blank]
Lyford J. May 19, 1919 - Jan. 1, 1974"
Gravesite Details
As of Sept. 2009, death date not carved on stone--on SSW Lyford J. Kendall
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