Iona Winifred (Challis) Byrd was born on December 31, 1928 in Bridgeport, Oklahoma. She was the 5th of 10 children born to John Leroy Challis and Ruby Jane (Pedigo) Challis. They remained in Bridgeport on the family farm until 1943 when they moved to Blackwell, Oklahoma. It was in Blackwell that she met her future husband, JB Byrd. The couple married in 1947 and had a daughter named Vickie Lynn in February of 1948.
Iona worked at the Atlas Glass Company while living in Blackwell. The family later moved to Wichita, Kansas where she and JB worked together at Boeing Aircraft. In 1961 they moved to Oklahoma City where they remained until his passing in 1998.
Iona was a supervisor and long time employee of Western Electric. She retired from the company after 24 years of service in 1984 so that she and JB could spend more time traveling. For many years they took their granddaughters to Colorado every summer for 2 weeks and in later years they enjoyed spending their winters down around South Padre Island, Texas with the many friends they met in their travels.
Iona was a caring wife and Mother and was a fabulous Grandmother to her 2 granddaughters and later her great and great-great grandchildren. Her granddaughters spent a lot of time with her and JB while growing up and she made them feel very loved. At Grandma and Grandpa's there was always good food on the table and games to be played. She enjoyed playing cards and could often be found sitting at her kitchen table playing a game of Solitaire while waiting for dinner to finish. In later years you never knew when you might catch her sitting in the floor with her great grandchildren playing Nintendo. She was an avid reader and loved her jigsaw puzzles. She also enjoyed needlework and crocheting and made many beautiful afghans throughout the years for family and friends.
Iona passed away on June 13, 2010 at Bellevue Living Center.
She will be greatly missed by all who loved her.
Iona was preceded in death by:
Parents, Roy and Ruby Challis;
Husband of 51 years, JB Byrd;
Sisters, Opal Christine Challis, Ruby Storck and Lucy Plunk;
Brother, Jack Challis;
Grandson, Tommy Foster
She is survived by:
Daughter Vickie and her husband, Larry Foster
Sisters, Arlene Leonard, Norma Ellis and Shirley Hays;
Brothers, Grant Challis and Bill Challis
Grandchildren:
Sherri and husband Steven Webster;
Shelley and husband David Ashmon;
Larry Foster
Great Grandchildren:
Camille and her partner Brian O'Quinn;
Zachary Wortham and his wife Whitney;
Katelyn Wortham and her fiancée Derrick Cruz-Rodz;
David Ashmon
Christian Wortham
Kendall Wortham
Rylenn Webster
Stormy Foster
Skyler Foster
Kathryn Foster
Great-great Grandchildren:
Isabell Wortham
Ian O'Quinn
Salem O'Quinn
Aarow O'Quinn
Iona worked at the Atlas Glass Company while living in Blackwell. The family later moved to Wichita, Kansas where she and JB worked together at Boeing Aircraft. In 1961 they moved to Oklahoma City where they remained until his passing in 1998.
Iona was a supervisor and long time employee of Western Electric. She retired from the company after 24 years of service in 1984 so that she and JB could spend more time traveling. For many years they took their granddaughters to Colorado every summer for 2 weeks and in later years they enjoyed spending their winters down around South Padre Island, Texas with the many friends they met in their travels.
Iona was a caring wife and Mother and was a fabulous Grandmother to her 2 granddaughters and later her great and great-great grandchildren. Her granddaughters spent a lot of time with her and JB while growing up and she made them feel very loved. At Grandma and Grandpa's there was always good food on the table and games to be played. She enjoyed playing cards and could often be found sitting at her kitchen table playing a game of Solitaire while waiting for dinner to finish. In later years you never knew when you might catch her sitting in the floor with her great grandchildren playing Nintendo. She was an avid reader and loved her jigsaw puzzles. She also enjoyed needlework and crocheting and made many beautiful afghans throughout the years for family and friends.
Iona passed away on June 13, 2010 at Bellevue Living Center.
She will be greatly missed by all who loved her.
Iona was preceded in death by:
Parents, Roy and Ruby Challis;
Husband of 51 years, JB Byrd;
Sisters, Opal Christine Challis, Ruby Storck and Lucy Plunk;
Brother, Jack Challis;
Grandson, Tommy Foster
She is survived by:
Daughter Vickie and her husband, Larry Foster
Sisters, Arlene Leonard, Norma Ellis and Shirley Hays;
Brothers, Grant Challis and Bill Challis
Grandchildren:
Sherri and husband Steven Webster;
Shelley and husband David Ashmon;
Larry Foster
Great Grandchildren:
Camille and her partner Brian O'Quinn;
Zachary Wortham and his wife Whitney;
Katelyn Wortham and her fiancée Derrick Cruz-Rodz;
David Ashmon
Christian Wortham
Kendall Wortham
Rylenn Webster
Stormy Foster
Skyler Foster
Kathryn Foster
Great-great Grandchildren:
Isabell Wortham
Ian O'Quinn
Salem O'Quinn
Aarow O'Quinn
Iona Winifred (Challis) Byrd was born on December 31, 1928 in Bridgeport, Oklahoma. She was the 5th of 10 children born to John Leroy Challis and Ruby Jane (Pedigo) Challis. They remained in Bridgeport on the family farm until 1943 when they moved to Blackwell, Oklahoma. It was in Blackwell that she met her future husband, JB Byrd. The couple married in 1947 and had a daughter named Vickie Lynn in February of 1948.
Iona worked at the Atlas Glass Company while living in Blackwell. The family later moved to Wichita, Kansas where she and JB worked together at Boeing Aircraft. In 1961 they moved to Oklahoma City where they remained until his passing in 1998.
Iona was a supervisor and long time employee of Western Electric. She retired from the company after 24 years of service in 1984 so that she and JB could spend more time traveling. For many years they took their granddaughters to Colorado every summer for 2 weeks and in later years they enjoyed spending their winters down around South Padre Island, Texas with the many friends they met in their travels.
Iona was a caring wife and Mother and was a fabulous Grandmother to her 2 granddaughters and later her great and great-great grandchildren. Her granddaughters spent a lot of time with her and JB while growing up and she made them feel very loved. At Grandma and Grandpa's there was always good food on the table and games to be played. She enjoyed playing cards and could often be found sitting at her kitchen table playing a game of Solitaire while waiting for dinner to finish. In later years you never knew when you might catch her sitting in the floor with her great grandchildren playing Nintendo. She was an avid reader and loved her jigsaw puzzles. She also enjoyed needlework and crocheting and made many beautiful afghans throughout the years for family and friends.
Iona passed away on June 13, 2010 at Bellevue Living Center.
She will be greatly missed by all who loved her.
Iona was preceded in death by:
Parents, Roy and Ruby Challis;
Husband of 51 years, JB Byrd;
Sisters, Opal Christine Challis, Ruby Storck and Lucy Plunk;
Brother, Jack Challis;
Grandson, Tommy Foster
She is survived by:
Daughter Vickie and her husband, Larry Foster
Sisters, Arlene Leonard, Norma Ellis and Shirley Hays;
Brothers, Grant Challis and Bill Challis
Grandchildren:
Sherri and husband Steven Webster;
Shelley and husband David Ashmon;
Larry Foster
Great Grandchildren:
Camille and her partner Brian O'Quinn;
Zachary Wortham and his wife Whitney;
Katelyn Wortham and her fiancée Derrick Cruz-Rodz;
David Ashmon
Christian Wortham
Kendall Wortham
Rylenn Webster
Stormy Foster
Skyler Foster
Kathryn Foster
Great-great Grandchildren:
Isabell Wortham
Ian O'Quinn
Salem O'Quinn
Aarow O'Quinn
Iona worked at the Atlas Glass Company while living in Blackwell. The family later moved to Wichita, Kansas where she and JB worked together at Boeing Aircraft. In 1961 they moved to Oklahoma City where they remained until his passing in 1998.
Iona was a supervisor and long time employee of Western Electric. She retired from the company after 24 years of service in 1984 so that she and JB could spend more time traveling. For many years they took their granddaughters to Colorado every summer for 2 weeks and in later years they enjoyed spending their winters down around South Padre Island, Texas with the many friends they met in their travels.
Iona was a caring wife and Mother and was a fabulous Grandmother to her 2 granddaughters and later her great and great-great grandchildren. Her granddaughters spent a lot of time with her and JB while growing up and she made them feel very loved. At Grandma and Grandpa's there was always good food on the table and games to be played. She enjoyed playing cards and could often be found sitting at her kitchen table playing a game of Solitaire while waiting for dinner to finish. In later years you never knew when you might catch her sitting in the floor with her great grandchildren playing Nintendo. She was an avid reader and loved her jigsaw puzzles. She also enjoyed needlework and crocheting and made many beautiful afghans throughout the years for family and friends.
Iona passed away on June 13, 2010 at Bellevue Living Center.
She will be greatly missed by all who loved her.
Iona was preceded in death by:
Parents, Roy and Ruby Challis;
Husband of 51 years, JB Byrd;
Sisters, Opal Christine Challis, Ruby Storck and Lucy Plunk;
Brother, Jack Challis;
Grandson, Tommy Foster
She is survived by:
Daughter Vickie and her husband, Larry Foster
Sisters, Arlene Leonard, Norma Ellis and Shirley Hays;
Brothers, Grant Challis and Bill Challis
Grandchildren:
Sherri and husband Steven Webster;
Shelley and husband David Ashmon;
Larry Foster
Great Grandchildren:
Camille and her partner Brian O'Quinn;
Zachary Wortham and his wife Whitney;
Katelyn Wortham and her fiancée Derrick Cruz-Rodz;
David Ashmon
Christian Wortham
Kendall Wortham
Rylenn Webster
Stormy Foster
Skyler Foster
Kathryn Foster
Great-great Grandchildren:
Isabell Wortham
Ian O'Quinn
Salem O'Quinn
Aarow O'Quinn
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