Obituary for Christine Orr

Christine Marie Tanner Orr passed away on Monday, October 13, 2014, in her home surrounded by family.

Christine was born on November 23, 1919, in Newtonia, Missouri, the daughter of Ralph Jennings Tanner and Leona Marie Tanner. The child of a Gulf Oil Field employee, she received her early education from Pleasant Center District #1 and Science Valley District #1 Schools. Her upper grades were completed at Webb City, Oklahoma and she graduated from Winfield Kansas High School in 1938. She continued her education at Wichita Business College.

She began her career in retail sales working for Inness Brothers and Brown McDonald Department Stores. During WWII she worked for Boeing Aircraft. On November 30, 1946, she married Oscar Dale Orr in Winfield, Kansas. They had met while in grade-school. From Kansas, they moved to a farm east of Ponca City and started a dairy operation which lasted for several years. When her children reached school age, she began a 14 year career at Braudrick Printery in addition to working with her husband on the farm. Upon retiring from the printing business she worked for Peabody, Gordon, and Piatt, in Arkansas City. She and Dale continued farming until Kaw Dam was built and the lake consumed their property.

Christine was an active member of her community. She was a member of Pleasant Valley Women’s Club and Happy Hilltop Extension Club. She entered sewing, craft, and canning projects in the Kay County Fair and was honored with many ribbons. When her children were young, she was active in PTA and was supportive in their extracurricular activities. She was named Ponca City Hospital volunteer of the year, having spent hours helping wherever she was needed in addition to knitting hundreds of booties and hats for newborns.

Christine was an active member of Longwood Baptist Church until her health began to fail. She was a sponsor and cook for Kamp Kay children’s camp and Falls Creek youth camp and enjoyed teaching Vacation Bible School for many years. She served as church treasurer for 20 years as well as various committees in the church. Her service extended internationally as she participated in a mission trip to Argentina. She loved the Lord and lived her faith by example.

She was a loyal, dependable, hard-working lady who loved to laugh, play games, cook, sew, and just have fun. She will certainly be missed by those who knew her.

She is survived by her husband Dale of nearly 68 years, her son, Charles Orr and wife Judi; daughters, Marlena Freeman and husband Lester; Opal Upshaw and husband Steve. Grandchildren Jeffrey Orr and wife Mandy, Matthew Orr and wife Natalie, Becka Gonzales and husband Benito, Risa Carter and husband Bryan, Aaron Upshaw and wife Jessica, Lara Hensley and husband Eric. Also, great-grandchildren, Colton Orr, Gracie Orr, Kailee Orr, Maddie Orr, Cooper Orr, Cash Orr, Cale Orr, Caroline Carter, and Lorin Carter, Nash Upshaw and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Harold Tanner and wife Elaine; sister, Pauline Finley and husband Virgil; Brothers-in-law Jack Orr and wife Juanita; Raymond Orr and wife Anne; and nephew Mitchell Orr.

Services will be held at Longwood Baptist Church on Friday, October 17, at 2:00 p.m. Officiating will be Steve Upshaw and Rev. Tom Howard. Burial will follow at Longwood Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home and Crematory.

Casketbearers will be Jeffrey Orr, Matthew Orr, Aaron Upshaw, Bryan Carter, Benito Gonzales, and Eric Hensley. Honorary casketbearers will be David Thomas, Johnny Caudle, Marion Fredricks, Danny Goldman, and Elbert “Butch” Hiatt.

That family requests that en lieu of flowers, donations be made in the name of Christine Orr to Hospice of North Central Oklahoma, 1904 N. Union, Suite 103 Ponca City, OK 74601.

Source: Trout Funeral Home