Obituary for Dewey “Rebel” Wilson

Dewey “Rebel” Boyce Wilson

September 10, 1934 – June 16, 2017

Dewey B. Wilson, “Rebel”, passed away on Friday, June 16, 2017 in Ponca City. He was 82 years old. A funeral ceremony for Rebel will be held on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the Central Baptist Church in Ponca City with Pastor John Waterloo officiating. Burial will follow at Longwood Cemetery.

Dewey was born on September 10, 1934 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina to his parents, Dewey Dewitt and Bleaker Estelle (Gibson) Wilson. Dewey was the second child of a family of seven. Dewey began working at the young age of 5 years old and worked hard at everything he did. He ran away from hard labor at the mere age of 15 years old and joined the United States Marine Corps. He was in the Marines an entire year before they realized he was not old enough to join the military. Because he was good at his service, he remained in the military and was utilized in Korea as a sniper.

Dewey was married to Carolyn Robinson in South Carolina and was the father of a son, Kenny Wilson and daughter, Tina Williams and Jolene “Jojo” Britt. He was the grandfather to a lot of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Rebel married Evelyn (Eve) Carol Harris on 2-17-1961. They had two sons, Randy Wayne Wilson and Gary Lynn Wilson. Randy married Pam Rankins and they had a daughter, Allison Marie Wilson. Gary is married to Wendy Simmons and she has three adult children, Steven, Jessica is married to Kelsy Geheb, and Anna who is going to NOC. Randy and Pam are both deceased and Allison is a dispatcher for Kay County.

Rebel had many careers in his lifetime revolving around being a master mechanic and heavy equipment operator. When the couple first moved to Ponca City, Dewey worked at Noah B. Shell Crop Dusting and then for Virgil Olmstead at Buttram Pipeline. His part-time jobs often turned into full-time jobs as he was a very efficient and a hard worker. He worked at Enterprise Car Rental, retiring after 10 years, Sober’s Sandpit, Bowker Ford, Wilkins Equipment Service and Stewart Equipment as a mechanic, was a truck driver for Conoco and NOC Trucking, was a piggy back operator at Santa Fe, and helped with the construction of the Kaw Dam. Dewey was also a watch engineer and made electricity for Ponca City for 12 and a half years. He was a true country boy. He worked at the Country General Tractor Supply and took great pride in selling ducks and chickens. He had a love for all animals, especially doggies. Dewey had three doggies, Happy Jack, Prissy, and Penny who thought he was their alpha leader. They thought they owned him and are having a hard time looking for him now. He operated his own businesses, “Rebel’s Truck Service” and “Rebel’s Roost Café” at 102 N. 2nd, for several years with his wife, Eve and his two sons, Randy and Gary.

Dewey and Eve have resided on E. Hartford Ave since 1998 after living on John Street for many years and raising Randy and Gary. Dewey was an auto mechanic teacher at Vo Tech and a sub at PO High in auto mechanics for Larry Jones.

If you knew Dewey you knew about his love for babies and young children. Although he wasn’t related to them, he felt like a grandfather to them all. He always wanted to get pictures of the babies in his old Stetson straw cowboy hat. That was his thing!

Dewey had surgery on his eyes for cataracts and he said he could see to outer space and was thrilled. But one of the lenses had a flaw with it and he had a second surgery and it failed and he developed macular degeneration and had to quit driving and could no longer see very well. He wore glasses to keep the light dimmed off his eyes. He prayed and kept telling the Lord that he needed his sight back. Now he has perfect eyesight in Heaven. Dewey had a stint put in his heart in 2000 on his birthday, the 10th of September.
Dewey and Eve were both members of the Central Baptist Church in Ponca City for 54 years. Dewey was a born-again Christian, trusting in Jesus, and is no doubt in Heaven with our Heavenly Father. He is reunited with his parents, son, Randy and daughter-in-law, Pam, two brothers, and many family members as well has his in-laws.

Dewey never met a stranger and was loved by all. He will be greatly missed by his wife, Eve, of 56 ½ years, son, Gary and wife Wendy, granddaughter, Allison Marie Wilson, grandchildren, Steven Simmons, Jessica and husband Kelsy Geheb, and Anna Simmons, who is attending NOC, and three little dogs, Happy Jack, Prissy and Penny. He is also survived by his daughter, Tina Williams and husband Lanny and their children, Steve, Mike, Jason, and Crystal, son, Kenny Wilson and wife Barbara and their children, Tony, Tracy (Tick), and Terri and daughter, Jojo Britt and her son, Brandon as well as over 20 great-grandchildren. Dewey is survived by four siblings: Faye Sherrin of North Carolina, Delores Cochran of Tennessee, George Wilson of North Carolina, and baby sister Brenda Adams of California, and all their family members.

Friends and family may come by Trout Funeral Home & Crematory to pay their respects. Rebel will be available for viewing on Sunday, June 25, 2017 from 1:00-8:00 p.m. and on Monday, June 26, 2017 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Rebel was a happy man and always had a story or a joke to tell his friends and family. If you asked him how he was feeling, regardless of how bad his pain was, he would always say, “I’m finer than a frog’s hair.” That was his favorite saying of all time!

Source: Trout Funeral Home