Earlene Nielsen

-Nielsen

Earlene made an early appearance on September 30, 1929 to parents Clarence Everett and Alma Vernon (Wilson) Jones while they were vacationing in Gainesville, MO. According to her daddy’s fishing scales, she was a whopping 5-pounder and her temporary bed was a dresser drawer.

Raised in May, Oklahoma, she endured the good and bad times of those eras like the dust bowl, the infamous Woodward tornado, milking cows, helping with farming and chores, lots of fishing, putting up with shenanigans of her brothers, listening to radio programs, playing and singing with the family, and of course walking in all sorts of weather to and from school. Earlene was always athletic with her preferred sport being basketball, and if you knew her for very long you no doubt knew her claim to fame was that she was high-point girl for the May Chieftans graduating in 1948 along with eight fellow classmates. After graduating she worked as a telephone operator in May, Ft. Supply, Woodward and later in Buffalo.

Earlene met the love of her life, E.G. Smith, on a Halloween blind date in May, Oklahoma in 1949 and they were immediately smitten with each other. E.G., being a jokester, picked her up for the blind date in a wheat truck threatening to throw her in the truck bed for their trip to Woodward. The radio was playing, they started harmonizing together and the rest was history. Music was always an important part of the Jones family with Earlene’s brothers Lennes and Carroll Jones, both playing guitar and she taught herself to play the piano by ear, E.G fit right in with his witty humor and amazing guitar skills. Their harmony was a delight for hundreds throughout their lifetimes where they even formed a band in their later years with other family members joining in.

Earlene & E.G. married in June of 1950 and to this union were three children, Danny Lynn, Ronald Alan, and Gina Anne. E.G. worked various jobs which required them to follow the work living in different towns in Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Texas, and Oklahoma. They also worked together for a time in Ft. Supply institution. Tragically, E.G. died as a result of a construction accident in 1958 leaving her with two small children to raise with the help of her parents.

In 1959 she married a high school sweetheart, Earl Duble where they made their home in Buffalo. Earl and Earlene owned the Ford dealership working together where she served as the telephone company billing agent. Earl became quite a celebrity when he had a heart transplant and she was by his side until he passed away. She later married Don Nielsen.

She loved her Buffalo First United Church family and was a member and also taught Sunday school for many years. She was an absolute die-hard Thunder fan and was very upset when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook ‘abandoned’ their team. She eagerly watched her last Thunder game from an iPad in her bed while in ICU and was thrilled with their win. She rooted fiercely for the Dallas Cowboys (win or lose), and attended super bowls through the Ford PP&K program. Favorite memories she reflected upon always involved her family as well as the trips she made abroad to Germany, Aruba and Okinawa.

Earlene worked at the Harper County Community Hospital in dietary for over 20 years where she formed a kinship with the “kitchen ladies” who called her “Cookie Face” and was well known for spoiling the nurses and other employees with her delicious cookies and eclairs. She retired the year she turned 90, but only because she had a cranky broken foot that refused to heal.

In Earlene fashion, she had pre-planned her end of life celebration down to the detail, including a final shout out to the OKC Thunder!

Earlene was preceded in death by her husband E.G. Smith, infant son Ronald Alan Smith, parents Clarence and Alma Jones, husband Earl Duble, brothers Lennes and Carroll Jones, daughter-in-law Kim Clark-Smith, nephews Mark Jones and Terry Smith, niece Kathy Jones-Summars, sisters-in-law Wahlelle McFerrin, Alice Jones, Donna Smith, Almo Jones, brothers-in-law Clevel and J.L. Smith, and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins. She is survived by son and wife Dan and Linda Smith, daughter and husband Gina and Carr Frank of Buffalo, grandchildren Jerry Smith of Las Vegas, NV, Ryan and Katie Hilliard of Midland, MI, Shandi and Hatsuo Floyd of Land O Lakes, FL, Hannah and Darrel Bynum of Buffalo, Niki Smith of Woodward, OK, and great-grandchildren Brodi Smith of TX, Brendan and Aedin Floyd of Land O Lakes, FL, and Adia, Paxton and Weston Hilliard of Midland, MI, sister-in-law Darlene Jones of Buffalo, a host of cousins, nieces and nephews, family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in her name may be made to the May Cemetery or Buffalo United Methodist Church.