Dena Mae (McLemore) Oliphant

Dena Mae (McLemore) Oliphant, age 82 and a long-time resident of Konawa, Oklahoma, passed away December 27, 2022 at her home surrounded by her loving family.

A funeral service is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Friday, December 30, 2022 at Swearingen Funeral Home of Konawa. Rev. Michelle McCarty will officiate, and burial will follow at Vamoosa Cemetery.  Casket bearers are Chris Sharp, Greg Brewer, Lee Bolen, Mark Stoup, Brandon Stoup, Paul Gilbert, and Bryan Russell.  Honorary bearers are Fred Oliphant, Brandon Oliphant, Wayne Smith, Anthony Johnson, Barry Gleichman, and Zeb Kuestersteffen.  The family will receive guests from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening at the funeral home.

Dena was born December 9, 1940 in Alvin, Texas to Harry Joe McLemore and Mildred Irene (Bullard) McLemore.  Dena was born along with her twin sister Harriett Jo McLemore Cumpton to a widowed mother whose husband was killed in a car wreck. They lived with their grandparents for six years then moved to Kiowa, Oklahoma where they attended school all twelve years. After graduation, on May 22, 1959, Dena and Harriett had a double wedding and both married their high school sweethearts, Teddy Oliphant and Billy Cumpton. Ted and Dena got their BS and Masters degrees while Billy and Harriett moved to Mt Home, Idaho where Billy worked for El Paso Natural Gas.

Dena’s first teaching job was in a one room school house in  Ashland, OK where she taught all seven subjects and coached softball and basketball to 4th thru 8th grade students. From there she taught at Pittsburgh then gave birth to her first son Tony on January 7, 1966. Dena then got a job teaching at Hartshorne before giving birth to her second son, Darren, on February 5, 1969. A few years later they moved to Konawa where Dena taught Social Studies, Geography, and Art over the next sixteen years. She retired from Konawa Public School in 1994.

Then the fun began! She spent as much time as possible with her grandkids; swimming and playing with them every moment they were together. She and Ted enjoyed watching the grandchildren play basketball, softball, baseball, T-Stepping, and Dance. She also planned several family vacations at Lake Texoma to have her family together. Dena and Ted worked hard to support the children in the Konawa community by cooking on Wednesday nights at the Methodist Church. Dena also volunteered at Mercy Hospital for over ten years.

She was preceded in death by her father, Harry Joe McLemore, her mother Mildred Bullard McLemore, and her husband Ted Oliphant.

She is survived by her sister Harriet Cumpton and husband Billy of Hansville, WA, her son Tony and his wife Susan Oliphant of Sherwood, AR, her son Darren and his wife Tiffany Oliphant of Sasakwa, OK, her niece Leslie and husband Barry Gleichman of AZ, 6 grandkids, 5 great grandchildren, and a host of friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the First United Methodist Church of Konawa, located at 301 W. 1st.

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