Wills, Waldo Wallace & Dorothy Ellen (Miller)

Oklahoman Archives
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
March 6, 2002, p 8D

Dorothy Ellen Miller Wills, 88, died Sunday, March 3, 2002. Dorothy was born to Carrie and Roy Miller on January 13, 1914 in Jefferson, OK. She graduated from high school in Cheney, KS, received her bachelor's degree in music from the University of Kansas and her master's degree in Music Education from Wichita State University.

She married Waldo W. Wills in 1937. They began their married life in Carmen, OK where she was a high school music teacher. She also taught in Turpin, OK; Kismet, KS; and Southwestern Heights High School in Kansas for numerous years. After Waldo's retirement in 1977, the couple moved to Oklahoma City where Dorothy taught private piano lessons. Her students participated in many state and regional piano contests. She was still giving piano lessons in her home at the Mansion at Waterford at the time of her death.

Dorothy is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Wayne and Linda Wills of Argyle, TX; daughter and son-in-law, Dianne and Denver Meacham of Edmond, OK; ten grandchildren, Damon and Derek Hammond of Dallas, TX, Kelly Gonzalez and her husband, Carlos, of Ft. Worth, TX, Scott Meacham and his wife, Susan, of Elk City, OK, Greg Meacham and his wife, Kelley, of Oklahoma City, Allison and Garrett Meacham of Oklahoma City, OK and seven great grandchildren. Two brothers, Garold B. Miller and wife, Peggy, of Edmond and Reverend Dean Roy Miller and wife, Dottie, of Kingfisher, OK also survive her. She is also survived by sister-in-law, Wilma Manka, of Brentwood, TN and numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom she loved and adored.

She was predeceased by her loving husband of 62 years, Waldo Wills, her granddaughter, Ashley Danielle Hammond, brother-in-law, Ellis Manka, and her parents. The family wishes to express its sincere gratitude to her friends at The Mansion and to the doctors and nurses at Baptist Integris Select for the wonderful care they gave Dorothy .

Funeral services will be held Wednesday March 6th, 2:00 p. m . at Nichols Hills Methodist Church. Interment will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery. The family requests memorial donations be made in Dorothy Wills ' name to the Ashley Danielle Hammond Memorial Fund at Casady School or to the charity of your choice. Hahn-Cook Street & Draper Chapel.

August 15, 2001

Waldo Wallace Wills , born November 18, 1913, in Kinsley, Kansas, passed away on August 12, 2001, after a long illness. He graduated from high school in Plains, Kansas, and earned his bachelor's degree at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. Waldo was a Navigator for United Airlines, serving with The Air Transport Command during World War II, transporting supplies to the Pacific out of San Francisco and returning the injured servicemen back to the United States.

After the war, he was District Manager with State Farm in California and later managed the family farming operations in Kansas. Waldo and Dorothy retired and moved to Oklahoma City in 1977 to be close to their grandchildren.

Waldo is survived by his loving family and devoted wife of 62 years, Dorothy Ellen Wills ; son, Wayne Wills and wife, Linda, of Argyle, Texas; daughter, Dianne Meacham, and husband, Denver W . Meacham II, of Edmond; three grandchildren, Derek and Damon Hammond of Dallas, Texas, Kelly and husband, Carlos Gonzalez, of Fort Worth, Texas; one sister, Wilma Manka of Nashville, Tennessee, and many nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved dearly.

He was a member of Church of the Servant. Waldo was preceded in death by his parents, Dell and Beatrice Wills ; brother-in-law, Ellis Manka; and granddaughter, Ashley Danielle Hammond.

The family wishes to express its sincere gratitude to the wonderful staff of Vista Care Hospice and Oklahoma Christian Retirement Community, Special Care Unit, for the devoted caring attention Waldo received during this most difficult of battles. A special thanks to Dr. Peter Winn for the wonderful care he gave Waldo the past few years.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, August 15, at the Hahn-Cook Chapel at 3 p.m. Memorials may be made to Vista Care Hospice Foundation, 4045 N. W 64th St., Ste. 210, OKC 73116, Oklahoma Christian Retirement Community, 906 N. Boulevard, Edmond, OK 73034, or the charity of your choice.

... Complied and transcribed by Zoey Fryhover, 2010.