Winston Upchurch, 87, longtime Guymon resident, died Thursday evening, April 10, 2014, at the Memorial Hospital of Texas County in Guymon. Vachel Winston Upchurch was born March 19, 1927, near Queen City, Texas, in rural Cass County, to Walter Lee “Razzie” and Elva Era (Burkhalter) Upchurch. He attended Blalock Grade School, Queen City Junior High and High School in Atlanta, Texas, where he graduated with the Class of 1944. He then attended Bethany Peniel College in Bethany, Oklahoma, from 1944 to 1945, before entering the U.S. Air Force, spending a year in the Philippines. Following his honorable discharge, he returned to college at Panhandle A&M College in Goodwell, where he graduated with his degree in math in 1950. Winston and Helen Higgins were united in marriage on Nov. 16, 1951, in Guymon. Mr. Upchurch taught algebra and geometry for several years in Adams, Guymon, Texhoma and Gruver. During his summers he loved to cut wheat - starting in Jackson County, Oklahoma, and working all the way to Wibaux, Montana. He enjoyed custom harvesting from 1947 until 2005. He also enjoyed building houses and dressing them with steel siding. He also had the privilege of going on three Work ‘n Witness trips to New Mexico, Alaska and Canada. Winston enjoyed spending his time fishing, building and restoring things – especially old tractors, and helping with antique tractor pulls. He was preceded in death by his parents, Razzie and Elva Upchurch and two sisters: Betty Rose Upchurch and Clarice Foster. Survivors include his loving wife, Helen Upchurch of the home; his daughter, Debra Lynn and husband, Shaun Bowker; two foster sons, Douglas Stavig and wife, Roxanne of Irving, Texas, and Roy Stavig and wife, Karen of Elkhart, Kansas; daughter-in-law, Judi Stavig of Guymon; 14 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday afternoon, April 15, at 2:00 p.m. at the Guymon Church of the Nazarene with Rev. Wayne Dawson and Rev. Odie Nunley officiating. Interment with military honors will follow in the Elmhurst Cemetery in Guymon. Memorials in memory of Winston can be given to the Guymon Church of the Nazarene. Memorials will be accepted at the Bunch – Roberts Funeral Home, PO Box 1112, Guymon, OK 73942.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Apr 2014 08:20:16 +0000
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