Robert Lee (Bob) Vinson, 88, of Checotah, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. He was born Friday, Feb. 22, 1935, in Checotah, Oklahoma, to Guy and Maggie (Sisco) Vinson.
Bob grew up north of Onapa and attended Onapa School, where his Aunt Jettie Vinson was his teacher in first and second grades. From the seventh grade through high school, he played basketball and baseball. As a teenager Bob owned coon hounds and enjoyed hunting coons with his friends.
When he was in seventh grade, he donated blood for a teacher at Onapa, Hartie Mae Knight and her young daughter, Evelyn, who had both been severely burned in an accident at home. Hartie Mae had a rare blood type, and his blood matched.
Bob and his family attended Onapa Baptist Church. On Aug. 14, 1949, following a revival, he and his dad were baptized along with many others in the Deep Fork River, west of Onapa. Later, Bob joined First Baptist Church in Checotah, where he served on the building committee and the benevolence committee. He also enjoyed participating in the truck stop ministry on Sunday morning, as he and his friends gave truckers gift bags, Bibles and tapes.
During high school Bob drove a bulldozer at night for his dad and Marvin James digging ponds and doing other dozer work. Operating that dozer was where his love of running heavy equipment began.
Bob began dating Ellen Harding during high school. They were married Wednesday, April 15, 1953, at the Baptist parsonage in Checotah. Reverend E.A. Spiller performed the ceremony. Bob and Ellen were married for 70 years at the time of his passing.
The young couple moved to Coolidge, Arizona, in the summer of 1953, where Bob worked for a public service company for a few weeks.
They then moved to West Texas, where he began his 11-year career in the oil field working on drilling rigs, often working with Dale Williams as his driller and supervisor. Bob worked in several areas of West Texas, in Duncan, Oklahoma, the panhandle of Oklahoma and in the areas around Wilburton, before they moved back to Checotah with their children, Robert Dean, Kathy Ann and Richard Lee.
Bob began working for the Oklahoma State Department of Transportation in 1964 doing maintenance on I-40. In this job, he operated heavy equipment, which he always enjoyed.
Bob retired in 1988 after several work-related injuries and back surgeries. After retirement, he began a cowcalf operation on their farm southwest of Checotah.
Bob, Ellen and son Richard and daughterin- law Heather also began a commercial poultry farm where they gathered thousands of eggs which went to a hatchery. Memorials can be made in Bob’s memory to the Truckers Ministry of First Baptist Church 210 SW 2nd Checotah, Oklahoma 74426.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Guy and Maggie Vinson, his brother, Arnold Dean, step-brother Ted Johnson, his daughter Kathy Ann Servern, his grandparents, J.W. and Mary Vinson and Frank and Mary Sisco.
He is lovingly survived by his wife Ellen, of the home; son, Robert and his wife Nancy of Webber Falls; son, Richard and his wife Heather of Checotah; son-in-law, Gary Severn of Hydro; grandchildren, Cory Severn, Cindy (Severn) Robinson and her husband Jon; Jakob Vinson and his wife; David Vinson and his wife Brittany; Rachel (Vinson) Masluk and her husband Ryan; Zachary Vinson and Tyler Vinson. Bob is also survived by twelve great-grandchildren, numerous other relatives and a lifetime of friends.
Services for Bob were held Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. in the First Baptist Church of Checotah, with Reverend Steve Dennis ministering.
Committal prayers and interment followed in Greenlawn Cemetery under the personal direction of John Garrett.
Ryan Maslusk, Cory Severn, Daniel Tarkington, David Vinson, Tyler Vinson and Zachary Vinson served as Casket Bearers.
Ernie Myers, Kenneth Pemberton, Sam Petty, Donald Ray, Bob Brinsfield, Ralph Davidson, Jerry Fredrick, Bob James, Neal James, Brian Martin, Doyle Mitchell, Jon Robinson, Kenny Sisco, Gary Updyke, Mike Williams and Wayne Williams served as Honorary Casket Bearers.
You may share online condolences with Bob’s family at www. garrettfamilyfuneralhome. com The family of Bob Vinson entrusted his care, services and burial to John & Kim Garrett and the dedicated staff of Garrett Family Funeral Home 311 SW 2nd St. Checotah OK 74426
