Veva Joe Spore
Veva Joe Spore, longtime Newkirk resident, died Sunday evening, May 5, 2019 in Ponca City at her son and daughter-in-law’s home. She was 97.
The daughter of Ashby DeBard and Velma Mae (Ash) DeBard, Veva Joe was born April 8, 1922 at Glencoe, Okla. Her earliest years were spent in Glencoe. The family moved to Stillwater, Okla. where she attended first and second grades. While in Stillwater, her mother married Joe Lucksted, and eventually Veva Joe had two sisters, Gail and Pat.
The family moved to Ponca City, and Veva Joe entered the third grade. In November 1929 the family moved to Newkirk where she continued her education through high school, graduating with the class of 1940.
On April 13, 1941 Veva Joe and Sylvester Steven Spore were married in Stillwater. They established their first home in Wichita. She began working as a machinist at Boeing while her new husband began a job with Cessna Aircraft Plant. After the war the couple moved back to the Newkirk area and to the house where he was raised, and there they raised their five children.
In addition to raising their children and working with her husband on the farm, Veva Joe’s work history includes employment at R&G Style Shoppe and working as a substitute teacher in the Newkirk school system. Later she was employed as a 1-A nurse’s aide at the hospital in Ponca City, retiring after 15 years of service and care.
Veva Joe has always been active in her church life. She, Vester and their children were members of the First United Methodist Church all through their growing years. Later she and Vester attended Christ’s Church, and in her later years she attended the First Assembly of God. Through these years, she held various offices in church and women’s groups in the church. She also held and led Bible Studies at church and in her home. Veva Joe was a longtime member and past president of the Bois D’Arc Club. She worked for a Hospice Help Line answering phones, and she also worked for the Election Board for a number of years. She enjoyed going hunting and fishing with her family, but especially coyote hunting. She crocheted afghans for each of her grandchildren, and she gave fork, knife and spoon sets to all the great-grandchildren. Her greatest joy was her family life with her husband and raising their children; becoming a grandparent, then great-grandparent and finally a great-great-grandparent. She was always interested in the happenings in her family and what was important to each of them.
Veva Joe is survived by her children, Vester Joe and Mary (Miller) Spore of Ponca City, Steven and Barbara (Ditmore) Spore of Eureka, Kan., Jay and Debbie (Tsoodle) Spore of Espanola, N.M., Kim and Debbie (Komma) Spore and Kay and Jerrold Dark, all of Newkirk; a half sister, Patricia Ann Coleman of Norman, Okla.; her grandchildren, Todd and Rachel Spore, Scott and Tracee Spore, Marci and Travis Greenhagen, Mark and Penny Spore, Candace Spore, Rachel Spore, Travis and Kandi Hager, Lisa and Dave O’Neal, Eric and Shannon Dark, Nicholas and Lindsey Dark, Haley and Jeremiah Baker, Camille and Tyler Diedrich, and Karlee and Seth Brown; great-grandchildren, Joshua Spore, Jessica Spore, Antonio Piazza, Garland Spore, Chloee Spore, Kimber Spore, Seth Spore, Colton Greenhagen, Kailyn Greenhagen, Makena Greenhagen, Tyler Spore, Seth Spore, Logan Spore, Ethan and Ashton Spore, Caleb Spore, Jaxson Hager, Easton Hager, Ariole O’Neal, Piper Young, Britain Dark, Tennyson Dark, Dax Dark, McKinley Dark, Taeyln Dark, Kyce Dark, Dillon Sowards, Mason Baker, Brooklyn Baker, Elizabeth Baker, Jocelyn Diedrich, Caden Diedrich, Owen Brown, Abram Brown and Eli Brown; and one great-great-grandchild, Koba Spore.
Preceding Veva Joe in death were Vester, her husband of 59 years on Feb. 5, 2000; her parents and step-father; her half sister, Gail Frances Kersieck; and a grandson, John Spore. Cremation has been effected. A Celebration of Life will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, May 13 in Christ’s Church with the Rev. Doug Scott, minister of Christ’s Church and the Rev. John Newland, minister of the Assembly of God officiating. Interment will take place at a later time in the Newkirk Cemetery. Miller-Stahl Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Grandchildren serving as honorary casket bearers will be Todd Spore, Scott Spore, Mark Spore, Travis Hager, Eric Dark and Nicholas Dark, Marci Greenhagen, Candance Spore, Rachel Spore, Haley Baker, Camille Diedrich, Karlee Brown, and posthumously, John Spore.
In lieu of flowers, the family request that contributions be made in Veva Joe Spore’s name to the First Assembly of God, 424 S. Main, Newkirk, Okla. 74647-6510.
In planning her own funeral, Veva Joe requested a Celebration of Life, making it a joyous gathering of family and friends, all dressed in bright colors, because it isn’t a sad time but a time of celebrating her going home.
