Obituary - Dan M Heil
Dan M. Heil of Durant, Oklahoma passed away on Friday, April 22, 2011 at the age of 77 at his residence in Durant, Oklahoma. He was born on Friday, March 9, 1934 in Unger, Oklahoma to Hugh Lawerence and Sarah Elizabeth (Beavers) Heil. Dan often joked that his parents must have expected a lot out of him by naming him after a great biblical character, and the first governor of Oklahoma. Family Hour will be Tuesday, April 26, 2011 from 7-8 P.M. at Holmes ~ Coffey ~ Murray Funeral Home.
Funeral Services will be Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 2:00 P.M. at
the Northwest Church of Christ with Bro. Ernest
Sturch officiating. Interment will follow at Restland Cemetery in
Boswell, Oklahoma. Serving as pallbearers will be Jim Heil, Don Heil,
Richard Tonubee, Paul Mauck, Dwight Currie, and Jim Anderson.
Dan was thirteen when he graduated from the eighth grade in only
seven years. He then began to attend Boswell High School. At Boswell
he lettered in football, basketball, and chorus. He was a four year
member of the FFA and was elected by his peers to office in that
organization as a reporter. As a member of FFA he would write a weekly
article for the local news paper keeping residences informed on FFA
activities. His Junior year he met his sweetheart, Chowning Holman, who
later became his wife. They married in 1952 and made their home here. After
graduating in 1951, Dan moved to Durant and went to work for the Durant
Armature Works, rewiring and repairing electric motors. In 1957 he and
Ernest Slack put in the S & H Electric Motor Service. Later he
purchased Ernest's part of the business and continued to run it. He hired
Richard Tonubbee, his cousin, to help him. Dan loved to hunt and fish, and
now that he had help he was able to enjoy doing more of this. His
hunting and fishing took him to Canada, South Dakota, Kansas, Utah, New
Mexico, south Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, and all over Oklahoma.
He was a member of the Northwest Church of Christ. The possession he
was most proud of is a little white towel, presented to him by the
elders of his church, that had "Dan is a servant" sewn on it. He was a
author of two published books, “His Fathers Hands” and “Bread and Bullets”.
In 1980 he sold his business to Richard Tonubbee and went on staff
at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, the local college, working
there for ten years.
Dan is survived by daughters, Susan Flanagan and husband Kent of
Durant, Oklahoma, Beverly Krebs and husband David of Durant, Oklahoma
and Annette Peoples and husband Kevin Of Madill, Oklahoma; son, Dan Heil
and wife Donna of Hooker, Oklahoma; step-son, Roger Fergueson
of Florida; grandchildren, Kent Flanagan Jr. and wife Rebeckah of Sherman,
Texas, James Flanagan and wife Heather of Sherman,Texas, Sarah Heil of
Caddo, Oklahoma, Kevin Dale Peoples of Madill, Oklahoma, Kadie Peoples
of Madill, Oklahoma; great granddaughter, Samantha Flanagan of Sherman,Texas
and numerous other nieces and nephews and a host of friends.
Dan is preceded in death by his parents, Hugh and Sarah Heil; the mother of
their children, Chowning Heil; his second wife, Lawanda (Fergueson) Heil,
and also by his brothers and sisters.
Services are under the direction of Holmes-Coffey-Murray Funeral Home,
Durant, Oklahoma.