Jewel Frances Neeld

Jewel Frances Neeld born August 15, 1922, Stephens County, and died February 28, 2014, in Meridian Nursing Home surrounded by family. Services will be 1:00 PM Monday in the Bailes-Polk Funeral Home Chapel with Ron Stough officiating. Interment will be in the Duncan Cemetery. Frances was born in Duncan to Dempsey G. Thomas and Marion Ruth (English) Thomas. She lived in various parts of Stephens County and graduated May 1939 from Bray High School. She then attended the Duncan Business College for 1 year. She married Ernest Woodrow Neeld September 1940 and he died August 1996. During WWII while Ernest was in Europe, she worked in Oklahoma City, as a "Rosie, the Riveter", along with two of her sisters. She remembered those years fondly. Earnest and Frances settled in Velma in 1949 and raised three daughter. She attended many summer sessions at Oklahoma College for Women with teachers from Velma. She began her working career in 1959 when her first daughter went to college. She worked for the Stephens County Treasures office, County School Superintendent, Montgomery Wards Business office and retired from the City of Duncan as the first female purchasing agent retiring in 1987. She was a member of the Stephens County Audubon Society for forty years and was a founding member publishing numerous local and national articles. She was a volunteer with the Chisholm Trail Hospice and a twenty five year member of the DAR and held numerous offices. She was a member of the East Side Church of Christ. She was also preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, one sister and a son-in-law W.J. Keck. Survivors include three daughters Patsy Neeld Keck of the home in Duncan; Vaughn (Vonnie) Neeld of Canon City, Colorado and Jan Neeld Kimball of El Paso, Texas; seven grandchildren; ten great grandchildren; three great great grandchildren; two brothers Kenneth Thomas and wife Helen of Marlow and Larry Thomas of OKC; three sisters JoAn Beam of Horseshoe Bay, Texas ; Margaret Brown of Ft. Worth, Texas and Jackie Sleeker of Duncan as well as numerous nieces, nephews and a host of friends. Online condolences may be made at www.bailepolk.com