Andrew Edward Skeen

Andrew ‘Andy’ Edward Skeen Andrew ‘Andy’ Edward Skeen was born on August 16, 1921 to Andrew and Mary Elsie Skeen of La Harpe, Kansas. One of the first things Edward remembers as a small child was moving from Kansas to Alikchi, Oklahoma. They traveled in a 1921 or 1923 model T Ford touring car with side curtains. It was during his time in Alikchi that he lost his sister, Fairy Delight. By this time the family included Virginia, Dorothy and Robert. Edward didn’t remember much about the trip when they moved back to the country south of Gas City, Kansas. However, he did remember his dad buying a new 1925 Model T Ford touring car. In the fall of 1927, Edward was six years old but was not allowed to go to school because he was too small to walk the three miles to school. The next year he attended school with his sister, Virginia, after the family moved closer to town. The following year the Skeen family moved to La Harpe, Kansas where Edward and Virginia completed their education and graduated with the Senior Class of 1940. By the time Edward and Virginia completed their schooling, the Skeen family included Wayne, Harold, Helen, Evelyn, Vernon and Mary Alice. One of Edward’s favorite memories was of Christmas time. In his own words: “We always had fun at Christmas time, as crowded as we were, we would go to the timber west of the house. Sometimes we would get a small cedar tree or a locus tree about three feet high. We would make our own decorations, like taking a tablet of paper and color between the lines, red, green and other colors for Christmas and cut the stripes out and paste the ends together and make a paper chain. We put pop corn on the thorns. We decorated it somehow and we had a tree.” One of the high lights was his 12th birthday present. He described that birthday as follows: “On my 12th birthday the folks got me a .22 Springfield bolt action rifle. A single shot. Believe you me; I put a lot of rabbits and squirrels on the table during the depression. I had that gun from 1933 till 1986 when it was stolen from our home.” His sophomore year was a special year for him. He wrote: “My sophomore year in high school I purchased a 1929 Nash Lafayette Convertible coup just before school started so I could drive to school. That was my first car. I trapped for skunks, civet cats, possums and so on to sell their pelts to make money during the winter months to help pay Virginia and my way thru high school. I paid .09 cents for gasoline.” He worked his summer months between grades in high school for Ronald Butler at Iola, Kansas. At that time Mr. Butler was considered the wheat king of Allen County. Edward worked three summers for him. After graduation he worked thru the wheat harvest and then went to Wichita, Kansas to try to find a job with better pay and easier work. Before he left he bought his mother a new Maytag washing machine that had a 2 cycle gasoline engine. He found employment in a broom warehouse and then worked at the Lincoln and Persian Rug Company with his Uncle Marion. He worked there until he was drafted into the service during World War II. Edward was to report for active service in the Army in July, 1942. One evening in June, 1942, he went to the Church of God (Holiness) in Wichita, KS. He met a beautiful young woman named Estalene Jorgensen. Many times throughout his life, Edward would recall that it was love at first sight for him. Estalene was teaching at a school in Valley Center, Kansas and had come to Wichita to get a job for the summer. She was working for the Bemis Bag Company where she became acquainted with Virginia Skeen. Estalene blushingly recalls she had made up her mind to marry Virginia’s older brother before she ever met him because she was tired of working. Most of their courtship was done by correspondence since Edward was on the Army base at Camp Crowder in Neosho, Missouri. He proposed to her while they were riding on the train from Fall River, Kansas to Wichita. They were married on August 27, 1944 in the post chapel No. 2601 at Camp Crowder. At the time of their marriage Edward was the chief clerk of the Camp Crowder Military Police and Prison Office. Edward served in the U.S. Army from July, 1942 and was honorably discharged in February 1946. He served 42 months during World War II. After his discharge from the Army, he, along with Estalene and their new baby, Ralph Edward, born August 8, 1945, moved to Wichita, KS and then to Stillwater, OK to attend Oklahoma State University. In January, 1948 he moved to the Bartlesville area and began employment with the Phillips Petroleum Co. in the Research and Development department on March, 1948. He worked there until his retirement in 1985 after 37 ½ years. On April 12, 1948, he and Estalene welcomed a daughter, Joyce Elaine, into the family. A little over five years later, on December 10, 1953, Jan Renee joined the family. Edward was a devoted father. Many times he wanted to go fishing but felt he shouldn’t take the money and use it to get bait because times were hard and he didn’t want to deprive the family. He would not buy clothing he needed because his family came first. Edward was a member of the Church of God (Holiness) in Dewey, OK. He was a man of deep faith, integrity and principle. He loved his God, his family and his friends. His relationship with God was important. He gave his heart to Jesus as a young man and stayed devoted to His Cause for the rest of his life. Faithful church attendance was important to him. He believed not only in attending church faithfully, but he supported the church with his money, time and talents. He served the church in various capacities. Last Christmas his children gave him a dvd/cd player. One of his first requests was a copy of the Bible on DVD. Shortly after his retirement, he became a volunteer for the Voices of the Martyrs located in Bartlesville. He loved his time with them and gave 22 years of service. Edward and Estalene loved to travel and for their retirement gift for each other, they took a trip to Israel, Jordan and Egypt. For their 55th wedding anniversary they took their children and his sister-in-law, Merilyn, to Colorado for a week. That was a wonderful time. Edward loved his two sons-in-law and daughter -in-law. He treated them as equals to his children. He leaves behind his wife, Estalene, of more than 67 years; one son and daughter-in-law, Ralph and Cynthia Skeen of Reed Springs, MO; two daughters and sons-in-law, Joyce and Glenn McClure of Overland Park, KS; Renee and Nathan Wright of Overland Park, KS. He also leaves behind his grandchildren: James and Paul Jump, Angela Cade, Melody Darnell, Veronica Ramirez, Melinda Dabney and Alan Gomez as well as four great-grand children: Priscilla, Andrianna, Kevin and Destiney. He is survived by 4 brothers: Wayne of Overland Park, KS; Robert of Wichita, KS; Harold of Rock-a-way Beach, MO, Vernon of Ozark, AL, and three sisters: Dorothy Adams of Wichita, KS; Evelyn McCollom of Glendale, AZ and Mary Richardson of Wichita, KS; three brothers-in-law: Chuck Harris of Wichita; Russell McCollom of Glendale, AZ and Forrest Jorgensen of Chickasha, OK. Three sisters-in-law: Lucille of Overland Park, KS; Pat of Ozark, AL and Merilyn of Versailles, MO. He leaves behind a host of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Andrew and Mary Elsie Skeen; three sisters, Fairy Delight, Virginia Morrison and Helen Harris. PDF Printable Version

Andrew Edward Skeen

August 16, 1921 - May 2, 2012