Rita Burkhart^[1]

1935 - 2021  (86 years)

• Name	Rita Burkhart
  Birth	18 Jul 1935	Rudy, Crawford, Arkansas, United States   [1]
  Gender	Female
  _AMTID	162485324072:1030:191555462
  _UID	29FF2BF481274293B838A5D4C02A9EE2979D
  Death	17 Nov 2021	Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States   [1]
  	Rita Grisham, 86, a lifelong Seminole, Oklahoma resident, died there on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at her Avonlea Cottage. She was a lifelong resident of Seminole County. She was born July 18, 1935, in Arkansas to Oather James and Iva Velvia (Dickson) Burkhart, spending her childhood in the Rudy, Arkansas area before moving to to Seminole County in her early teens. She attended school at New Lima. Rita married Houston A. Grisham on August 19, 1950 (he died May 19, 2001.) She married Donald Lester on July 21, 2007 (he died March 23, 2013.) She was a homemaker all her life. She was a devoted member of First Christian Church, serving as Sunday School teacher, and on the Board of Elders. She was a member of several local organizations, including the Self Culture Club. She served in the Seminole chapter of Order of Eastern Star, rising to the position of Worthy Matron. When the Seminole chapter closed, she was granted perpetual membership in the Tecumseh chapter. With her first husband, Rita had five children. She was preceded in death by her four sons, Dennis, Larry, Terry and Randy Grisham. She was survived by one daughter, Karen Grisham Anson and husband Jerry Anson of Seminole; grandchildren, Heather Anson and Jeremy Long of Norman, Oklahoma, Jill and Eric Malone of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, Ryan and Heather Anson of Moore, Oklahoma, Dennis Jr. and Brooke Grisham of Oklahoma City, Kelsey (Grisham) and Michael Williams of Ada, and Jade and Josh Hurst of Tulsa, Oklahoma; great-grandchildren, Carter and Greyson Malone, Jake and Tyler Anson, Nicholas Long, Trey and Seth Grisham. Services were held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 23 November, at the Swearingen Funeral Chapel, Seminole, with Glen Pence, pastor of First Christian Church, Seminole, officiating. Burial followed at Little Cemetery. Pallbearers were: Jerry and Ryan Anson, Kenneth 'Sonny' Grisham, Dennis Grisham Jr., Levi Henson and Carter Malone.
  Burial	Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States   [1]
  Person ID	I9962	Scott Dickson
  Last Modified	3 Sep 2022

  
  

  Father	Oather James Burkhart,   b. 3 Mar 1909, Alma, Crawford, Arkansas, United States d. 28 Dec 1977, Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States (Age 68 years)
  Mother	Ivy Velvia Dickson,   b. 8 Apr 1911, Crawford, Arkansas, United States d. 30 May 1943, Crawford, Arkansas, United States (Age 32 years)
  Marriage	16 Apr 1932	Crawford, Arkansas, United States   [2]
  Marriage License	16 Apr 1932	Crawford, Arkansas, United States   [2]
  Family ID	F3822	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Houston A. Grisham   d. 19 May 2001, Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States
  Marriage	19 Aug 1950	Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States   [1]
  Children	1. Dennis Grisham   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Larry Grisham   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Terry Grisham   d. Yes, date unknown   4. Randy Grisham   d. Yes, date unknown + 5. Karen Grisham
  Family ID	F3823	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Dec 2023

  
  

  Family 2	Donald Lester   d. 23 Mar 2013, Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States
  Marriage	21 Jul 2007	Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States   [1]
  Family ID	F3824	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	31 Dec 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 18 Jul 1935 - Rudy, Crawford, Arkansas, United States Marriage - 19 Aug 1950 - Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States Marriage - 21 Jul 2007 - Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States Death - 17 Nov 2021 - Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States Burial - - Little, Seminole, Oklahoma, United States  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Obituary lists many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. But there's not a clear matching of children to parents.

  
  

• Sources

  [S641] Find A Grave, 2 September 2022; Rita Burkhart Grisham; Rita Burkhart Grisham; 234223602 ; Mike Casey. [S641] Find A Grave, 2 September 2022; Iva Velvia Dickson Burkhart ; Iva Velvia Dickson Burkhart ; 31440464 ; Frances Allen Titsworth.