Lennie Gertrude Flechtner

Lennie Beaver Flechtner was born on a ranch near Waurika, Oklahoma to Calvin and Gertrude Howard Beaver, on April 9, 1911. She was the youngest of nine children. At nine years of age, she lost her father in a tragic death. Later, her mother married Fred Hoehn and moved to Walters, Oklahoma. At the age of 14, she finished the eighth grade at the Tishomingo Indian Boarding School. She went on to graduate from the academy at South Western Junior College in Keene, Texas and then later received her RN degree at Oklahoma University Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1933. While working at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, Texas, she met and married Harry W. Flechtner in November 1937. Harry was originally from Ohio and they decided to move from Texas to the Ohio area. They settled in Oakwood where they owned and operated a printing business and Lennie worked at the Paulding County Hospital for the next 16 years. They joined the Adventist Church in Defiance, Ohio, in which they were very active in helping to build. In 1965, they took in two foster daughters, Mary Jane and Louise, after the loss of their mother. Both graduated from an Adventist Academy, married and have families. Mary Jane has one daughter, Ashley, and Louise has three sons, Justin, Jamie deceased, Brach and a daughter, Bridget, as well as a granddaughter, Cierra. In 1973, Lennie and Harry retired and moved to Ardmore, Oklahoma, to a warmer climate and to be closer to family. After Harry?s death, January 24, 1984, Lennie continued working at the Ardmore Adventist Hospital with the Hospice group that had helped her through her time of loss and she was later able to help many, many others during their times of grief. She worked with the volunteers for nine years and had the honor of being named volunteer of the year. In December 1985, Lennie moved to Harrah, Oklahoma, to become a resident of Summit Ridge Retirement Village, where she remained as active as possible. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harry, 7 brothers and sisters, as well as an adopted son, John, and grandson Johnny Von. She is survived by a daughter-in-law, Catherine; two foster daughters, Mary Jane and Louise and their children; one sister, Myrtle Lovin as well as many nieces and nephews. Services will be held at 10:00 AM, Thursday, August 5, 2004, at Summit Ridge Seventh Day Adventist Church, Harrah, OK. Interment will be at 3:00 PM at Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, Ardmore, OK. Services are under the direction of Smith~Parks Funeral Service.