Donald Beck "D. B." Gardner was born in Covington, OK and lived on a farm east of town with his parents, Ivey Messenger Gardner, and Ruth Estelle (Beck) Gardner, his grandfather, William Chamberlain Gardner, and his sister, Thelma Irene Gardner. The family moved to Kansas City, MO when Donald was about 5 years old, and Ivey drove a trolley for the Kansas City trolley company. They lived in Kansas City for a short time before moving to Avant, OK where Ivey began a new and long-lasting career of building gasoline plants. The family lived in Avant for quite some time. That is where his sister, Thelma, met her husband-to-be Robert Arba Halfast. In subsequent years they moved numerous times, always following the oil discoveries which were rapidly occurring in Oklahoma. In addition to Covington, Kansas City, and Avant, they lived in Oilton, Three Sands, Key West,and Yale. They moved to Yale from Key West between semesters of Dad's senior year in high school at Stroud, OK. Key West was a small oil lease community southeast of Stroud. He met Dora Lee Hall at Yale High School. They fell in love and were married March 6th, 1932 in Stillwater, OK at the home of her parents, Thomas Lee and Florence Eldora (Culley) Hall. Dad began working for OG&E in downtown Oklahoma City after their marriage. He retired from OG&E in 1975 as the Superintendent of the Belle Isle Huey Generating plant. He is survived by one daughter, Mary Ruth (Gardner) Gay, Coatesville, PA, two sons, Donald Lee Gardner of Oklahoma City, OK, and John Nelson Gardner of Denver, CO., and a multitude of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.
Donald Beck "D. B." Gardner was born in Covington, OK and lived on a farm east of town with his parents, Ivey Messenger Gardner, and Ruth Estelle (Beck) Gardner, his grandfather, William Chamberlain Gardner, and his sister, Thelma Irene Gardner. The family moved to Kansas City, MO when Donald was about 5 years old, and Ivey drove a trolley for the Kansas City trolley company. They lived in Kansas City for a short time before moving to Avant, OK where Ivey began a new and long-lasting career of building gasoline plants. The family lived in Avant for quite some time. That is where his sister, Thelma, met her husband-to-be Robert Arba Halfast. In subsequent years they moved numerous times, always following the oil discoveries which were rapidly occurring in Oklahoma. In addition to Covington, Kansas City, and Avant, they lived in Oilton, Three Sands, Key West,and Yale. They moved to Yale from Key West between semesters of Dad's senior year in high school at Stroud, OK. Key West was a small oil lease community southeast of Stroud. He met Dora Lee Hall at Yale High School. They fell in love and were married March 6th, 1932 in Stillwater, OK at the home of her parents, Thomas Lee and Florence Eldora (Culley) Hall. Dad began working for OG&E in downtown Oklahoma City after their marriage. He retired from OG&E in 1975 as the Superintendent of the Belle Isle Huey Generating plant. He is survived by one daughter, Mary Ruth (Gardner) Gay, Coatesville, PA, two sons, Donald Lee Gardner of Oklahoma City, OK, and John Nelson Gardner of Denver, CO., and a multitude of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.
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