Vernon Clay Ross also known as Todd to many of his family and friends was born November 3rd, 1934 in Ramona, Oklahoma. He was the third of seven children born to Earl and Iona Myrtle (Jacobs)Ross. In 1943 the family's home was flooded in the Talala area forcing a tough time on the family. afterwards they moved to the Chelsea area. Todd learned from a very early age about the many hardships of life and that he would have to work hard. He worked very hard for his family. He graduated from Talala High School in 1952. He worked at the feed mill in Chelsea, Oklahoma where he met his wife of 52 years, Lena Barnes. They were married December 10th, 1955 at the Winganon Baptist Church and made their home in Talala.
In 1959 he moved to Long Beach, California for better employment opportunities. The family moved back to Oklahoma in the winter of 1961 and resided in Oologah for the next 8 years. During this time Vernon made Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life. After completion of the home he had been building for his family they moved to the Foyil, Oklahoma area in 1969. Vernon was a man with excellent carpentry skills and either built or assisted in the repair of most all the homes in which his children and grandchildren reside in. He never wanted them to be without a good home to live in. Taking care of all his family was very important to him and no matter what he was doing he would stop to take care of the needs of his family before the needs of himself.
In 1974 Vernon and the family moved to Big Cabin to be closer to his employment at the B.G. Goodrich Company. This is where Vernon met two very important friends that made a huge difference in his life and the life of his family. Marion Trone and John Grinegar whom he now shares the glory of heaven with. These men assisted him in the major role he played in making sure that all his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren had the same opportunity to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. One of his favorite Bible subjects was prophecy and future of Revelations found in the Bible. Vernon was never associated with any church or religious affiliation for he did not believe that going to church was how you got to heaven or what made someone a child of God. Religion was man made, Jesus was not!
In 1984, Vernon moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to complete retirement after the Miami B.F. Goodrich company had closed down. He received a transfer to completed his time with the company until retirement. This then became the family's new vacation destination. He could hardly wait for his family to drive out for a visit during the summers or holidays. We all enjoyed the neat little eating places he had discovered while living there. Such as; The City Café and Mama Jewels. The delicious Southern Sweet Tea was the best! When we would arrive he would also have Krispy Kream donuts waiting on us when we went for our visit. He wanted to make sure we all went back to Oklahoma 10 pounds heavier than we were before we came.
Vernon Completed retirement in 1993 and moved back to Oklahoma. Vernon enjoyed his retirement by making occasional trips back to Alabama with his family. A few of his other vacation destinations included the Gulf Shores, Alabama beach and the Rocky Mountains in Estes Park, Colorado, to stay in a cabin by the river. He also enjoyed gardening and he would come and plow a garden for any of his family that wanted one. He enjoyed raising cattle, riding on his tractor across the pasture, and his son, Michael could always be found by his side.
Vernon really enjoyed big family gatherings during Thanksgiving and Christmas time when all of his family came over to his home in Big Cabin. He really enjoyed spending time with his family and would do anything for them. He proved this in the fact that the day prior to him going into the hospital he was running errands for his family and the month prior to that he was working in his garden digging up potatoes for his family to enjoy eating at the dinner table. He was so ill at the time, but he did not want to be a bother to anyone about his problems. His priority was to help with the problems of others, never thinking about himself. He would just keep smiling and keep going. After he was hospitalized the physicians or nurses would come into his hospital room to poke and prod and he would just smile at them and never complain. He was not a complainer. He just wanted to live his life to the fullest and then go home to be with Jesus. So, on August 2nd, 2007 with his family gathered around his bedside he went to his eternal home in heaven to forever be with his Lord and Savior.

Wife: Lena (Barnes) Ross
Married 12-10-1955