February 14, 1933 - July 17, 2024
Funeral services for Roscoe Dean Decker, 91, Enid resident, will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, July 20th in the New Hopedale Mennonite Church with Pastor James Suderman officiating. Committal prayers and interment will follow in New Hopedale Mennonite Cemetery under the kind guidance of the Amy Stittsworth Funeral Service. Visitation with the family present will be held from 6-8 pm Friday July 19th at Stittsworth's.
Roscoe “Rocky” Decker was born in Dalhart, Texas on February 14, 1933 to Arthur and Lula Decker, and passed away peacefully on July 17, 2024 at his residence. The family, which included older brother Keith, lived at Texline, Texas for three years before moving back to the farm at Meno. Rocky spent many years as a farmer in the Meno area. He attended high school at Oklahoma Bible Academy and went on to college at Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, Nebraska. After graduation, he married Wanda Lohrenz on June 28, 1955 in a double ceremony with her twin sister Donna. In 1957, they became parents to Rhonda and in 1960, Tony made their family complete.
Rocky enjoyed his career as a farmer and worked hard on the farm for many years, including running a small dairy with his wife Wanda. But when Wanda went back to school to become an Registered Nurse, he quit the dairy - possibly in part because Wanda got along better with the cows than he did! We all know that farming is hard, so he also supplemented his farm income by driving a truck for Bond Bakery twice a week. And he spent one year as the janitor at OBA, moving the family to live on campus in Meno.
After Wanda’s passing in 1983, he met Avana Robinson and they were married on August 1, 1987. They lived in Ringwood and Meno for many years and attended New Beginnings Wesleyan Church in Ringwood. The last several years, their home has been at Baptist Village Retirement Home in Enid.
Rocky loved the farm very much, but his first love was Jesus. During his life, service to the Lord was always of utmost importance. He was a Sunday School teacher and song leader at his churches. He also had areas outside of the church where he served, including singing in a trio with Wanda and Valora Unruh and accompanied by Valora’s sister Arlene. He served with Our Land for Christ in several areas including lake ministry with Sunday services at Canton Lake, organizing evangelistic meetings and starting a Christian grade school and day care at Meno. Rocky had a deep love for people and always wanted to help in any situation. He was always ready with a smile and a joke and a desire to share his love of the Lord with those he would meet.
In his later years, Rocky was just a short walk away from the local café where he would eat breakfast and enjoy a cup or two of coffee while spending time talking with his farming buddies. Then he would head to the farm to check on cattle or to help someone in the community with his carpentry skills. During this time, he also passed along his love of farming and serving to his grandson Caleb who became his right-hand man as Rocky grew older.
He will be dearly missed by family and friends. He is survived by his wife Avana, daughter Rhonda and husband Arlan, son Tony and wife Stephanie. He also is survived by Avana’s children Robby, Jerry, Kenny, Carol, Wren and Tim, 6 grandchildren, 25 step grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and 35 step great grandchildren – we think that number is right! Additionally, his sister-in-law Velda Decker as well as many nieces and nephews survive him. He was proceeded in death by his parents, Art and Lula, brother Keith, wife Wanda and stepson Larry.
Obituaries are posted, in part, due to the generosity of The Commons.
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