October 9th, 1921 - March 28, 2021
A celebration of a long full life for James William Estes, age 99, of Enid, will be held at the Mausoleum in Memorial Park Cemetery at 11:00, Thursday, April 1, 2021. Pastor Gary Miller will officiate. Military honors will be conducted by the Silver Talon Honor Guard stationed at Vance Air Force Base. Arrangements are under the kind guidance of the Amy Stittsworth Funeral Service. Jim was born October 9th, 1921 on a farm near Kremlin, OK. His own father delivered him as he did all but one of the five siblings. He passed peacefully from this life on Sunday, March 28th, 2021. Jim attended Daniels Country School Southwest of Hunter through 8th grade and then graduated from Hunter High School in 1940. He worked on the family farm until being drafted into WWII. He served in the Army Air Corp as an Airplane Mechanic Crew Chief after his training at Sheppard Field in Texas. He served on bases in the India-Burma Theater as part of the India China Wing Transport, which ferried vital cargo into the China interior. He gained the rank of Tech Sergeant and earned three service medals. He married Louise Maner on Dec. 30th, 1958 in Tulsa, and soon after purchased a farm near Breckenridge. Here they raised their three children, Loretta, Michael and Robert. They divorced in 1979. He then married Marilyn Chastain on Nov. 15th, 1986 and gained two step-daughters, Debra and Tresa.
Jim continued to farm until 2000 when they moved into Enid. They were members of the Willow Road Christian Church. He and Marilyn enjoyed his retirement to the fullest, traveling to see family, cruising to Alaska and making several road trips as far away as Nova Scotia. He then found a new home at Burgundy Place, after Marilyn's passing, living there for over nine years. After his health declined, he was moved to The Arbors Assisted Living, closer to his eldest son. Jim was a farmer…heart, soul and mind…and thoroughly loved it. In recent years, he has expressed to family that he loved farming and would not change a thing.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, one sister, his daughter Loretta, former spouse of 20 years, Louise, and his wife of 24 yrs., Marilyn. Left to honor his memory are his sons, Michael (Connie) of Enid, and Robert (Steven) of Stillwater.
We would like to thank Mike Weatherford and everyone at Burgundy Place for making it his “Home”. We would also like to thank everyone at The Arbors Assisted Living and Elara Caring Hospice for taking such good care of our Dad.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Elara Caring Hospice.
Obituaries are posted, in part, due to the generosity of The Commons.
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