Benny Dean Watkins

Funeral services for Benny Dean Watkins, 79, of Clinton, will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 23, 2013 in the First Assembly of God Church in Arapaho with Dean Brookshire officiating.
Watkins was born March 22, 1934, to Benjamin Allen Watkins and Lydia Mae (Oliver) Watkins in Fort Supply.
He died early Thursday in the Corn Heritage Village in Weatherford.
Watkins was raised in Fort Supply where he attended and graduated from high school in 1952. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in January of 1953 serving overseas duty. He was honorably discharged in 1957 and remained on reserve status until 1961.
He was married to Deloris Fern Lanham on March 8, 1958, in Fargo.  They made their first home there and he was employed in a gas station.  He began a career with the Farmers Coop while in Fargo and was later transferred to Manchester and they settled in Clinton where he retired in 1988 after 30 years of service.
For the past several years Watkins worked buying and selling re-usable items. 
Preceding him in death were his parents, two sisters, Opal Selvey and Ruby Heinze; and an infant brother, Chester Watkins.
Survivors include his wife, Deloris of the home; two daughters, Deanna Clothier and her husband Gifford, of Clinton and Debbie Herring of Fleming, Colo.; a son, Danny Watkins and his wife Valerie, of Cordell; a sister, Viola Matt, of Woodward; and a brother, Claude Watkins and his wife Janice of Cordell.
He is also survived by six grandchildren, Mittie Helm and her husband Matt, of Wylie, Colo., James Herring, of Fleming, Colo., Daniel Watkins, of Cordell, Bailey Armstrong, of Durant, Gina Hernandez and her husband Ramon of Hobart and Deanna Barnwell, and her husband Mitchell, of Hobart; three great-grandchildren, Kasey Helms, Aaron Hernandez, Ashlie Stafford and her husband, LaTrell; and a great-great granddaughter, Alexa Shaddix.
Burial will be in the Clinton Cemetery under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home.