Lee Rolland Gleason
Funeral services for Rev. Lee R. Gleason, 88, longtime Arapaho pastor and civic leader and Clinton resident, will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the First Assembly of God Church in Arapaho, officiated by Rev. Lindell Warren, Rev. Gilbert Johnson, Rev. Kurtis Ivey and Rev. Billy Martin.
Burial will conclude in the Arapaho Cemetery.
Lee Rolland Gleason was born Jan. 16, 1927 to Charles Gleason and Maude (Hillebran) Gleason in Seiling. He died Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, in the Methodist Health Care Center at Clinton.
Gleason was raised in Seiling and graduated from Seiling High School in 1945. He joined a gospel quartet while evangelizing and traveling all over Oklahoma. He was married to FideDella Jarnagin on May 24, 1947 in Hucmac, Okla.
The couple ministered and pastored numerous churches including Oakwood, Lone Wolf, Thomas, Buffalo, Clinton and Arapaho.
Rev. Gleason was instrumental and helped in many Arapaho projects. He helped in organizing and preparing the Arapaho History Book as part of the town’s Centennial Celebration, the Community Center and the City Park. Under his pastoral leadership, Arapaho Assembly of God Church was begun and the group progressed in the construction of a new building and later a large addition.
Besides doing ministry he was employed with Strange-Jones Wholesale for many years and had managed the Dollar General Store. In later years he continued his education at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, accomplishing an Associate’s Degree.
Gleason had been a resident of the Methodist Health Care Center for the past two years. He loved being a part of the intergenerational pre-kindergarten class that meets at the center.
Preceding him in death were his wife, FideDella, in 2011; a grandson, Ty Brandon Gleason; and numerous brothers and sisters.
Gleason was a longtime member of the Arapaho Assembly God Church. He enjoyed singing, playing the piano and had authored numerous songs.
Survivors include his son, Harold Gleason, and his wife, Donna, of Thomas; his daughter, Gail Wilcox, and her husband, Robert, of Clinton; a sister, Leta Olson, and her husband, Alden, of Pampa, Texas; five grandchildren, Rhonda Eck, and her husband, Sam, of Thomas, Kendra Jones, and her husband, John, of Thomas, Cindy Smith, and her husband, Virgil, Jr. , of El Reno, Misti Koontz, and her husband, Nathan, of Thomas, and Ryan Wilcox, of Clinton; great-grandchildren, Justin, Nick, KayAnn, Katelyn, John Tyler, Addison, Jaelyn and Sophie Lynn.
Arrangements are under the direction of Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home of Clinton.