1927
Lora
2013
Lora Woodall
April 15, 1927 — March 1, 2013
On April 15, 1927, Lora Lee was born in Enid, Oklahoma, the second child of Aurora and Web Glidewell of Helena, Oklahoma. As a pre-teen she accepted the Lord Jesus as her savior at The Helena Methodist Church. She was an avid athlete, and became a champion for three years at the Alfalfa County Tennis Tournaments, in singles and in doubles with her sister , Betty Lou. Her basketball teams were also quite successful.
At an early age, she and her siblings began doing the janitorial duties at her father’s bank, and worked their way up through the ranks. When the cashier of the bank went to serve in WWII, Lora Lee was officially made the cashier, becoming, at age 18, the youngest cashier of a national bank to ever hold that position.
After the end of the war she married her high school sweetheart, Norman Woodall. They settled in Grand Prairie, Texas with their two daughters, Betty Jo and April. Lora worked in the Ling Temco Vought (LTV) Credit Union until Norman’s job in the aerospace industry took them to Newport News, Virginia. In Virginia, Lora worked as cashier at First City Bank and was Vice-president of Sovran Bank. In 1985 she returned to Helena, Oklahoma once again to help her father at the Helena National Bank, eventually becoming president upon his demise.
Having learned to play the organ from her mother, Lora became the organist at Calvary Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, Texas in the 1960s. After moving to Helena she became the pianist at Helena Methodist Church. She also played for the Helena Eastern Star Organization. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and Toastmistress Organization of Texas. Continuing the interests of her youth, Lora competed in tennis and racquetball leagues and in long-distance running. She even established the Helena County Road Classic 5K run.
As a third-generation descendant of a “boomer-sooner,” she sought to commemorate the lives of those early pioneers by preserving the artifacts they left behind. The house built by her grandfather, J.W. Glidewell, is now the centerpiece of the Humphrey Heritage Village. She worked tirelessly to establish the Alfalfa County Museum in Cherokee, and more recently, the Helena Historical Museum.
Lora Lee, known as Poppy to her grandchildren and great grandchildren, passed away on Saturday, March 30, 2013 at St. Mary’s Hospital, as a result of complications due to double pneumonia – just two weeks shy of her 86th birthday. She is survived by her husband of almost 67 years, Norman Woodall; daughter, Betty Jo Meadows and son-in-law, John Meadows of Helena, Oklahoma; daughter, April Woodall and son-in-law, Edward Carpitella, of Rydal, Pennsylvania; grand-daughters, Alysha Locke, Erika Dunigan, Celestia Carpitella; great grandsons, Cody Locke, Levi Locke, and Payden Dunigan; cousins, nieces, nephews, and a world of friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Robert Glidewell; sister-in-law, Margaret Glidewell; her sister, Betty Lou Graft; brother-in-law, Richard Graft and great-nephew, J.J. Hubert.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to the Helena United Methodist Church, the Helena Historical Museum, or any church or organization of your choice.
The funeral service will be held at The Helena Methodist Church on Tuesday morning, April 2, 2013 at 11 AM. Burial services will follow at Good Hope Cemetery.
At an early age, she and her siblings began doing the janitorial duties at her father’s bank, and worked their way up through the ranks. When the cashier of the bank went to serve in WWII, Lora Lee was officially made the cashier, becoming, at age 18, the youngest cashier of a national bank to ever hold that position.
After the end of the war she married her high school sweetheart, Norman Woodall. They settled in Grand Prairie, Texas with their two daughters, Betty Jo and April. Lora worked in the Ling Temco Vought (LTV) Credit Union until Norman’s job in the aerospace industry took them to Newport News, Virginia. In Virginia, Lora worked as cashier at First City Bank and was Vice-president of Sovran Bank. In 1985 she returned to Helena, Oklahoma once again to help her father at the Helena National Bank, eventually becoming president upon his demise.
Having learned to play the organ from her mother, Lora became the organist at Calvary Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, Texas in the 1960s. After moving to Helena she became the pianist at Helena Methodist Church. She also played for the Helena Eastern Star Organization. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and Toastmistress Organization of Texas. Continuing the interests of her youth, Lora competed in tennis and racquetball leagues and in long-distance running. She even established the Helena County Road Classic 5K run.
As a third-generation descendant of a “boomer-sooner,” she sought to commemorate the lives of those early pioneers by preserving the artifacts they left behind. The house built by her grandfather, J.W. Glidewell, is now the centerpiece of the Humphrey Heritage Village. She worked tirelessly to establish the Alfalfa County Museum in Cherokee, and more recently, the Helena Historical Museum.
Lora Lee, known as Poppy to her grandchildren and great grandchildren, passed away on Saturday, March 30, 2013 at St. Mary’s Hospital, as a result of complications due to double pneumonia – just two weeks shy of her 86th birthday. She is survived by her husband of almost 67 years, Norman Woodall; daughter, Betty Jo Meadows and son-in-law, John Meadows of Helena, Oklahoma; daughter, April Woodall and son-in-law, Edward Carpitella, of Rydal, Pennsylvania; grand-daughters, Alysha Locke, Erika Dunigan, Celestia Carpitella; great grandsons, Cody Locke, Levi Locke, and Payden Dunigan; cousins, nieces, nephews, and a world of friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Robert Glidewell; sister-in-law, Margaret Glidewell; her sister, Betty Lou Graft; brother-in-law, Richard Graft and great-nephew, J.J. Hubert.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to the Helena United Methodist Church, the Helena Historical Museum, or any church or organization of your choice.
The funeral service will be held at The Helena Methodist Church on Tuesday morning, April 2, 2013 at 11 AM. Burial services will follow at Good Hope Cemetery.
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