Dolores Beatrice Bartel

Dolores Beatrice Claybrook was born on September 4, 1931 to Joe and Beatrice Claybrook.  She left this earth on October 24, 2019, her family by her side.

She was born in a 2 room sod house with dirt floors on her parent’s farm west of Bryan’s Corner, Ok.  Her Grandma Chuesberg was the midwife at her birth.  She had two older brothers, Delorne and Clarence and three younger sisters, Darlene, Doris, and Donna Sue.

She walked a mile to school when she started elementary at Palestine School.  She got to ride the bus to Bethany School and later to Balko High School.  She graduated High School in 1949.  She was studious but according to a few report cards rather prone to mischief and talking!!!  She played several sports including basketball during her school years.

She remembered living through the Dirty Thirties.  She would tell stories of coming home from school and they could not see very far in front of them.  There were times that the teacher had to drive them home due to the thickness of the dirt.  She would describe the rolling clouds that came in so vividly you could see them yourself in her description.

After high school she worked in Perryton as a LPN.   She loved talking about her experience in the Emergency Room.

On March 25, 1951 she married her best friend for 60 years, Pete M. Bartel.  A date could involve flying around in his plane and buzzing family and friends to see if they were home to go and visit.

They were married at her parent’s home in Beaver County.  Their first home was a dugout.  She often spoke about cleaning and just having dust everywhere.  They later purchased their homestead in Balko, where they raised their family and built their farm.  Both of them worked the dairy, raised wheat and feed, raised stocker cattle.  They did it together through the good and bad times.  They were truly partners in love and life.

Four children were born to their union, Vicki, Tony, Kevin, and Julie.  She was always there for her kids and made sure they knew the importance of hard work and compassion.  She had a great faith that she passed on to them.  She would help anyone that needed it both family and friend.

She enjoyed watching her kids play sports, music, and anything that brought them joy, brought her joy as well.  She really enjoyed her grandkids and great grands.  She enjoyed taking them on trips, Disney, train rides across the country, ball games, you name it she enjoyed spoiling them.  Her nieces and nephews were also a big part of her life.  She loved having them visit and stay during the summers attending family reunions and visiting.

She was beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, homemaker, friend, and neighbor.  She loved to bake, quilt, knit, and made sure her family and friends had good food and treats to eat.  She was a member of the Balko Apostolic Church, she loved her Church family.  She enjoyed club activities with the Balko Sunflower Club and the Boyd Farm Women’s Club.

Dolores is survived by her sister Darlene Nelson, Elko, NV, Daughters Vicki (Glenn) Gardiner, Tuttle, Ok. Tony Brown, Balko, Oklahoma, Julie (John) Biebrich, OKC, Ok., Daughter in law Linda Bartel Petersen (Dale), Divide, Co.;  Grandchildren Kyle (Angela) Bartel, OKC., Ok.; Kraig Bartel, Norman, Ok. Korey Bartel, Gunnison, Co.;  Brett Gardiner, Tuttle, Ok.; Briana Kile (her favorite G. D.) Balko, Ok.;  Sean Biebrich, OKC, Ok.; Kristen (Mike) Jones, Corpus Christi, Tx.; Tiffany (John) Stewart Rowlette, Tx.; Amanda (Justin) Murray, San Antonio, Tx.; Great-grands Allie and Ava Bartel; Ranger Centa; Nick, Elijah, Isabella, Jeremiah, Hannah Stewart; Mason, Payton, Dawson Murray.

Dolores was preceded in death by her parents, husband Pete, Son Kevin, Sisters, Donna Sue Kippenberger, Doris Sumrall, Brothers Delorne Claybrook and Clarence Shorb.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in her memory.  www2.JDRF. org