Neoma Fay (Tate) McKinney

On February 8, 1939, in Tuttle, Oklahoma, a freezing cold day with record snowfall on the ground, Elgin and Christeene (Huffman) Tate welcomed their fifth child, Neoma Fay. She immediately captured the hearts of her brothers and sisters, Ortha, Rephord, Arlene, and Curtis. Those relationships never changed.

With the exception of about a year, Neoma spent her entire life living in Tuttle. She attended Tuttle schools for 12 years without ever missing a day! She was a good student who was involved in many groups and organizations. In the Tuttle High School Band, she played the snare drum for four years. She was a member of the graduating class of 1957.

As an adult, Neoma made the commitment to build a life with Ervie Gene McKinney. From that union came Connie Jo in 1960. Six years later, Sheri Dawn completed the family. Being the wonderful parents that they were, Ervie and Neoma chose to be class parents every year that their girls were in school. They knew all of their girls' friends, and their home became a hub of activity.

Also, in 1960, Neoma began work in the credit department of Oklahoma Publishing Company. In later years, she went into banking and insurance, beginning with the First American Bank of Minco and later at Sooner State Bank. Being the hard worker that she was, Neoma, along with Ervie, decided that working full-time jobs and raising two girls wasn't enough. They started or bought many business ventures throughout the years: The Steak House, The Red Inn, Yumburg, Tiger Den, Tutt-Putt Miniature Golf Course, a worm farm, a couple of snow cone trailers, a bakery, and more.

Starting in the early 1970s, Ervie and Neoma would take vacation time from their jobs to work at the Oklahoma State Fair. After retiring and becoming a widow at an early age, Neoma used her business sense to purchase an old gas station on Main Street and turned it into M&M; Convenience Store. Down the street, she bought another building and started Tiger Rags Screen Printing. Her last venture was Neoma's This and That.

If all of that wasn't enough, Neoma was community-oriented. In the 1990s, she, along with a group of women, started the Tuttle Improvement Committee. These ladies created the Christmas Tour of Homes to raise money for Christmas decorations for the city of Tuttle.

On top of that, Neoma loved to travel. She and Ervie took many vacations throughout the United States with some of her siblings and some great friends. She continued her travels through most of her life.

Neoma was a powerhouse. She's even been called a legend. She loved big. She showed her girls what a strong woman should be. Tiny woman, giant personality. She impacted everyone who knew her.

In the early 1980s, Sheri brought home a teenage Minco boy named Michael Ransome. Ervie and Neoma welcomed him, and he just became part of the family. Michael gained a mom, and Connie and Sheri gained a brother.

Neoma's largest impact was on her family. Her strong family bonds were not limited to Ervie and the girls, but included her parents, her siblings, and all the in-laws and outlaws that come with large families. Her nieces and nephews were treated as her own. Her kids, grandkids, and great-grands count themselves lucky to be part of her bloodline.

The party that was waiting on her at the Heavenly Gates included her husband, Ervie; parents, Elgin and Christeene; in-laws, Ossie and Lena McKinney; brothers, Rephord and Curtis Tate; sisters, Ortha Handke and Arlene Riddle; great-granddaughter, Alyssa Condren; brothers-in-law, Raymond Riddle, Gene Handke, and Joe McKinney; sisters-in-law, Wanda Tate and Thelma Pittenridge; and three nieces and two nephews.

Those left to carry on her legacy are Connie and Jeff Delno, Sheri Welch, Michael Ransome and wife Sandra; Grands: Dustin and Angie Condren, Tony and Vanessa Delno, Jennifer and Rob Melies, Kyle Welch, Trey Delno, Kira and Adam Silver, Crystal Welch, and Shea Ransome; sixteen great-grands; a ton of nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family members; and too many friends to count.

Neoma's life was well-lived and will be long remembered.

A Celebration of Life service in Neoma's honor will be held 11 am Saturday, October 25th at Tuttle Christian Church with burial following at Fairview Cemetery in Tuttle.

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