LAVEDA JO IDLEMAN

Mrs. Laveda Jo (Duck) Idleman, 79, of Stigler, passed away on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at her home. She was born February 5, 1946 at Altus, Oklahoma to Alvin and Billie (Richardson) Duck. She grew up in Pampa, Texas where she received her education. She married James D. Hale February 5, 1964 in Pampa, Texas and made their home there. On March 28, 1980 they moved to Stigler where all 3 boys graduated from Stigler High School. She worked at a variety of jobs throughout her lifetime but she loved the medical field and ministry the most. She drove an ambulance for Muskogee EMS in 1986 to 1987. Later she & her son Johnny Hale took a First Responder course together. She went to work for Haskell County Hospital 1988 as a Ward Clerk and Nurses’ Aide. Ten months later she entered Carl Albert Vo-Tech Nursing Program and graduated as an LPN in 1990. She went back to work for Haskell County Hospital and worked there and Mid-Lakes Home Health for 21 years until the hospital sold. Then she went to United Partners Home Health and worked a year and a half and retired from nursing. In 1987 she taught the youth at Keota Assembly of God that spanned for a period of 10 years. Even after they started getting married and having a family, they stayed in her class until she resigned. She was ordained and started pastoring at Old Cache Church in 1997 and pastored for 5 years. She and Thelma Hickman went to Israel in 2000. In 2001 she married Curtis Rutherford and started going to New Life Christian Center. She taught the youth group for a while, was over the Intercessory Prayer Group, worked in the Helps Ministry, helped substitute in the Bible Study Series, ministered at the County Jail to the women for several years, she and Alene went to Taft Women’s Prison with Larry and Debbie Kerns Ministry several times, She went to Mabel Bassett Women’s Prison some, nursing homes, Women’s Shelter, preached at Women’s Meetings at different churches, she was the Bookkeeper at New Life for 7 years, Associate Pastor for 5 years. She had went to Holland, Curacio’, Indonesia twice as Pastor Angela Stevens Armor Bearer. She and Michelle Pantlick and Pastor Rick went to Indonesia and met Pastor Angela there. Her passion was ministering to hurting women especially. When Curtis passed away she stayed a widow for 4 years and in 2011 God sent Jerry Idleman into her life and 4 months later they were married. She had retired from nursing 2 days before they married then she started helping Jerry manicure yards, clean flower beds, cut down trees, trim hedges and tree limbs. She loved working with him. She had started working at King & Shearwood Funeral Home in 2010. So when she wasn’t at the funeral home she was in someone’s yard helping Jerry. As time went on she worked more at the funeral home and less of mowing. That was another one of her passions was working for Jeff. She loved Jeff and Marty and their precious families. Brooks, Chance, Cade and Colton were like her grandsons. She worked as office manager and anything else that needed to be done. She loved ministering to the families who had lost a loved one. She worked there up to the time of her death. Jeff and Marty had sent her and Jerry on their first cruise on March 28, 2018 to Mexico. A dream fulfilled. They loved it but was glad to be back home and get back to work. She loved putting stories, Scriptures, poems, jokes and encouraging words on Face Book early in the morning and praying for those in need. She loved her time with Jerry in the evenings, their road trips, reading Christian Books, coloring, sewing, crocheting, working in the yard, embroidering, word search puzzles, doing things for other people, and loved Gospel Music. She loved people no matter who they were. She was a jokester! She loved to laugh and make people laugh. She and pastors Daniel and Doug were always scaring each other, they weren’t easy to scare though. She, Jeff and Jack were always scaring each other. When one would walk in the door they’d start looking to see where everyone was because someone was going to get scared, usually Laveda. She loved working with them. They were like family. She loved scaring Jerry at home, he was easy and he’d get her back. She loved HUGS, loved making people feel good about themselves, she wanted them to see themselves as God sees them, loved smelling good, and looking nice. She loved God most of all and was full of the Joy of the Lord. She loved going to church every time the doors were open, she adored her church family. She claimed a church family at The Well Church, The River of Life Church, The Harvest Church and all the other churches she visited. Brandon Mooneyham's Church was a favorite of hers as well. God opened the doors for her to have a Women’s meeting every week! She cherished those precious ladies! Laveda complimented everyone, even if she didn’t know them. She loved people. She never met a stranger. She said, people will forget what you said and they’ll forget what you did but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. She had several names that she was called. In grade school when she walked into class the boys would say “Hey,” Quack, Quack, how’s the water?” In Junior High she was called “Skeeter”. Now that she’s older every time she would hear one of these names it melted her heart, Jerry called her Laveda, sweetie or ½ pint, her sons called her Mom, grand and great grands called her Granny Jo, others called her Veda or Veda Jo or Miss Laveda, Glen and Marsha called her Beta Jo, Glen even named his little dog after her, Curly Jo, Alene called her Sugar, when she did something silly at work, Jeff called her a DORK, he’d laugh and say, yes but you have to love me anyway. Jack called her puddin’ tang most of the time. Laveda adored Jerry & their time spent together of a morning at breakfast. They’d take Communion every morning, read the Bible, read a devotion and pray together and plead the blood of Jesus over their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, all their families, friends and church family. She loved her church family and Pastor Daniel. She loved being a part of the Intercessory Prayer and Care Team and Helps Ministry at The Well. They were her family too! She always said, “everyone melted her heart!” She believed that one day you are going to hug your last hug, kiss your last kiss and hear someone’s voice for the last time but you never know when the last time will be. Live every day as if it were the last time you will be with the person you love! Never leave the house without a hug, a kiss and “I Love You” Laveda is survived by her precious husband, the love of her life, Jerry Idleman of the home; she cherished their 6 sons & daughters-in-law, Darwin and Amy Hale of Spiro, Mike and Shirley Hale of Columbia, TN. Johnny and Shannon Hale of Stigler, Mike Idleman of Eufaula, OK., Kevin Idleman of Shawnee, OK., Jason & Stacey Idleman of OKC.; she adored their 19 grandkids and spouses Jessica and Daniel, Kristen and Scotty, Ashley, Dustin, Whitney, Morgan and Beto, Nicole, Nathan, Crissy and John, Lexie and Logan, Nikki and Jesse, Paige, Macie and Kevin, Josh, Abbie, Emmie, Maddie, Cheyney and Jackie, Tristan; 21 great grandkids, Karlee, Lyncoln, Kreed, Jayce, Jaylynn, Kason, Emma, Taylor, Colton, Mitchell, JJ, Tessa, Liam, Hallie, Jovie, Calvin, Warren, Edison, Addison, Ben and Cain; 2 sisters, Linda Harding and husband Tommy of Greenwood, Arkansas, Alene Monday of Stigler. Vera and James Snow, Dannie and Carol Idleman, Randy and Charlotte Idleman; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and a host of friends; 2 special buddies of a long time of friendship, Gary Bates and Jerry Wages. Laveda is preceded in death by her dad, Alvin Duck; her mother and stepdad, Billie and Orvil Reed; her former husbands, James D. Hale and Curtis Rutherford; her sister, Marsha Hand; her brother-in-law, Glen Dale Monday; as well as numerous other relatives. Funeral Services will be 10:00 A.M. Saturday, August 23, 2025 at The Well Church with Pastor Daniel Smith officiating. Eulogist will be Pastor Jack Sloan and Mr. Doug Nixon. Pallbearers include their sons, Darwin Hale, Michael Hale, Johnny Hale, Michael Idleman, Kevin Idleman, Jason Idleman. Honorary pallbearers include the men of The Well Church. Burial will follow at Stigler Cemetery under the direction of King & Shearwood Funeral Home of Stigler.

LAVEDA JO IDLEMAN

February 5, 1946 - August 20, 2025