Johnye June Kirk

Johnye June Kirk, 95, of Snyder, passed away Monday, June 8, 2021, at the Brentwood Assisted Living in Lawton Oklahoma after a brief illness.

Funeral Services were Friday, June 11, 2021, in the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home of Snyder Chapel with Bob Witt, retired pastor from Oklahoma City and Alvin Funkhouser, Hobart, officiating.

Burial was in the Fairlawn Cemetery, Snyder.

Lunch will be provided by the First Baptist Church of Snyder, following the interment.

Johnye June Dykes was born November 18, 1925, to proud parents John and Vivian Dykes of Grandfield. John worked at the local school as well as on the farm and Vivian was a skilled seamstress.

Johnye was an only child but that didn’t mean she was from a small family. She shared many stories about growing up in the Red River Valley, west of Grandfield, and of time spent with her Granny Sandefur. Johnye would describe Granny Sandefur by simply saying “I loved that lady.” Her countless stories leave no doubt that Johnye learned about early independence and the importance of family growing up there. Granny Sandefur had a great sandy-beached sand pit pond on her property. Johnye told of people driving from miles around to go swim there. There was always something going on. The most infamous story was that one hot summer day none other than Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow pulled up and asked if they could have some water. There were countless adventures there on the river.

Johnye attended school at Victory. Here she met the love of her life, Bedford Glen Kirk. There are many stories about their courtship. I do believe they were soulmates but not without a fight. At a carnival, another girl – taller than Johnye – began flirting with Glen, and Johnye, feeling scrappy, confronted the competitor. The story goes, Johnye looked her in the eye, looking up of course, and said, “Girlie, if you don’t get away from my man, I am going to climb you like a tree.” That ended the competition and after Johnye and Glen graduated from high school they were married on Sunday, January 30, 1944, in Grandfield, by Reverend J.W. Strickland.

There are many things to say about Glen and Johnye. Too many to write, the truth is they were so connected you can’t talk about one without the other. They were married 59 years and 9 months until Glen's passing on October 9, 2003. The things we know about their marriage are; unconditional love, devotion, respect, and kindness. Their homes took them from Glen’s military beginnings to the farm. From Oklahoma to Washington, onto Texas, then back again to Oklahoma. Glen’s roots brought him back to farming and ranching and Johnye was by his side the whole way. They had farms from Martha to Cache but home ended up in Mountain Park, where they raised five children. A spring crop starting with Rikki June, then Bedford Glen Jr. (Spud), followed by John Mark. Then a fall crop sprung up sometime later when Matthew Wade was born and Kristi Kim soon after. They lived in Mountain Park until moving a few miles down the road to Snyder when Mountain Park and Snyder schools consolidated.

Johnye was a dedicated mother raising five kids on a farmer’s pay which had its challenges but they always seemed to manage. All the kids would agree that mom was an interesting cook. If each of us closed our eyes for a moment, we can remember a home-cooked meal that Granny put on the table for us. It might be fried chicken, chicken fried steak, potato soup, bread pudding, and anything she cooked in the pressure cooker. Those pressure cooker stories would take too long to tell ...

Johnye helped in every way she could. She helped on the farm, chopping cotton, helping at the sale barn, or even pulling a calf or two. She also worked as a store clerk at Wanda’s dress shop in Snyder.

She loved to play games. Dominoes, Cards, and would beat the absolute tar out of anyone in Scrabble by playing three and four letter words. They both loved to fish and later in life they bought the farm we all know as the Parsons Place. I think they just loved the look of the mountains and it was a place that brought them both a lot of happiness.

After Glen’s passing Johnye loved spending time on long drives with various family members in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Many Sunday afternoons were spent looking at buffalo and longhorns but she was always in search of her spirit animal the roadrunner.

One thing we all know about Granny Kirk is that she didn’t have good rhythm. Lord only knows what was going through her mind as she be-bopped along humming tunes out-of-key and doing her famous leg kicks while at the same time being out-of-step. The more we have reminisced this week, we all agree, in Granny Kirk’s mind she was in perfect rhythm and time. As a side note, she couldn’t whistle worth 10 cents.

Johnye was a devoted wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Great-Great grandmother, friend, hospital laundry worker, farmer, sale barn worker, cotton chopper, fisherwoman, seamstress, store clerk, cook, collector of junk and driftwood, family doctor, and countless other adjectives that are all good. Wherever she is now, she still can’t whistle worth 10 cents.

In any conversation with her before she passed, she would always say about Glen “I sure miss that man.” Johnye June Dykes Kirk left this world on June 8, 2021, having lived nearly 96 years. She was the best of what this world has ever had to offer. If she were here now, we know she would say, “See, we don’t have ANY that aren’t pretty and they are all S-M-A-R-T.” Regardless of her partiality to us, she was the most non-judgmental person we have ever known and treated us all the same. We will miss her dearly. Forever with Glen, she is smiling down on us now.

Johnye was preceded in death by her parents John and Vivian Dykes, by her soulmate and husband Bedford Glen Kirk, daughter-in-law Patti Kirk, grandson-in-law Scott Schmidt.

Johnye is survived by her children: Rikki Willis and husband Wilson of Snyder, Bedford Glen Kirk Jr. (Spud) and wife Charlotte of Snyder, Mark Kirk of Chattanooga, Matt Kirk and wife Beth of Kamay, Texas, Kristi Woodward and husband Chad of McKinney, Texas.

Grandchildren include granddaughters: Lisa Dominguez and husband Mike of Stratford, Texas, Cara Thorn and husband Rick of Snyder, Angie Schmidt of Liberty Hill, Texas, Carmen McCorkle and Tommy of Snyder, Delia Gilbert and significant other Justin Frazier, DeAndra Martin and husband Seth currently residing in Italy; grandsons: John Kirk and significant other Malori Knutson of Oklahoma City, Barkley Kirk and wife Veronica of Chattanooga; granddaughters: Katie Williams and husband C.J. of Chattanooga, Nikki Igo and husband Eric of Tulsa, Emily Kirk of Chattanooga; grandsons: Ryland McNeil and wife Erika of Kamay, Texas, Taylor Kirk and fiancé Amanda Dawson of Wichita Falls, Texas, Elijah Kirk and significant other Katherine Fortner of Carrollton, Texas, and Ethan Kirk and significant other Miranda Noriega of McKinne, Texas.

Great- grandchildren include: Devan Dominguez, Mason Dominguez, Duncan Dominguez, Clay Thorn and wife Destiny, Shelby Thorn and husband Hunter, Emma Schmidt, Lawson McCorkle and fiancé Rachel Williamson, Kirklyn McCorkle, Sara Gilbert and fiancé Brady Neal, Colbie Gilbert, Spencer Gilbert, Ryan Martin, Logan Martin, Charlie Williams, Sam Williams, Lyanna Kirk, Navin Dawson, Ayden McNeil and Gavin McNeil.

Great- great-grandchildren include: Ashtyn Thorn, Alex Thorn, Ember Thorn, Cutter Barrett and Dali Barrett.