Funeral services for Ozell Beams, 93, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at the Wilson-Little Funeral Home Chapel. Viewing will be held on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. Services will be under the direction of the Wilson-Little Funeral Home in Purcell.
Mr. Beams passed away at his home, surrounded by his family on October 29, 2023.
Ozell was born March 10, 1930 on the family farm, to Joe and Ruth (Kinney) Beams. Ozell was the oldest of three sons. His brothers include Bill from Pauls Valley and Gayle and wife, Patricia, from Judson, Texas.
Ozell fell in love with and married Betty Oldham on December 5, 1949. He said he often made the trip to see her while they were dating on his John Deere Tractor. Ozell and Betty had two children, a daughter, Sherry Sharp from Wayne and a son, Kenneth from Perkins. Ozell and Betty were blessed with a son-in-law, Stanley Sharp and a daughter-in-law,Belinda Beams, and they loved them like their own.
Ozell worked hard his entire life. He was constantly thinking, measuring and calculating how to build a better tool, device or piece of equipment that could do a job better, faster and more efficiently. Some of his inventions were remarkable although it might require a tractor to lift some of them! He liked to build things sturdy and stout to say the least, and he always kept a pad and pencil nearby to start designing the next project.
Ozell and Betty ran a small dairy for a short time early on, and then he was in the oil field business for a few years. From there, he was employed at Burford Inc. in Maysville, where he became an outstanding welder. After a few years, he was promoted to a supervisor position. Later on, he worked at Mid-America Career Tech at night, in order to spend more time with his purebred cattle operations during the day.
After encouragement from his good friend, Don Harper, Ozell invested in Limousin purebred cattle in 1978. He was a member of the Oklahoma and the National Limousin Association from 1978-2019 when he dispersed his herd. Besides his grandkids, the thing that brought him the most joy was showing his bulls and heifers at national livestock shows. Ozell had several grand and reserve grand champion bulls and heifers at major livestock shows such as Denver, Kansas City, Ft. Worth, Houston and Louisville. He loved Limousin cattle and had many lifelong friends due to his association with them in the cattle industry.
Ozell was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Ruth Beams; his son-in-law, Stanley Sharp and several brothers and sisters-in-law.
Survivors include his wife, Betty; his daughter, Sherry Sharp of Wayne; his son, Kenneth Beams and wife, Belinda, of Perkins; his four grandchildren, Travis Beams and wife, Amy, of Yukon, Dustin Beams and wife, C.C., also of Yukon, Grant Gleckler and wife, Rita, of Purcell and Bailey Minyen and husband, Ryan, also of Purcell; 15 great-grandchildren, Natalie, Greyson, Brooklyn and Blakely Beams, Clancey and Hudson Kent, Jovey, Lucy, Dax and Tyler Minyen, Aeris and Easton Gleckler, Zoe Toole, Cade Lee and Reagan Stanfield; many nieces and nephews and other friends and relatives that he loved very much.
The family would like to express their sincere thanks and gratitude to the Chickasaw Nation Clinic and Pharmacy and Traditions Home Health Care and Hospice Services. Also, the many nurses, doctors and health care professionals for their dedication and the love they showed to Ozell over the past few days, months and years. Bless you and thank you!
Online condolences may be made at www.wilsonlittle.com.
