Nathan Cleveland White was born on August 5, 1932, the first child of Sarah Louisa Williams White and Cleveland Erance White in the rural community of Jackson, Okla., just a few miles out of Bennington.
Nathan was raised in a farming family, learning to plow behind a pair of horses at a very young age. Often he would ride his horse to and from the schoolhouse, returning home to plow until dark. Down the road and within close proximity to the house where he was raised were aunts and uncles and grandparents and cousins, that helped with thrashing peanuts, harvesting corn, pulling cotton while richly filling his life with memories of hard work and family. When he wasn’t working in the fields, he was playing baseball with the team from Jackson or hunting, two of his favorite past times.
Upon his graduation from Bennington High School in 1950, Nathan married his high school sweetheart, Lavern Medell, moved to West Texas and New Mexico to work alongside family members as they roughnecked in the oil fields. Eventually, he settled in Hobbs, N.M., and went to work for Southwestern Public Service Company. While his daughters were in school, he never missed a concert or a school activity in which they were involved.
Upon his retirement after 25 years of service to Southwestern, he fondly recalled that he only missed two days of work in all those years. Nathan was also a huge OU football fan. Nathan was a member of the Durant Church of Christ.
As both the oldest child and the oldest grandchild, Nathan always felt the responsibility of taking care of his family. Nathan was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Lavern Medell White. His siblings included Bonnie Louise White of Tyler, Texas, the late Lonnie Ray White of Seminole, Texas, and Larry Lee White and his wife Naomi of Bennington, Okla.
Nathan was a man of faith and will be remembered for loving his family and the Lord. The family would like to thank his neighbors Ronnie Burns and James Wheeler, his wonderful caregivers Carol Shelton, Robin Stevens, LaDonna Angelly and Jennie Maes as well as Dr Gregory Carlson, who provided a wonderful lifetime of care.
Nathan is survived by his two daughters, Laquita Boyd and her husband Bill of San Antonio, Texas, Belinda Pustka and her husband James of Moulton, Texas; two grandsons, Colin Boyd of Boerne, Texas and Cody Boyd and fiancé Erin Porter of San Antonio and one greatly beloved great-granddaughter, Campbell Kate Boyd.
A graveside service in honor of his memory was held Tuesday, March 23 at the Restland Cemetery in Boswell, Okla. with Layne Heitz officiating.
Services are under the direction of Holmes~Coffey~Murray Funeral Home in Durant, Okla. www.holmescoffeymurray.com
