Edward R Locke

Edward R. Locke went home to be with the Lord on May 10, 2007 at the age of 82 years 2 months and 17 days. He was at the Purcell Municipal Hospital at the time of his death. Private services were held at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Hugo OK on May 14, 2007 with Rev. Tom Logan of Shreveport LA, a long time friend officiating. Wadley’s Funeral Service of Purcell assisted with the interment. He was born March 23, 1925 in Messer OK, the 10^th of 11 children to Wilson and Susan Hampton Locke. Ed was very proud of his Choctaw Indian blood and was proud to be a member of the Choctaw Indian Nation. He attended school in Hugo until World War II at which time he joined the Army and was assigned to “The Bushmasters”, the 158^th Regimental Combat Team. He made his first landing in Leyte, Philippines. Ed was a rifleman 745 and carried the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). While in battle at Luzon he was injured and awarded the Purple Heart along with the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon, three Bronze Service Stars, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, Bronze Arrowhead, Good Conduct Ribbon and the Victory Ribbon.

He returned home to Hugo and assumed his fathers profession of carpenter and woodworker. On June 1, 1948 he married Dessie J Wade in Paris TX and eight years later they had one child, Edwina. Ed was a self-employed home builder until his early retirement in 1984. He also farmed and raised cattle. In 2002 by an act of the State Legislature he was awarded his long deserved high school diploma from Supt. M. Wayne Maxwell and Rep. Art Schofield of the Oklahoma Department of Education. Ed became a Purcell High School graduate, in cap and gown.

He enjoyed traveling to his East and West Army Reunion to visit with his comrades in arms. On Nov. 11, 1995 he marched with hundreds of World War II veterans down 5^th Avenue in New York City in remembrance of the 50^th anniversary. Ed is preceded in death by his parents and nine of his siblings. He is survived by his wife, Dessie of 58 years 11 months and 8 days; his daughter, Edwina and her partner, Rocky Waller; his grandson, Edward Meyers and his wife, Crystal; one great-granddaughter, Kira and one sister Ernestine Locke.