Juanita Smith Vance

Juanita S. Vance was born on November 21, 1920 in Skedee, Oklahoma to Edward R. Smith and Lillie Mae Adkinson Smith. She passed from this life on Saturday, June 15, 2013 in Pawnee, Oklahoma having reached the age of 92 years, 6 months, and 25 days. She was surrounded by her family in her final hours and went peacefully to be with her Savior. Juanita attended Skedee School where she enjoyed playing basketball. After graduating from Skedee School, she began college at Oklahoma A & M, now Oklahoma State University, and on December 7, 1941 when she heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor she sent a postcard to her parents saying that she felt the world would never be the same after that and wanted to do her part to help so she moved to Wichita Kansas and worked at the Boeing Plant building fighter planes. Juanita was a real life “Rosie the Riverter.” She told of an incident where her riveting machine misfired and she sent a rivet through a bullet proof glass. After the war Juanita came back home and went to beauty school. When Walter Vance came back from POW camp in Japan the two passed on the sidewalk in Skedee and they both saw fireworks. They eloped and returned to Skedee to start a business and raise their family. Walter and Juanita had four children but lost the youngest, “Cody Bill” Keith in a fall. They had four more children and in 1965 Walter went to work as an inspector for the State Highway Department and they moved their family to the southern part of Oklahoma during road construction projects. In 1967 they moved to Sand Springs during the construction of the Cimarron Turnpike, and in 1981 Walter retired and they moved back to Skedee. After Walter was diagnosed with cancer and he talked Juanita into getting her first driver’s license. After he passed away on September 16, 1984, Juanita began a new chapter of her life becoming more involved in church and community. She enjoyed going to minister at the nursing home with her church group from the Skedee United Methodist Church. She joined White Rose Extension Homemakers group, Pawnee County Historical Society, and was a volunteer at the Free Clinic and local food bank, and the county fair. Juanita was an avid crocheter, a seamstress, a beginning knitter, and took tatting lessons. She won many blue ribbons at the County Fair for her baking, canning, sewing, crocheting and tatting. She enjoyed getting together with her sisters and playing Farkle into the wee hours of the morning. Betty Kitchen was her nearest and dearest friend in Skedee and they also would get together and play Farkle. Anyone that went to visit her had to play at least one round of Farkle and maybe a few games of cribbage. She also enjoyed watching sports on television later in life. She was a big OSU fan and enjoyed going to the games in Stillwater to cheer for the Pawnee Pistol, Keiton Page. She was also a Thunder fan and especially rooted for Kevin Durant. Juanita is survived by: 7 Children:Walter E. Vance & his wife, Marie, rural Pawnee, Oklahoma Louise Iron & her husband, Leon Eldridge, Tulsa, Oklahoma Dale Vance & his wife, Nona, rural Pawnee, Oklahoma Joe Vance & his wife, Brenda, Skedee, Oklahoma Allen Vance, rural Pawnee, Oklahoma Carla Edwards & her husband, Randy, rural Pawnee, Oklahoma Debbie Robinson & her husband, Chris, Catawba, Virginia 25 Grandchildren 49 Great Grandchildren 4 Great-Great Grandchildren Plus a number of other relatives and friends. Besides her husband, Walter “Bubby”, she was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, and her son, Keith. Services will be held 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at the Family Worship Center, Pawnee, Oklahoma, with Rev. Ricky Edwards officiating. Interment will be at Highland Cemetery, Pawnee, Oklahoma, under the direction of Poteet Funeral Home, Pawnee, Oklahoma.