Obituary of Roger Marion Holden

Roger Marion Holden was promoted to the heavens on January 3, 2019 to be eternally happy and healthy with Christ. He was born on April 15, 1933 in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, to Sherman and Bessie Holden, to whom he was the second to youngest of nine children. In high school he chose the same path as many other young men his age during that time and joined the military, choosing to serve in the United States Navy. In the Navy he was a fireman stationed on the aircraft carrier, the USS Coral Sea.  

After his service in the Navy he came back to Oklahoma to live in Tulsa, where he met and married Gecene Marshall in January of 1954. After moving to Texas to try his hand at work in the oil fields, they moved back to Oklahoma, finally settling in Claremore where they raised three children. Roger worked as a carpenter for Rockwell International from where he eventually retired after thirty-four years of hard and dedicated work.

During that time Roger also divorced and moved to Talala, Oklahoma, where he eventually met and married Cecelia Sue Dildine in November of 1990. Over the next 28 years he enjoyed retirement by spending time with family and friends while traveling, camping and fishing. What he most enjoyed were the summers he spent in Montana, helping out on his sister Bernice’s ranch while enjoying the quiet seclusion of the Highwood Mountain range. 

Roger loved animals and his love of animals, particularly horses, were passed down to his children. He was an active member of the Claremore Round-Up Club, and supporter of his children and grandchildren in their 4-H horse shows. He loved music, especially bluegrass, and traveled yearly with friends to camp out for a week at the Mobeetie Texas Bluegrass Festival. And if you couldn’t find him outside tinkering around on a carpentry or metal project, he would likely be inside the house reading a book by his favorite author, Louis L'Amour.  Above all Roger loved the Lord. He attended church regularly where he loved to sing the classic hymns, and have fellowship with his friends. He was a kind man who never met a stranger and lent help to anyone who needed it.   

Roger is preceded in death by his parents Sherman and Bessie, sisters Elizabeth, Mary, Laverne, Betty Mae, Olive, Bernice, his brother John and son-in-law Wayne. He is survived by his wife, Sue Holden of Talala, his sister Elsie Adams of Owasso, his children Tom Holden of Vinita, Stacey Harvey with husband Larry of Claremore, Rebecca Holden of Claremore, Bridy Hicks with husband Jason of Pawnee and Mary Pruitt of Vinita. He is also survived by grandchildren Kyle Harvey, Blake Harvey, Lyndsey Harvey, Ryan Prather and Casey Prather, along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.  Roger was always proudest of his children and grandchildren.