Darlean Myles Rankin

Darlean Myles Rankin, age 85, passed away Fri­day, December 21, 2012, at Ardmore. Services will be held at 10:30 a..m., Friday, December 28, 2012, at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Ardmore, Okla. with the Reverend Wilmer Cooper officiating. Inter­ment to follow at Clear­view Cemetery, Ardmore, Okla.

Darlean was born on October 1, 1927, at Hope, Arkansas, to Katherine Mills Green and the Rev­erend Nathaniel Myles. She was the oldest of 20 children. Darlean and her family moved to Homer, Louisiana. At the age of 10 years, at Shiloh Baptist Church, she confessed her love for Christ. She lived most of her young life and attended school in Loui­siana.

In 1969, she moved to Ardmore, Okla. Darlean is the mother of 14 wonder­ful children. She joined the Mt. Zion Missionary Bap­tist Church at Ardmore, Okla., in 1969 under the leadership of Reverend E.C. Beatty and was still an active member in her final passing days. She was very active in her church and faithfully attended services and served as a member of the Women’s Mission­ary Society, the adult choir, and the Usher Board. She loved attending services and praising the Lord. She was active in the Chicka­saw District and served as a grandparent to a host of children here in Ardmore and Will Rogers Elemen­tary School for 12 years.

Darlean was a great ad­vocate for children and faithfully supported her sports teams in Ardmore. She didn’t miss a game when her health allowed her to attend.

She is preceded in death by her parents; two daugh­ters, Gloria Myles and El­len Sanders Means; and a son who passed at birth.

She leaves to cherish her in memory and celebrate her life eight daughters, Doris Myles and Carrie Horton, both of Ardmore, Okla., Katherine Stub­blefield and Ruby Dean Brown, both of Chicago, Ill., Mary Ann Owens and Joyce Faye Baker, both of Shawnee, Okla., Deborah Michelle Sanders of Kan­sas City, Mo., and Dawn Rankin of Excaliber, Mo.; three sons, John Dale Traylor, Jr. of Ardmore, Okla., Roosevelt Stewart of Louisiana, and Elvin Louis Sanders of Shaw­nee, Okla. Included among her 50 grandchildren are four who she helped raise; Nateia Sanders-Means and Billy Sanders, both of Ardmore, Okla., Nathan Sanders of Edmond, Okla., and LaQuasha Sanders of Irving, Texas; 100 great­grandchildren; 26 great­great grandchildren; sis­ters, Jessie Green of Wolf City, Texas, Geraldine Needham and Eliza Smith, both of Dallas, Texas, Alma Harris and Mary Washing­ton, both of Louisiana, and Nadine Myles of Kansas City, Mo.; brothers, Clinton Stevenson, Jethro Green, and Lester B. Green, all of Louisiana; a host of nieces and nephews. Family visi­tation will be from 6 until 8 p.m., Thursday evening, December 27, 2012, at Griffin-Hillcrest, Ardmore, Okla.

Condolences may be left at www.Griffin-Hillcrest­FH.com.