Thelma Randall

Born in Counsel Grove, Kansas, December 11, 1922 to Arthur William Woods and Myrtle Mae (Pierce) Woods; she resided there until she was one year old. In 1923, the family relocated to Lenapah, Oklahoma and lived there until Thelma was 4 years old. Her brother, George Wesley was born in 1924 and a second brother, Arthur Wayne was born November 2, 1926. Thelma's sister, Dortha Maria was born March 14, 1928. From 1926-1928 the family lived on the Charlie Babb place, out in the country, on the eastside of Nowata. Thelma attended her 1st and 2nd grades at a one-room school house called the Armstrong School. In 1929 the family moved to the Couch place on Salt Creek. She attended the Salt Creek School 3rd through 7th grades. She attended a one-room school house called the Lee Square School. Thelma graduated from the 8th Grade at Lee Square in 1935. Her teacher taught 1st through 8th grades. That is the same school Charles, her first husband, graduated from 8th grade, two years earlier. Thelma went to school at the Old Alluwe School from 9th through 12th grades. Her third brother, James Delbert, "J.D." was born March 10, 1935. Thelma's family moved to Ross Bachlor's place in 1936. Charles and Thelma (Woods) Cope were married February 15, 1941. They bought their first home on 406 Webster Street in Petaluma.CA in 1943. On February 15, 1943, Charles Colin was born. To their delight and surprise twin girls, Linda Lea and Lena M. were born April 29, 1944, just 14 months after their brother. World War II was raging and Charles thought he would be drafted and he did not want to leave Thelma with three babies to care for alone. The family relocated back to Nowata, Oklahoma in the spring of 1945. They lived on the Herd place when they first came back from California. In 1947 he bought their little Nowata house on the corner of Mississippi and Sequoyah. Charles built the little rental house on Sequoyah in 1955. The draft finally caught up with Charles, but he ended up not being drafted because a new law had just been passed that if you had 3 or more children, you did not have to go into the Army. Thelma went to work at the Nowata Clinic after she completed her license practical nursing. Maggie Albert baby-sat the three children while Thelma worked. Mrs. Albert use to take the kids to her 7th Day Adventist Church which met on Saturday mornings. Aunt Geraldine Woods was their next baby-sitter. Aunt Geraldine used to make them a cake with peanut butter frosting and they loved it. Thelma started working when Colin was 4 and Linda and Lena was 3 years old. They had babysitters until they entered first grade. Charles left Nowata in April 1956 to look for a place for his family to live in Chicago, Illinois. Colin had just finished 7th Grade and Lena and Linda had just finished 6th Grade. The big city of Chicago was overwhelming for the kids at first, coming from such a small town in Nowata of approximately 4,000 people. People talked funny in Chicago and the children wanted to get rid of their Oklahoma draw as soon as possible because the kids in school in Chicago made fun of the way they talked. The family moved to Chicago on Carpenter Street in June of 1956. The family then moved into a blond-brick house in a suburb of Chicago in 1958 which they liked better. In 1959 the family moved to Canterbury Gardens in Markham, Illinois and liked living on the south-side suburb of Chicago even more. Thelma worked many years in the laboratory at Woodland hospital after the family moved to Chicago, Illinois. When they moved to Markham, in the suburbs she worked at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in the laboratory. In 1963-4 Thelma moved back to Nowata, Oklahoma after her and Charles separated. Due to her many years of experience in Illinois, the doctors had her head up a new laboratory in Nowata. Prior to this time, there had been no lab in Nowata. She trained many new lab technicians. She worked in the laboratory at the Nowata Clinic until it closed in 1972. Charles and Thelma were married 24 years before their divorce in 1965. Charles retired in 1981 at age 61. Thelma Cope and Bill Randall dated a couple of years before they were married. They met each other through Thelma's brother, Wayne Woods. Thelma and Bill were married September 27, 1965. Thelma and Bill bought 58 acres in Delaware, Oklahoma, on April 19, 1972. They bought a mobile home from Pete Harvey and put it on the property in 1972. In 1985 they built on to the mobile home and have had a spacious home to enjoy. Bill reluctantly put Thelma into the Nowata Nursing Center, February 14, 2011. She has had Alzheimer's disease first starting in 1990. She started to deteriorate more quickly since December 25, 2010. On March 1st, Thelma spent 10 days at Renaissance in Craig General Hospital in Vinita to help get her medications adjusted. She returned to the Nowata Nursing Center on March 10th. Dorothy Scott, Director of Nowata Nursing Center, the nurses and staff have taken excellent care of Thelma for the past 10 months. Jean Donner, Director of Nursing and the other nurses kept Linda updated when she called weekly. Her family and friends want to say thank you for your loving care and skilled nursing. You became a part of our family. Bill was so faithful and loving with his visits two to three times a day. We rejoice in sorrow because we know she accepted Jesus Christ into her heart many years ago. God blessed her with a wonderful family and 89 years to enjoy them. Bill and Thelma were married 46 years. We will miss her. The Hope of the Resurrection-And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died. I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet Him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Visitation Details

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 12:00pm - 9:00pm, Benjamin Funeral Home

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 8:00am - 9:00pm, Benjamin Funeral Home

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011 8:15am - 12:00pm, Benjamin Funeral Home

Service Details

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011 2:00pm, Nowata Memorial Park Cemetery

Interment Details

Nowata Memorial Park Cemetery