June 26, 1940 - April 8, 2022
James “Jim” Edward Stokes of Yale passed away on Friday, April 8, 2022 at Hillcrest Main Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was 81. Born June 26, 1940 in his grandfather’s house at Glencoe, Oklahoma, Jim was the son of Albert Walter and Doris Emma Lou Margaret (Halm) Stokes. He attended school at Ingalls and Ripley graduating from Ripley High School in 1960.
After graduation, he attended Oklahoma State Tech in Okmulgee where he completed baking school in 1961. He worked as a baker at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Wilcoxon Grocery Store in Cushing and Fleming’s IGA Store in Stillwater until 1963 when he was drafted into the service.
He did his basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana then went to Fort Sam Houston, Texas for advanced individual training for 12 weeks, graduating as a medical corpsman. He was stationed in Germany where he spent 18 months as a line medic for the 6th Missile Battalion 32nd Artillery Brigade 52nd Air Defense.
Upon discharge in 1965, he settled in Stillwater and worked at OSU until 1968 and also for Evans and Associates doing road construction. He later moved to Yale. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves until September 1969.
On May 5, 1974, he married Doris Ann (Wieland) Murphy Highfield. To this union, a daughter, Angelique, was born on Dec. 15, 1974. She passed away on Sept. 29, 1975.
He began working for the City of Stillwater in the sanitation department in 1975 and retired in 1999.
He was a member of American Legion Post #161 in Yale and the Bible Baptist Church in Stillwater.
Besides his daughter, he was preceded in death by his father in June 1974; his mother in October 1984; his wife in January 2004; his sister Retha Marie Waye in January 1997; another sister Sandra Kay Treat in March 1992 and a brother-in-law Cecil Leon Waye in September 1997.
Survivors include two nieces Valicisa Stokes-Kendrick of Pratt, Kansas and Regina Kendrick of Pawnee; a nephew Leon Waye; five step-children Jackie Blackwell and husband Roy of Yale; Patti Harris and husband Mike of Cushing; Larry Highfield of Yale; Judy Kline of Stillwater and Terry Highfield and wife Tammie of Bristow; plus numerous step-grandchildren and stepgreat grandchildren.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Palmer Marler Funeral Home of Yale. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
