James Marlin Epperson
October 16, 1926 - December 20, 2018
Obituary for James Marlin Epperson
James Marlin Epperson was born on Oct. 16 1926 near Okay, Oklahoma.
James’ parents were John Roy Epperson and Janie Newman Epperson. The couple divorced when James was about 2 years old, leaving James to be chiefly raised by his beloved grandfather, William Martin Epperson, and grandmother, Effie Parthena Epperson.
His childhood was spent primarily in northeastern Oklahoma, except for a brief stay in Arkansas when his family moved there to pursue farming. Back in Oklahoma, the family enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle until the Great Depression wiped out their savings and forced them to sell their land.
During that time, James spent his days going to public school and then working others’ fields with William Martin. James remembered those days fondly, despite the hard work and difficult living conditions. He cherished his time working beside his grandfather and learned lifetime lessons about the value of hard work, family, treating everyone with respect and living happy, despite hardships and challenges.
During his high school years, James excelled in the classroom and on the athletic field. He was a star baseball and basketball player. In fact, some of James’ athletic achievements were on display at the Okay school long after his graduation until the building burned many years later.
During the height of World War II, James at 17 years old left his senior year of high school to join the United State Navy. He told Navy enlisting officers he was 18, which his father confirmed, so he could fight for his country earlier than legally allowed.
During the war, James served in the Pacific Fleet on a cargo ship, the USS Whiteside. The ship survived many battles at sea and was engaged in the taking of Iowa Jima and Okinawa. Shortly after the US dropped the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, James and some of his shipmates were allowed to survey the area on foot, until the Navy determined high radioactivity levels made the area unsafe. James’ ship was planning for the invasion of the mainland of Japan when the War ended.
After the War, James returned to Okay. He planned to test out of his remaining high school studies with a GED certificate. But his basketball coach encouraged him to attend school instead so he could play sports. James agreed, grew a full beard and enjoyed terrifying younger opponents on the basketball court. His teammates referred to him “as the old man.” The team enjoyed one of its finest winning seasons.
After graduation, James was hired by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. It was a near-perfect match that lasted 40 years.
In 1953, James met the love of his life, Mary Lou Denton. They married after a 6-week storybook romance. Conventional wisdom declared the marriage wouldn’t last. It not only lasted, but bloomed beautifully over the years. They were married 65 years on Oct. 7, 2018.
The couple had a son, James Marlin Epperson Jr., on Nov. 9, 1955 in Tahlequah, OK. Jim Jr. said he knew every second of his life that his Dad loved him beyond measure.
James would attend annual float trips with many of Jim Junior’s friends and work associates. They floated the Illinois River (in flood stage), the Buffalo River in Arkansas and then settled on an annual trip to the Mulberry River in Arkansas. The Mulberry proved to be a delightful foe, resulting in frequent trips to the emergency room for treatment of cuts, scrapes, and sprained muscles. One such trip ended when James and a younger challenger raced wheel chairs in a hospital corridor.
James retired from Southwestern Bell in 1986. He served as a technician for about 20 years and then a supervisor for another 20 years. He worked in Muskogee, Tahlequah, Bristow, Cushing and Ponca City. During his career he made many life-long friends, including Henry Sadler, Mac Harris and Joe Farmer.
Mary Lou and James moved back to the Tahlequah area a few years after his retirement. They relished living near family and friends.
1. James is survived by his wife, Mary Lou; son and daughter-in-law James Marlin Epperson Jr. and Deborah; grand-daughter Janie Marie Epperson; grandson James Marlin Epperson III; great-grandson Robert Anthony De Jesus; great-grandson James Marlin Epperson IV (and when James has a son, he shall be named James Marlin Epperson V, after his great-great-grandfather, The Lion King).
James’ parents were John Roy Epperson and Janie Newman Epperson. The couple divorced when James was about 2 years old, leaving James to be chiefly raised by his beloved grandfather, William Martin Epperson, and grandmother, Effie Parthena Epperson.
His childhood was spent primarily in northeastern Oklahoma, except for a brief stay in Arkansas when his family moved there to pursue farming. Back in Oklahoma, the family enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle until the Great Depression wiped out their savings and forced them to sell their land.
During that time, James spent his days going to public school and then working others’ fields with William Martin. James remembered those days fondly, despite the hard work and difficult living conditions. He cherished his time working beside his grandfather and learned lifetime lessons about the value of hard work, family, treating everyone with respect and living happy, despite hardships and challenges.
During his high school years, James excelled in the classroom and on the athletic field. He was a star baseball and basketball player. In fact, some of James’ athletic achievements were on display at the Okay school long after his graduation until the building burned many years later.
During the height of World War II, James at 17 years old left his senior year of high school to join the United State Navy. He told Navy enlisting officers he was 18, which his father confirmed, so he could fight for his country earlier than legally allowed.
During the war, James served in the Pacific Fleet on a cargo ship, the USS Whiteside. The ship survived many battles at sea and was engaged in the taking of Iowa Jima and Okinawa. Shortly after the US dropped the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, James and some of his shipmates were allowed to survey the area on foot, until the Navy determined high radioactivity levels made the area unsafe. James’ ship was planning for the invasion of the mainland of Japan when the War ended.
After the War, James returned to Okay. He planned to test out of his remaining high school studies with a GED certificate. But his basketball coach encouraged him to attend school instead so he could play sports. James agreed, grew a full beard and enjoyed terrifying younger opponents on the basketball court. His teammates referred to him “as the old man.” The team enjoyed one of its finest winning seasons.
After graduation, James was hired by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. It was a near-perfect match that lasted 40 years.
In 1953, James met the love of his life, Mary Lou Denton. They married after a 6-week storybook romance. Conventional wisdom declared the marriage wouldn’t last. It not only lasted, but bloomed beautifully over the years. They were married 65 years on Oct. 7, 2018.
The couple had a son, James Marlin Epperson Jr., on Nov. 9, 1955 in Tahlequah, OK. Jim Jr. said he knew every second of his life that his Dad loved him beyond measure.
James would attend annual float trips with many of Jim Junior’s friends and work associates. They floated the Illinois River (in flood stage), the Buffalo River in Arkansas and then settled on an annual trip to the Mulberry River in Arkansas. The Mulberry proved to be a delightful foe, resulting in frequent trips to the emergency room for treatment of cuts, scrapes, and sprained muscles. One such trip ended when James and a younger challenger raced wheel chairs in a hospital corridor.
James retired from Southwestern Bell in 1986. He served as a technician for about 20 years and then a supervisor for another 20 years. He worked in Muskogee, Tahlequah, Bristow, Cushing and Ponca City. During his career he made many life-long friends, including Henry Sadler, Mac Harris and Joe Farmer.
Mary Lou and James moved back to the Tahlequah area a few years after his retirement. They relished living near family and friends.
1. James is survived by his wife, Mary Lou; son and daughter-in-law James Marlin Epperson Jr. and Deborah; grand-daughter Janie Marie Epperson; grandson James Marlin Epperson III; great-grandson Robert Anthony De Jesus; great-grandson James Marlin Epperson IV (and when James has a son, he shall be named James Marlin Epperson V, after his great-great-grandfather, The Lion King).
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Upcoming Events
Funeral Service
DEC 26.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Green Country Funeral Home Chapel
203 S. Commercial Rd
Tahlequah, OK, US
Cemetery Details
Tahlequah City Cemetery
Tahlequah, OK, 74464
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