DELBERT HENRY BARNUM

March 3, 1929 to July 18, 2022

The Village, Oklahoma

Delbert's Obituary

Barnum, Delbert Henry, of The Village, 93, died July 18, 2022. Born March 3, 1929, 6 miles north of Fairview and 9 miles west – he was born and raised on a farm called Cheyenne Valley, west of the Gloss Mountains, to the parents of Elden and Verna Barnum.

At the age of 9, traveling with Mom and Dad by a team and wagon to Fairview, OK – then a dirt road, called highway 15. Dad would pull over and let a Model A Ford go by. I would say, why do some people have their windows rolled up? Dad would say there are two reasons, number one is they would not get dirty from dust, number two, they have a cooler on their window. The cooling business entered my mind. I was blind to the future and could not see.

At the age of 13, I was blind spiritually and could not see, here came Jesus into my life, now I see.

At the age of 18, I was blind as to who would be my lifelong mate. At the age of 25, on November 21, 1953, Jessie Cunningham and I were married. Blind at 18, now I see at 25. Our love for each other, our church, and our love for Jesus Christ has kept our marriage together all these years. One thing we know, that whereas we were both blind, we now clearly see.

After high school – followed the wheat harvest with Jr. Wrights crew. Starting in western Oklahoma-Kansas-Nebraska-South Dakota ended up in North Dakota. Most interesting was North Dakota, the farmer had 7 blind children ranging from 21 to 9 years old. We were told to sit in the same place each day so the girls could learn our names.

Next 2 years helping dad and neighbors with farming. Next came the first year of college at Alva State Teachers College. Next came the U.S. Navy, for two years stationed at submarine base in Pearl Harbor. Here the government paid for further education at University of Hawaii. After the Navy came Oklahoma A&M college, then to University of Oklahoma City.

My tour of duty with the Navy started with Pearl Harbor, the The USS Burton Island, an ice breaker to the N. Pole. In 1953 I married the love of my life, Jessie M. Cunningham, a telephone operator from Enid, Oklahoma. We then went to Long Beach, California to finish my tour of duty on the USS Burton Island to the Arctic.

On November 1, 1966, Jessie and I entered into the Heating and Air Conditioning business, ending in 2002. In 1971, we wanted a second home on Lake Texoma. We wanted an acreage next to a black top road, in a small community, water, electricity, lots of trees, and a clear pond in the back of the acreage. We were not blind as to what our dreams were but could not see where. In 1975, driving blindly by the property for four years, we purchased the property. Now we see our dream home come true.

He is preceded in death by both of his parents Eldon and Verna Barnum, brother Harlin Barnum, and sister Shirley Barrowman. He leaves behind his wife, Jessie Barnum; his brother, Marvin Barnum; his daughter, Cindy Barnum and son, Keith Barnum (and wife, Stella); his four grandchildren, Cody Scruggs (and wife, Lisa), Jennifer Coleman (and husband, Ryan), Kristin Dabrowski (and husband, David), Melanie Lovelace (and husband, Robert); his three bonus grandchildren, Miranda Martinez (and husband, Marc), Devin Overstreet and Nathan McWhorter; his five great-grandchildren, Grace Frisby, Reed Coleman, Faith Frisby, Jack Lovelace, and Cameran Lovelace. Delbert is also survived by many nieces and nephews with whom he loved very much. Memorial services will be held at Demuth Funeral Home chapel, Friday, August 19, 2022, at 10:00A.M.