Obituary for Dorothy Claudine Friend
Dorothy Claudine Lafferty Friend, 98, of Stillwater, OK, passed away Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022 in Stillwater. A memorial service will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, December 10, 2022 at the Stillwater First United Methodist Church with the Reverend Kyle Anderson officiating. She will be inurned in the Stillwater First United Methodist Church Columbarium. The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed by going to https://youtu.be/woQ5rXNfE8U. Strode Funeral Home and Cremation is in charge of the arrangements.
Dorothy was born December 1, 1923, in Foyil, Oklahoma, the daughter of Lloyd Angus and Mamie Josephine (Vincent) Lafferty. She grew up in the community of Foyil and graduated from Foyil High School in 1942. As a young girl, she played on the high school basketball team, sang in the school quartet, and developed a passion for writing poetry and playing the piano. Her mother was her first piano teacher and the first hymn she learned to play was Jesus Saves. Soon she began playing hymns at the Foyil Methodist Church for Sunday morning service, Sunday evening Epworth League, and Wednesday night prayer meetings. As a teenager, Dorothy and her sister Jean took on the responsibility of “cleaning girls” for the church for twenty-five cents each per week. Her sister would tell you Dorothy spent more time playing the piano than cleaning the church.
In the Summer of 1942, she moved with her family to Stillwater, Oklahoma. There she became a member of the First Methodist Church and began singing in the church choir. In the Fall, she enrolled in the School of Commerce at Oklahoma A&M College, took a secretarial position at Whitehurst Hall, and joined the A&M Symphonic Choir. She graduated with a degree in Secretarial Administration in 1946 and continued working at Oklahoma A&M College.
On March 18, 1951, Dorothy married Jonathan David Friend at the First United Methodist in Stillwater.
They had three children; Lucinda, Jonathan, and Jennifer. She was a devoted wife and mother and enjoyed hosting family gatherings with her extended family. On holidays, Dorothy would sit at the piano and play hymns to entertain her family and friends, or you might have found her outside in the driveway shooting hoops with her grandchildren. Dorothy was a big fan of the OSU Cowboys, attending many football and basketball games, and annual homecoming parades. She continued to be an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Stillwater for many years and sang in the church choir, played the piano for her Sunday school class, and was a member of the United Methodist Women. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, and the Alpha Delta Phi and Beta Sigma Phi sororities. True to her love for music, she sang in the OSU President’s Masterworks Choir.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband Jonathan; one brother, Lloyd E. Lafferty; and sisters, Jean O’Halloran, and Ruth Ann Baker. She is survived by her three children; Lucinda Rarick (Ron), Jonathan Friend II (Mary Jane), and Jennifer Robinson (Kerry). She is also survived by her grandchildren; John C. Rarick, Ryan Friend (Leigh), Natalie Friend Waters (Aaron), Michael Moore (Susanne), Travis Moore (Kobie), Hunter Robinson (Candice), Heath Robinson (Teresa), and Wyatt Robinson. She is further survived by her great grandchildren; Mason Friend, Luke Friend, Ella Waters, Collyns Waters, Caroline Moore, Hudson Moore, Thatcher Moore, Crosby Moore, Tanner Robinson, Makenzie Robinson, Harper Robinson, and Cecilia Robinson. A heartfelt thank you from the family goes to Robin Hathcock for the incredible care and companionship she lovingly bestowed upon Dorothy for 12 years. The family would also like to thank the personnel at Golden Oaks Village and Stillwater Creek Skilled Nursing for their kindness and care.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her name to the First United Methodist Church, Mission Fund, 400 W. 7th Ave., Stillwater, OK 74074 OR the family requests that memorials be made to the OSU Foundation and designated to the Jonathan and Dorothy Friend Fund for Veterinary Medicine Library. Checks should be made payable to the OSU Foundation and mailed to PO Box 1749, Stillwater, OK 74076-1749. Memorial donations can also be made online at www.osugiving.com.
Condolences may be mailed to the family or e-mailed to friendjmj@gmail.com, and an online obituary may be viewed by visiting www.Strodefh.com.
Dorothy was born December 1, 1923, in Foyil, Oklahoma, the daughter of Lloyd Angus and Mamie Josephine (Vincent) Lafferty. She grew up in the community of Foyil and graduated from Foyil High School in 1942. As a young girl, she played on the high school basketball team, sang in the school quartet, and developed a passion for writing poetry and playing the piano. Her mother was her first piano teacher and the first hymn she learned to play was Jesus Saves. Soon she began playing hymns at the Foyil Methodist Church for Sunday morning service, Sunday evening Epworth League, and Wednesday night prayer meetings. As a teenager, Dorothy and her sister Jean took on the responsibility of “cleaning girls” for the church for twenty-five cents each per week. Her sister would tell you Dorothy spent more time playing the piano than cleaning the church.
In the Summer of 1942, she moved with her family to Stillwater, Oklahoma. There she became a member of the First Methodist Church and began singing in the church choir. In the Fall, she enrolled in the School of Commerce at Oklahoma A&M College, took a secretarial position at Whitehurst Hall, and joined the A&M Symphonic Choir. She graduated with a degree in Secretarial Administration in 1946 and continued working at Oklahoma A&M College.
On March 18, 1951, Dorothy married Jonathan David Friend at the First United Methodist in Stillwater.
They had three children; Lucinda, Jonathan, and Jennifer. She was a devoted wife and mother and enjoyed hosting family gatherings with her extended family. On holidays, Dorothy would sit at the piano and play hymns to entertain her family and friends, or you might have found her outside in the driveway shooting hoops with her grandchildren. Dorothy was a big fan of the OSU Cowboys, attending many football and basketball games, and annual homecoming parades. She continued to be an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Stillwater for many years and sang in the church choir, played the piano for her Sunday school class, and was a member of the United Methodist Women. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, and the Alpha Delta Phi and Beta Sigma Phi sororities. True to her love for music, she sang in the OSU President’s Masterworks Choir.
She was preceded in death by her parents and husband Jonathan; one brother, Lloyd E. Lafferty; and sisters, Jean O’Halloran, and Ruth Ann Baker. She is survived by her three children; Lucinda Rarick (Ron), Jonathan Friend II (Mary Jane), and Jennifer Robinson (Kerry). She is also survived by her grandchildren; John C. Rarick, Ryan Friend (Leigh), Natalie Friend Waters (Aaron), Michael Moore (Susanne), Travis Moore (Kobie), Hunter Robinson (Candice), Heath Robinson (Teresa), and Wyatt Robinson. She is further survived by her great grandchildren; Mason Friend, Luke Friend, Ella Waters, Collyns Waters, Caroline Moore, Hudson Moore, Thatcher Moore, Crosby Moore, Tanner Robinson, Makenzie Robinson, Harper Robinson, and Cecilia Robinson. A heartfelt thank you from the family goes to Robin Hathcock for the incredible care and companionship she lovingly bestowed upon Dorothy for 12 years. The family would also like to thank the personnel at Golden Oaks Village and Stillwater Creek Skilled Nursing for their kindness and care.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her name to the First United Methodist Church, Mission Fund, 400 W. 7th Ave., Stillwater, OK 74074 OR the family requests that memorials be made to the OSU Foundation and designated to the Jonathan and Dorothy Friend Fund for Veterinary Medicine Library. Checks should be made payable to the OSU Foundation and mailed to PO Box 1749, Stillwater, OK 74076-1749. Memorial donations can also be made online at www.osugiving.com.
Condolences may be mailed to the family or e-mailed to friendjmj@gmail.com, and an online obituary may be viewed by visiting www.Strodefh.com.