Obituary for Iris Gayle Westfall
Iris Gayle (Northam) Westfall, age 77, died Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at her home in Glencoe, Oklahoma. Funeral services officiated by her husband Darrell and son Rusty will begin at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 24, 2023 at the Strode Funeral Home Chapel, with a short graveside service following in Osage Cemetery in Agra, Oklahoma. Strode Funeral Home and Cremation is in charge of the arrangements.
Iris was born April 8, 1946, at Artesia General Hospital in Artesia, New Mexico to Thurman Norris Northam and Hotona Lucille (Hendrix) Northam. She is survived by her husband Darrell Westfall; her sons Rusty Westfall of St. Louis, Missouri and Lance Westfall of Vancouver, Canada; two older brothers Thurman Ray Northam and Roy Dale Northam, both residing in Houston, Texas; and her sister Brenda Irene Allen of Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Iris also leaves behind six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her older sister Carol Lucille Ruggles of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Iris graduated from Artesia High school in 1964 and attended Eastern New Mexico University for 2 years before transferring to the University of Arkansas. There she graduated with honors after obtaining a full scholarship and graduated with a BA in music education. She went on to teach music in Portales, New Mexico, Amarillo, Texas, and Olive, Oklahoma.
On January 26, 1968, she married the love of her life, Darrell Westfall, at the Church of Christ in Artesia, New Mexico located at 8th and Grand. After working and putting Darrell through college, the couple moved to Sand Springs, Oklahoma to begin their family.
Iris and Darrell shared what many called a storybook marriage. During their 55 years of marriage, Iris traveled with Darrell around the midwestern United States and held a variety of jobs. Throughout her journey, she excelled in 2 other fields acquiring additional certifications. While in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she acquired a paralegal license while working for a law firm, graduated with honors, and was awarded the prestigious "Who's Who among students in American Junior colleges" from Tulsa Junior College. While in Omaha, Nebraska she passed her Series 7 stockbrokers' exam on her first attempt and became employed by Ameritrade Corporation. Many have said this certification was as hard to pass as the BAR exam for attorneys.
Although Iris excelled in the classroom throughout her life, other passions of Iris' were dove hunting and fishing with her husband, resulting in numerous trips across Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. A friend of Iris once asked her "How can you bear to shoot a poor helpless defenseless little dove? What sport is there in that?" to which Iris replied, "I'd like to see you knock down a poor defenseless little bird flying 70 miles an hour with the wind using a 20-gauge pump! Besides they're delicious...." Toward the end of her hunting life, Iris was such a good shooter that she could be seen hitting two birds with one shot.
Iris was also known for her fishing ability. Many times, Iris would go fishing with Darrell and friends to various lakes and ponds usually catching the biggest and the most fish. On one fishing excursion that Iris was not able to attend, a friend of Darrell's asked where Iris was while stating "we won't have any fish to take home if she doesn't go!!".
Despite her fairytale life with its many accomplishments, she took the most pride in raising her family that included making her husband happy and proud of her. She was a wonderful model of what a Christian wife and mother should be. Throughout all the places Iris resided in and traveled to, she always put her Lord first, doing the Lord's work and whatever she could to help the congregations she worshiped in. Her husband and children were always proud of her, and they thank God for allowing them to be the biggest part of Iris' life.
Those wishing to honor Iris' memory may do so by contributing to the Alzheimer's Association at www.ALZ.org or at 225 N. Michigan Ave. 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601-8700.
Iris was born April 8, 1946, at Artesia General Hospital in Artesia, New Mexico to Thurman Norris Northam and Hotona Lucille (Hendrix) Northam. She is survived by her husband Darrell Westfall; her sons Rusty Westfall of St. Louis, Missouri and Lance Westfall of Vancouver, Canada; two older brothers Thurman Ray Northam and Roy Dale Northam, both residing in Houston, Texas; and her sister Brenda Irene Allen of Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Iris also leaves behind six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her older sister Carol Lucille Ruggles of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Iris graduated from Artesia High school in 1964 and attended Eastern New Mexico University for 2 years before transferring to the University of Arkansas. There she graduated with honors after obtaining a full scholarship and graduated with a BA in music education. She went on to teach music in Portales, New Mexico, Amarillo, Texas, and Olive, Oklahoma.
On January 26, 1968, she married the love of her life, Darrell Westfall, at the Church of Christ in Artesia, New Mexico located at 8th and Grand. After working and putting Darrell through college, the couple moved to Sand Springs, Oklahoma to begin their family.
Iris and Darrell shared what many called a storybook marriage. During their 55 years of marriage, Iris traveled with Darrell around the midwestern United States and held a variety of jobs. Throughout her journey, she excelled in 2 other fields acquiring additional certifications. While in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she acquired a paralegal license while working for a law firm, graduated with honors, and was awarded the prestigious "Who's Who among students in American Junior colleges" from Tulsa Junior College. While in Omaha, Nebraska she passed her Series 7 stockbrokers' exam on her first attempt and became employed by Ameritrade Corporation. Many have said this certification was as hard to pass as the BAR exam for attorneys.
Although Iris excelled in the classroom throughout her life, other passions of Iris' were dove hunting and fishing with her husband, resulting in numerous trips across Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. A friend of Iris once asked her "How can you bear to shoot a poor helpless defenseless little dove? What sport is there in that?" to which Iris replied, "I'd like to see you knock down a poor defenseless little bird flying 70 miles an hour with the wind using a 20-gauge pump! Besides they're delicious...." Toward the end of her hunting life, Iris was such a good shooter that she could be seen hitting two birds with one shot.
Iris was also known for her fishing ability. Many times, Iris would go fishing with Darrell and friends to various lakes and ponds usually catching the biggest and the most fish. On one fishing excursion that Iris was not able to attend, a friend of Darrell's asked where Iris was while stating "we won't have any fish to take home if she doesn't go!!".
Despite her fairytale life with its many accomplishments, she took the most pride in raising her family that included making her husband happy and proud of her. She was a wonderful model of what a Christian wife and mother should be. Throughout all the places Iris resided in and traveled to, she always put her Lord first, doing the Lord's work and whatever she could to help the congregations she worshiped in. Her husband and children were always proud of her, and they thank God for allowing them to be the biggest part of Iris' life.
Those wishing to honor Iris' memory may do so by contributing to the Alzheimer's Association at www.ALZ.org