LaVerne Ruth (Dye) Rukes Crumley

LaVerne Ruth (Dye) Rukes Crumley was born in El Reno, Oklahoma, on August 1, 1931 to Vern Howard Dye and Velma Ruphenia (Dickerson) Dye. LaVerne passed away on December 23, 2022 in Kingfisher, OK at the age of 91.  During the Great Depression, LaVerne’s family experienced the financial hardships that gripped most of the ordinary, everyday people throughout our country. They eventually became “Okies,” moving in late 1936 to the Los Angeles, California area where her dad found work as an interior decorator and painter. LaVerne attended Kindergarten and 1st grade there, then in the early spring of 1938 the family moved back to Geary, Oklahoma. LaVerne then attended 2nd grade (1938-1939) at Irving School in El Reno. For third grade (1939-1940), she attended school at Geary, living with her mom’s parents, Ruben and Maggie Bertha Dickerson.  It was around this time that LaVerne’s mom married Martin O’Connor, beginning life on various rented farms for LaVerne and her younger brother Darrell. For the 1940-1941 school year, her 4th grade year, LaVerne attended Pleasant Valley School. One year later, the family moved to a different farm, meaning that now she and Darrell attended Calumet School for the 1941-1942 school year, LaVerne’s 5th grade year.
Moving once again, LaVerne attended Sunny Hill School for 6th grade in 1942-1943. For 7th grade, she attended junior high at Geary. LaVerne lived with her grandparents in Geary throughout most of the rest of her school years up until graduation from Geary High School with the Class of 1949.  LaVerne’s life was filled with many more challenges, but in the Spring of 1968 she enrolled in El Reno Junior College, then later attended Central State in Edmond where she earned her Bachelor’s degree. After so many tumultuous changes in her life, LaVerne now found a place where she would remain for twenty years: teaching history at Bishop McGuinness High School in Oklahoma City from 1973 through 1993. Through most of this time, she lived in Oklahoma City. In 1992, she moved back to El Reno, where she would remain for the rest of her life.  Several interests were very important to LaVerne throughout her life. She loved history (particularly that of Native American and Southwest cultures), art, reading, gardening, landscaping, and being what could be described as an “avid rockhound.” A longtime member of the 27th St church of Christ in El Reno, LaVerne greatly valued her love of the truth, her relationship to God, and the importance of the Scriptures, even passing from this life with her Bible at her side. LaVerne’s church family were among the most special people in her life. 

LaVerne was preceded in death by her father Vern Dye and mother-in-law Komazawa, her mother Velma and father-in-law Martin O’Connor; her only sibling, brother Darrell Dye; her ex-husband DeWayne “C.D.” Rukes; her daughter-in-law E. Kaye (Jones) Rukes; her dear aunts Nelda (Dickerson) Hutchens–who was more like her sister than an aunt–and Marie (Dickerson) Perry; her special friend Irene (Hart) Austin; and many dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

She is survived by her only child, Charles Rukes and wife Faye of Geary, OK; two grandsons, Burke Rukes of Garland, TX, and Brian Rukes and wife Susan (Pratte) of El Reno; two great-grandchildren, Jonathan and Elisabeth Rukes of El Reno; two special cousins who were more like nieces to her, Susie (Hutchens) Oneth and husband Eddie of El Reno, and Debbie (Hutchens) Glenn and husband Tom of Yukon, OK; a step-brother, Jim O’Connor and wife Shirley of Dover, DE; a sister-in-law, Joy (Keller) Dye of El Reno; and nieces Carla (Dye) Lanza and Jamie (Dye) Steinbruck and nephews Curt Dye and Stephen Dye, with their spouses and families; in addition to many other relatives, friends, and her dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

In lieu of flowers, LaVerne’s family asks that donations be made to St. Katherine Drexel Retirement, 301 W Wade, El Reno, OK 73036 or Kingfisher Mercy Hospital, 1000 Hospital Circle, Kingfisher, OK 73750.

Graveside services will be conducted at the Geary Cemetery at 2:00pm on Wednesday, December 28 with Brian Rukes of the El Reno 27th St church of Christ officiating. services  under the direction of Turner Funeral Home, Hinton and Geary, Oklahoma. Condolences may be sent to the family at turnerfuneralhomes@gmail.com, or you can find us on facebook.com (Turner Funeral Homes).

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