Erma Inez Burleson Carmack

Erma Carmack, resident of Ponca City, died Friday, Feb. 24, 2006, at her home at Westminster Village. She was 86.

The funeral will be held Monday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Tom Schacher officiating. Burial will follow at the Odd Fellows Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home. The casket will be closed during the church service, but friends may pay respects at the funeral home until the service.

Erma Inez Burleson was born in Pocasset, Grady County, Okla., March 4,1919, the second child of James Wesley Burleson and Mary Alice Violet Burleson. As a teenager, she lived during the week in Chickasha with her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Violet, so that she might attend a high school which offered Latin and other advanced studies not available in her home town. Then she would return to her family on weekends and during the summers. After her graduation from high school in 1936, Erma was accepted into the nursing school at St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital in Ponca City where she became a registered nurse. In 1941 she was one of the private duty nurses who attended to E.W. Marland during his last illness. She also did private duty nursing for J.P. Morgan during his visit to Ponca City. Later, she served as an office nurse for Dr. Nuckols.

She married John Curtis Carmack in Ponca City, on April 29, 1944, and together they raised five children. Erma began a career as a public health nurse for Kay County Health Department and the state of Oklahoma Department of Health. During her 22 years in that capacity she studied with the Peabody Extension Program in Public Health and was the first in the nation to develop a class for teaching babysitting skills to teens. She also taught many prenatal classes during her career. These accomplishments led to her being named Nurse of the Year for the state of Oklahoma.

Although she was employed fulltime, she was active in the lives of her children, working in PTA, as a den mother in Cub Scouts and with Ponca City Band and Orchestra Parents. After her retirement from public health she served as the camp nurse for Camp McFadden during one of the summers when four of her granddaughters attended.

She enjoyed playing golf, traveling and fishing with her husband. She was a gifted seamstress, creating beautiful customized home accessories and clothing. Erma was a caregiver to all who needed her and served faithfully as an elder in the First Presbyterian Church for several terms.

After the death of her husband on Aug. 30, 1997, Erma kept busy tending her home and her beautiful yard until she moved to an apartment at Westminster Village in 2004. That same year she was featured in a video series at the Pioneer Woman Museum titled "I See No Boundaries". While living at Westminster Village, she endeared herself to many of the residents and staff and enjoyed playing dominoes and bingo with her friends.

She is survived by five children: Peggy Carmack Park, of Rockport, Texas; Paula Carmack Denson and her husband, Robert Denson, of Ponca City; Sheryl Carmack Sallee of Oklahoma City; C. Reid Carmack and his wife, Patti, of Ponca City, and Iris Carmack Ballou of Tulsa. She is also survived by nine grandchildren: Craig Park of Austin, Texas, Dana Gesner of Florida, Kelly Denson Goebel and husband, Tony, of Oklahoma City, Cindy Goddard Ross and husband, Randy, of Yale, Claire Goddard and husband, Lance, of Ponca City; Shawn Sallee Ortiz and husband, Raymond, of Lamar, Colorado; Morgan Page Ballou, of Tulsa; Kevin Reid Carmack of Tulsa, and Susie Beth Carmack of Ponca City.

She is also survived by 13 great-grandchildren: Kelsey, Lauren and Emma Goebel; Jacob and Caitlin Sizemore; Creed and Carson Goddard; Matthew, Jordan and Nicholas Ross; Adam, Christopher and Victoria Ortiz.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John C. Carmack, her parents, her sister, Fay Belcher, and brother, Merle Burleson, and her granddaughter, Kathryn Elaine Denson.

Casket bearers will be her grandson, Kevin Carmack; Zack Cathey, Luke Cathey, Brian Burleson, Matt Ross and Jacob Sizemore. Honorary pall bearers will be Jim Ledbetter, Jack Ledbetter, Rob Wright, Lance Goddard, Tony Goebel, Randy Ross and David Lewis.

Memorial contributions may be made in her name to the First Presbyterian Church Choir fund, c/o First Presbyterian Church, 1505 East Grand Avenue, Ponca City, or Friends of Marland's Grand Home, c/o Donna Trewitt, 1613 Meadowbrook, Ponca City, OK 74604.