Submitted by
Karen Stewart

Roy Enos Garten

Roy Enos Garten, resident of Ponca City, died May 29, 2006, at Ponca City Medical Center. He was 90.

A service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 2, at the First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Tom Schacher, pastor, officiating. Burial will take place on Saturday, June 3, at 11 a.m. in the Kansas Cemetery in Piedmont, Okla. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home.

Viewing will begin Wednesday afternoon until 9 p.m., continuing Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday 8 to 9 a.m. at the funeral home. The casket will be open at the church before the service until 10:25 a.m.

The son of Roy E. and Blanche Burkhead Garten, he was born on their farm just north of Piedmont on Nov. 11, 1915. As the newly consolidated Piedmont school was being built, he started school with the first grade class meeting at the Piedmont Christian Church in September of 1921. He received his diploma from Piedmont High School in 1933. That fall he enrolled in Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University) at Stillwater. There he received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering in 1937.

On June 1, 1937, he started working for Continental Oil Company (Conoco) on a seismograph crew in Cordell. He was an operator on Conoco seismograph crews exploring for crude oil in Louisiana and Oklahoma. During World War II, he was recruited to teach electronics in the U.S. Navy's pre-radar school at Oklahoma A&M.

From 1945 to 1946 he did geographical research for Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville. During 1946 he operated an electronics service in Edmond. In October 1946, he rejoined Continental Oil Company to work in the geophysics lab in Ponca City. During the next 31 years he held various positions, including that of chief engineer, and was involved with the design and development of seismic equipment, including the VIBROSEIS system, digital recording and computer processing of seismic data. During the latter part of his career and in the early years of his retirement, he taught for Conoco a one-week short course on the seismograph part of oil and gas exploration. He taught over 30 of these sessions, with several being held in London, England. When he took early retirement in November 1977, he was a senior geophysicist in exploration-geophysics.

In retirement he was active in the development of Westminster Village, a retirement center in Ponca City. He served as the president from its incorporation in 1982 until 1986 and continued to serve on its board of trustees until 1988. In 1988, he was made an honorary member for life of this board and continued to serve actively. Four years ago, he was returned to voting status as a regular board member because of the continuing value of his work.

Roy served the First Presbyterian Church in Ponca City as an ordained elder and Mission Committee member for over 40 years. He also served as an officer of the Cimarron Presbytery.

He was a member of Eta Kappa Nu electrical engineering honor fraternity, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and the National Model Railroad Association. He also served the Boy Scouts and Ponca City's Cultural Affairs Commission.

Roy and Jo Wollard were married in Perry Oct. 30, 1938. They would have celebrated their 68th anniversary this fall. They enjoyed an exceptional partnership. He is survived by Jo, who continues to reside at Westminster Village.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Ted Roy and Mary Garten of Warrensburg, Mo., and Nancy Jo and Richard Kevin of Raleigh, N.C. Surviving grandchildren are Kathryn Kevin and Thomas Kevin of Raleigh, N.C., Megan and Brian Schoeni of Thornton, Colo., Kirk and Deb Garten of St. Charles, Mo., and Kevin and Gerri Garten of Longmont, Colo. Great grandchildren are Lauren and Rachel Garten of St. Charles, Mo., Sara, Stephen, and Zachary Garten of Longmont, Colo., and Malena and Corinne Schoeni of Thornton, Colo. He is also survived by stepsiblings, Dorothy and Bill Wolaver and Allen and Patsy Moffat.

In the words of his wife, "The word gentleman described Roy Garten. By nature, he was gentle, kind, and loving. His beautiful brown eyes twinkled with love and good humor. He indeed blessed his wife, family, and all he met."

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial gifts to First Presbyterian Church, Fourteenth and Grand Avenue in Ponca City for Mission Outreach.