Juanita Marie Queen

Juanita Marie (Pryor) Queen was born on May 6, 1923 in Shawnee, OK to Homer Jennings & Mina Agnes (Nicholas) Pryor and passed from this life on April 30, 2015 at the age of 91. Juanita was an only child. She lived in Shawnee, OK until her senior year in high school. That is when she moved with her parents to Tulsa, OK. She graduated in the 3rd graduating class from Will Rogers High School. After graduation, she worked in offices downtown. When she got off work, she went to her parents diner to help out. She met Bob Queen at a VFW dance that she attended with her parents. When her mother saw her dancing with him, she said "Oh, I see you've met Bob!" Juanita didn't realize that Bob and her mother worked together at the Oil and Gas Journal and that he was the one her mother wanted her to meet. She married Bob on February 19, 1949. She married into the very large "Queen" family which she always loved being part of. They had three children, Bobbie, Carl and Sandra.

She was a full time homemaker and part time cook at Sequoyah Hills Baptist Church with her sister in law. She also found time to be a Girl Scout leader, seamstress, and babysitter. All of these things were part of the things she loved doing. Cooking, sewing and being involved in the lives of her children. After Bob retired, they developed a hobby of making all kinds of cookies together. They loved sharing them with everyone, even taking them with them to doctors appointments. Needless to say, they were well liked. Bob & Juanita shared a wonderful life together for 56 years.

In addition to the above, Juanita enjoyed reading, doing word puzzles, playing Skipbo, Dominos and Bingo, doing arts & crafts and going on trips whether they were short or long. One memorable trip was with her daughters and granddaughter to Las Vegas. She wanted to see the Grand Canyon which was done in a helicopter! She looked forward to the family reunions in Shawnee with the Grove family. And for many years she and Bob helped organize the Queen family reunion. Family was a priority to her. She also attended church regularly and enjoyed Bible study. She and Bob lived together at University Village until his passing in 2005. She continued to live there and started volunteering. She was a greeter, welcoming new residents and taking them an information packet to help get them oriented to the facility. She also volunteered to call Bingo.

Her mornings started with a cup of cappuccino and after reading the morning paper, she was off on her little red scooter. She was rarely in her apartment therefore she was given a cell phone to carry so family and friends could find her. She had many friends throughout her lifetime and continued to make friends. Her family looked up to her and she cared for them deeply. Every new grandchild and great grandchild was a joy and a blessing for her. She was known as Grandma Queen or just "Queen".

Juanita was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert C. Queen and her son, Carl M. Queen. She is survived by her daughters, Bobbie L. and husband Howard Huff and Sandra M. and husband Todd Anderson; six grandchildren, Jennifer and Jason Friederich, Scott Huff, Joseph and Ross Purcell-Watson, Justin Purcell, Joshua Purcell, and Jude Anderson; and two great grandchildren, Laura and Alex Friederich.

Juanita will lie in state 10-6 p.m. Sunday with her funeral service held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, both at the Ninde Brookside Funeral Home Chapel. She will be laid to rest at Floral Haven Memorial Gardens.