Annamae VanDoren

1919 - 2018

Annamae VanDoren, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones, at Clarehouse Hospice, Tulsa, OK, on March 17, 2018. Annamae was born in Philadelphia, PA to Frank and Kathryn Coffin Koehler on August 1, 1919. She was the adopted daughter of Juliana and William John Barr. She was married to George Washington VanDoren for fifty-three years until his death in 1994. Annamae graduated from Fountain Hill High School as valedictorian in 1937. Unable to accept a scholarship to Moravian College because of the untimely death of her father, she attended Bloomsburg College for two summers and then started work at Bethlehem Steel Corporation as secretary to the vice president in charge of mining, Merle L. Jacobs. She remained at Bethlehem Steel until the birth of her first child. As her children grew to school age, she began work as a secretary at Lehigh University, first at the admissions office and later for the social relations department. She retired in 1984 to travel with her husband. Later that year, she accepted a part time job as secretary/receptionist as Fritz Memorial United Methodist Church in Bethlehem. In 1996, following the death of her husband George, she moved to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to be close to her daughter and her family. There she served as a volunteer at Broken Arrow Neighbors and Saint Francis Hospital South. She was a member of the Daughters of the King, the Christian Women of Broken Arrow, the Newcomers Club of Broken Arrow, and the Red Hat Dapper Dames. Annamae was a member of Saint Dunstan's Episcopal Church. She was a long time member of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Annamae and her husband George were avid dancers in many styles. They were perennial performers in the Lehigh Valley production of the Nutcracker as well as active square and round dancers with the Saucon Squares and Yellow Rockers, among other groups. She also enjoyed traveling in their RV, especially to Myrtle Beach. Annamae is survived by her son George (Peg) VanDoren of Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania and his two daughters Anne (Tom) Moyer and Margaret (Michelle) VanDiehl; her daughter Jeanne (Sam) Chinnock of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and her daughters Moriah (Michael) Crystal, Elisha (Andrew) Harmon, and Rachel Chinnock; and five great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son David. David is survived by his wife Pam and daughters Emily (Nate) Pardue and Beccy VanDoren. A memorial service was held at Christ Episcopal Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Wednesday, March 21st. An additional memorial service will take place at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on Friday, May 18, at 10 AM at which time her ashes will be interred in the memorial garden with those of her husband George. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Clarehouse Hospice, 7617 South Mingo Road, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74133.