Barbara Rita Wharton

Barbara Rita (Keen) Wharton of Edmond, Oklahoma departed this life to be with her Lord and Savior on February 17, 2022. Barbara was born on March 7, 1933 at her maternal grandparents' homestead in Wolfe City, Texas to Jarvis Delmar Keen and Etta Glee Cozby Keen. Barbara went to a one room schoolhouse until her family moved to Del City, Oklahoma where her father was a fireman at the newly established Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City. Barbara graduated from Midwest City High School two years early because of the great education she received in the one room schoolhouse in Wolfe City, Texas. She went to work for Continental Federal Savings and Loan as a teller and worked her way up to Assistant Branch Manager in the Edmond office and was also appointed as an Assistant Vice President. After long career at Continental Federal she began working as an executive assistant for Abbott Laboratories and retired at 73. Barbara married her first husband, Bud Yost in 1955 and they had to two children together – Dana born August 29, 1958 and Harvey born October 2, 1960. After their divorce Barbara was set up on a blind date with Ray Wharton by her niece Cheryl. Cheryl was Ray's secretary. Barbara and Ray married in 1973 for over 43 years until his death in 2017. Barbara has two grandchildren Jacob, 27 and Amber 26. She loved being a grandmother. Barbara loved her church Quail Springs United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City and was a part of the prayer group and quilting group. Barbara took up quilting in her retirement. She also loved to garden. She and Ray won best yard award twice from Edmond Sun. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Ray, her parents, nephew Mike Oliver and brother Richard Keen. She is survived by her children Dana Squires and husband Clint of Guthrie, Oklahoma and son Harvey Yost and his children Jacob and Amber Yost all of Edmond, OK, her sister Francis Oliver and many nieces and nephews. She loved all of her family very much. Our family wants to thank the caregivers and especially Angelea Sales and Jackie Mitchell of Touchmark at Coffee Creek Senior Living and LifeSpring Hospice for the wonderful care and love they gave our Mother.