Edward Arthur Ingram, Jr.

Edward ("Ed" or "Junior") Arthur Ingram of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, passed away on Friday, September 27, 2024, at the age of 93. Junior was born on June 14, 1931 in Kenwood, Oklahoma, to Arthur Givens and Bessie Lee Newton Ingram. As the oldest sibling of ten, he spent his early days taking care of his family. At a young age, he began making money to help support his family by caddying for their local golf course, helping people with handy work, or whatever he could do to support his loved ones. Junior only received an eight-grade education.

When Junior was 15 years old, he went to work for a Box Factory in the Oakhurst area in Tulsa, OK. Where he made wooden soda pop boxes. He worked there until he was 18 years old.

After working at the box factory, he joined the union as a cub cement mason with his father. He had to be a cub cement mason for six years before he could move up to journeymen cement mason. With the skills he learned as a mason he finished concrete all over the Tulsa area. He even worked awhile helping construct the Keystone Dam.

In 1953, he married Wannie Craig Ingram. This September, they celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary. They lived in Tulsa, OK while Junior worked as a cement mason. Soon after becoming a journeyman cement mason, he transferred his union membership to Muskogee because he and Wannie decided to move to Tahlequah to start their family, so they purchased their forever home near the Baron Fork Creek.

Together, they welcomed eight children into the world: Richard ("Dickie"), Benny, Timmy, Cindy, Winona, Nancy, Michael, and Deanna. Junior loved his wife and children deeply.

Junior and Wannie developed a concrete finishing business, Ingram Concrete Construction, in 1980. Working together, their business flourished and supported their family for many years. Junior passed the business to his sons and today, the business is continuing to be successful. He was known to many as a hardworking, selfless man who would do anything to help anyone.

Living by Baron Fork Creek, Junior and Wannie spent many hours with their family on the creek bank swimming and fishing. Later, they would spend time on the creek banks with their grandchildren. Junior was a proud grandparent to many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even great great grandchildren, who knew him as "Papa" or "Poppie."

Junior was a family man, putting family first. He enjoyed camping at the Ingram Family Reunion every year. There, the Ingram family comes together to meet new family members, share stories, and reminisce about the old days. Junior loved to go hunting and fishing, and he especially loved spending time with family doing these things. Many times, Junior, his sons, and brothers would go on hunting trips to Kansas to hunt pheasants-and most importantly, share stories and enjoy each other's company.

Junior also had many hobbies to keep him busy. He was a wood craftsman making lamps, picture frames, and end tables. He also loved to collect pocketknives and Budweiser steins. Ed, Junior, Dad, Papa, Poppie-whatever he was to you-he was the paterfamilias of the Ingram family, and he will be deeply missed by so many.

Junior was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Donald Ingram, Forest Ben Ingram, and Roscoe Ingram. One sister Linda Taylor, and one son, Michael Ingram, one granddaughter, Brooklynn Wilson. Those left to cherish his memory include his loving wife Wannie, of the home, and seven children, Richard ("Dickie") Ingram and wife Janet of Tahlequah, OK, Benny Ingram and wife Sandy of Proctor, OK, Timmy Ingram and wife Kim of Gentry, AR, Cindy Dotson and husband Danny of Tahlequah, OK, Winona Green and husband Jim of Park Hill, OK, Nancy Scott and husband Randall of Tahlequah, OK, and Deanna Wilson and husband Tony of Tahlequah, OK. His legacy lives on through his 26 grandchildren, 54 great grandchildren, and 13 great great grandchildren. His two sisters, Marie Barnett and partner Richard Welch and Deloris Bracy and husband Bob, and three brothers, Bill Ingram, Cecil Ingram and wife Patty, and Kenneth Ingram and wife Ann, and many nieces, nephews, and family, will always remember how much they loved him.