Gay N. Blan

Services celebrating and remembering the life of Gay N. Blan will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, October 27, 2023 at the First Baptist Church of Verdigris. Burial will follow at Wofford Cemetery. Visitation will be 4-7, Thursday, at the First Baptist Church of Verdigris, with family there to receive visitors from 5-7. Gay left her temporary earthly home for her permanent heavenly home on Sunday, October 22, 2023. She was 87. The family has entrusted DeLozier Funeral Service, Chelsea with Gay's care.
Born on January 21, 1936 in Milton, OK to Elisha and Clara (McCullar) Whitfield, Gay was raised and educated in her birth community and graduated from Bokoshe High School. On July 31, 1954 in Tulsa, OK, Gay married the love of her life, Kenneth Blan. A marriage that lasted for over 64 years. Their union was gifted with three sons, Kenny, Rick, and Jerry. Gay added to the family finances working for Verdigris Public Schools until her retirement in 1983.
A true Proverbs 31-woman, Gay excelled at being a wife and mother. She was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Verdigris and played the piano there for over 27 years. Family was always important to Gay and she made sure that memories would be made each time they were together. She supported her sons in all their school activities, little league, football, or anything else they were involved in. It might be said she was their biggest fan. With three boys, life at the Blan house was never dull. In fact, Gay received her only traffic citation while cooking dinner, thanks to her middle son and his under-age driving. She was an excellent cook and her kitchen was affectionately referred to as the "fry capital of the world." Gay was known for her pies especially apple and her beans and cornbread. Christmas Eve was a family tradition at the Blan house. The menu was fried egg rolls and gyoza which her family referred to as "squirrel ears." Not only the menu but the smell will be a memory her family will cherish for the rest of their lives. When Gay did have free time, she liked to sew, read, and watch baseball. She was an avid St. Louis Cardinal fan. A woman of small stature, Gay has left a huge footprint and legacy that will live on in the lives of her family and friends.
This mother, Gramma, aunt, and friend will be missed by all the lives she touched. Gay is survived by her children, Kenny Blan and wife, Sherrill, Rick Blan, and wife, Roilene, Jerry Blan and wife, Allison, grandchildren, Jason Houtman and wife Amanda, Jennifer Stafford and husband, Steve, Ashley Rogers, Wes Blan, Stephanie Lewis and husband, Mickey, Lindsay Roman, Alexis Vernatter and husband, Andrew, and Derek Blan, great grandchildren, Maddison, Maddox, Camdyn, Mason, Sydney, Cooper, Cameron, Nathan, Andrew, and Alex and numerous nieces and nephews. Gay was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Kenneth, brothers, Leonard, Donald, Eugene and Frank Whitfield, infant brother, Clarence Whitfield and sister, Marie Hendrix.