Marcia Lynn Failes

Marcia Lynn Failes was born March 31, 1945, in Wichita, Kansas to Paul and Ruth Puttroff. She went to be with Jesus on November 28, 2025.

She grew up in Oklahoma City while her dad got his law degree, then they moved to Grants, New Mexico while Marcia was in junior high. They returned to Oklahoma City, and Marcia graduated from Northwest Classen High School in 1963. During her teens, she pleaded with her parents to let her have horse riding lessons instead of dance, and they agreed. Her first horse was named Prince. After high school, she went to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education.

She met Kenneth Failes while they were both attending Oklahoma State University, and they were married May 28, 1968. They moved to Newton, Kansas for a year while Kenny worked for Kansas State University, then to Cherokee, Oklahoma where Kenny grew up. In Cherokee, they built their life together. They raised four kids, farmed, gardened and Marcia had room for her horses. They square danced for many years, vacationed in the mountains, and Marcia grew a big garden with a variety of plants, including an asparagus patch that still produces. As her kids grew up and moved away, her gardening transitioned from vegetables to flowers which she often took to share at her church. Marcia was a Christian, baptized when she was a kid. She was a member of Driftwood Christian Church where she loved teaching Sunday school, helping with Vacation Bible School, and having fun at church camp in the summers. Marcia also enjoyed baking special desserts for birthdays and frosted sugar cookies for holidays.

Marcia returned to Northwestern Oklahoma State University and earned a master’s degree in special education. She taught at Cherokee Public schools for 20 years where she enjoyed helping each kid learn, adapting to their unique needs. She was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2001. She retired from teaching about the time Kenny became involved with the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. She adored the friends she made through their travels with the Commission; it was a fun and special time in Marcia’s life.

Marcia is survived by her husband of 57 years, Kenneth and her four children; Patty Kindred & husband Mike of Waynesville, Missouri; David Failes & wife Gayla of Cherokee, Oklahoma; Jennifer Byrd & husband Brent of Enid, Oklahoma; and Vicki Harmon & husband Dusty of Cherokee, Oklahoma. Marcia is also survived by one of her three sisters, Susan Hogan & husband Mike of Deer Park, Texas.

Marcia felt blessed to have ten grandkids: Greg Failes, Kelsey Byrd, Blake Failes, Cole Harmon, Grant Kindred, Kaden Harmon, Brant Failes, Alyssa Link, Alex Harmon, & Breck Failes. She celebrated their births, birthdays, each of their interests and accomplishments through the years, always praying for them and wanting them all to know her Lord. She also would talk about horses with them. She was an avid reader and enjoyed reading books her grandkids were reading.

Marcia was a Christian with a child’s heart, wife, mom, and grandma whose love will be missed dearly by her family who treasure all the precious times we had with her.

Funeral service for Marcia will be Friday, December 5, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. at Driftwood Christian Church in Driftwood, Oklahoma with Virgil Eubanks officiating. Burial will follow at Cherokee Municipal Cemetery. Arrangements by Lanman Funeral Home, Inc. of Cherokee. www.lanmanfuneralhome.com. Facebook: Lanman Funeral Home Inc.

Memorials may be made out to the Cherokee Education Foundation or Driftwood Christian Church Youth Program through Lanman Funeral Home.