Marguerite “Marg” Rutledge, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother passed away peacefully in her home of over 65 years in Red Oak, OK surrounded by family on May 17, 2021. Born Lula Marguerite Purtell to Clyde and Veva (Mattingly) Purtell in Dodge, OK on July 30, 1926, she spent her childhood surrounded with the love of her parents and siblings, Jerri, Bubby, Clint, Jean, Paul, Betty, and Wanda living in various places around Oklahoma and Missouri before settling in Leflore, OK. Although her childhood was marked with the indelible effects of the Great Depression, many characteristics needed for her survival during that difficult time became hallmarks of Marg’s character throughout her life: hope, imagination, resourcefulness, love of family, and her Christian faith. Marg had a razor-sharp quick wit that was a trademark of any conversation with her. She also had a life-long passion for creative writing and wrote many stories that her family treasure about her life and experiences.

Marg graduated from Leflore High School and then earned 21 hours from Eastern Oklahoma A&M (now Eastern Oklahoma State College). During World War 2, she worked at the Ammunition Depot in McAlester, OK sewing bags for ammunition and gunpowder. She married her High School Sweetheart, Bill Rutledge, on March 7, 1946 shortly after the end of World War 2 where he served in the 20th Air Force and was stationed in the South Pacific. They moved to Unit 605 in the Veteran’s Village at what was then Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) in Stillwater, OK where Bill earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and they welcomed their first son, Bob, in 1948. After Bill’s graduation, they moved to Leflore, OK where he was a teacher and Junior High School Principal and they welcomed sons Jerry in 1950 and Steve in 1951. The year their 4th son Tom was born, 1955, the family moved to Red Oak, OK to the house that Marg lived in until her death. Her boys and their families were her life-long pride and joy – although, in her later years when reflecting on her life and raising 4 active, adventurous boys, she sometimes wondered “how did I do that?”! She worked as a secretary at Red Oak Public Schools and retired as an Executive Administrative Assistant at Eastern Oklahoma State College. As an adult, she learned how to play the piano and many of her family members recall listening to her music and spending time with her around her piano in her “sewing and piano room.” She was a member of the United Methodist Church for more than 70 years and was proud of the long line of clergy in her family stretching from her great-grandfather to her grandsons.

Marg’s proudest roles were those she held related to family: daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, etc. In her retirement, she spent many hours and several trips researching her family’s genealogy and family memories. On one trip that included Washington DC, she went to the National Archives to see if there was any way to find a letter that her brother Clint had written to Eleanor Roosevelt during the Great Depression. The fact that Mrs. Roosevelt, from the White House, replied to her brother and family in Leflore, OK and sent the change she had in her purse to help in whatever way she could left a life-long impression on Marg. The Purtell siblings held yearly family reunions for decades at Robber’s Cave State Park in Wilburton, OK at Shelter # 2 complete with fried chicken, coleslaw, homemade desserts like “Ma 'Tell’s” Chocolate Pie, and hours of family stories told at “Remembrance” Time. She was an amazing cook, a wonderful seamstress, and an accomplished outdoorswoman. She was most at peace outdoors and spent years planting trees and flowers around her property and perfecting the beautiful creek that ran behind her house. She also enjoyed traveling to visit family from California to North Carolina; but was always happy to be back home among her trees. In the mid-1980s, Marg, Bill, their sons, and daughters-in-law built a cabin on the Bald Knob Mountain in the Sans Bois Mountain Range of Southeastern OK. She and Bill spent much of their retirement time “at the cabin” enjoying all that the natural surroundings had to offer.

Marg is survived by her four sons and their families. Robert Wayne (Bob) and wife Carol of Ruston, LA, Jerry Don and wife Cindy of Pocola, OK, Steven Mark (Steve) and wife Connie of Red Oak, OK, and Tommy Grant (Tom) of Red Oak, OK along with her beloved grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters Edith Jean Purtell Carpenter and Norma Wanda Purtell, her brother Paul Wayne Purtell, along with many treasured nieces, nephews, and extended family. Marg was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Willie Benson “Bill” Rutledge; her parents Clyde and Veva (Mattingly) Purtell; her brothers Clyde Purtell Jr. (in infancy), Vance Rudolph (Bubby) Purtell, and Vaughn Clinton (Clint) Purtell; and sisters Geraldine (Jerri) Purtell Moore and Betty Ann Purtell Usry.

Her legacy is her family. When reflecting on their roles at Bill’s funeral in 2000, she said “by their lives, this age of young men and women were saying ‘We Are Able.’ I feel certain the {family} cloth is continuing strong, and even more beautiful than ever before.”

The family would like to thank Marg's family and friends who have provided care for her over the past few years and a special thank you to Heart of Hospice staff as well as Jessie Cato and Beckie Coy for their love, care, and support over the past many weeks.

A memorial service celebrating Marg’s life and legacy will be held at the First Baptist Church in Red Oak, OK on Friday, May 21 at 2:00pm officiated by Pastor Tommy Rutledge and burial following at Red Oak Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers are Brad Rutledge, Jeremy Rutledge, Jericho Rutledge, Ryan Rutledge, Asher Kauk, and Jaxton Rutledge. The arrangements are under the direction of the Waldrop Funeral Home, Wilburton, OK.

The Bill and Marguerite Rutledge Scholarship at the W. B. Rutledge High School in Red Oak, OK has been established to honor Bill and Marg's lifelong dedication to education. For contributions, contact First National Bank, Wilburton, OK (741 Hwy 2 N, PO Box 100, Wilburton, OK 74578, 918-465-2381) beginning Friday, May 21, 2021. The family requests donations to the scholarship fund in lieu of flowers.