Marcile Grace, daughter of Laura (Nelson) and Andrew Haltom was born on the farm near Hopeton, Oklahoma, on July 8, 1928. She passed on June 1, 2022 in Alva, Oklahoma, at the age of 93 years, 10 months and 24 days.

Funeral services will be Monday, June 6, at 11 a.m. at Wharton Funeral Chapel in Alva with Rev. Ron Pingelton officiating. Interment will be in the Alva Municipal Cemetery under the direction of Wharton Funeral Chapel.

Marcile attended the first eight grades of her education at the rural school east of Hopeton. She graduated from Alva High School in 1946. She attended Oklahoma State University for two years and received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Education Degree from Northwestern State University in Alva.

While growing up, Marcile helped her father Andrew tend to the farm by milking cows before school every day. During the war she also helped with harvest because all the men were gone to serve for the war effort. Marcile worked at the Farmers Coop elevator and Hopeton State Bank at Hopeton.

She married Arthur Lancaster Jr. at the Pilgrim Holiness Church in Hopeton on June 1, 1948. They lived on a farm southwest of Hopeton for nine years. Within their marriage two sons were born, Lelan Ray and Lynn Arthur.

In 1957 they moved to Kiowa, Kansas, where she taught Home Economics for twenty-three years. In 1975 she received the South Barber School Master Teacher award. She was a member of the local teachers association, Kansas National Teachers Association and a life member of the National Teachers Association.

In 1971 they built a home in Alva while she continued to commute to teach at South Barber.

Marcile became a member of the Cherokee Outlet Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and was a past regent of the local chapter while being active in the state society. She was chairman of the committee that erected the Woods County Centennial Wall on the Woods County Courthouse lawn in 1993. In 2007, she was active in getting the Pioneer Man and Pioneer Woman Statuary in front of the wall. Marcile was an active member of the Woods County Genealogical Society and the Hopeton Homeworkers Club. Marcile's favorite hobby was tending to her flower beds, especially her roses. Reading and sewing were other pastimes. She was also a member of the Cherokee Strip Museum.

Mrs. Lancaster was a member of the First Christian Church in Alva. She served on the board and several committees for the church. She was also active in the Christian Women's Fellowship.

She was preceded in death by her parents, older sister Genevee Quinn and husband H.M. Quinn, younger sister Shirley Murray and husband John Murray, nephew Austin Quinn and his wife Peggy, niece Kimberly Daniels.

Marcile is survived by her two sons, Lelan Ray Lancaster and wife Teresa of Dodge City, Kansas, and Dr. Lynn Lancaster of San Diego, California; three grandchildren and their spouses, Lisa and Bryce Farris of Baldwin City, Kamsas, Jeff and Kelli Lancaster of Dacoma, and Adam Bumbaco of San Diego, California; four great-grandchildren, Jentrey Lancaster and Lauren Lancaster of Dacoma, Quentin Farris of Wichita, Kansas, Devin Farris of Lawrence, Kansas, and Roy Daniels of Hopeton, husband of the late Kim Daniels.

Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the First Christian Church through Wharton funeral Chapel. Condolences may be made online at http://www.whartonfuneralchapel.com.