Donald Joseph Caughlin (1938 - 2016)

Born 18 Apr 1938 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Helen Kathryn (Wanko) Caughlin — married 11 Feb 1961 in Newkirk, Kay County, Oklahoma, United States

Died 4 Jan 2016 at age 77 in Tonkawa, Kay County, Oklahoma, United States

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Biography

Donald was born in 1938. ^[1] He was the adopted son of John Caughlin and Gladys Morgan. He passed away in 2016. ^[1]

Residences

Donald was enumerated in the following locations:

• 1940 - Kay County, Oklahoma ^[2]

Family

Donald wed in 1961 Helen Kathryn Wanko, daughter of John Francis Wanko and Helen Minnie Schmidt. To this union three children were born, including:

• 1962 - Mark Joseph

Obituary

Donald J. Caughlin entered into eternal life surrounded by his loving family at his home in “Caughlinville” southeast of Tonkawa, January 4, 2016. Born on April 18, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, he was the “chosen” son of John T. II and Gladys Morgan Caughlin.

He attended Fountain Rural School, St. Joseph Catholic School and graduated from Tonkawa High School with the class of 1956. He attended Northern Oklahoma College, Tonkawa and Oklahoma State University graduating in 1960 with a degree in Agronomy with Field Crop Specialty. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Zeta at OSU. He returned to the family farm homesteaded by his grandfather, John T. Caughlin I in the land run of 1893 to begin a lifetime career of farming.

Donald was adopted into the Caughlin family from St. Joseph Orphanage in Oklahoma City and felt he was blessed to serve as a steward of God’s creation and viewed himself as just a temporal manager of these resources while on earth. His children and grandchildren and future generations will reap the benefits of his stewardship.

Donald married Helen Kathryn Wanko on February 11, 1961 at St. Francis Catholic Church in Newkirk. To this union, three sons were born, Mark, Timothy and Phillip.

Donald was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, serving on the Parish Council and assisted with several renovation projects the past 25 years, especially the Parish Hall. He served on Farmers Coop Board of Directors serving as president most of his 9 years, associate member of Western Kay County Soil Conservation , Oklahoma National Guard and Tonkawa Chamber of Commerce. He received the Governor Award for Soil Conservation in 2012. He received a degree in Pastoral Ministry from Newman University, Wichita, Kansas in 1997.

He is survived by his wife, Helen, of the home, sons, Timothy and wife, Sandra and Phillip and wife April, grandchildren, Melanie and husband, Jay Bellinghausen, Enid, Michael, Danny Randy, Nathan and Maria Caughlin and great grandchildren, Wyatt and Addison Bellinghausen, a sister, Mary Vannest and husband, Craig of Ponca City and sister-in-law, Ruth Richardson of Texas.

He was preceded in death by son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Janelle Caughlin, parents, John T. II and Gladys Caughlin, brother, John Thomas Caughlin III and grandson, Patrick Caughlin.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Friday, January 8 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Tonkawa with Father Ben Lwin, celebrant and assisted by Deacon Bart Brashears. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Services under the direction of Trout Funeral Home, Tonkawa, Oklahoma.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find a Grave contributors. "Memorial for Donald J. Caughlin" Find a Grave, database and images, Find A Grave: Memorial #156828330 accessed 1 Oct 2022, Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Ponca City, Kay County, Oklahoma, United States.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9MR-2SPW?cc=2000219&wc=QZXP-HHY%3A790104801%2C793943801%2C791156101%2C794063101 : accessed 1 October 2022), Oklahoma > Kay > Miller Township > 36-24 Miller Township in Township 25 Range 1 E > image 12 of 15; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.