Rebecca Pierce Dunford

Funeral service for Rebecca Pierce Dunford, 92, of Lawton, will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday April 17, 2019 at First Baptist Church, Pastor Tony Christie will officiate.

Mrs. Dunford died on Saturday, April 13, 2019, at a local hospital.

There will be a special visitation held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, 2017 at the Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home.

Entombment will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery of Lawton, OK

Rebecca was born January 5, 1927, in Gorman, TX to the Reverend William Buren and Lar Lu Blasingame Pierce.  The family moved to Lawton in 1934 so her father could become the pastor of First Baptist Church.  She graduated from Lawton High School in 1944, she later graduated from Cameron university, and earned her masters degree from the University of Oklahoma in educational psychology.  She further earned a degree in practical theology from Christ for the Nations institute of Dallas, TX.  While at CFNI her outreach ministry was teaching English as a Second Language to gentlemen from Thailand.

She married Thomas Franklin Rich in 1947, after which they lived on the Mexican border while he served in the U.S. Border Patrol.  During those years she taught school in Texas, New Mexico, California, and Florida.  Her marriage to Mr. Rich ended in 1967.  she met and married Lon Madison Dunford of Louisville, KY in 1972.  Mr. Dunsford died on April 30, 2002.  

She retired from civil service at Fort Sill as an education specialist/guidance counselor in 1992.  She also served as camp chairperson of Camps Farthest Out, a spiritual retreat, from 1991-1993.  She was active in First Baptist Church ministries most of her life.  She was a member of the 55+ Senior Choir for years, and began and taught the Fidelity Sunday School Class from 1992 until the time of her death.

She is survived by her daughter, Lauren Wilkerson and her husband Clayton of New Bern, NC and her son, Toby Rich and his wife, Robyn of East Amwell, NJ; her sister: Margaret Lehman; three stepdaughters and two step sons in law: Joy and Dale McPherron, Yvonne and John Park and Carlonna Robinson.  She also leaves behind thirteen grandchildren, thirty three great-grandchildren, four great great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers: William ,James, Robert, and Lewis Pierece; her foster brother: James O'Malley; her step daughter, Dorothy Ann Ford and two stepsons-in-law: Ramon Ford and L.D. Robinson.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions may be made to the music ministry of First Baptist Church.

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