Emma Ileen Powders-Gay-States

EMMA ILEEN STATES 2/4/26 - 11/9/18 Emma Ileen Powders-Gay-States, passed away Nov. 9, 2018 in Lanham, MD. She was born February 4, 1926, in Salt Springs community, Woodward County, OK. Lived in and around there and in the Ellendale community until spring of 1938, then went with parents to Sheridan, AR. She came back to Oklahoma in Fall of 1940. Started working at the Telephone Company in Woodward, OK in the fall of 1943, until 1944. Then went back to Freedom, OK, married John W. Gay on April 14, 1946. Four children were born to this union. The family lived in Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, and moved to Purcell, OK in September, 1958. Emma lived there until 1978, when she retired from the GTE. She married Edward T. States in September 1978, and moved to Alva, OK. The couple lived there until July 1983, when they moved to Washington, OK. Emma moved to Norman, OK to reside with her son from January 2005 until October 2010, when she then moved to the Wyndham Place Senior Apartments, also in Norman, OK. Emma moved to Bowie, MD to live with her granddaughter and her husband in May 2016. She is survived by: One daughter: Bevenda Birchfield; one stepdaughter: Joretta (Bill) Johnson; two daughters-in-law: Saundra Gay and Karen Gay; 12 grandchildren: Robin (Alec) Burgess, Marcus Smith, Bradford (Toni) Gay, Patrick (Jennifer) Gay, Robert Gay, Rhys (Neely) Gay, Laura Gay, Emily States, Chealsey States, Dakota States, Austin States, and Seth (Emily) States. Five step grand-children: Amber (Steve) Whitt, Elizabeth (Michael Sr.) Lawson, Lorie Johnson, Rickie Butler, and Christie Butler. Several great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandsons and a great-great granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her father Herman Powders; mother Beulah Powders; step-father Paul Service; brothers Virdin Powders and Alva (Bud) Powders; sisters Ova Geerdes, Sylvia Rafferty, Lurabell Johnson, and Lorretta Sample; husbands John Gay and Edward States; sons Calvin Gay and Bryan Gay; daughter Wynell Hill; and step-son Ben States. Emma loved to go dancing with Ed and their friends from Washington, almost as much as she loved watching baseball and working on her word books. From meeting Charles Lindbergh in the back pasture as a child to being in NYC at Christmas and seeing the tree and riding a carriage through Central Park at 80, she had a full life and was dearly loved. No services are scheduled at this time.

Emma Ileen Powders-Gay-States

February 4, 1926 - November 9, 2018