Betty Higham Malone Harding, of Oklahoma City, OK and formerly of Apache, passed away on May 10, 2022 at the age of 101 at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City following a brief illness.
A memorial service will be incorporated into the weekly Vespers service at the Epworth Villa Chapel, 14901 No. Pennsylvania Ave., OKC, on Thursday, June 16, at 3:30 pm with Chaplain Laura Glover officiating. A graveside service and burial will follow on Friday, June 17, at 11:00 am at Fairview Cemetery in Apache, with Reverend Lory Fahle of the First United Methodist Church officiating under the direction of Crews Funeral Home.
Betty Higham was born December 11, 1920 to Charles William Higham and Louise Roseberry Higham and lived at the Chiloco Indian School in Chiloco, OK, where her father was general financial manager, until she completed the 8th grade. She moved to Apache and resided with her sister, Marion Higham, an English teacher and principal at Apache High School. Betty graduated Salutatorian of her class in 1938 and obtained a Bachelor of Music from the Oklahoma College for Women in Chickasha in May of 1942.
Betty married Claude Haynes Malone, of Apache, who was a commissioned officer in the United States Army, on June 14, 1942. Betty taught piano at OCW in Chickasha during WWII. The couple made their home in Apache following C.H.’s active service where he took over the Malone Ford Company dealership upon his father’s retirement. Betty taught music and piano lessons at home and was the book keeper at Malone Ford. She also served as an accompanist for the music program at Riverside Indian School at Anadarko for a time. Betty served God as organist and pianist for the First United Methodist Church of Apache for 36 years.
After her husband C.H. passed away in 1981, Betty became reacquainted with Emmett Mike Harding, a retired Krispy Kreme executive and an uncle of a former Apache resident, the late Earlene Chandler. They married in 1983. They spent seven years in North Carolina before moving to Epworth Villa in OKC in 1990.
Betty continued to serve God as a musician, accompanying a 35-member choir at their Sunday School service each week and playing at a non-denominational Vespers service each Thursday, a practice she continued right up to the week before she became ill and was hospitalized. She considered it a privilege to play duets with Wes Howl, an accomplished musician who moved to Epworth Villa in 2009, and assist him with accompanying the choir at Epworth Villa.
In addition to her service as a musician at Epworth Villa, Betty enjoyed playing golf with her husband, Mike. They enjoyed going to various golf schools and participated in golf groups in the OKC area. She was also a big fan of OU sporting events and huge fan of just about every sport from football to softball, golf, the NBA and WNBA and more.
Betty is survived by her son, David Malone of Prescott, AZ; daughter, Claudia Burris and husband Allen of Keota, OK; grandson: Allen D Burris and wife Sarai and great grandsons Ian and Eli of Tulsa; grandson: Corbin Burris and wife Shelby and great grandsons Jensyn and Foster of Keota; and granddaughter, Becky Burris and great granddaughters Alyssa and Asia of Fort Smith, AR. In addition, she is survived by three nieces: Nancy Gray of Huntington Beach, CA, Becky Kerr and husband Bob of Apache, and Martha White and husband Jack of Lawton; nephews: Jon Goodman and wife Galina of Apache and Joey Goodman and wife Brigitte of Lawton; and a host of great nieces and nephews and friends.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents; husbands: C.H. Malone and Mike Harding; an infant son, Claude Michael; sisters: Marion Higham, Charlotte and husband Ed Siepe, and Helen and husband Walter Gray; nephew Steven Gray of Ann Arbor, MI; and niece, Nancy and husband Bub Tate of Apache.
Memorial contributions can be made to the choir at Epworth Villa under the direction of Ginger Howl at 14901 No. Pennsylvania Ave., OKC, OK 73134 or the First United Methodist Church Apache, OK.
Online condolences can be made at www.crewsfh.com.
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