Dean Derieg

Memorial Services for Dean Derieg, 73, Cordell resident, will be held 10:00 A.M., Monday, December 2, 2019 in Foss Baptist Church, officiated by R.B. Mathis, Carl Thionet and Terrell Romberg. Burial was held Monday, November 26, 2019 in the Union Hatchett Cemetery under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home. Willard Dean Derieg was born February 3, 1946 to Pete and Toy (Summerfield) Derieg in Carnegie, Oklahoma and passed away early Monday, November 26, 2019 in the Cordell Memorial Hospital in Cordell, Oklahoma. Dean was raised and attended school in Carnegie, Oklahoma. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in Amarillo, TX and served in Vietnam for over two years. Dean was Honorably Discharged on August 14, 1972. After his return from Vietnam, Dean attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) in Weatherford, OK. While attending SWOSU, he began his career as a minister. He was chosen as the pastor of the Bessie Baptist Church in 1971. He met his wife Carolyn who the piano player at the church. (Legend has it that Carolyn told him if he wanted to continue to have a piano player, he would need to marry her.) They were married six months later on February 14, 1972. Dean, Carolyn and step son Steve made their home in Bessie, OK. Later they moved to Cordell, OK where they welcomed a son, Greg on May 21, 1977. Dean was a called to preach at the First Baptist Church of Foss, OK on June 3, 1976 where he was still serving at the time of his death. He was active in advocating for military veterans. He was active in the VFW Post 4613 in Cordell, OK where he served many terms as Post Commander and was serving in the capacity at the time of his death. Dean recently served as quartermaster for District 15, state of Oklahoma, of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He served twice as Sate Commander for the VFW and later served two terms as National Chaplain for the VFW. Dean served for many years on the Oklahoma War Veterans Commission. He was appointed by Governor Frank Keating to serve in the position through 2004. Dean was a proud and active supporter of the Cordell High School band as the voiced of the Pride of Cordell for 30 years. Recently he was honored for his thirty years as the “the voice” in special halftime presentations. Of all the things Dean accomplished in life, and all the people he touched, he was most proud of three things. One, his church family in Foss, OK was his heartbeat. He spent numerous hours working on sermons; often late at night and on Saturdays, making sure people never forgot they had an opportunity to change their eternity by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord in Savior. Second his love for his children and grandchildren. He loved all of his grandkids and always did something special for each of them at Christmas. He loved his two boys, Steve and Greg, unconditionally and they loved him the same. The third was the love of his life, Carolyn Sue. Dean always told her that she was “such a pretty lady” and he was so proud to be her husband. He was preceded in death by his parents and his step mother, Verdi Derieg. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Derieg, sons, Greg Derieg and wife, Danielle and Steve Williamson and wife, Traci, brother, Dan Derieg. He is also survived by his six grandchildren, Tyler Williamson, Jordan Delp and husband, Joel, Bailee Weems and husband, Josh, Britin James Lee Derieg, Madalyn Grace Derieg and Maverick Dean Derieg and six great-grandchildren. The family would love to hear your stories about Dean. Please email our memoires to gregderieg@me.com or mail them to Carolyn Derieg, 809 N.Temple, Cordell, OK 73632.