Jay C. Rutherford

Funeral Services for Jay C. Rutherford, 98, Cordell resident, will be held 10:00 AM, Tuesday, January 30, 2024, in the First Baptist Church in Cordell, OK, officiated by Pastor Terrell Romberg and Craig Rutherford. The burial will follow in the Lawnview Cemetery in Cordell, OK under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home.

Jay C. Rutherford was born October 27, 1925, to John Cambrue Rutherford and Retha (Perkins) Rutherford in Van Buren, AR and passed away early Sunday morning, January 21, 2024, in his Cordell home.

Jay C. was raised in Arkansas until he was 14 years old, and the family moved to Western Oklahoma in 1940. The family lived in the Cordell area, and he attended Cloud Chief School, and farmed for a short time.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on March 27, 1943. He served all over the Pacific. He received the Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 stars and the Philippine Liberation Campaign Ribbon. He was Honorably discharged on the 15th day of February 1946, at the rank of Coxswain V-6 USNR.

After his discharge he returned to Washita Couty, living in Cordell, OK. He married Margie Elizabeth Dobbins on September 15, 1951, in Altus, OK. He moved to Clinton in 1952 and began a career with the US, Postal Service, retiring in 1989. He moved to Cordell and worked with his son Jay Rutherford at J-San Construction as well as delivering medications for his son in law, Greg Hinds Family Pharmacy.

He was member of the First Baptist Church in Cordell, OK, he enjoyed working on cars, and watching movies.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife in 2004, and two sisters, Colleen Gwaltney, and Lorene Black, and two brothers, James W. Rutherford, and Calvin Rutherford.

He is survived by two daughters, Diane Hardwicke and husband, David, Kingwood, TX and Kim Schachle-Hinds and husband, Greg, Yukon, OK and two sons, Jay C. Rutherford, Jr., and wife, Sandra, Arapaho, OK. and Scott Rutherford and wife, Renee, Geary, OK,

He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, Jayme Roper, Nikkole Sullivan, Kelly Hardwicke, Cassie Rutherford, Matthew Schachle, Jennifer Brown, Jayson Rutherford, Sean Rutherford, Chad Rutherford, and Becky Long and 20 great grandchildren.