Mr. John Mahlon LaDue's Obituary
With family surrounding him, John Mahlon "J.M." LaDue also known as "Grandad" left this earth to be with his Lord and Savior on July 18, 2010. Preceding him in death were his parents John Mitchell and Jerda Lee , his son, Sammy Joe, his first loving wife Phyllis, his sister Ruth , and his grandchildren David and Sonny LaDue and Tricia Cooper. John was born 1923 in Frederick, Oklahoma. He was the youngest of three children. He had very humble beginnings; he was only 12 years old when his father passed away, leaving his mother to care for a grandmother and the children. During his youth, he moved from place to place in Oklahoma, including Drumright, and also to Missouri. He shared stories of riding with his big brother, Steve, and their dog, on top of their furniture stacked in the back of a Model T Ford. John said, "We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies!" John loved his vehicles. His first was a 1932 Model A Ford that he and his brother bought together. This was just the beginning of his love for cars. He had many more thereafter and they were always kept in immaculate condition. Besides his love of cars, John loved fixing things, puttering around his home, and problem solving. He loved to use his hands with woodworking and such. At the young age of 17, he fell in love with Phyllis Bevins. They were married on October 17, 1940. They were together for 52 years, and raised two sons, Johney and Phil, and always showed deep affection for their 5 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. John began as a welder in the oilfields in Illinois, and then he went to the shipyards in California after going to trade school to learn drafting and blue print reading. At one point, he worked on the railroad. In 1944, John was drafted into the Army and was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and then to Camp Gordon Johnston in Tallahassee, Florida to be trained in Engineering. He retired from Phillips Petroleum where he worked from 1950 - 1985. One of his greatest enjoyments was attending the Phillips Retiree reunions. After Phyllis passed away, God brought him a second wife, Louise Baucom. They met at the Leauge City Methodist church and were married there 13 years ago this past June. John treated Louise as a queen. John valued family and he was a model father to Louise's children as he had been to his own. After retiring, John thoroughly enjoyed traveling. He was happiest behind the steering wheel of his car or a motor home, seeing sights or visiting friends and family. His last big trip was with Louise in 2002, for two weeks in Alaska. In the most recent years, his travels became few, but he found enjoyment with WebTV; surfing the internet, reading and forwarding emails, and playing games. John will be remembered most for his kindness, gentleness, his love of life, wisdom, sense of humor and guidance. His ability to quickly break out into a "jingle" or "ditty", such as "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window" will be sorely missed. John was such a gentleman and always welcomed everyone with a smile, and usually called them "Darlin". To say it best, "If you didn't love John, you hadn't met him". John is survived by his wife Louise, his brother Steve, his children: Johney LaDue and wife Barbara, Phil LaDue and wife Donna. Louise's children: Reid Baucom and wife Dora, Terry Windham and husband Bob, and Irene Poth.
His grandchildren: Teresa Taylor and husband Greg, Phillip Jeffery LaDue, David Sober and wife Cindy, Cindy Tibbs and husband Mark. Louise's grandchildren: Valarie Zimmerman and husband Trey, Walter Baucom, Reid Baucom and wife Paola, Esther Pais and husband Dionicio, Gary Windham and wife Rachel, Cyndi Samford and husband Revil. Also, his 12 great-grandchildren, 8 great-great grandchildren and Louise's 6 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
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