Meet an Ardent: SW Oklahoma Edition

[Poli]

June 9th-10th.

Sterling, Oklahoma (just northeast of Lawton).

I'm heading down that way to play in a softball tournament. I'll be driving down the 9th after work. The tournament is a memorial tournament in honor of my best friend, Will Kerchee.

If you'd like to play or meet up, PM me.

[Poli]

William 'Willie' Barrett Kerchee
Funeral for Petty Officer 1st Class William "Willie" Barrett Kerchee, 32,
Gaeta, Italy, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Sterling High School gym
with Becky Baxter-Crowell, pastor, Sterling United Methodist Church,
officiating.

Mr. Kerchee died Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007, in a car accident while
serving in Gaeta.

Burial with military honors will be in Sterling Cemetery under the
direction of Comanche Nation Funeral Home.

A prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Sterling gym.
He was born Dec. 25, 1974, at USPHS Indian Hospital in Lawton to Deborah
Sue Tosee Kerchee Oldham and Melvin R. Kerchee Jr. Kerchee lived his
entire school life at the same home in Sterling.

Kerchee graduated in 1993 from Sterling High School, where he played
basketball and baseball. In 1993, he was awarded the defensive player of
the year for basketball. He was a shortstop, center fielder and pitcher
for the baseball team. Kerchee joined the Navy on Feb. 26, 1996. His final
orders took him to Italy aboard the USS Mount Whitney. His team, the Red
Ropers, won the military softball World Series in 2005. Kerchee was an
enrolled member of the Comanche Tribe. He also belonged to the Oklahoma
Intertribal Club, Comanche War Dance Society, Native American Church
Comanche Chapter and Sterling United Methodist Church.

Survivors include three daughters: Andrea Renee Kerchee, Ryan, Heaven
Lee Kerchee, Dale, Texas, and Aimee Beth Twohatchet, Carnegie; his mother:
Deborah Sue Oldham, Sterling; his father: Melvin R. Kerchee Jr. and wife,
Debbie, Indiahoma; sisters and brother-in-law: Sally and Lance Hill,
Sterling, and Roxie Humphers, Ada; an adopted sister: Nichole Cadena,
Lawton; three brothers: Tennyson "T-bone" Kerchee, Elgin, Ashley Kerchee,
Kerrville, Texas, and Marshall Kerchee, Indiahoma; four nephews: Timothy
David Hart, Michael Zeke Hill and Amos William Hill, all of Sterling, and
Ty Odell Humphers, Ada; his maternal grandmother: Eunice Tosee, Sterling;
paternal grandfathers: Wallace Coffey, Lawton, and Frank Angelo Bull,
Indiahoma; uncles and aunts: Eugene and Audrey Mithlo, Sterling, Don and
Janet Bingham, Duncan, Donald Tosee I, Elgin, Dennis and Clarissa
Hernandez, Sterling, Teresa Komahcheet, William Morgan and Evelyn Kionute-
Tosee, Frank and Charlotte Davis-Tosee, all of Sterling, Ray and Donna
Kerchee, Choctaw, Jarvis and Gwendelyn Poahway, Indiahoma, Lucinda Kerchee
and Charles K. Kerchee, both of Geronimo, Donnie and Roberta Burgess,
Lawton, Don Gleason, Dallas, Carl and Vanessa Jennings, Fort Cobb, Mike
and Phyllis Bendixon, Purcell, Adolph and Shannon Figueroa, Oklahoma City,
Barry Harden, Denton, Texas, David and Kathy Winer, Newton, Mass., Bill
and Anita Walker, Ada, David and Rita Woodall, Amarillo, Leland and Karen
McCain, Odessa, Texas, Kevin and Sharon Dawes, Miami, Lyn Gachet, Carnegie,
Ila Smith, Elgin, and Tina and Parker Emhoolah, Lawton; stepmother: Lori
Hunt, Kerrville, Texas; adopted mother: Lou Ann Clark, Anadarko; and other
relatives.

He was preceded in death by maternal grandfather: Andrew Tosee; paternal
grandparents; Melvin Kerchee Sr. and Nettie Coffey Kerchee; a sister:
Raynell Lorene Kerchee; stepfather: Donald R Oldham; and adopted father:
Gary Clark.

[CamEdwards]

Wow, really sorry to hear about your friend Ardent. Wish I was there to play. Is the tourney raising money for a memorial scholarship or anything?

If you're looking for things to do in the Lawton area, there's a hole in the wall restaurant called the Meers Store (located in the tiny town of Meers) that serves world famous buffalo burgers.

The Wichita Wildlife Refuge has some freeroaming herds of longhorn cattle and buffalo, as well as a very large prairie dog town.

Ft. Sill has tours, including the cell where Geronimo died after he was captured by the Army.

I have to say, it's almost worth staying in Oklahoma City and driving the 90 minutes to Lawton.

[Poli]

Wow, really sorry to hear about your friend Ardent. Wish I was there to play. Is the tourney raising money for a memorial scholarship or anything?

Thanks, Cam. I'll be staying with his family, most likely. They've kind of adopted me. I was down there in January for the funeral.

Proceeds are going to a memorial scholarship. This year's scholarship was recently handed out.


Hello to All,

Well the time is just flying by and the tournament is getting closer by the minute. It has been a while since my last update, so here is the latest news.

On May 10, 2007 the first William B. Kerchee Memorial Scholarship was presented to Nathan McCall during the All Sports Banquet. Tim Hart did an outstanding job in speaking on behalf of the family and Andrea Renee Kerchee presented a plaque and $500 to Nathan. He and his family were truly surprised and very thankful.

Last month during the Apache Rattlesnake festival we made $1380.00 to go toward the scholarship and tournament. Thanks to all who helped out.

[JeeberD]

You won't be that far away from here, but not exactly close either. I'll see what I can do...

[Airhog]

Corporate challenge is that weekend, otherwise I would probably drive down there and play.

[JeeberD]

So it turns out I already have plans made for me that weekend... :(

[Poli]

Haters.

[Joe]

I'll drive down, its only 850 miles.

[Poli]

Only 555 miles for me.

[vex]

I'm looking forward to the NE edition;)

[Poli]

Well, I'm going *thru* NE. I could stop by the world's largest McDonald's or something on the way.

[duckman]

I might be able to meet up with you in Oklahoma City on your way there or when you head back.

[Poli]

I had someone ask me about contributing to the scholarship fund, so I thought I'd post the address for anyone else interested.

William B. Kerchee Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 541
Sterling, OK 73567

[Lathum]

So it turns out I already have plans made for me that weekend... :(

are you cashing in a favor from one of your homies?

[Poli]

Bump. I may take a vacation day on that Friday to ensure I'm there for the entire tournament.

[Poli]

Bump. Taking the vacation day. I'll be leaving here sometime in the 6-8 am central time...putting me in Sterling somewhere between 2-4, give or take an hour or two for FOFCers. I have to be there by 5:30 for the games, though.

I'm not entirely sure when I'll be leaving as of yet. Games end sometime Saturday afternoon, I guess. I'll probably drive home after that, unless it's 6 pm or later.

[Poli]

Final bump before I leave work.

[Poli]

Got a ticket on my way down.

Went 2-2 with a 3 run homer and a walk in our game yesterday as we won 6-2.

Looks like the games are going to carry me later into the night than I thought. I'll either be returning somewhat late on Saturday or Sunday morning.

[Poli]

Meeting Vex and family went well after we ditched my stalker. :)

[vex]

Guy was just a little freaky. My wife was REALLY hoping the stalker wasn't you,lol.