NEWKIRK, Okla. – Juhree Ladelle Sherrod Vanderpool, 91, entered her eternal home Aug. 12, 2022, in Ponca City, Okla. She was born Sept. 5, 1930, in Perry, Okla., to Emily Jeannette Adams Sherrod and Virgil Vere Sherrod.
Juhree attended kindergarten through sixth grade at Perry Grade and Elementary School.
In 1942 she moved with her family to Newkirk, Okla., and received the rest of her schooling in Newkirk. She graduated with the class of 1948 as co-valedictorian of her class.
After moving to Newkirk, she often assisted her grandfather Charlie Adams with his horses. During this time, one of the horses stepped on her toe and she could not get the horse to move. So, she simply had to stand there with the horse standing on her toe until her grandfather came and made the horse move.
The summer after her graduation, she worked in Arkansas City, Kan., for Central States Manufacturing Co., and then for Albright Title and Trust in the loan department. Starting in 1949 she was secretary to Wilda Shafer, home demonstration agent for two years.
Before moving to Colorado in 1950, Juhree photographed all the historic buildings in downtown Newkirk. Juhree’s photographs are some of the oldest existing photographs of several of the historic buildings.
On Oct. 21, 1950, she married Samuel J. Vanderpool Jr., in the Presbyterian Church, in Denver, Colo. All of her family was present. Erie Cline hosted a small reception for them. They moved to Riverside, Calif., where Sam was stationed at March Air Force Base. The evening they drove into town, they stopped at a newspaper stand. While checking to see what was for rent, a gentleman came out of the OTASCO Store. Their car was packed with everything they owned. (Although they did leave their ironing board in Newkirk as they would have to tie it to the top of the car!) The gentleman said he had a small house on the back of their lot and would take them to see it. It was fine.
Juhree answered an ad for a receptionist for a small stock exchange. The manager acted like he was going to hire her until she mentioned her husband was in the service. He then said he was sorry, but he had hired a number of Air Force wives and just when he got them trained, their husbands would be transferred. But he did hire her. Juhree walked three or four blocks to a bus stop to get to work. There was a park located across the street, where she ate her lunch. There were lots of orange groves. Sure enough, Sam was transferred to Lake Charles, La., six months later.
They did not acquire much of anything in California, so they packed the car to the roof again and headed for Louisiana. Juhree got a job at the base, and they stayed there three years before Sam was transferred overseas. While there, they lived on Canal Street – boats and snakes used it when it was flooded. Sandra came down and helped Juhree move home.
Juhree worked in transcribing at Conoco for six months, then her old job at the courthouse opened up so, she went back to work for Wilda Shafer.
After a couple of years, she became an accountant for Kay County Federal Savings and Loan, where she stayed for 36 years. They merged with Sooner Federal, the largest savings and loan in the state. She became branch manager and retired in September 1992 at the age of 62.
She was able to travel overseas several times and photographed everything. She served as president and treasurer of the Newkirk Community Historical Society, treasurer of the Newkirk Community Chest, and treasurer of Newkirk Main Street. She was one of the original SOBs (Save Our Buildings). It was through her hard work and dedication that Newkirk became one of the first small towns accepted into the Oklahoma Main Street Program.
She held practically every office in the First Presbyterian Church – the last one on the building committee of the Fellowship Hall.
She purchased the house on the lot next door to her home and after she had it moved it out, she had a gazebo built and a small flower garden. She lived in the house that Sniders built in 1950 since 1955. The stairs to the basement were too steep, so she had the washer and dryer moved upstairs. She enjoyed many happy years of retirement, taking care of stray cats, driving her sister where she wanted to go, talking to her brother in California every week, and working in her yard.
She is survived by her brother, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jeredy Kim Sherrod, Sacramento, Calif.; a cousin, Maston (Nanette) Nietert; and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, and her sister Sandra Cline.
Casket bearers are Kirk Peace, Walter Shafer, Mike Hull, Jason Shanks, Robert Boone and Randy Palmbert. Honorary bearers are Ike Glass, Tom Rigdon and Raymond Simons.
Funeral service will be 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, at the Newkirk First Presbyterian Church, with Mark Southerland officiating. Visitation will be held Wednesday, Aug. 18, at Miller Stahl Funeral Home, Newkirk. Burial will follow in the Newkirk Cemetery.
A memorial fund has been established with the Newkirk First Presbyterian Church through Equity Bank, PO Box 468, Newkirk, OK 74647.
