June 18, 1938 – February 16, 2024
Dr. Melva Jo Bennett passed away at her home overlooking Greenwood Lake on February 16, 2024. She was 85 years old. Bennett was born in Harrison, Ark. on June 18, 1938. Her parents, Wallace, and Lucille Payne were Okmulgeeans, and Melva Jo spent most of her life in Okmulgee, where she distinguished herself as an important figure in the area’s educational and mental health communities. Dr. Bennett graduated from Okmulgee High School in 1956; a month later she married her husband, J.B. Bennett, who had graduated from college and was enlisted in the Marine Corps Officers Program. They remained married for 60 years until her husband, former Mayor, and State Representative, passed in 2016. The couple had three children: Dana, J.B. III (AKA “Bo”), and Bon. In 1959, the Bennetts purchased Greenwood Lake- a popular summer swimming resort in Okmulgee- a business they operated every year until it closed in 1994. Known as “Jo” to her friends in the community, Dr. Bennett began taking college courses in the mid-sixties as her children transitioned to school age. Receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education, she began a teaching career in local elementary schools. Concurrently, she started taking graduate level courses, eventually attaining her Masters Degree in Education and School Psychology in 1975. This led to positions in Psychometry, testing children for learning disabilities. Jo Bennett was known for her inquisitive mind, her thirst for learning and a tenacity to meet challenging goals. With a successful career already as a practitioner and administrator for the Regional Education Center, she continued to pursue a Doctorate Degree as she entered the middle stage of her career. Notably, Jo cherished being a parent and grandparent, and being involved with children – whether in schools, at the lake business or in her own neighborhood. She cherished living in Okmulgee, and was active in supporting youth, sports activities, community events and service organizations. After earning her Doctorate from Oklahoma State University in School Administration in 1992, she began her stint as Chairman of the Board for CREOKS, a non-profit mental health agency that is now one of Oklahoma’s largest providers. Her leadership and guidance helped spur the growth and success of the agency in a time of crisis. She was personally honored in July 2023 when CREOKS dedicated their newest facility “Bennett House” acknowledging her contributions. Dr. Bennett continued to work as a contract psychometrist for area schools well into her seventies. She provided nearly a decade of intensive in-home care for her husband after he suffered a stroke, while also pursuing interests in research with the Okmulgee County Genealogy Society and serving on the Okmulgee County Homeless Shelter Advisory Team.
In 2022, she researched and co-authored a book; “Greenwood Lake: Okmulgee’s Original Resort,” which proved to be a local sensation. Jo was a member of the First Baptist Church of Okmulgee. She is preceded in death by her husband, J.B. Bennett Jr., and her sisters, Peggy Seay, and Patsy Spriggs. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Dana and Louis Sigalos (Houston, Texas), Bo and Melanie Bennett (La Mesa, California) and Bon and Jamie Bennett (Bartlesville, Oklahoma); as well as her grandchildren Rowdy Rudd and wife Allison, Byron Bennett, Meilani Bennett, Archer Bennett and wife Jenny, and Avery Bennett. She has two great grandchildren: Olivia and Ella Rudd. Internment is with McClendon- Winters Funeral Home in Okmulgee. Celebration of Life event is pending. Arrangements have been entrusted to McClendon- Winters Funeral Home of Okmulgee. Memories, condolences, photos and videos may be shared with the family on Melva’s Tribute Page of our website. www.mcclendon-winters. com
